Source specific risk assessment of indoor aerosol particles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koivisto, A.J.

2013-05-15

In the urban environment, atmospheric aerosols consist mainly of pollutants from anthropogenic sources. The majority of these originate from traffic and other combustion processes. A fraction of these pollutants will penetrate indoors via ventilation. However, indoor air concentrations are usually predominated by indoor sources due to the small amount of dilution air. In modern societies, people spend most of their time indoors. Thus, their exposure is controlled mainly by indoor concentrations from indoor sources. During the last decades, engineering of nanosized structures has created a new field of material science. Some of these materials have been shown to be potentially toxic to human health. The greatest potential for exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) occurs in the workplace during production and handling of ENMs. In an exposure assessment, both gaseous and particulate matter pollutants need to be considered. The toxicities of the particles usually depend on the source and age. With time, particle morphology and composition changes due to their tendency to undergo coagulation, condensation and evaporation. The PM exposure risk is related to source specific emissions, and thus, in risk assessment one needs to define source specific exposures. This thesis describes methods for source specific risk assessment of airborne particulate matter. It consists of studies related to workers' ENM exposures during the synthesis of nanoparticles, packing of agglomerated TiO{sub 2} nanoparticles, and handling of nanodiamonds. Background particles were distinguished from the ENM concentrations by using different measurement techniques and indoor aerosol modelings. Risk characterization was performed by using a source specific exposure and calculated dose levels in units of particle number and mass. The exposure risk was estimated by using non-health based occupational exposure limits for ENMs. For the nanosized TiO{sub 2}, the risk was also assessed from dose

How does concurrent sourcing affect performance?

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mols, Niels Peter

2010-01-01

be modelled. The propositions and discussion offer researchers a starting-point for further research. Practical implications – The propositions that are developed suggest that managers should consider using concurrent sourcing when they face problems caused by volume uncertainty, technological uncertainty....../methodology/approach – Based on transaction cost, agency, neoclassical economic, knowledge-based, and resource-based theory, it is proposed to show how concurrent sourcing affects performance. Findings – The paper argues that concurrent sourcing improves performance when firms face a combination of volume uncertainty...... how concurrent sourcing affects performance of the market and the hierarchy....

Real time source term and dose assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breznik, B.; Kovac, A.; Mlakar, P.

2001-01-01

The Dose Projection Programme is a tool for decision making in case of nuclear emergency. The essential input data for quick emergency evaluation in the case of hypothetical pressurised water reactor accident are following: source term, core damage assessment, fission product radioactivity, release source term and critical exposure pathways for an early phase of the release. A reduced number of radio-nuclides and simplified calculations can be used in dose calculation algorithm. Simple expert system personal computer programme has been developed for the Krsko Nuclear Power Plant for dose projection within the radius of few kilometers from the pressurised water reactor in early phase of an accident. The input data are instantaneous data of core activity, core damage indicators, release fractions, reduction factor of the release pathways, spray operation, release timing, and dispersion coefficient. Main dose projection steps are: accurate in-core radioactivity determination using reactor power input; core damage and in-containment source term assessment based on quick indications of instrumentation or on activity analysis data; user defines release pathway for typical PWR accident scenarius; dose calculation is performed only for exposure pathway critical for decision about evacuation or sheltering in early phase of an accident.(author)

Radionuclide release rates from spent fuel for performance assessment modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Curtis, D.B.

1994-01-01

In a scenario of aqueous transport from a high-level radioactive waste repository, the concentration of radionuclides in water in contact with the waste constitutes the source term for transport models, and as such represents a fundamental component of all performance assessment models. Many laboratory experiments have been done to characterize release rates and understand processes influencing radionuclide release rates from irradiated nuclear fuel. Natural analogues of these waste forms have been studied to obtain information regarding the long-term stability of potential waste forms in complex natural systems. This information from diverse sources must be brought together to develop and defend methods used to define source terms for performance assessment models. In this manuscript examples of measures of radionuclide release rates from spent nuclear fuel or analogues of nuclear fuel are presented. Each example represents a very different approach to obtaining a numerical measure and each has its limitations. There is no way to obtain an unambiguous measure of this or any parameter used in performance assessment codes for evaluating the effects of processes operative over many millennia. The examples are intended to suggest by example that in the absence of the ability to evaluate accuracy and precision, consistency of a broadly based set of data can be used as circumstantial evidence to defend the choice of parameters used in performance assessments

Lessons Learned from Characterization, Performance Assessment, and EPA Regulatory Review of the 1996 Actinide Source Term for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, K.W.; Moore, R.C.; Nowak, E.J.; Papenguth, H.W.; Jow, H.

1999-01-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) is a US Department of Energy (DOE) facility for the permanent disposal of transuranic waste from defense activities. In 1996, the DOE submitted the Title 40 CFR Part 191 Compliance Certification Application for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (CCA) to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The CCA included a probabilistic performance assessment (PA) conducted by Sandia National Laboratories to establish compliance with the quantitative release limits defined in 40 CFR 191.13. An experimental program to collect data relevant to the actinide source term began around 1989, which eventually supported the 1996 CCA PA actinide source term model. The actinide source term provided an estimate of mobile dissolved and colloidal Pu, Am, U, Th, and Np concentrations in their stable oxidation states, and accounted for effects of uncertainty in the chemistry of brines in waste disposal areas. The experimental program and the actinide source term included in the CCA PA underwent EPA review lasting more than 1 year. Experiments were initially conducted to develop data relevant to the wide range of potential future conditions in waste disposal areas. Interim, preliminary performance assessments and actinide source term models provided insight allowing refinement of experiments and models. Expert peer review provided additional feedback and confidence in the evolving experimental program. By 1995, the chemical database and PA predictions of WIPP performance were considered reliable enough to support the decision to add an MgO backfill to waste rooms to control chemical conditions and reduce uncertainty in actinide concentrations, especially for Pu and Am. Important lessons learned through the characterization, PA modeling, and regulatory review of the actinide source term are (1) experimental characterization and PA should evolve together, with neither activity completely dominating the other, (2) the understanding of physical processes

Performance analyses of Z-source and quasi Z-source inverter for photovoltaic applications

Science.gov (United States)

Himabind, S.; Priya, T. Hari; Manjeera, Ch.

2018-04-01

This paper presents the comparative analysis of Z-source and Quasi Z-source converter for renewable energy applications. Due to the dependency of renewable energy sources on external weather conditions the output voltage, current changes accordingly which effects the performance of traditional voltage source and current source inverters connected across it. To overcome the drawbacks of VSI and CSI, Z-source and Quasi Z-source inverter (QZSI) are used, which can perform multiple tasks like ac-to-dc, dc-to-ac, ac-to-ac, dc-to-dc conversion. They can be used for both buck and boost operations, by utilizing the shoot-through zero state. The QZSI is derived from the ZSI topology, with a slight change in the impedance network and it overcomes the drawbacks of ZSI. The QZSI draws a constant current from the source when compared to ZSI. A comparative analysis is performed between Z-source and Quasi Z-source inverter, simulation is performed in MATLAB/Simulink environment.

Treatment of uncertainty in low-level waste performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozak, M.W.; Olague, N.E.; Gallegos, D.P.; Rao, R.R.

1991-01-01

Uncertainties arise from a number of different sources in low-level waste performance assessment. In this paper the types of uncertainty are reviewed, and existing methods for quantifying and reducing each type of uncertainty are discussed. These approaches are examined in the context of the current low-level radioactive waste regulatory performance objectives, which are deterministic. The types of uncertainty discussed in this paper are model uncertainty, uncertainty about future conditions, and parameter uncertainty. The advantages and disadvantages of available methods for addressing uncertainty in low-level waste performance assessment are presented. 25 refs

Performance assessment for future low-level waste disposal facilities at ORNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, D.W.; Kocher, D.C.

1989-01-01

This paper discusses the strategy for waste management on the Oak Ridge Reservation (ORR) and the approach to preparing future performance assessments that has evolved from previous performance assessment studies of low-level radioactive waste disposal on the ORR. The strategy for waste management is based on the concept that waste classification should be determined by performance assessment other than the sources of waste. This dose-based strategy for waste classification and management places special importance on the preparation and interpretation of waste disposal performance assessments for selecting appropriate disposal technologies and developing waste acceptance criteria. Additionally, the challenges to be overcome in the preparation of performance assessments are discussed. 7 refs

Life cycle assessment of renewable energy sources

CERN Document Server

Singh, Anoop; Olsen, Stig Irving

2013-01-01

Governments are setting challenging targets to increase the production of energy and transport fuel from sustainable sources. The emphasis is increasingly on renewable sources including wind, solar, geothermal, biomass based biofuel, photovoltaics or energy recovery from waste. What are the environmental consequences of adopting these other sources? How do these various sources compare to each other? Life Cycle Assessment of Renewable Energy Sources tries to answer these questions based on the universally adopted method of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). This book introduces the concept and impor

[Regional atmospheric environment risk source identification and assessment].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Chun; Chen, Wei-Ping; Ma, Chun; Zhan, Shui-Fen; Jiao, Wen-Tao

2012-12-01

Identification and assessment for atmospheric environment risk source plays an important role in regional atmospheric risk assessment and regional atmospheric pollution prevention and control. The likelihood exposure and consequence assessment method (LEC method) and the Delphi method were employed to build a fast and effective method for identification and assessment of regional atmospheric environment risk sources. This method was applied to the case study of a large coal transportation port in North China. The assessment results showed that the risk characteristics and the harm degree of regional atmospheric environment risk source were in line with the actual situation. Fast and effective identification and assessment of risk source has laid an important foundation for the regional atmospheric environmental risk assessment and regional atmospheric pollution prevention and control.

Integrated societal risk assessment framework for nuclear power and renewable energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Sang Hun; Kang, Hyun Gook

2015-01-01

Recently, the estimation of the social cost of energy sources has been emphasized as various novel energy options become feasible in addition to conventional ones. In particular, the social cost of introducing measures to protect power-distribution systems from power-source instability and the cost of accident-risk response for various power sources must be investigated. To account for these risk factors, an integrated societal risk assessment framework, based on power-uncertainty analysis and accident-consequence analysis, is proposed. In this study, we applied the proposed framework to nuclear power plants, solar photovoltaic systems, and wind-turbine generators. The required capacity of gas-turbine power plants to be used as backup power facilities to compensate for fluctuations in the power output from the main power source was estimated based on the performance indicators of each power source. The average individual health risk per terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity produced by each power source was quantitatively estimated by assessing accident frequency and the consequences of specific accident scenarios based on the probabilistic risk assessment methodology. This study is expected to provide insight into integrated societal risk analysis, and can be used to estimate the social cost of various power sources

Integrated societal risk assessment framework for nuclear power and renewable energy sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Sang Hun; Kang, Hyun Gook [Dept. of Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, KAIST, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-06-15

Recently, the estimation of the social cost of energy sources has been emphasized as various novel energy options become feasible in addition to conventional ones. In particular, the social cost of introducing measures to protect power-distribution systems from power-source instability and the cost of accident-risk response for various power sources must be investigated. To account for these risk factors, an integrated societal risk assessment framework, based on power-uncertainty analysis and accident-consequence analysis, is proposed. In this study, we applied the proposed framework to nuclear power plants, solar photovoltaic systems, and wind-turbine generators. The required capacity of gas-turbine power plants to be used as backup power facilities to compensate for fluctuations in the power output from the main power source was estimated based on the performance indicators of each power source. The average individual health risk per terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity produced by each power source was quantitatively estimated by assessing accident frequency and the consequences of specific accident scenarios based on the probabilistic risk assessment methodology. This study is expected to provide insight into integrated societal risk analysis, and can be used to estimate the social cost of various power sources.

Performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doe, T.

1985-01-01

The purpose of performance assessment is to show that the repository is expected to serve its stated function - disposing of radioactive waste safely both during operation and for the postclosure period. Performance assessment is a straightforward concept, but its application may be very complicated. The concept of performance assessment has been clarified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in their Draft Generic Technical Position on Licensing Assessment Methodology for High-Level Waste Geologic Repositories (NRC, 1984). This document has gone a long way toward defining the criteria that the NRC will use to determine whether or not information from site characterization is adequate to meet the regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A favorable determination is required for issuance of a construction authorization, which is the first major regulatory requirement for developing a working repository. It is, therefore, essential that a research program be developed that not only resolves the outstanding technical issues, but also does it in such a way that the results are clearly applicable to the formal performance assessment and licensing procedures. The definitions of performance assessment are reviewed and the current NRC thinking is summarized

A simplified radionuclide source term for total-system performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, M.L.

1991-11-01

A parametric model for releases of radionuclides from spent-nuclear-fuel containers in a waste repository is presented. The model is appropriate for use in preliminary total-system performance assessments of the potential repository site at Yucca Mountain, Nevada; for this reason it is simpler than the models used for detailed studies of waste-package performance. Terms are included for releases from the spent fuel pellets, from the pellet/cladding gap and the grain boundaries within the fuel pellets, from the cladding of the fuel rods, and from the radioactive fuel-assembly parts. Multiple barriers are considered, including the waste container, the fuel-rod cladding, the thermal ''dry-out'', and the waste form itself. The basic formulas for release from a single fuel rod or container are extended to formulas for expected releases for the whole repository by using analytic expressions for probability distributions of some important parameters. 39 refs., 4 figs., 4 tabs

Dose performance and image quality: Dual source CT versus single source CT in cardiac CT angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Min; Qi Hengtao; Wang Ximing; Wang Tao; Chen, Jiu-Hong; Liu Cheng

2009-01-01

Objective: To evaluate dose performance and image quality of 64-slice dual source CT (DSCT) in comparison to 64-slice single source CT (SSCT) in cardiac CT angiography (CTA). Methods: 100 patients examined by DSCT and 60 patients scanned by SSCT were included in this study. Objective indices such as image noise, contrast-to-noise ratio and signal-to-noise ratio were analyzed. Subjective image quality was assessed by two cardiovascular radiologists in consensus using a four-point scale (1 = excellent to 4 = not acceptable). Estimation of effective dose was performed on the basis of dose length product (DLP). Results: At low heart rates ( 0.05), but, at high heart rates (>70 bpm), DSCT provided robust image quality (P 70 bpm), DSCT is able to provide robust diagnostic image quality at doses far below that of SSCT.

Advanced Reactor PSA Methodologies for System Reliability Analysis and Source Term Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grabaskas, D.; Brunett, A.; Passerini, S.; Grelle, A.; Bucknor, M.

2017-06-26

Beginning in 2015, a project was initiated to update and modernize the probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) of the GE-Hitachi PRISM sodium fast reactor. This project is a collaboration between GE-Hitachi and Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne), and funded in part by the U.S. Department of Energy. Specifically, the role of Argonne is to assess the reliability of passive safety systems, complete a mechanistic source term calculation, and provide component reliability estimates. The assessment of passive system reliability focused on the performance of the Reactor Vessel Auxiliary Cooling System (RVACS) and the inherent reactivity feedback mechanisms of the metal fuel core. The mechanistic source term assessment attempted to provide a sequence specific source term evaluation to quantify offsite consequences. Lastly, the reliability assessment focused on components specific to the sodium fast reactor, including electromagnetic pumps, intermediate heat exchangers, the steam generator, and sodium valves and piping.

Assessing medical students' performance in core competencies using multiple admission programs for colleges and universities: from the perspective of multi-source feedback.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Ji-Tseng; Ko, Yu-Shien; Chien, Chu-Chun; Yu, Kuang-Hui

2013-01-01

Since 1994, Taiwanese medical universities have employed the multiple application method comprising "recommendations and screening" and "admission application." The purpose of this study is to examine whether medical students admitted using different admission programs gave different performances. To evaluate the six core competencies for medical students proposed by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), this study employed various assessment tools, including student opinion feedback, multi-source feedback (MSF), course grades, and examination results.MSF contains self-assessment scale, peer assessment scale, nursing staff assessment scale, visiting staff assessment scale, and chief resident assessment scale. In the subscales, the CronbachÊs alpha were higher than 0.90, indicating good reliability. Research participants consisted of 182 students from the School of Medicine at Chang Gung University. Regarding studentsÊ average grade for the medical ethics course, the performance of students who were enrolled through school recommendations exceeded that of students who were enrolled through the National College University Entrance Examination (NCUEE) p = 0.011), and all considered "teamwork" as the most important. Different entry pipelines of students in the "communication," "work attitude," "medical knowledge," and "teamwork" assessment scales showed no significant difference. The improvement rate of the students who were enrolled through the school recommendations was better than that of the students who were enrolled through the N CUEE in the "professional skills," "medical core competencies," "communication," and "teamwork" projects of self-assessment and peer assessment scales. However, the students who were enrolled through the NCUEE were better in the "professional skills," "medical core competencies," "communication," and "teamwork" projects of the visiting staff assessment scale and the chief resident assessment scale. Collectively

Assessing medical students' performance in core competencies using multiple admission programs for colleges and universities: From the perspective of multi-source feedback

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ji-Tseng Fang

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Background: Since 1994, Taiwanese medical universities have employed the multiple application method comprising "recommendations and screening" and "admission application." The purpose of this study is to examine whether medical students admitted using different admission programs gave different performances. Methods: To evaluate the six core competencies for medical students proposed by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME, this study employed various assessment tools, including student opinion feedback, multi-source feedback (MSF, course grades, and examination results.MSF contains self-assessment scale, peer assessment scale, nursing staff assessment scale, visiting staff assessment scale, and chief resident assessment scale. In the subscales, the CronbachÊs alpha were higher than 0.90, indicating good reliability. Research participants consisted of 182 students from the School of Medicine at Chang Gung University. Results: Regarding studentsÊ average grade for the medical ethics course, the performance of students who were enrolled through school recommendations exceeded that of students who were enrolled through the National College University Entrance Examination (NCUEE p = 0.011, and all considered "teamwork" as the most important. Different entry pipelines of students in the "communication," "work attitude," "medical knowledge," and "teamwork" assessment scales showed no significant difference. The improvement rate of the students who were enrolled through the school recommendations was better than that of the students who were enrolled through the N CUEE in the "professional skills," "medical core competencies," "communication," and "teamwork" projects of self-assessment and peer assessment scales. However, the students who were enrolled through the NCUEE were better in the "professional skills," "medical core competencies," "communication," and "teamwork" projects of the visiting staff assessment scale and the

Integrated societal risk assessment framework for nuclear power and renewable energy sources

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sang Hun Lee

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Recently, the estimation of the social cost of energy sources has been emphasized as various novel energy options become feasible in addition to conventional ones. In particular, the social cost of introducing measures to protect power-distribution systems from power-source instability and the cost of accident-risk response for various power sources must be investigated. To account for these risk factors, an integrated societal risk assessment framework, based on power-uncertainty analysis and accident-consequence analysis, is proposed. In this study, we applied the proposed framework to nuclear power plants, solar photovoltaic systems, and wind-turbine generators. The required capacity of gas-turbine power plants to be used as backup power facilities to compensate for fluctuations in the power output from the main power source was estimated based on the performance indicators of each power source. The average individual health risk per terawatt-hours (TWh of electricity produced by each power source was quantitatively estimated by assessing accident frequency and the consequences of specific accident scenarios based on the probabilistic risk assessment methodology. This study is expected to provide insight into integrated societal risk analysis, and can be used to estimate the social cost of various power sources.

5th Total System Performance Assessment Workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Yong Soo; Lee, Youn Myoung; Kang, Chul Hyung; Lee, Sung Ho

2009-07-01

Research items on safety assessment of high-level waste repository have been proposed by external invited experts outside KAERI and discussed extensively during the annual 5th performance assessment workshop prepared by safety assessment group in KAERI. This could be useful to set up R and D plans necessary for the next phase of mid- and long-term reaserch area regarding the safety assessment of high-level waste repository. Through the research and the presentation, HLW-related research and development area including such specific research items as current status of HLW safety assessment research, current requirement for the licensing of the repository system, priority on research area, data base building for the safety assessment, source-term modeling as well as safety case, among many others, have been discussed and summarized

Life Cycle Assessment of pretreatment technologies for anaerobic digestion of source-separated organic household waste

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naroznova, Irina; Møller, Jacob; Scheutz, Charlotte

2013-01-01

The environmental performance of two pretreatment technologies for source-separated organic waste was compared using life cycle assessment (LCA). An innovative pulping process where source-separated organic waste is pulped with cold water forming a volatile solid rich biopulp was compared to a more...... including a number of non-toxic and toxic impact categories were assessed. No big difference in the overall performance of the two technologies was observed. The difference for the separate life cycle steps was, however, more pronounced. More efficient material transfer in the scenario with waste pulping...

Enhancement of SPES source performances

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fagotti, E.; Palmieri, A.; Ren, X.

2008-01-01

Installation of SPES source at LNL was finished in July 2006 and the first beam was extracted in September 2006. Commissioning results confirmed very good performance of the extracted current density. Conversely, source reliability was very poor due to glow-discharge phenomena, which were caused by the ion source axial magnetic field protruding in the high-voltage column. This problem was fixed by changing the stainless steel plasma electrode support with a ferromagnetic one. This new configuration required us to recalculate ion source solenoids positions and fields in order to recover the correct resonance pattern. Details on magnetic simulations and experimental results of high voltage column shielding are presented

PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT FOR FIELD SPORTS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Carling

2009-03-01

chapter explores some of the emerging and innovative technologies that have been recently introduced into elite sport and provides an indication as to the future developments for performance assessments. AUDIENCE This book can be considered as an excellent source for sport science students, educators and practitioners. ASSESSMENT This is a useful reference tool written by subject specialists in relation to sport-specific assessments for performance. It fully covers essential information across a range of sport science fields and offers a contextual style of writing to assist the application of these practices into real sport settings. The main limitations are that sections are separated by assessment type, rather than by sport, so it requires some searching for information by practitioners working in a single sport and it does not provide rigid protocols for assessments unlike some other hard-back textbooks written in the same field. In summary, I feel this book draws information from various sport science fields neatly together and provides an up-to-date account of assessment options for field sports, fulfilling its aim of providing an interface between the academic and applied aspects of science and coaching

INEEL Source Water Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sehlke, Gerald

2003-03-01

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) covers approximately 890 mi2 and includes 12 public water systems that must be evaluated for Source water protection purposes under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Because of its size and location, six watersheds and five aquifers could potentially affect the INEEL’s drinking water sources. Based on a preliminary evaluation of the available information, it was determined that the Big Lost River, Birch Creek, and Little Lost River Watersheds and the eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer needed to be assessed. These watersheds were delineated using the United States Geologic Survey’s Hydrological Unit scheme. Well capture zones were originally estimated using the RESSQC module of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Well Head Protection Area model, and the initial modeling assumptions and results were checked by running several scenarios using Modflow modeling. After a technical review, the resulting capture zones were expanded to account for the uncertainties associated with changing groundwater flow directions, a thick vadose zone, and other data uncertainties. Finally, all well capture zones at a given facility were merged to a single wellhead protection area at each facility. A contaminant source inventory was conducted, and the results were integrated with the well capture zones, watershed and aquifer information, and facility information using geographic information system technology to complete the INEEL’s Source Water Assessment. Of the INEEL’s 12 public water systems, three systems rated as low susceptibility (EBR-I, Main Gate, and Gun Range), and the remainder rated as moderate susceptibility. No INEEL public water system rated as high susceptibility. We are using this information to develop a source water management plan from which we will subsequently implement an INEEL-wide source water management program. The results are a very robust set of wellhead protection areas that will

75 FR 68296 - Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-05

... Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources: Sewage... ``Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources: Sewage... performance standards for new units and emission guidelines for existing units for specific categories of...

Assessment of radiation exposure on a dual-source computed tomography-scanner performing coronary computed tomography-angiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirchhoff, S.; Herzog, P.; Johnson, T.; Boehm, H.; Nikolaou, K.; Reiser, M.F.; Becker, C.H.

2010-01-01

Objective: The radiation exposure of a dual-source-64-channel multi-detector-computed-tomography-scanner (Somatom-Defintion, Siemens, Germany) was assessed in a phantom-study performing coronary-CT-angiography (CTCA) in comparison to patients' data randomly selected from routine scanning. Methods: 240 CT-acquisitions of a computed tomography dose index (CTDI)-phantom (PTW, Freiburg, Germany) were performed using a synthetically generated Electrocardiography (ECG)-signal with variable heart rates (30-180 beats per minute (bpm)). 120 measurements were acquired using continuous tube-output; 120 measurements were performed using ECG-synchronized tube-modulation. The pulsing window was set at minimum duration at 65% of the cardiac cycle between 30 and 75 bpm. From 90-180 bpm the pulsing window was set at 30-70% of the cardiac cycle. Automated pitch adaptation was always used. A comparison between phantom CTDI and two patient groups' CTDI corresponding to the two pulsing groups was performed. Results: Without ECG-tube-modulation CDTI-values were affected by heart-rate-changes resulting in 85.7 mGray (mGy) at 30 and 45 bpm, 65.5 mGy/60 bpm, 54.7 mGy/75 bpm, 46.5 mGy/90 bpm, 34.2 mGy/120 bpm, 27.0 mGy/150 bpm and 22.1 mGy/180 bpm equal to effective doses between 14.5 mSievert (mSv) at 30/45 bpm and 3.6 mSv at 180 bpm. Using ECG-tube-modulation these CTDI-values resulted: 32.6 mGy/30 bpm, 36.6 mGy/45 bpm, 31.4 mGy/60 bpm, 26.8 mGy/75 bpm, 23.7 mGy/90 bpm, 19.4 mGy/120 bpm, 17.2 mGy/150 bpm and 15.6 mGy/180 bpm equal to effective doses between 5.5 mSv at 30 bpm and 2.6 mSv at 180 bpm. Significant CTDI-differences were found between patients with lower/moderate and higher heart rates in comparison to the phantom CTDI-results. Conclusions: Dual source CTCA is particularly dose efficient at high heart rates when automated pitch adaptation, especially in combination with ECG-based tube-modulation is used. However in clinical routine scanning for patients with higher heart rates

An assessment of air as a source of DNA contamination encountered when performing PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Witt, Nina; Rodger, Gillian; Vandesompele, Jo; Benes, Vladimir; Zumla, Alimuddin; Rook, Graham A; Huggett, Jim F

2009-12-01

Sensitive molecular methods, such as the PCR, can detect low-level contamination, and careful technique is required to reduce the impact of contaminants. Yet, some assays that are designed to detect high copy-number target sequences appear to be impossible to perform without contamination, and frequently, personnel or laboratory environment are held responsible as the source. This complicates diagnostic and research analysis when using molecular methods. To investigate the air specifically as a source of contamination, which might occur during PCR setup, we exposed tubes of water to the air of a laboratory and clean hood for up to 24 h. To increase the chances of contamination, we also investigated a busy open-plan office in the same way. All of the experiments showed the presence of human and rodent DNA contamination. However, there was no accumulation of the contamination in any of the environments investigated, suggesting that the air was not the source of contamination. Even the air from a busy open-plan office was a poor source of contamination for all of the DNA sequences investigated (human, bacterial, fungal, and rodent). This demonstrates that the personnel and immediate laboratory environment are not necessarily to blame for the observed contamination.

Preliminary performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, December 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-01-01

This volume documents model parameters chosen as of July 1992 that were used by the Performance Assessment Department of Sandia National Laboratories in its 1992 preliminary performance assessment of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Ranges and distributions for about 300 modeling parameters in the current secondary data base are presented in tables for the geologic and engineered barriers, global materials (e.g., fluid properties), and agents that act upon the WIPP disposal system such as climate variability and human-intrusion boreholes. The 49 parameters sampled in the 1992 Preliminary Performance Assessment are given special emphasis with tables and graphics that provide insight and sources of data for each parameter

40 CFR 415.645 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS INORGANIC CHEMICALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Cadmium Pigments and Salts Production Subcategory § 415.645 New source performance standards (NSPS). (a) Any new source subject to this subpart and producing cadmium pigments must achieve the following new source performance standards (NSPS...

Alternate source term models for Yucca Mountain performance assessment based on natural analog data and secondary mineral solubility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, W.M.; Codell, R.B.

1999-01-01

Performance assessment calculations for the proposed high level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were conducted using the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Total-System Performance Assessment (TPA 3.2) code to test conceptual models and parameter values for the source term based on data from the Pena Blanca, Mexico, natural analog site and based on a model for coprecipitation and solubility of secondary schoepite. In previous studies the value for the maximum constant oxidative alteration rate of uraninite at the Nopal I uranium body at Pena Blanca was estimated. Scaling this rate to the mass of uranium for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository yields an oxidative alteration rate of 22 kg/y, which was assumed to be an upper limit on the release rate from the proposed repository. A second model was developed assuming releases of radionuclides are based on the solubility of secondary schoepite as a function of temperature and solution chemistry. Releases of uranium are given by the product of uranium concentrations at equilibrium with schoepite and the flow of water through the waste packages. For both models, radionuclides other than uranium and those in the cladding and gap fraction were modeled to be released at a rate proportional to the uranium release rate, with additional elemental solubility limits applied. Performance assessment results using the Pena Blanca oxidation rate and schoepite solubility models for Yucca Mountain were compared to the TPA 3.2 base case model, in which release was based on laboratory studies of spent fuel dissolution, cladding and gap release, and solubility limits. Doses calculated using the release rate based on natural analog data and the schoepite solubility models were smaller than doses generated using the base case model. These results provide a degree of confidence in safety predictions using the base case model and an indication of how conservatism in the base case model may be reduced in future analyses

Alternate source term models for Yucca Mountain performance assessment based on natural analog data and secondary mineral solubility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murphy, W.M.; Codell, R.B.

1999-07-01

Performance assessment calculations for the proposed high level radioactive waste repository at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, were conducted using the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Total-System Performance Assessment (TPA 3.2) code to test conceptual models and parameter values for the source term based on data from the Pena Blanca, Mexico, natural analog site and based on a model for coprecipitation and solubility of secondary schoepite. In previous studies the value for the maximum constant oxidative alteration rate of uraninite at the Nopal I uranium body at Pena Blanca was estimated. Scaling this rate to the mass of uranium for the proposed Yucca Mountain repository yields an oxidative alteration rate of 22 kg/y, which was assumed to be an upper limit on the release rate from the proposed repository. A second model was developed assuming releases of radionuclides are based on the solubility of secondary schoepite as a function of temperature and solution chemistry. Releases of uranium are given by the product of uranium concentrations at equilibrium with schoepite and the flow of water through the waste packages. For both models, radionuclides other than uranium and those in the cladding and gap fraction were modeled to be released at a rate proportional to the uranium release rate, with additional elemental solubility limits applied. Performance assessment results using the Pena Blanca oxidation rate and schoepite solubility models for Yucca Mountain were compared to the TPA 3.2 base case model, in which release was based on laboratory studies of spent fuel dissolution, cladding and gap release, and solubility limits. Doses calculated using the release rate based on natural analog data and the schoepite solubility models were smaller than doses generated using the base case model. These results provide a degree of confidence in safety predictions using the base case model and an indication of how conservatism in the base case model may be reduced in future analyses.

The link between performance assessment and quality of data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Csullog, G.W.

1990-11-01

Performance assessments, using both individual and cumulative inventories, produce estimates of the risk or dose consequences for repository concepts. Unacceptable risk or dose for a given contaminant identify it as a problem contaminant. While risk or dose consequences are common outputs of safety assessments, results can also be reported as estimates of the safe inventory limit for each contaminant in a repository scenario. Once problem contaminants are identified, it may be useful to: validate the data used in the performance assessment; restrict contaminant inventories in the repository; or, improve the containment capability of the repository (including improved packaging). A key point is that performance assessments define the quality of data to be collected. If a contaminant's inventory will be far below its estimated safe inventory limit for a repository, then it is reasonable to accept inventory estimates that have high variances and low confidence. For contaminants that have a significant impact upon performance assessments, efforts must be made to provide the best inventory (source term) estimates practicable. One important goal of characterization programs should be to establish the adequacy of data used in performance assessments. There is little value in striving to improve confidence in data for some waste streams if they are assessed to have a minor impact upon repository performance. Streams that have a major impact upon performance deserve the time, attention and money to be characterized adequately. Waste acceptance must be linked to the quality of characterization data provided by generators. This link sets compliance monitoring requirements

Assessing TCE source bioremediation by geostatistical analysis of a flux fence.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Zuansi; Wilson, Ryan D; Lerner, David N

2012-01-01

Mass discharge across transect planes is increasingly used as a metric for performance assessment of in situ groundwater remediation systems. Mass discharge estimates using concentrations measured in multilevel transects are often made by assuming a uniform flow field, and uncertainty contributions from spatial concentration and flow field variability are often overlooked. We extend our recently developed geostatistical approach to estimate mass discharge using transect data of concentration and hydraulic conductivity, so accounting for the spatial variability of both datasets. The magnitude and uncertainty of mass discharge were quantified by conditional simulation. An important benefit of the approach is that uncertainty is quantified as an integral part of the mass discharge estimate. We use this approach for performance assessment of a bioremediation experiment of a trichloroethene (TCE) source zone. Analyses of dissolved parent and daughter compounds demonstrated that the engineered bioremediation has elevated the degradation rate of TCE, resulting in a two-thirds reduction in the TCE mass discharge from the source zone. The biologically enhanced dissolution of TCE was not significant (~5%), and was less than expected. However, the discharges of the daughter products cis-1,2, dichloroethene (cDCE) and vinyl chloride (VC) increased, probably because of the rapid transformation of TCE from the source zone to the measurement transect. This suggests that enhancing the biodegradation of cDCE and VC will be crucial to successful engineered bioremediation of TCE source zones. © 2012, The Author(s). Ground Water © 2012, National Ground Water Association.

Assessment of the energetic potential of methanization sources in Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2015-03-01

This publication reports a study of assessment of the potential production of methanization sources in the Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region. Different organic materials have been considered: agri-industrial wastes, agricultural wastes, and wastes from local communities. In order to perform the assessment, various technical, financial, social and environmental parameters and criteria have been taken into account. After a synthetic presentation of results, and a description of the adopted methodology, the document reports the detailed assessments for the three addressed sources with distinctions of the different origins for each of them

The DECADE performance assessment program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, B.V.; Ottinger, P.F.; Commisso, R.J.; Thompson, J.; Rowley, J.E.; Filios, P.; Babineau, M.A.

1996-01-01

Previous analyses of DECADE Module 1 experiments indicated significant current loss between the plasma opening switch (POS) and an electron-beam load. A program was initiated to diagnose and improve the power flow to assess the performance of a multi-module DECADE system. Power flow measurements between the POS and load indicate high vacuum flow, distributed current loss and azimuthal asymmetries. A decreased load impedance reduces the fraction of the load current flowing in vacuum. Improved plasma source symmetry reduces losses near the load for long conduction times. Increased POS impedance is required to significantly improve the power coupling to the load. (author). 6 figs., 9 refs

The DECADE performance assessment program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Weber, B V; Ottinger, P F; Commisso, R J [Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC (United States). Plasma Physics Div.; Goyer, J R; Kortbawi, D [Physics International Co., Berkeley, CA (United States); Thompson, J [Maxwell Labs., San Diego, CA (United States); Rowley, J E; Filios, P [Defense Nuclear Agency, Alexandria, VA (United States); Babineau, M A [Sverdlup Technology, Tullahoma, TN (United States)

1997-12-31

Previous analyses of DECADE Module 1 experiments indicated significant current loss between the plasma opening switch (POS) and an electron-beam load. A program was initiated to diagnose and improve the power flow to assess the performance of a multi-module DECADE system. Power flow measurements between the POS and load indicate high vacuum flow, distributed current loss and azimuthal asymmetries. A decreased load impedance reduces the fraction of the load current flowing in vacuum. Improved plasma source symmetry reduces losses near the load for long conduction times. Increased POS impedance is required to significantly improve the power coupling to the load. (author). 6 figs., 9 refs.

76 FR 18407 - Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-04

... Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emissions Guidelines for Existing Sources: Hospital... performance standards and emissions guidelines for hospital/medical/infectious waste incinerators by the U.S... amendments to the new source performance standards and emissions guidelines, correcting inadvertent drafting...

MANET Performance for Source and Destination Moving Scenarios Considering OLSR and AODV protocols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elis Kulla

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Recently, a great interest is shown in MANETs potential usage and applications in several fields such as military activities, rescue operations and time-critical applications. In this work, we implement and analyse a MANET testbed considering AODV and OLSR protocols for wireless multi-hop networking. We investigate the effect of mobility and topology changing in MANET and evaluate the performance of the network through experiments in a real environment. The performance assessment of our testbed is done considering throughput, number of dropped packets and delay. We designed four scenarios: Static, Source Moving, Destination Moving and Source-Destination Moving. From our experimental results, we concluded that when the communicating nodes are moving and the routes change quickly, OLSR (as a proactive protocol performs better than AODV, which is a reactive protocol.

[Use of ionizing radiation sources in metallurgy: risk assessment].

Science.gov (United States)

Giugni, U

2012-01-01

Use of ionizing radiation sources in the metallurgical industry: risk assessment. Radioactive sources and fixed or mobile X-ray equipment are used for both process and quality control. The use of ionizing radiation sources requires careful risk assessment. The text lists the characteristics of the sources and the legal requirements, and contains a description of the documentation required and the methods used for risk assessment. It describes how to estimate the doses to operators and the relevant classification criteria used for the purpose of radiation protection. Training programs must be organized in close collaboration between the radiation protection expert and the occupational physician.

An Assessment of Air As a Source of DNA Contamination Encountered When Performing PCR

OpenAIRE

Witt, Nina; Rodger, Gillian; Vandesompele, Jo; Benes, Vladimir; Zumla, Alimuddin; Rook, Graham A.; Huggett, Jim F.

2009-01-01

Sensitive molecular methods, such as the PCR, can detect low-level contamination, and careful technique is required to reduce the impact of contaminants. Yet, some assays that are designed to detect high copy-number target sequences appear to be impossible to perform without contamination, and frequently, personnel or laboratory environment are held responsible as the source. This complicates diagnostic and research analysis when using molecular methods. To investigate the air specifically as...

Assessing Confidence in Performance Assessments Using an Evidence Support Logic Methodology: An Application of Tesla

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egan, M.; Paulley, A.; Lehman, L.; Lowe, J.; Rochette, E.; Baker, St.

2009-01-01

The assessment of uncertainties and their implications is a key requirement when undertaking performance assessment (PA) of radioactive waste facilities. Decisions based on the outcome of such assessments become translated into judgments about confidence in the information they provide. This confidence, in turn, depends on uncertainties in the underlying evidence. Even if there is a large amount of information supporting an assessment, it may be only partially relevant, incomplete or less than completely reliable. In order to develop a measure of confidence in the outcome, sources of uncertainty need to be identified and adequately addressed in the development of the PA, or in any overarching strategic decision-making processes. This paper describes a trial application of the technique of Evidence Support Logic (ESL), which has been designed for application in support of 'high stakes' decisions, where important aspects of system performance are subject to uncertainty. The aims of ESL are to identify the amount of uncertainty or conflict associated with evidence relating to a particular decision, and to guide understanding of how evidence combines to support confidence in judgments. Elicitation techniques are used to enable participants in the process to develop a logical hypothesis model that best represents the relationships between different sources of evidence to the proposition under examination. The aim is to identify key areas of subjectivity and other sources of potential bias in the use of evidence (whether for or against the proposition) to support judgments of confidence. Propagation algorithms are used to investigate the overall implications of the logic according to the strength of the underlying evidence and associated uncertainties. (authors)

On the estimation of bias in post-closure performance assessment of underground radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thompson, B.G.J.; Gralewski, Z.A.; Grindrod, P.

1995-01-01

This paper proposes a systematic method for recording and evaluating bias in performance assessments for underground radioactive waste disposal facilities. The bias estimation approach comprises three principal components: (1) creation of a relational database containing historical assumptions and decisions made during the assessment, (2) investigation of the impact of some identified sources of internal bias through alternative assessment calculations, and (3) investigation of the impact of some identified sources of external bias by estimating degrees of belief probability. Bias corrections may help avoid unnecessary concerns by explaining and scoping the impacts of principal differences without the need to undertake additional site investigation, research, and performance analysis

Process of performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, C.M.; Halford, D.K.

1987-01-01

Performance assessment is the process used to evaluate the environmental consequences of disposal of radioactive waste in the biosphere. An introductory review of the subject is presented. Emphasis is placed on the process of performance assessment from the standpoint of defining the process. Performance assessment, from evolving experience at DOE sites, has short-term and long-term subprograms, the components of which are discussed. The role of mathematical modeling in performance assessment is addressed including the pros and cons of current approaches. Finally, the system/site/technology issues as the focal point of this symposium are reviewed

NRC performance assessment program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coplan, S.M.

1986-01-01

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC) performance assessment program includes the development of guidance to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) on preparation of a license application and on conducting the studies to support a license application. The nature of the licensing requirements of 10 CFR Part 60 create a need for performance assessments by the DOE. The NRC and DOE staffs each have specific roles in assuring the adequacy of those assessments. Performance allocation is an approach for determining what testing and analysis will be needed during site characterization to assure that an adequate data base is available to support the necessary performance assessments. From the standpoint of establishing is implementable methodology, the most challenging performance assessment needed for licensing is the one that will be used to determine compliance with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) containment requirement

The role of a detailed aqueous phase source release model in the LANL area G performance assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vold, E.L.; Shuman, R.; Hollis, D.K. [Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)] [and others

1995-12-31

A preliminary draft of the Performance Assessment for the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) low-level radioactive waste disposal facility at Area G is currently being completed as required by Department of Energy orders. A detailed review of the inventory data base records and the existing models for source release led to the development of a new modeling capability to describe the liquid phase transport from the waste package volumes. Nuclide quantities are sorted down to four waste package release categories for modeling: rapid release, soil, concrete/sludge, and corrosion. Geochemistry for the waste packages was evaluated in terms of the equilibrium coefficients, Kds, and elemental solubility limits, Csl, interpolated from the literature. Percolation calculations for the base case closure cover show a highly skewed distribution with an average of 4 mm/yr percolation from the disposal unit bottom. The waste release model is based on a compartment representation of the package efflux, and depends on package size, percolation rate or Darcy flux, retardation coefficient, and moisture content.

Performance Assessment of Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP Product over India

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Akhilesh S. Nair

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Error characterization is vital for the advancement of precipitation algorithms, the evaluation of numerical model outputs, and their integration in various hydro-meteorological applications. The Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM Multi-satellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA has been a benchmark for successive Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM based products. This has given way to the evolution of many multi-satellite precipitation products. This study evaluates the performance of the newly released multi-satellite Multi-Source Weighted-Ensemble Precipitation (MSWEP product, whose temporal variability was determined based on several data products including TMPA 3B42 RT. The evaluation was conducted over India with respect to the IMD-gauge-based rainfall for pre-monsoon, monsoon, and post monsoon seasons at daily scale for a 35-year (1979–2013 period. The rainfall climatology is examined over India and over four geographical extents within India known to be subject to uniform rainfall. The performance evaluation of rainfall time series was carried out. In addition to this, the performance of the product over different rainfall classes was evaluated along with the contribution of each class to the total rainfall. Further, seasonal evaluation of the MSWEP products was based on the categorical and volumetric indices from the contingency table. Upon evaluation it was observed that the MSWEP products show large errors in detecting the higher quantiles of rainfall (>75th and > 95th quantiles. The MSWEP precipitation product available at a 0.25° × 0.25° spatial resolution and daily temporal resolution matched well with the daily IMD rainfall over India. Overall results suggest that a suitable region and season-dependent bias correction is essential before its integration in hydrological applications. While the MSWEP was observed to perform well for daily rainfall, it suffered from poor detection capabilities for higher quantiles, making

The Effects of Performance-Based Assessment Criteria on Student Performance and Self-Assessment Skills

Science.gov (United States)

Fastre, Greet Mia Jos; van der Klink, Marcel R.; van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.

2010-01-01

This study investigated the effect of performance-based versus competence-based assessment criteria on task performance and self-assessment skills among 39 novice secondary vocational education students in the domain of nursing and care. In a performance-based assessment group students are provided with a preset list of performance-based…

Optical Performance of Carbon-Nanotube Electron Sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jonge, Niels de; Allioux, Myriam; Oostveen, Jim T.; Teo, Kenneth B. K.; Milne, William I.

2005-01-01

The figure of merit for the electron optical performance of carbon-nanotube (CNT) electron sources is presented. This figure is given by the relation between the reduced brightness and the energy spread in the region of stable emission. It is shown experimentally that a CNT electron source exhibits a highly stable emission process that follows the Fowler-Nordheim theory for field emission, fixing the relationship among the energy spread, the current, and the radius. The performance of the CNT emitter under realistic operating conditions is compared with state-of-the-art electron point sources. It is demonstrated that the reduced brightness is a function of the tunneling parameter, a measure of the energy spread at low temperatures, only, independent of the geometry of the emitter

Source-water susceptibility assessment in Texas—Approach and methodology

Science.gov (United States)

Ulery, Randy L.; Meyer, John E.; Andren, Robert W.; Newson, Jeremy K.

2011-01-01

Public water systems provide potable water for the public's use. The Safe Drinking Water Act amendments of 1996 required States to prepare a source-water susceptibility assessment (SWSA) for each public water system (PWS). States were required to determine the source of water for each PWS, the origin of any contaminant of concern (COC) monitored or to be monitored, and the susceptibility of the public water system to COC exposure, to protect public water supplies from contamination. In Texas, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) was responsible for preparing SWSAs for the more than 6,000 public water systems, representing more than 18,000 surface-water intakes or groundwater wells. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) worked in cooperation with TCEQ to develop the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) approach and methodology. Texas' SWAP meets all requirements of the Safe Drinking Water Act and ultimately provides the TCEQ with a comprehensive tool for protection of public water systems from contamination by up to 247 individual COCs. TCEQ staff identified both the list of contaminants to be assessed and contaminant threshold values (THR) to be applied. COCs were chosen because they were regulated contaminants, were expected to become regulated contaminants in the near future, or were unregulated but thought to represent long-term health concerns. THRs were based on maximum contaminant levels from U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s National Primary Drinking Water Regulations. For reporting purposes, COCs were grouped into seven contaminant groups: inorganic compounds, volatile organic compounds, synthetic organic compounds, radiochemicals, disinfection byproducts, microbial organisms, and physical properties. Expanding on the TCEQ's definition of susceptibility, subject-matter expert working groups formulated the SWSA approach based on assumptions that natural processes and human activities contribute COCs in quantities that vary in space

Environmental assessment of general-purpose heat source safety verification testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-02-01

This Environmental Assessment (EA) was prepared to identify and evaluate potential environmental, safety, and health impacts associated with the Proposed Action to test General-Purpose Heat Source (GPHS) Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generator (RTG) assemblies at the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) 10,000-Foot Sled Track Facility, Albuquerque, New Mexico. RTGs are used to provide a reliable source of electrical power on board some spacecraft when solar power is inadequate during long duration space missions. These units are designed to convert heat from the natural decay of radioisotope fuel into electrical power. Impact test data are required to support DOE's mission to provide radioisotope power systems to NASA and other user agencies. The proposed tests will expand the available safety database regarding RTG performance under postulated accident conditions. Direct observations and measurements of GPHS/RTG performance upon impact with hard, unyielding surfaces are required to verify model predictions and to ensure the continual evolution of the RTG designs that perform safely under varied accident environments. The Proposed Action is to conduct impact testing of RTG sections containing GPHS modules with simulated fuel. End-On and Side-On impact test series are planned

24 CFR 115.206 - Performance assessments; Performance standards.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Performance assessments; Performance standards. 115.206 Section 115.206 Housing and Urban Development Regulations Relating to Housing... AGENCIES Certification of Substantially Equivalent Agencies § 115.206 Performance assessments; Performance...

Assessing embryo development using swept source optical coherence tomography

Science.gov (United States)

Caujolle, S.; Cernat, R.; Silvestri, G.; Marques, M. J.; Bradu, A.; Feuchter, T.; Robinson, G.; Griffin, D.; Podoleanu, A.

2018-03-01

A detailed assessment of embryo development would assist biologists with selecting the most suitable embryos for transfer leading to higher pregnancy rates. Currently, only low resolution microscopy is employed to perform this assessment. Although this method delivers some information on the embryo surface morphology, no specific details are shown related to its inner structure. Using a Master-Slave Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography (SS-OCT), images of bovine embryos from day 7 after fertilization were collected from different depths. The dynamic changes inside the embryos were examined, in detail and in real-time from several depths. To prove our ability to characterize the morphology, a single embryo was imaged over 26 hours. The embryo was deprived of its life support environment, leading to its death. Over this period, clear morphological changes were observed.

Azolla pinnata growth performance in different water sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Nordiah, B; Harah, Z Muta; Sidik, B Japar; Hazma, W N Wan

2012-07-01

Azolla pinnata R.Br. growth performance experiments in different water sources were conducted from May until July 2011 at Aquaculture Research Station, Puchong, Malaysia. Four types of water sources (waste water, drain water, paddy field water and distilled water) each with different nutrient contents were used to grow and evaluate the growth performance of A. pinnata. Four water sources with different nutrient contents; waste, drain, paddy and distilled water as control were used to evaluate the growth performance of A. pinnata. Generally, irrespective of the types of water sources there were increased in plant biomass from the initial biomass (e.g., after the first week; lowest 25.2% in distilled water to highest 133.3% in drain water) and the corresponding daily growth rate (3.61% in distilled water to 19.04% in drain water). The increased in biomass although fluctuated with time was consistently higher in drain water compared to increased in biomass for other water sources. Of the four water sources, drain water with relatively higher nitrate concentration (0.035 +/- 0.003 mg L(-l)) and nitrite (0.044 +/- 0.005 mg L(-1)) and with the available phosphate (0.032 +/- 0.006 mg L(-1)) initially provided the most favourable conditions for Azolla growth and propagation. Based on BVSTEP analysis (PRIMER v5), the results indicated that a combination of more than one nutrient or multiple nutrient contents explained the observed increased in biomass of A. pinnata grown in the different water sources.

Performance assessment of a multi-fuel hybrid engine for future aircraft

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Yin, F.; Gangoli Rao, A.; Bhat, Abhishek; Chen, Min

2018-01-01

This paper presents the performance assessment of a novel turbofan engine using two energy sources: Liquid Natural Gas (LNG) and kerosene, called Multi-Fuel Hybrid Engine (MFHE). The MFHE is a new engine concept consisting of several novel features, such as a contra-rotating fan to sustain

Groundwater modeling of source terms and contaminant plumes for DOE low-level waste performance assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McDowell-Boyer, L.M.; Wilson, J.E.

1994-01-01

Under US Department of Energy (DOE) Order 5820.2A, all sites within the DOE complex must analyze the performance of planned radioactive waste disposal facilities before disposal takes place through the radiological performance assessment process. These assessments consider both exposures to the public from radionuclides potentially released from disposal facilities and protection of groundwater resources. Compliance with requirements for groundwater protection is often the most difficult to demonstrate as these requirements are generally more restrictive than those for other pathways. Modeling of subsurface unsaturated and saturated flow and transport was conducted for two such assessments for the Savannah River site. The computer code PORFLOW was used to evaluate release and transport of radionuclides from different types of disposal unit configurations: vault disposal and trench disposal. The effectiveness of engineered barriers was evaluated in terms of compliance with groundwater protection requirements. The findings suggest that, due to the limited lifetime of engineered barriers, overdesign of facilities for long-lived radionuclides is likely to occur if compliance must be realized for thousands of years

Performance improvement of optical semiconductor sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Tokhy, M.E.M.E

2009-01-01

This thesis has been concerned with a detailed study of nano-technology quantum sources. From these sources, quantum cascaded laser (QCLs) and quantum dot lasers (QDs), are studied theoretically. Block diagram models based on VisSim environment in junction with mathematical models are developed to analyze these kinds of optical sources. The mathematical model is derived to express explicitly the performance of the device, while a block diagram model is implemented which implicitly describe the same device. By using these mathematical models, new expressions are obtained. Accurate and efficient modeling of these sources is being increasingly important in the design and optimization of optical integrated circuits and circuit component. In the case of QCLs, the diagram is used to calculate its characteristics such as potential voltage, output optical power, current, threshold current density, slope efficiency, differential efficiency, and optical gain of these devices. Furthermore, the effect of each parameter of the QCLs, such as number of periods; N p , operating temperature; T, waveguide losses; α w , mirror losses; α m , on its performance are discussed in details. To demonstrate these effects further, the changes in three dimensional are plotted. In another mean, improving the lasing properties of the QCLs through both block diagram and mathematical models is the main scope in this thesis. In order to enhance the performance of the underlined device, mathematical model parameters are tuned to obtain the optimum behavior. Additionally, it is important to model and analyze the effects of these physical parameters on the performance of QCLs. These parameters play the central role in specifying the optical characteristics of the considered laser source. Proposed relation that linked emitted power with QCLs parameters is deduced. Moreover, it is important to have a large amount of radiated power, where increasing the amount of radiated power represents the main

Community Assessment of Natural Food Sources of Vitamin A ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

Community Assessment of Natural Food Sources of Vitamin A: Guidelines for an Ethnographic Protocol. Book cover Community Assessment of Natural Food Sources of Vitamin A: Guidelines for an Ethnographic. Auteur(s) : L. Blum, P.J. Pelto, G.H. Pelto, and H.V. Kuhnlein. Maison(s) d'édition : INFDC, IDRC. 1 janvier 1997.

Community Assessment of Natural Food Sources of Vitamin A ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

1 janv. 1997 ... Community Assessment of Natural Food Sources of Vitamin A : Guidelines for an Ethnographic Protocol. Couverture du livre Community Assessment of Natural Food Sources of Vitamin A : Guidelines for an. Auteur(s):. L. Blum, P.J. Pelto, G.H. Pelto et H.V. Kuhnlein. Maison(s) d'édition: INFDC, CRDI.

Complementarity between innovation knowledge sources: Does the innovation performance measure matter?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Mª Serrano-Bedia

2018-01-01

Full Text Available We analyse complementarity between different knowledge sources (internal, external and/or cooperation employing a wide range of innovation performance measures (product, process, organizational, and commercial. The empirical study uses 2014 Spanish CIS data and studies complementarities by performing conditional complementarity/substitutability tests. The results show evidence of conditional complementarity in product innovation performance between external and internal knowledge sources in absence of cooperation and of conditional substitute relationship between external and cooperation knowledge sources in presence of internal source. In product and process innovation performance we found a conditional substitute relationship between internal and cooperation sources when external source is used and not used, respectively. This relationship turns to conditional complementarity in organisational innovation in absence of external knowledge source. Therefore, when designing innovation strategy, managers must consider their objectives on a priority basis, since not all the strategies have the same effects on innovation performance.

Does source population size affect performance in new environments?

Science.gov (United States)

Yates, Matthew C; Fraser, Dylan J

2014-01-01

Small populations are predicted to perform poorly relative to large populations when experiencing environmental change. To explore this prediction in nature, data from reciprocal transplant, common garden, and translocation studies were compared meta-analytically. We contrasted changes in performance resulting from transplantation to new environments among individuals originating from different sized source populations from plants and salmonids. We then evaluated the effect of source population size on performance in natural common garden environments and the relationship between population size and habitat quality. In ‘home-away’ contrasts, large populations exhibited reduced performance in new environments. In common gardens, the effect of source population size on performance was inconsistent across life-history stages (LHS) and environments. When transplanted to the same set of new environments, small populations either performed equally well or better than large populations, depending on life stage. Conversely, large populations outperformed small populations within native environments, but only at later life stages. Population size was not associated with habitat quality. Several factors might explain the negative association between source population size and performance in new environments: (i) stronger local adaptation in large populations and antagonistic pleiotropy, (ii) the maintenance of genetic variation in small populations, and (iii) potential environmental differences between large and small populations. PMID:25469166

Assessment on health and energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Acket, C.; Yvon, M.

2013-01-01

After having recalled some issues related to the prevention of environmental health risks and mentioned in the preparation of the debate on energy transition in France, this document gathers actual objective elements for an assessment of health impact of the different energy sources. It discusses the impacts on health (mortality, sicknesses and diseases) of fossil fuels (coal and its wastes, gas), of renewable energies, of nuclear energy. For this last one, the document outlines the lack of documentation for various topics, discusses some results published on the dose impact of nuclear operation, and comment the issue of waste storage. It also recalls the main accidents (Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima) and some of the known and assessed impacts. The third part proposes comparisons between the different energy sources in terms of deadly accidents, of pollution and greenhouse effect (current and late mortality), of released radioactivity (release sources and collective dose). In conclusion, the authors outline that the impact on health of environmental risks must be one of the essential issues for the definition of energy policy, and discuss the resulting implications. Various data are provided in appendix: energy in France and in the world, origins of radioactivity

Introduction to radiological performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moss, G.

1995-02-01

A radiological performance assessment is conducted to provide reasonable assurance that performance objectives for low-level radioactive waste (LLW) disposal will be met. Beginning in the early stages of development, a radiological performance assessment continues through the operational phase, and is instrumental in the postclosure of the facility. Fundamental differences exist in the regulation of commercial and defense LLW, but the radiological performance assessment process is essentially the same for both. The purpose of this document is to describe that process in a concise and straightforward manner. This document focuses on radiological performance assessment as it pertains to commercial LLW disposal, but is applicable to US Department of Energy sites as well. Included are discussions on performance objectives, site characterization, and how a performance assessment is conducted. A case study is used to illustrate how the process works as a whole. A bibliography is provided to assist in locating additional information

40 CFR 406.35 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Standards of performance for new sources. 406.35 Section 406.35 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... § 406.35 Standards of performance for new sources. The following standards of performance establish the...

40 CFR 406.45 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Standards of performance for new sources. 406.45 Section 406.45 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED... § 406.45 Standards of performance for new sources. The following standards of performance establish the...

40 CFR 428.15 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards of performance for new...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS RUBBER MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Tire and Inner Tube Plants Subcategory § 428.15 Standards of performance for new sources. The following standards of performance...

The process of performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, C.M.; Halford, D.K.

1986-01-01

An introductory review of the subject of ''Performance Assessment'' will be presented. Emphasis will be placed on the process of performance assessment from the standpoint of defining the process. Performance assessment, from evolving experience at DOE sites, has short-term and long-term subprograms, the components of which will be discussed. The role of mathematical modeling in performance assessment will be addressed including the pros and cons of current approaches. Finally, the ''system/site/technology'' issues as the focal point of this symposium will be reviewed

[Life cycle assessment of the infrastructure for hydrogen sources of fuel cell vehicles].

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Wen; Wang, Shujuan; Ni, Weidou; Chen, Changhe

2003-05-01

In order to promote the application of life cycle assessment and provide references for China to make the project of infrastructure for hydrogen sources of fuel cell vehicles in the near future, 10 feasible plans of infrastructure for hydrogen sources of fuel cell vehicles were designed according to the current technologies of producing, storing and transporting hydrogen. Then life cycle assessment was used as a tool to evaluate the environmental performances of the 10 plans. The standard indexes of classified environmental impacts of every plan were gotten and sensitivity analysis for several parameters were carried out. The results showed that the best plan was that hydrogen will be produced by natural gas steam reforming in central factory, then transported to refuelling stations through pipelines, and filled to fuel cell vehicles using hydrogen gas at last.

Self-assessed performance improves statistical fusion of image labels

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bryan, Frederick W., E-mail: frederick.w.bryan@vanderbilt.edu; Xu, Zhoubing; Asman, Andrew J.; Allen, Wade M. [Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235 (United States); Reich, Daniel S. [Translational Neuroradiology Unit, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892 (United States); Landman, Bennett A. [Electrical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235 (United States); Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235 (United States); and Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee 37235 (United States)

2014-03-15

. Statistical fusion resulted in statistically indistinguishable performance from self-assessed weighted voting. The authors developed a new theoretical basis for using self-assessed performance in the framework of statistical fusion and demonstrated that the combined sources of information (both statistical assessment and self-assessment) yielded statistically significant improvement over the methods considered separately. Conclusions: The authors present the first systematic characterization of self-assessed performance in manual labeling. The authors demonstrate that self-assessment and statistical fusion yield similar, but complementary, benefits for label fusion. Finally, the authors present a new theoretical basis for combining self-assessments with statistical label fusion.

Self-assessed performance improves statistical fusion of image labels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bryan, Frederick W.; Xu, Zhoubing; Asman, Andrew J.; Allen, Wade M.; Reich, Daniel S.; Landman, Bennett A.

2014-01-01

. Statistical fusion resulted in statistically indistinguishable performance from self-assessed weighted voting. The authors developed a new theoretical basis for using self-assessed performance in the framework of statistical fusion and demonstrated that the combined sources of information (both statistical assessment and self-assessment) yielded statistically significant improvement over the methods considered separately. Conclusions: The authors present the first systematic characterization of self-assessed performance in manual labeling. The authors demonstrate that self-assessment and statistical fusion yield similar, but complementary, benefits for label fusion. Finally, the authors present a new theoretical basis for combining self-assessments with statistical label fusion

75 FR 63259 - Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-14

... Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources: Sewage... performance standards for new units and emission guidelines for existing units for specific categories of... standards and emission guidelines for large municipal waste combustion units, small municipal waste...

PHARAO laser source flight model: Design and performances

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lévèque, T., E-mail: thomas.leveque@cnes.fr; Faure, B.; Esnault, F. X.; Delaroche, C.; Massonnet, D.; Grosjean, O.; Buffe, F.; Torresi, P. [Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, 18 avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse (France); Bomer, T.; Pichon, A.; Béraud, P.; Lelay, J. P.; Thomin, S. [Sodern, 20 Avenue Descartes, 94451 Limeil-Brévannes (France); Laurent, Ph. [LNE-SYRTE, CNRS, UPMC, Observatoire de Paris, 61 avenue de l’Observatoire, 75014 Paris (France)

2015-03-15

In this paper, we describe the design and the main performances of the PHARAO laser source flight model. PHARAO is a laser cooled cesium clock specially designed for operation in space and the laser source is one of the main sub-systems. The flight model presented in this work is the first remote-controlled laser system designed for spaceborne cold atom manipulation. The main challenges arise from mechanical compatibility with space constraints, which impose a high level of compactness, a low electric power consumption, a wide range of operating temperature, and a vacuum environment. We describe the main functions of the laser source and give an overview of the main technologies developed for this instrument. We present some results of the qualification process. The characteristics of the laser source flight model, and their impact on the clock performances, have been verified in operational conditions.

Performance of a Fuel-Cell-Powered, Small Electric Airplane Assessed

Science.gov (United States)

Berton, Jeffrey J.

2004-01-01

Rapidly emerging fuel-cell-power technologies may be used to launch a new revolution of electric propulsion systems for light aircraft. Future small electric airplanes using fuel cell technologies hold the promise of high reliability, low maintenance, low noise, and - with the exception of water vapor - zero emissions. An analytical feasibility and performance assessment was conducted by NASA Glenn Research Center's Airbreathing Systems Analysis Office of a fuel-cell-powered, propeller-driven, small electric airplane based on a model of the MCR-01 two-place kitplane (Dyn'Aero, Darois, France). This assessment was conducted in parallel with an ongoing effort by the Advanced Technology Products Corporation and the Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology Education. Their project - partially funded by a NASA grant - is to design, build, and fly the first manned, continuously propelled, nongliding electric airplane. In our study, an analytical performance model of a proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell propulsion system was developed and applied to a notional, two-place light airplane modeled after the MCR-01 kitplane. The PEM fuel cell stack was fed pure hydrogen fuel and humidified ambient air via a small automotive centrifugal supercharger. The fuel cell performance models were based on chemical reaction analyses calibrated with published data from the fledgling U.S. automotive fuel cell industry. Electric propeller motors, rated at two shaft power levels in separate assessments, were used to directly drive a two-bladed, variable-pitch propeller. Fuel sources considered were compressed hydrogen gas and cryogenic liquid hydrogen. Both of these fuel sources provided pure, contaminant-free hydrogen for the PEM cells.

Technology Performance Level Assessment Methodology.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roberts, Jesse D.; Bull, Diana L; Malins, Robert Joseph; Costello, Ronan Patrick; Aurelien Babarit; Kim Nielsen; Claudio Bittencourt Ferreira; Ben Kennedy; Kathryn Dykes; Jochem Weber

2017-04-01

The technology performance level (TPL) assessments can be applied at all technology development stages and associated technology readiness levels (TRLs). Even, and particularly, at low TRLs the TPL assessment is very effective as it, holistically, considers a wide range of WEC attributes that determine the techno-economic performance potential of the WEC farm when fully developed for commercial operation. The TPL assessment also highlights potential showstoppers at the earliest possible stage of the WEC technology development. Hence, the TPL assessment identifies the technology independent “performance requirements.” In order to achieve a successful solution, the entirety of the performance requirements within the TPL must be considered because, in the end, all the stakeholder needs must be achieved. The basis for performing a TPL assessment comes from the information provided in a dedicated format, the Technical Submission Form (TSF). The TSF requests information from the WEC developer that is required to answer the questions posed in the TPL assessment document.

40 CFR 415.115 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS INORGANIC CHEMICALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Potassium Metal Production... achieve the following new source performance standards (NSPS): There shall be no discharge of process...

Dose assessments for Greifswald and Cadarache with new source terms from ITER NSSR-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raskob, W.; Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH Technik und Umwelt; Hasemann, I.

1997-08-01

Probabilistic dose assessments for accidental atmospheric releases of various ITER source terms which contain tritium and/or activation products were performed for the sites of Greifswald, Germany, and Cadarache, France. No country specific rules were applied and the input parameters were adapted as far as possible to those used within former ITER studies to achieve a better comparability with site independent dose assessments performed in the frame of ITER. The calculations were based on source terms which, at the first time, contain a combination of tritium and activation products. This allowed a better judgement of the contribution of the individual fusion relevant materials to the total dose. The results were compared to site independent dose limits defined in the frame of ITER. Source terms for two different categories, representing 'extremely unlikely events' (CAT-IV) and 'hypothetical sequences' (CAT-V), were investigated. In no cases, the release scenarios of category CAT-IV exceeded the ITER limits. In addition, early doses from the hypothetical scenarios of type CAT-V were still below 50 mSv or 100 mSv, values which are commonly used as lower reference values for evacuation in many potential home countries of ITER. Only the banning of food products was found to be a potential countermeasure which may affect larger areas. (orig.) [de

Seismic hazard assessment of the Province of Murcia (SE Spain): analysis of source contribution to hazard

Science.gov (United States)

García-Mayordomo, J.; Gaspar-Escribano, J. M.; Benito, B.

2007-10-01

A probabilistic seismic hazard assessment of the Province of Murcia in terms of peak ground acceleration (PGA) and spectral accelerations [SA( T)] is presented in this paper. In contrast to most of the previous studies in the region, which were performed for PGA making use of intensity-to-PGA relationships, hazard is here calculated in terms of magnitude and using European spectral ground-motion models. Moreover, we have considered the most important faults in the region as specific seismic sources, and also comprehensively reviewed the earthquake catalogue. Hazard calculations are performed following the Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA) methodology using a logic tree, which accounts for three different seismic source zonings and three different ground-motion models. Hazard maps in terms of PGA and SA(0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 s) and coefficient of variation (COV) for the 475-year return period are shown. Subsequent analysis is focused on three sites of the province, namely, the cities of Murcia, Lorca and Cartagena, which are important industrial and tourism centres. Results at these sites have been analysed to evaluate the influence of the different input options. The most important factor affecting the results is the choice of the attenuation relationship, whereas the influence of the selected seismic source zonings appears strongly site dependant. Finally, we have performed an analysis of source contribution to hazard at each of these cities to provide preliminary guidance in devising specific risk scenarios. We have found that local source zones control the hazard for PGA and SA( T ≤ 1.0 s), although contribution from specific fault sources and long-distance north Algerian sources becomes significant from SA(0.5 s) onwards.

Technology-Supported Performance Assessments for Middle School Geoscience

Science.gov (United States)

Zalles, D. R.; Quellmalz, E.; Rosenquist, A.; Kreikemeier, P.

2002-12-01

Under funding from the World Bank, the U.S. Department of Education, the National Science Foundation, and the Federal Government's Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Program (GLOBE), SRI International has developed and piloted web-accessible performance assessments that measure K-12 students' abilities to use learning technologies to reason with scientific information and communicate evidence-based conclusions to scientific problems. This presentation will describe the assessments that pertain to geoscience at the middle school level. They are the GLOBE Assessments and EPA Phoenix, an instantiation of SRI's model of assessment design known as Integrative Performance Assessments in Technology (IPAT). All are publicly-available on the web. GLOBE engages students in scientific data collection and observation about the environment. SRI's classroom assessments for GLOBE provide sample student assessment tools and frameworks that allow teachers and students to assess how well students can use the data in scientific inquiry projects. Teachers can use classroom assessment tools on the site to develop integrated investigations for assessing GLOBE within their particular science curricula. Rubrics are provided for measuring students' GLOBE-related skills, and alignments are made to state, national, and international science standards. Sample investigations are provided about atmosphere, hydrology, landcover, soils, earth systems, and visualizations. The IPAT assessments present students with engaging problems rooted in science or social science content, plus sets of tasks and questions that require them to gather relevant information on the web, use reasoning strategies to analyze and interpret the information, use spreadsheets, word processors, and other productivity tools, and communicate evidence-based findings and recommendations. In the process of gathering information and drawing conclusions, students are assessed on how well they can operate

Strategies for Assessment of the Biological Performance and Design of Hydroturbines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carlson, Thomas J.; Richmond, Marshall C.

2011-05-05

The biological response of fish to turbine passage has been of concern for several decades and emphasized recently by consideration of hydro as a 'green' power source. The current state-of-the-art of hydro-turbine biological performance assessment, while still inadequate, has advanced considerably the past 10 years. For example, the importance of assessment of exposure to pressure changes during turbine passage has been emphasized by findings of laboratory studies of rapid decompression. It is now very clear that hydroturbine biological assessment must consider the physiological state and behavior of fish at turbine entry and changes in physiological state that drive aspects of behavior during tailrace passage. Such considerations are in addition to concerns about exposure of fish to mechanical and pressure sources of injury during turbine passage. Experimental designs and assessment tools have evolved for acclimation of test fish, observation of test fish behavior at approach and upon exit from the turbine environment, and precise estimation of turbine passage mortality. Fish condition assessment continues to improve permitting better classification of observed injuries to injury mechanisms. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) models and other computer models permit detailed investigation of the turbine passage environment and development of hypotheses that can be tested in field studies using live fish. Risk assessment techniques permit synthesis of laboratory and in-field study findings and estimation of population level effects over a wide range of turbine operation scenarios. Risk assessment is also evolving to provide input to turbine runner design. These developments, and others, have resulted in more productive biological performance assessment studies and will continue to evolve and improve the quantity and quality of information obtained from costly live fish hydroturbine passage studies. This paper reviews the history of hydro-turbine biological

SLC positron source: Simulation and performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitthan, R.; Braun, H.; Clendenin, J.E.; Ecklund, S.D.; Helm, R.H.; Kulikov, A.V.; Odian, A.C.; Pei, G.X.; Ross, M.C.; Woodley, M.D.

1991-06-01

Performance of the source was found to be in good general agreement with computer simulations with S-band acceleration, and where not, the simulations lead to identification of problems, in particular the underestimated impact of linac misalignments due to the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake. 13 refs., 7 figs

Lysimeter data as input to performance assessment models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McConnell, J.W. Jr.

1998-01-01

The Field Lysimeter Investigations: Low-Level Waste Data Base Development Program is obtaining information on the performance of radioactive waste forms in a disposal environment. Waste forms fabricated using ion-exchange resins from EPICOR-117 prefilters employed in the cleanup of the Three Mile Island (TMI) Nuclear Power Station are being tested to develop a low-level waste data base and to obtain information on survivability of waste forms in a disposal environment. The program includes reviewing radionuclide releases from those waste forms in the first 7 years of sampling and examining the relationship between code input parameters and lysimeter data. Also, lysimeter data are applied to performance assessment source term models, and initial results from use of data in two models are presented

Radiological Assessment for the Vance Road Facility Source Vault, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morton, J. R.

2000-01-01

From the 1950s, the Vance Road laboratories had been used for a broad range of nuclear medicine research involving numerous radionuclides. These radionuclides were stored in the a source vault located on the first floor of the facility. The Environmental Survey and Site Assessment Program (ESSAP) of ORISE performed a radiological assessment survey of the source vault after it had been remediated and in preparation for converting the area to office space

Environmental Assessment Radioactive Source Recovery Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1995-01-01

In a response to potential risks to public health and safety, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is evaluating the recovery of sealed neutron sources under the Radioactive Source Recovery Program (RSRP). This proposed program would enhance the DOE's and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission's (NRC's) joint capabilities in the safe management of commercially held radioactive source materials. Currently there are no federal or commercial options for the recovery, storage, or disposal of sealed neutron sources. This Environmental Assessment (EA) analyzes the potential environmental impacts that would be expected to occur if the DOE were to implement a program for the receipt and recovery at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, New Mexico, of unwanted and excess plutonium-beryllium ( 238 Pu-Be) and americium-beryllium ( 241 Am-Be) sealed neutron sources. About 1 kg (2.2 lb) plutonium and 3 kg (6.6 lb) americium would be recovered over a 15-year project. Personnel at LANL would receive neutron sources from companies, universities, source brokers, and government agencies across the country. These neutron sources would be temporarily stored in floor holes at the CMR Hot Cell Facility. Recovery reduces the neutron emissions from the source material and refers to a process by which: (1) the stainless steel cladding is removed from the neutron source material, (2) the mixture of the radioactive material (Pu-238 or Am-241) and beryllium that constitutes the neutron source material is chemically separated (recovered), and (3) the recovered Pu-238 or Am-241 is converted to an oxide form ( 238 PuO 2 or 241 AmO 2 ). The proposed action would include placing the 238 PuO 2 or 241 AmO 2 in interim storage in a special nuclear material vault at the LANL Plutonium Facility

The effects of performance-based assessment criteria on student performance and self-assessment skills

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fastré, Greet; Van der Klink, Marcel; Van Merriënboer, Jeroen

2010-01-01

Fastré, G. M. J., Van der Klink, M. R., & Van Merriënboer, J. J. G. (2010). The effects of performance-based assessment criteria on student performance and self-assessment skills. Advances in Health Science Education, 15(4), 517-532.

THE PERFORMANCE OF LAYING HENS FED DIFFERENT CALCIUM SOURCE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Kismiati

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The research was aimed to evaluate the performance of laying hens fed different calcium sources. Two hundreds of Isa Brown laying hens were used in this study. The hens were raised in individual battery cages units for 12 weeks. Four calcium source (limestone as a control, 5% limestone + 2.5% eggshells waste, 2.5% limestone + 5% eggshells waste and 7.5% eggshell waste were used in feed experiment. A completely randomized design was applied, with 4 treatments and 5 replications. Each experimental unit consisted of 10 laying hens. The parameters measured were feed intake, protein intake, calcium intake, phosphorus intake, egg production, egg weight and feed conversion ratio. Results of the research showed that the calcium source had significantly effect on performance productions. The use of eggshell waste 7.5% significantly increased the feed intake, calcium intake, phosphorus intake, egg production and egg weight except for feed conversion ratio. The conclusion of this research was that the use of eggshell waste as calcium source of feed resulted in better performance than using limestone or mixed limestone with eggshell waste.

Implementation of computer codes for performance assessment of the Republic repository of LLW/ILW Mochovce

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hanusik, V.; Kopcani, I.; Gedeon, M.

2000-01-01

This paper describes selection and adaptation of computer codes required to assess the effects of radionuclide release from Mochovce Radioactive Waste Disposal Facility. The paper also demonstrates how these codes can be integrated into performance assessment methodology. The considered codes include DUST-MS for source term release, MODFLOW for ground-water flow and BS for transport through biosphere and dose assessment. (author)

DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT FOR NURSES BASED ON WEB IN INPATIENT UNIT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aprilia Nuryanti

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Performance assessment instrument will be problematic when it is not representative in describing the competency because it is not obvious indicators and inappropriate performance standard to nursing’s task. The purpose of this study is to develop nurses’ performance assessment instrument based on the web from multi sources assessment inpatient unit at SMC Hospital. Methods: This study had two phases. The first phase was an explanatory overview of the performance assessment system using questionnaires completed by 53 respondents of nurses, selected by purposive sampling. Instrument development based on FGD with six decision makers in the hospital. Validity was tested by Pearson Product Moment Correlation and reliability of instrument’s was tested by alpha Cronbach. The second phase was socialization and instrument test to observe the quality of instrument using a questionnaire by 47 respondents and recommendations made by 8 participants of FGD. The samples were selected by purposive sampling technique. Performance assessment system was moderate at 58.49%. All questions which aimed to measure the performance of nurses were valid and reliable. The quality of nurses’ performance assessment instruments based on the web was a good category, which was functionality: 81.60; reliability: 78.16; efficiency: 80.85; usability: 81.70 and portability: 81.70. Results: The result was a web-based assessment format, scoring with Likert scale, resource assessment by the direct supervisor which was a multisource evaluator, the development of performance graph, and confidentiality of data on the database server. Discussion: Recommendations for hospital is to make policy based on the final value of the performance assessment by the supervisor which was multisource feedback and it needs a global writing on a form of performance assessment result.

Grain Elevators: New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)

Science.gov (United States)

The New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for Grain Elevators aims to reduce particulate matter pollution. The new amendments seek to clarify definitions, and requirements, as well as propose new regulations on particulate matter emissions

Use assessment of electronic power sources for SMAW

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scotti, A.

1999-04-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present work was to assess the efficacy of the use of modern technologies for power supplies in Shielded Metal Are Welding (SMAW. Coupon tests were welded by using a series of five different classes of commercial electrodes, covering their current ranges. Both a conventional electromagnetic and an electronic (inverter power sources were employed. Fusion rate, deposition efficiency, bead finish and weld geometry were measured at each experiment. Current and voltage signals were acquired at a high rate to evaluate the dynamic behavior of the power sources. The static performances of both power sources were also determined. The results showed that despite the remarkable differences between the power supplies, based on static and dynamic characterizations, no significant difference was noticed in the operational behavior of the electrodes, in the given conditions, apart from a better anti-stick performance obtained with the electronic power source.

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue evaluar la eficacia del uso de tecnologías modernas para fuentes de energía en soldaduras con electrodo revestido (Shielded Metal Are Welding -SMAW-. Los materiales de ensayo se soldaron usando una serie de cinco clases diferentes de electrodos comerciales, cubriendo sus rangos de corriente. Para esto se utilizó una fuente de energía electromagnética convencional y una fuente de energía electrónica (inversora. La tasa de fusión, eficiencia de deposición, terminación del cordón así como el diseño de la soldadura se midieron en cada experimento. Las señales de corriente y voltaje se obtuvieron a una proporción alta para evaluar el comportamiento dinámico de las fuentes de energía. También se determinó la actuación estática de ambas fuentes. Los resultados mostraron que a pesar de las diferencias notables entre los suministros de energía, no se nota diferencia alguna significante en la conducta de trabajo de los electrodos, en

Consideration of liners and covers in performance assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Phifer, Mark A. [Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC (United States); Seitz, Robert R. [Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC (United States); Suttora, Linda C. [USDOE Enviromental Management, Washington, DC (United States)

2014-09-18

frames of 1,000 years for compliance and potentially thousands of years based on the wastes to test the robustness of the system. Experience has shown that there are a range of expectations and perspectives from the different regulators involved at different sites when reviewing assumptions related to cover and liner/leachate collection system performance. However for HW disposal alone under RCRA the design standards are typically considered sufficient by the regulators without a requirement to assess long-term performance thus avoiding the need to consider the details addressed in this report. This report provides suggestions for a general approach to address covers and liners/leachate collection systems in a DOE Order 435.1 PA and how to integrate assessments with defense-in-depth considerations such as design, operations, and waste acceptance criteria to address uncertainties. The emphasis is on water balances and management in such assessments. Specific information and references are provided for details needed to address the evolution of individual components of cover and liner/leachate collection systems. This information was then synthesized into suggestions for best practices for cover and liner system design and examples of approaches to address the performance of covers and liners as part of a performance assessment of the disposal system. Numerous references are provided for sources of information to help describe the basis for performance of individual components of cover and liner systems.

Source-term development for a contaminant plume for use by multimedia risk assessment models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whelan, Gene; McDonald, John P.; Taira, Randal Y.; Gnanapragasam, Emmanuel K.; Yu, Charley; Lew, Christine S.; Mills, William B.

1999-01-01

Multimedia modelers from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) are collaborating to conduct a comprehensive and quantitative benchmarking analysis of four intermedia models: DOE's Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS), EPA's MMSOILS, EPA's PRESTO, and DOE's RESidual RADioactivity (RESRAD). These models represent typical analytically, semi-analytically, and empirically based tools that are utilized in human risk and endangerment assessments for use at installations containing radioactive and/or hazardous contaminants. Although the benchmarking exercise traditionally emphasizes the application and comparison of these models, the establishment of a Conceptual Site Model (CSM) should be viewed with equal importance. This paper reviews an approach for developing a CSM of an existing, real-world, Sr-90 plume at DOE's Hanford installation in Richland, Washington, for use in a multimedia-based benchmarking exercise bet ween MEPAS, MMSOILS, PRESTO, and RESRAD. In an unconventional move for analytically based modeling, the benchmarking exercise will begin with the plume as the source of contamination. The source and release mechanism are developed and described within the context of performing a preliminary risk assessment utilizing these analytical models. By beginning with the plume as the source term, this paper reviews a typical process and procedure an analyst would follow in developing a CSM for use in a preliminary assessment using this class of analytical tool

Assessing the monitoring performance using a synthetic microseismic catalogue for hydraulic fracturing

Science.gov (United States)

Ángel López Comino, José; Kriegerowski, Marius; Cesca, Simone; Dahm, Torsten; Mirek, Janusz; Lasocki, Stanislaw

2016-04-01

Hydraulic fracturing is considered among the human operations which could induce or trigger seismicity or microseismic activity. The influence of hydraulic fracturing operations is typically expected in terms of weak magnitude events. However, the sensitivity of the rock mass to trigger seismicity varies significantly for different sites and cannot be easily predicted prior to operations. In order to assess the sensitivity of microseismity to hydraulic fracturing operations, we perform a seismic monitoring at a shale gas exploration/exploitation site in the central-western part of the Peribaltic synclise at Pomerania (Poland). The monitoring will be continued before, during and after the termination of hydraulic fracturing operations. The fracking operations are planned in April 2016 at a depth 4000 m. A specific network setup has been installed since summer 2015, including a distributed network of broadband stations and three small-scale arrays. The network covers a region of 60 km2. The aperture of small scale arrays is between 450 and 950 m. So far no fracturing operations have been performed, but seismic data can already be used to assess the seismic noise and background microseismicity, and to investigate and assess the detection performance of our monitoring setup. Here we adopt a recently developed tool to generate a synthetic catalogue and waveform dataset, which realistically account for the expected microseismicity. Synthetic waveforms are generated for a local crustal model, considering a realistic distribution of hypocenters, magnitudes, moment tensors, and source durations. Noise free synthetic seismograms are superposed to real noise traces, to reproduce true monitoring conditions at the different station locations. We estimate the detection probability for different magnitudes, source-receiver distances, and noise conditions. This information is used to estimate the magnitude of completeness at the depth of the hydraulic fracturing horizontal wells

Crowd-sourced assessment of technical skills: an adjunct to urology resident surgical simulation training.

Science.gov (United States)

Holst, Daniel; Kowalewski, Timothy M; White, Lee W; Brand, Timothy C; Harper, Jonathan D; Sorenson, Mathew D; Kirsch, Sarah; Lendvay, Thomas S

2015-05-01

Crowdsourcing is the practice of obtaining services from a large group of people, typically an online community. Validated methods of evaluating surgical video are time-intensive, expensive, and involve participation of multiple expert surgeons. We sought to obtain valid performance scores of urologic trainees and faculty on a dry-laboratory robotic surgery task module by using crowdsourcing through a web-based grading tool called Crowd Sourced Assessment of Technical Skill (CSATS). IRB approval was granted to test the technical skills grading accuracy of Amazon.com Mechanical Turk™ crowd-workers compared to three expert faculty surgeon graders. The two groups assessed dry-laboratory robotic surgical suturing performances of three urology residents (PGY-2, -4, -5) and two faculty using three performance domains from the validated Global Evaluative Assessment of Robotic Skills assessment tool. After an average of 2 hours 50 minutes, each of the five videos received 50 crowd-worker assessments. The inter-rater reliability (IRR) between the surgeons and crowd was 0.91 using Cronbach's alpha statistic (confidence intervals=0.20-0.92), indicating an agreement level between the two groups of "excellent." The crowds were able to discriminate the surgical level, and both the crowds and the expert faculty surgeon graders scored one senior trainee's performance above a faculty's performance. Surgery-naive crowd-workers can rapidly assess varying levels of surgical skill accurately relative to a panel of faculty raters. The crowds provided rapid feedback and were inexpensive. CSATS may be a valuable adjunct to surgical simulation training as requirements for more granular and iterative performance tracking of trainees become mandated and commonplace.

Does External Knowledge Sourcing Enhance Market Performance? Evidence from the Korean Manufacturing Industry.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kibaek; Yoo, Jaeheung; Choi, Munkee; Zo, Hangjung; Ciganek, Andrew P

2016-01-01

Firms continuously search for external knowledge that can contribute to product innovation, which may ultimately increase market performance. The relationship between external knowledge sourcing and market performance is not well-documented. The extant literature primarily examines the causal relationship between external knowledge sources and product innovation performance or to identify factors which moderates the relationship between external knowledge sourcing and product innovation. Non-technological innovations, such as organization and marketing innovations, intervene in the process of external knowledge sourcing to product innovation to market performance but has not been extensively examined. This study addresses two research questions: does external knowledge sourcing lead to market performance and how does external knowledge sourcing interact with a firm's different innovation activities to enhance market performance. This study proposes a comprehensive model to capture the causal mechanism from external knowledge sourcing to market performance. The research model was tested using survey data from manufacturing firms in South Korea and the results demonstrate a strong statistical relationship in the path of external knowledge sourcing (EKS) to product innovation performance (PIP) to market performance (MP). Organizational innovation is an antecedent to EKS while marketing innovation is a consequence of EKS, which significantly influences PIP and MP. The results imply that any potential EKS effort should also consider organizational innovations which may ultimately enhance market performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed as well as concluding remarks.

40 CFR 415.345 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true New source performance standards (NSPS). 415.345 Section 415.345 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS INORGANIC CHEMICALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Chrome Pigments Production...

Performance assessment of hybrid power generation systems: Economic and environmental impacts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Sharafi, Abdullah; Yilbas, Bekir S.; Sahin, Ahmet Z.; Ayar, T.

2017-01-01

Highlights: • A double-step optimization tool for hybrid power generation systems is introduced. • Economical aspects and the impact of the system on the environment are considered. • A hybrid system comprises PV array-wind turbine-battery-diesel engine is considered. • Real time analysis of the system for full year simulation is carried out. • System optimum configuration at point where total performance index is maximized. - Abstract: This article aims to introduce a double-step performance assessment tool for the hybrid power generation systems. As a case study, a hybrid system comprising PV array, wind-turbine, battery bank and diesel engine is incorporated in hourly based simulations to meet power demand of a residence unit at Dhahran area, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Different indicators related to economical and environmental performance assessments of the hybrid system have been considered. In the economic related assessment case, cost of electricity, energy excess percentage, and operating life cycle indicators have been considered and combined to develop the first overall performance index. Renewable contribution, renewable source availability and environmental impact indicators have been considered for the environmental assessment case and they are combined in the second performance index. For either economical or environmental cases, the optimum configuration of the system is achieved by maximizing the first and second overall performance indicators. This innovative optimization tools gives the designer the freedom to assign suitable weights associated with economical aspect, environmental impact, governmental regulations and social impact, for the first and second overall performance indicators, and combine them in the total performance index. The optimum system configuration is at the point where the total performance index is maximized.

Neutronic performance issues for the Spallation Neutron Source moderators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iverson, E.B.; Murphy, B.D.

2001-01-01

We continue to develop the neutronic models of the Spallation Neutron Source target station and moderators in order to better predict the neutronic performance of the system as a whole and in order to better optimize that performance. While we are not able to say that every model change leads to more intense neutron beams being predicted, we do feel that such changes are advantageous in either performance or in the accuracy of the prediction of performance. We have computationally and experimentally studied the neutronics of hydrogen-water composite moderators such as are proposed for the SNS Project. In performing these studies, we find that the composite moderator, at least in the configuration we have examined, does not provide performance characteristics desirable for the instruments proposed and being designed for this neutron scattering facility. The pulse width as a function of energy is significantly broader than for other moderators, limiting attainable resolution-bandwidth combinations. Furthermore, there is reason to expect that higher-energy (0.1-1 eV) applications will be significantly impacted by bimodal pulse shapes requiring enormous effort to parameterize. As a result of these studies, we have changed the SNS design, and will not use a composite moderator at this time. We have analyzed the depletion of a gadolinium poison plate in a hydrogen moderator at the Spallation Neutron Source, and found that conventional poison thicknesses will be completely unable to last the desired component lifetime of three operational years. A poison plate 300-600 μm thick will survive for the required length of time, but will somewhat degrade the intensity (by as much as 15% depending on neutron energy) and the consistency of the neutron source performance. Our results should scale fairly easily to other moderators on this or any other spallation source. While depletion will be important for all highly-absorbing materials in high-flux regions, we feel it likely that

Spatial variability and parametric uncertainty in performance assessment models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pensado, Osvaldo; Mancillas, James; Painter, Scott; Tomishima, Yasuo

2011-01-01

The problem of defining an appropriate treatment of distribution functions (which could represent spatial variability or parametric uncertainty) is examined based on a generic performance assessment model for a high-level waste repository. The generic model incorporated source term models available in GoldSim ® , the TDRW code for contaminant transport in sparse fracture networks with a complex fracture-matrix interaction process, and a biosphere dose model known as BDOSE TM . Using the GoldSim framework, several Monte Carlo sampling approaches and transport conceptualizations were evaluated to explore the effect of various treatments of spatial variability and parametric uncertainty on dose estimates. Results from a model employing a representative source and ensemble-averaged pathway properties were compared to results from a model allowing for stochastic variation of transport properties along streamline segments (i.e., explicit representation of spatial variability within a Monte Carlo realization). We concluded that the sampling approach and the definition of an ensemble representative do influence consequence estimates. In the examples analyzed in this paper, approaches considering limited variability of a transport resistance parameter along a streamline increased the frequency of fast pathways resulting in relatively high dose estimates, while those allowing for broad variability along streamlines increased the frequency of 'bottlenecks' reducing dose estimates. On this basis, simplified approaches with limited consideration of variability may suffice for intended uses of the performance assessment model, such as evaluation of site safety. (author)

40 CFR 421.274 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... times. (e) Sodium hypochlorite filter backwash. NSPS for the Primary Rare Earth Metals Subcategory...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Primary Rare Earth Metals Subcategory § 421.274 Standards of performance for new sources. Any new source subject to this...

Performance of a GaAs electron source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calabrese, R.; Ciullo, G.; Della Mea, G.; Egeni, G.P.; Guidi, V.; Lamanna, G.; Lenisa, P.; Maciga, B.; Rigato, V.; Rudello, V.; Tecchio, L.; Yang, B.; Zandolin, S.

1994-01-01

We discuss the performance improvement of a GaAs electron source. High quantum yield (14%) and constant current extraction (1 mA for more than four weeks) are achieved after a little initial decay. These parameters meet the requirements for application of the GaAs photocathode as a source for electron cooling devices. We also present the preliminary results of a surface analysis experiment, carried out by means of the RBS technique to check the hypothesis of cesium evaporation from the surface when the photocathode is in operation. (orig.)

40 CFR 471.103 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... achieve the following new source performance standards (NSPS). The mass of pollutants in the metal powder process wastewater shall not exceed the following values: (a) Metal powder production atom-ization... GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS FORMING AND METAL POWDERS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Metals Powders...

40 CFR 425.74 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards (NSPS). 425.74 Section 425.74 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS LEATHER TANNING AND FINISHING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Shearling Subcategory § 425.74...

40 CFR 425.44 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards (NSPS). 425.44 Section 425.44 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS LEATHER TANNING AND FINISHING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Retan-Wet Finish-Sides...

40 CFR 425.94 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards (NSPS). 425.94 Section 425.94 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS LEATHER TANNING AND FINISHING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Retan-Wet Finish-Splits...

40 CFR 425.64 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards (NSPS). 425.64 Section 425.64 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS LEATHER TANNING AND FINISHING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Through-the-Blue Subcategory...

40 CFR 425.54 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards (NSPS). 425.54 Section 425.54 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS LEATHER TANNING AND FINISHING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY No Beamhouse Subcategory § 425...

40 CFR 427.45 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Paper (Elastomeric Binder) Subcategory § 427.45 Standards of performance for new sources. The following standards of...

40 CFR 427.35 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS ASBESTOS MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Asbestos Paper (Starch Binder) Subcategory § 427.35 Standards of performance for new sources. The following standards of...

Does External Knowledge Sourcing Enhance Market Performance? Evidence from the Korean Manufacturing Industry

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Kibaek; Yoo, Jaeheung; Choi, Munkee; Zo, Hangjung; Ciganek, Andrew P.

2016-01-01

Firms continuously search for external knowledge that can contribute to product innovation, which may ultimately increase market performance. The relationship between external knowledge sourcing and market performance is not well-documented. The extant literature primarily examines the causal relationship between external knowledge sources and product innovation performance or to identify factors which moderates the relationship between external knowledge sourcing and product innovation. Non-technological innovations, such as organization and marketing innovations, intervene in the process of external knowledge sourcing to product innovation to market performance but has not been extensively examined. This study addresses two research questions: does external knowledge sourcing lead to market performance and how does external knowledge sourcing interact with a firm’s different innovation activities to enhance market performance. This study proposes a comprehensive model to capture the causal mechanism from external knowledge sourcing to market performance. The research model was tested using survey data from manufacturing firms in South Korea and the results demonstrate a strong statistical relationship in the path of external knowledge sourcing (EKS) to product innovation performance (PIP) to market performance (MP). Organizational innovation is an antecedent to EKS while marketing innovation is a consequence of EKS, which significantly influences PIP and MP. The results imply that any potential EKS effort should also consider organizational innovations which may ultimately enhance market performance. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed as well as concluding remarks. PMID:28006022

Designing Second Language Performance Assessments. Technical Report.

Science.gov (United States)

Norris, John M.; Brown, James Dean; Hudson, Thom; Yoshioka, Jim

This technical report focuses on the decision-making potential provided by second language performance assessments. First, performance assessment is situated within the broader discussion of alternatives in language assessment and in educational assessment in general. Next, issues in performance assessment design, implementation, reliability, and…

Performance Assessment in Courts - The Swiss Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andreas Lienhard

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Performance assessments have become commonplace in management, even in the public sector. With the increasing pressure on courts to perform while making efficient use of resources, performance assessments in the justice system are also gaining in importance. However, the need for judicial independence poses special challenges for performance assessments in courts. Against this background, this article conducts a constitutional appraisal, and contrasts the need for judicial independence with the principles governing effectiveness and efficiency, self-government and supervision, and appointment and re-appointment. A duty to guarantee justice can be derived from this that does not in principle exclude the performance assessment of judges, but even renders it essential, subject to compliance with certain requirements. In these circumstances, it seems hardly surprising that numerous countries conduct performance assessments of judges and also that various international institutions have developed principles for this purpose, a summary of which is presented – in Switzerland’s case based on a recently conducted survey. In the field of conflict between the guaranteeing justice and protecting the judiciary, the following key questions arise in particular: What is the purpose of performance assessments and what are the consequences?What is subjected to a performance assessment and what are the assessment criteria?How is performance recorded as the basis for the performance assessment?Who is subjected to a performance assessment, and must a distinction be made between judges in higher and lower courts?Who carries out the performance assessment and what methods of protecting one’s rights are available?Who should receive the results of the performance assessment?The contribution sketches out possible answers to these key questions and aims to encourage academics and practitioners to give further consideration to this subject.

THE PENA BLANCA NATURAL ANALOGUE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT MODEL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G. Saulnier and W. Statham

2006-04-16

The Nopal I uranium mine in the Sierra Pena Blanca, Chihuahua, Mexico serves as a natural analogue to the Yucca Mountain repository. The Pena Blanca Natural Analogue Performance Assessment Model simulates the mobilization and transport of radionuclides that are released from the mine and transported to the saturated zone. The Pena Blanca Natural Analogue Performance Assessment Model uses probabilistic simulations of hydrogeologic processes that are analogous to the processes that occur at the Yucca Mountain site. The Nopal I uranium deposit lies in fractured, welded, and altered rhyolitic ash-flow tuffs that overlie carbonate rocks, a setting analogous to the geologic formations at the Yucca Mountain site. The Nopal I mine site has the following analogous characteristics as compared to the Yucca Mountain repository site: (1) Analogous source--UO{sub 2} uranium ore deposit = spent nuclear fuel in the repository; (2) Analogous geology--(i.e. fractured, welded, and altered rhyolitic ash-flow tuffs); (3) Analogous climate--Semiarid to arid; (4) Analogous setting--Volcanic tuffs overlie carbonate rocks; and (5) Analogous geochemistry--Oxidizing conditions Analogous hydrogeology: The ore deposit lies in the unsaturated zone above the water table.

THE PENA BLANCA NATURAL ANALOGUE PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT MODEL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

G. Saulnier; W. Statham

2006-01-01

The Nopal I uranium mine in the Sierra Pena Blanca, Chihuahua, Mexico serves as a natural analogue to the Yucca Mountain repository. The Pena Blanca Natural Analogue Performance Assessment Model simulates the mobilization and transport of radionuclides that are released from the mine and transported to the saturated zone. The Pena Blanca Natural Analogue Performance Assessment Model uses probabilistic simulations of hydrogeologic processes that are analogous to the processes that occur at the Yucca Mountain site. The Nopal I uranium deposit lies in fractured, welded, and altered rhyolitic ash-flow tuffs that overlie carbonate rocks, a setting analogous to the geologic formations at the Yucca Mountain site. The Nopal I mine site has the following analogous characteristics as compared to the Yucca Mountain repository site: (1) Analogous source--UO 2 uranium ore deposit = spent nuclear fuel in the repository; (2) Analogous geology--(i.e. fractured, welded, and altered rhyolitic ash-flow tuffs); (3) Analogous climate--Semiarid to arid; (4) Analogous setting--Volcanic tuffs overlie carbonate rocks; and (5) Analogous geochemistry--Oxidizing conditions Analogous hydrogeology: The ore deposit lies in the unsaturated zone above the water table

40 CFR 425.24 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards (NSPS). 425.24 Section 425.24 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS LEATHER TANNING AND FINISHING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Hair Save, Chrome Tan, Retan-Wet...

40 CFR 425.34 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards (NSPS). 425.34 Section 425.34 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS LEATHER TANNING AND FINISHING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Hair Save or Pulp, Non-Chrome...

40 CFR 425.84 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards (NSPS). 425.84 Section 425.84 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS LEATHER TANNING AND FINISHING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Pigskin Subcategory § 425.84 New...

40 CFR 425.14 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards (NSPS). 425.14 Section 425.14 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS LEATHER TANNING AND FINISHING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Hair Pulp, Chrome Tan, Retan-Wet...

The Chandra Source Catalog: Source Variability

Science.gov (United States)

Nowak, Michael; Rots, A. H.; McCollough, M. L.; Primini, F. A.; Glotfelty, K. J.; Bonaventura, N. R.; Chen, J. C.; Davis, J. E.; Doe, S. M.; Evans, J. D.; Evans, I.; Fabbiano, G.; Galle, E. C.; Gibbs, D. G., II; Grier, J. D.; Hain, R.; Hall, D. M.; Harbo, P. N.; He, X.; Houck, J. C.; Karovska, M.; Lauer, J.; McDowell, J. C.; Miller, J. B.; Mitschang, A. W.; Morgan, D. L.; Nichols, J. S.; Plummer, D. A.; Refsdal, B. L.; Siemiginowska, A. L.; Sundheim, B. A.; Tibbetts, M. S.; van Stone, D. W.; Winkelman, S. L.; Zografou, P.

2009-09-01

The Chandra Source Catalog (CSC) contains fields of view that have been studied with individual, uninterrupted observations that span integration times ranging from 1 ksec to 160 ksec, and a large number of which have received (multiple) repeat observations days to years later. The CSC thus offers an unprecedented look at the variability of the X-ray sky over a broad range of time scales, and across a wide diversity of variable X-ray sources: stars in the local galactic neighborhood, galactic and extragalactic X-ray binaries, Active Galactic Nuclei, etc. Here we describe the methods used to identify and quantify source variability within a single observation, and the methods used to assess the variability of a source when detected in multiple, individual observations. Three tests are used to detect source variability within a single observation: the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and its variant, the Kuiper test, and a Bayesian approach originally suggested by Gregory and Loredo. The latter test not only provides an indicator of variability, but is also used to create a best estimate of the variable lightcurve shape. We assess the performance of these tests via simulation of statistically stationary, variable processes with arbitrary input power spectral densities (here we concentrate on results of red noise simulations) at variety of mean count rates and fractional root mean square variabilities relevant to CSC sources. We also assess the false positive rate via simulations of constant sources whose sole source of fluctuation is Poisson noise. We compare these simulations to an assessment of the variability found in real CSC sources, and estimate the variability sensitivities of the CSC.

State of the art on power performance assessments for wind energy conversion systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maribo Pedersen, B. [ed.

1997-12-31

It is the intention of this meeting to clarify the status of power performance verification and assessment and identify the future needs in terms of applications, research fields and standardization actions, putting emphasis on the following items: Power performance verification for wind farms; Power performance verification for large wind turbines; Power performance verification for wind turbines operating in complex terrain; Assessment of the available international and national standards; Assessment of developed, applied and verified tools for WECS power performance. This Experts Meeting had gathered 14 participants from 6 different countries. 12 presentations were given and although countries with a sizeable wind program, ie. Italy, UK and Spain were not present, it is felt that the meeting gave a fair impression of the contemporary state of the art world wide. Specific problems concerning accurate definition and measurement of wind speed by cup-anemometers were dealt with. Different sources of errors were analysed and valuable new experimental results were presented. Other instruments for wind-speed measurements than cup-anemometers were discussed as well. (EG)

40 CFR 417.85 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS SOAP AND DETERGENT MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Manufacture of Liquid Soaps Subcategory § 417.85 Standards of performance for new sources. The following standards of...

Performance Assessment National Review Group

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lieberman, J.A.; Davis, S.N.; Harleman, D.R.F.

1985-02-01

Performance assessment involves predicting the potential radiological impact of a nuclear waste disposal system, taking into account all of the natural and engineered components of the system. It includes the analysis and evaluation of predicted system and component performance to determine compliance with regulatory performance criteria. In the context of the nuclear waste management program, performance assessment has five major purposes: to assist in the evaluation and selection of repository sites; to guide the research, development, and testing programs; to assist in the evaluation of repository designs; to assist in the evaluation of the design and performance of engineered barriers; and to show regulatory compliance and support repository licensing. Current performance assessment methodologies are still in the developmental stage. Only the simplest of bounding calculations have produced quantitative predictions of radionuclide releases. The methodologies require considerable extension and validation before they can provide answers suitable for project decisions and licensing. 135 refs., 9 figs., 1 tab

A systematic literature review of open source software quality assessment models.

Science.gov (United States)

Adewumi, Adewole; Misra, Sanjay; Omoregbe, Nicholas; Crawford, Broderick; Soto, Ricardo

2016-01-01

Many open source software (OSS) quality assessment models are proposed and available in the literature. However, there is little or no adoption of these models in practice. In order to guide the formulation of newer models so they can be acceptable by practitioners, there is need for clear discrimination of the existing models based on their specific properties. Based on this, the aim of this study is to perform a systematic literature review to investigate the properties of the existing OSS quality assessment models by classifying them with respect to their quality characteristics, the methodology they use for assessment, and their domain of application so as to guide the formulation and development of newer models. Searches in IEEE Xplore, ACM, Science Direct, Springer and Google Search is performed so as to retrieve all relevant primary studies in this regard. Journal and conference papers between the year 2003 and 2015 were considered since the first known OSS quality model emerged in 2003. A total of 19 OSS quality assessment model papers were selected. To select these models we have developed assessment criteria to evaluate the quality of the existing studies. Quality assessment models are classified into five categories based on the quality characteristics they possess namely: single-attribute, rounded category, community-only attribute, non-community attribute as well as the non-quality in use models. Our study reflects that software selection based on hierarchical structures is found to be the most popular selection method in the existing OSS quality assessment models. Furthermore, we found that majority (47%) of the existing models do not specify any domain of application. In conclusion, our study will be a valuable contribution to the community and helps the quality assessment model developers in formulating newer models and also to the practitioners (software evaluators) in selecting suitable OSS in the midst of alternatives.

Assessment on security system of radioactive sources used in hospitals of Thailand

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jitbanjong, Petchara, E-mail: petcharajit@gmail.com; Wongsawaeng, Doonyapong [Nuclear Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University, 254 Phayathai Road, Pathumwan, Bangkok 10330 (Thailand)

2016-01-22

Unsecured radioactive sources have caused deaths and serious injuries in many parts of the world. In Thailand, there are 17 hospitals that use teletherapy with cobalt-60 radioactive sources. They need to be secured in order to prevent unauthorized removal, sabotage and terrorists from using such materials in a radiological weapon. The security system of radioactive sources in Thailand is regulated by the Office of Atoms for Peace in compliance with Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), U.S. DOE, which has started to be implemented since 2010. This study aims to perform an assessment on the security system of radioactive sources used in hospitals in Thailand and the results can be used as a recommended baseline data for development or improvement of hospitals on the security system of a radioactive source at a national regulatory level and policy level. Results from questionnaires reveal that in 11 out of 17 hospitals (64.70%), there were a few differences in conditions of hospitals using radioactive sources with installation of the security system and those without installation of the security system. Also, personals working with radioactive sources did not clearly understand the nuclear security law. Thus, government organizations should be encouraged to arrange trainings on nuclear security to increase the level of understanding. In the future, it is recommended that the responsible government organization issues a minimum requirement of nuclear security for every medical facility using radioactive sources.

Assessment on security system of radioactive sources used in hospitals of Thailand

Science.gov (United States)

Jitbanjong, Petchara; Wongsawaeng, Doonyapong

2016-01-01

Unsecured radioactive sources have caused deaths and serious injuries in many parts of the world. In Thailand, there are 17 hospitals that use teletherapy with cobalt-60 radioactive sources. They need to be secured in order to prevent unauthorized removal, sabotage and terrorists from using such materials in a radiological weapon. The security system of radioactive sources in Thailand is regulated by the Office of Atoms for Peace in compliance with Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), U.S. DOE, which has started to be implemented since 2010. This study aims to perform an assessment on the security system of radioactive sources used in hospitals in Thailand and the results can be used as a recommended baseline data for development or improvement of hospitals on the security system of a radioactive source at a national regulatory level and policy level. Results from questionnaires reveal that in 11 out of 17 hospitals (64.70%), there were a few differences in conditions of hospitals using radioactive sources with installation of the security system and those without installation of the security system. Also, personals working with radioactive sources did not clearly understand the nuclear security law. Thus, government organizations should be encouraged to arrange trainings on nuclear security to increase the level of understanding. In the future, it is recommended that the responsible government organization issues a minimum requirement of nuclear security for every medical facility using radioactive sources.

Assessment on security system of radioactive sources used in hospitals of Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jitbanjong, Petchara; Wongsawaeng, Doonyapong

2016-01-01

Unsecured radioactive sources have caused deaths and serious injuries in many parts of the world. In Thailand, there are 17 hospitals that use teletherapy with cobalt-60 radioactive sources. They need to be secured in order to prevent unauthorized removal, sabotage and terrorists from using such materials in a radiological weapon. The security system of radioactive sources in Thailand is regulated by the Office of Atoms for Peace in compliance with Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI), U.S. DOE, which has started to be implemented since 2010. This study aims to perform an assessment on the security system of radioactive sources used in hospitals in Thailand and the results can be used as a recommended baseline data for development or improvement of hospitals on the security system of a radioactive source at a national regulatory level and policy level. Results from questionnaires reveal that in 11 out of 17 hospitals (64.70%), there were a few differences in conditions of hospitals using radioactive sources with installation of the security system and those without installation of the security system. Also, personals working with radioactive sources did not clearly understand the nuclear security law. Thus, government organizations should be encouraged to arrange trainings on nuclear security to increase the level of understanding. In the future, it is recommended that the responsible government organization issues a minimum requirement of nuclear security for every medical facility using radioactive sources

40 CFR 430.25 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Soda Subcategory § 430.25 New source performance standards (NSPS). New sources subject to this subpart... fine papers are produced and soda facilities where pulp and paper are produced] Pollutant or pollutant... that does not use an exclusively TCF bleaching process, as disclosed by the discharger in its NPDES...

40 CFR 471.73 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS NONFERROUS METALS FORMING AND METAL POWDERS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Uranium Forming... achieve the following new source performance standards (NSPS). The mass of pollutants in the uranium... mg/off-kg (pounds per million off-pounds) of uranium extruded Cadmium 0.007 0.003 Chromium 0.013 0...

Operational human performance reliability assessment (OHPRA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haas, P.M.; Swanson, P.J.; Connelly, E.M.

1993-01-01

Operational Human Performance Reliability Assessment (OHPRA) is an approach for assessing human performance that is being developed in response to demands from modern process industries for practical and effective tools to assess and improve human performance, and therefore overall system performance and safety. The single most distinguishing feature of the approach is that is defines human performance in open-quotes operationalclose quotes terms. OHPRA is focused not on generation of human error probabilities, but on practical analysis of human performance to aid management in (1) identifying open-quotes fixableclose quotes problems and (2) providing input on the importance and nature of potential improvements. Development of the model in progress uses a unique approach for eliciting expert strategies for assessing performance. A PC-based model incorporating this expertise is planned. A preliminary version of the approach has already been used successfully to identify practical human performance problems in reactor and chemical process plant operations

Allergenicity assessment strategy for novel food proteins and protein sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Verhoeckx, Kitty; Broekman, Henrike; Knulst, André; Houben, Geert

2016-08-01

To solve the future food insecurity problem, alternative and sustainable protein sources (e.g. insects, rapeseed, fava bean and algae) are now being explored for the production of food and feed. To approve these novel protein sources for future food a comprehensive risk assessment is needed according to the European food legislation. Allergenicity risk assessment might pose some major difficulties, since detailed guidance on how to assess the allergenic potential of novel foods is not available. At present, the approach relies mostly on the guidance of allergenicity assessment for genetically modified (GM) plant foods. The most recent one was proposed by EFSA (2010 and 2011); "weight-of-evidence approach". However this guidance is difficult to interpret, not completely applicable or validated for novel foods and therefore needs some adjustments. In this paper we propose a conceptual strategy which is based on the "weight-of-evidence approach" for food derived from GM plants and other strategies that were previously published in the literature. This strategy will give more guidance on how to assess the allergenicity of novel food proteins and protein sources. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Materials performance experience at spallation neutron sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sommer, W.F. [Los Alamos National Laboratory, NM (United States)

1995-10-01

There is a growing, but not yet substantial, data base for materials performance at spallation neutron sources. Specially designed experiments using medium energy protons (650 MeV) have been conducted at the Proton Irradiation Experiment (PIREX) facility at the Swiss Nuclear Institute accelerator (SIN). Specially designed experiments using 760-800 MeV copper target have been completed at the Los Alamos Spallation Radiation Effects Facility (LASREF) at Los Alamos Meson Physics Facility (LAMPF). An extensive material testing program was initiated at LASREF in support of the German spallation neutron source (SNQ) project, before it terminated in 1985.

Performance assessment in algebra learning process

Science.gov (United States)

Lestariani, Ida; Sujadi, Imam; Pramudya, Ikrar

2017-12-01

The purpose of research to describe the implementation of performance assessment on algebra learning process. The subject in this research is math educator of SMAN 1 Ngawi class X. This research includes descriptive qualitative research type. Techniques of data collecting are done by observation method, interview, and documentation. Data analysis technique is done by data reduction, data presentation, and conclusion. The results showed any indication that the steps taken by the educator in applying the performance assessment are 1) preparing individual worksheets and group worksheets, 2) preparing rubric assessments for independent worksheets and groups and 3) making performance assessments rubric to learners’ performance results with individual or groups task.

Variational Iterative Refinement Source Term Estimation Algorithm Assessment for Rural and Urban Environments

Science.gov (United States)

Delle Monache, L.; Rodriguez, L. M.; Meech, S.; Hahn, D.; Betancourt, T.; Steinhoff, D.

2016-12-01

It is necessary to accurately estimate the initial source characteristics in the event of an accidental or intentional release of a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, or Nuclear (CBRN) agent into the atmosphere. The accurate estimation of the source characteristics are important because many times they are unknown and the Atmospheric Transport and Dispersion (AT&D) models rely heavily on these estimates to create hazard assessments. To correctly assess the source characteristics in an operational environment where time is critical, the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) has developed a Source Term Estimation (STE) method, known as the Variational Iterative Refinement STE algorithm (VIRSA). VIRSA consists of a combination of modeling systems. These systems include an AT&D model, its corresponding STE model, a Hybrid Lagrangian-Eulerian Plume Model (H-LEPM), and its mathematical adjoint model. In an operational scenario where we have information regarding the infrastructure of a city, the AT&D model used is the Urban Dispersion Model (UDM) and when using this model in VIRSA we refer to the system as uVIRSA. In all other scenarios where we do not have the city infrastructure information readily available, the AT&D model used is the Second-order Closure Integrated PUFF model (SCIPUFF) and the system is referred to as sVIRSA. VIRSA was originally developed using SCIPUFF 2.4 for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and integrated into the Hazard Prediction and Assessment Capability and Joint Program for Information Systems Joint Effects Model. The results discussed here are the verification and validation of the upgraded system with SCIPUFF 3.0 and the newly implemented UDM capability. To verify uVIRSA and sVIRSA, synthetic concentration observation scenarios were created in urban and rural environments and the results of this verification are shown. Finally, we validate the STE performance of uVIRSA using scenarios from the Joint Urban 2003 (JU03

Review of SR 97 performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glynn, P.D.

2000-01-01

This review has identified many technical problems in the SR 97 performance assessment. The general impression of this reviewer is that SKB has been disingenuous in its performance assessment effort. It has not cited important differences of opinion with its own views. Furthermore, there are many inconsistencies in the SR 97 report that all together leave the impression that there are many more uncertainties in the SR 97 performance assessment than SKB would perhaps care to admit. Additionally, despite SKB's statements to the contrary, many of the analyses conducted for the SR 97 performance assessment can be clearly shown not to have been based on 'conservative' assumptions. Finally, SKB has made little effort to consider possible coupling effects between their different scenarios in SR 97. This is a serious flaw in the SR 97 performance assessment. The comments in this review should not be taken to imply that the KBS-3 nuclear waste disposal method will not be able to meet the safety and radiation protection requirements which SKI and SSI have specified in recent years. Instead, my conclusion is simply that the SR 97 performance assessment of the KBS-3 method would have been more believable had it been based on a forthright and comprehensive discussion of facts, uncertainties and opinions, and on a more conservative choice of assumptions. As it stands, the SR 97 performance assessment is not very credible

Framework for Assessing Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary Sources

Science.gov (United States)

This revision of the 2011 report, Accounting Framework for Biogenic CO2 Emissions from Stationary Sources, evaluates biogenic CO2 emissions from stationary sources, including a detailed study of the scientific and technical issues associated with assessing biogenic carbon dioxide...

Performance Assessment Modeling and Sensitivity Analyses of Generic Disposal System Concepts.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sevougian, S. David; Freeze, Geoffrey A.; Gardner, William Payton; Hammond, Glenn Edward; Mariner, Paul

2014-09-01

directly, rather than through simplified abstractions. It also a llows for complex representations of the source term, e.g., the explicit representation of many individual waste packages (i.e., meter - scale detail of an entire waste emplacement drift). This report fulfills the Generic Disposal System Analysis Work Packa ge Level 3 Milestone - Performance Assessment Modeling and Sensitivity Analyses of Generic Disposal System Concepts (M 3 FT - 1 4 SN08080 3 2 ).

A simplistic view of the iodine chemistry influence on source term assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herranz, L.E.; Rodriguez, J.J.

1994-01-01

The intrinsic characteristics of iodine make it a relevant concern as to its potential radiobiological impact in case of a hypothetical severe accident in nuclear power plants. This paper summarizes the major results drawn from a very simple but illustrative calculation exercise aimed at weighing how significant could be taking iodine chemistry in containment into account for source term assessments in case of a postulated severe reactor accident. The scenario chosen as representative of expected conditions in containment was LA-4 test of LACE programme. Several approximations and hypothesis concerning the scenario were necessary. Iodine chemistry analyses were performed with IODE code, as long as thermalhydraulic and aerosol behaviour analyses, providing initial and boundary conditions for iodine calculations, were carried out with CONTEMPT4/MOD5 and NAUA/MOD5 codes, respectively. In general, the results obtained agreed qualitatively with the current knowledge on the area; from a quantitative point of view, one of the major results was that iodine chemistry on acidic conditions could provide a substantial increase in the leaked mass from containment under the postulated circumstances. Hence, this study underlines the need of including iodine chemistry in source tenn assessments. (author)

Assessed Clean Water Act 305(b) Water Sources of Impairment

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Identifies the sources of impairment for assessed waters under the Clean Water Act 305(b) program. This view can be used for viewing the details at the assessment...

Performance evaluation of wideband bio-impedance spectroscopy using constant voltage source and constant current source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamadou, Youssoufa; Oh, Tong In; Wi, Hun; Sohal, Harsh; Farooq, Adnan; Woo, Eung Je; McEwan, Alistair Lee

2012-01-01

Current sources are widely used in bio-impedance spectroscopy (BIS) measurement systems to maximize current injection for increased signal to noise while keeping within medical safety specifications. High-performance current sources based on the Howland current pump with optimized impedance converters are able to minimize stray capacitance of the cables and setup. This approach is limited at high frequencies primarily due to the deteriorated output impedance of the constant current source when situated in a real measurement system. For this reason, voltage sources have been suggested, but they require a current sensing resistor, and the SNR reduces at low impedance loads due to the lower current required to maintain constant voltage. In this paper, we compare the performance of a current source-based BIS and a voltage source-based BIS, which use common components. The current source BIS is based on a Howland current pump and generalized impedance converters to maintain a high output impedance of more than 1 MΩ at 2 MHz. The voltage source BIS is based on voltage division between an internal current sensing resistor (R s ) and an external sample. To maintain high SNR, R s is varied so that the source voltage is divided more or less equally. In order to calibrate the systems, we measured the transfer function of the BIS systems with several known resistor and capacitor loads. From this we may estimate the resistance and capacitance of biological tissues using the least-squares method to minimize error between the measured transimpedance excluding the system transfer function and that from an impedance model. When tested on realistic loads including discrete resistors and capacitors, and saline and agar phantoms, the voltage source-based BIS system had a wider bandwidth of 10 Hz to 2.2 MHz with less than 1% deviation from the expected spectra compared to more than 10% with the current source. The voltage source also showed an SNR of at least 60 dB up to 2.2 MHz

Environmental performance of crop residues as an energy source for electricity production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nguyen, T Lan T; Hermansen, John Erik; Mogensen, Lisbeth

2013-01-01

This paper aims to address the question, “What is the environmental performance of crop residues as an alternative energy source to fossil fuels, and whether and how can it be improved?”. In order to address the issue, we compare electricity production from wheat straw to that from coal and natural...... gas. The results on the environmental performance of straw for energy utilization and the two fossil fuel references are displayed first for different midpoint categories and then aggregated into a single score. The midpoint impact assessment shows that substitution of straw either for coal...... or for natural gas reduces global warming, non-renewable energy use, human toxicity and ecotoxicity, but increases eutrophication, respiratory inorganics, acidification and photochemical ozone. The results at the aggregate level show that the use of straw biomass for conversion to energy scores better than...

Shallow Aquifer Methane Gas Source Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Coffin, R. B.; Murgulet, D.; Rose, P. S.; Hay, R.

2014-12-01

Shale gas can contribute significantly to the world's energy demand. Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) on horizontal drill lines developed over the last 15 years makes formerly inaccessible hydrocarbons economically available. From 2000 to 2035 shale gas is predicted to rise from 1% to 46% of the total natural gas for the US. A vast energy resource is available in the United States. While there is a strong financial advantage to the application of fracking there is emerging concern about environmental impacts to groundwater and air quality from improper shale fracking operations. Elevated methane (CH4) concentrations have been observed in drinking water throughout the United States where there is active horizontal drilling. Horizontal drilling and hydraulic-fracturing can increase CH4 transport to aquifers, soil and the vadose zone. Seepage can also result from casing failure in older wells. However, there is strong evidence that elevated CH4 concentrations can be associated with topographic and hydrogeologic features, rather than shale-gas extraction processes. Carbon isotope geochemistry can be applied to study CH4source(s) in shallow vadose zone and groundwater systems. A preliminary TAMU-CC isotope data set from samples taken at different locations in southern Texas shows a wide range of CH4 signatures suggesting multiple sources of methane and carbon dioxide. These data are interpreted to distinguish regions with methane contributions from deep-sourced horizontal drilling versus shallow system microbial production. Development of a thorough environmental assessment using light isotope analysis can provide understanding of shallow anthropogenic versus natural CH4sources and assist in identifying regions that require remedial actions.

A performance assessment methodology for low-level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deering, L.R.; Kozak, M.W.

1990-01-01

To demonstrate compliance with the performance objectives governing protection of the general population in 10 CFR 61.41, applicants for land disposal of low-level radioactive waste are required to conduct a pathways analysis, or quantitative evaluation of radionuclide release, transport through environmental media, and dose to man. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff defined a strategy and initiated a project at Sandia National Laboratories to develop a methodology for independently evaluating an applicant's analysis of postclosure performance. This performance assessment methodology was developed in five stages: (1) identification of environmental pathways, (2) ranking, the significance of the pathways, (3) identification and integration of models for pathway analyses, (4) identification and selection of computer codes and techniques for the methodology, and (5) implementation of the codes and documentation of the methodology. The final methodology implements analytical and simple numerical solutions for source term, ground-water flow and transport, surface water transport, air transport, food chain, and dosimetry analyses, as well as more complex numerical solutions for multidimensional or transient analyses when more detailed assessments are needed. The capability to perform both simple and complex analyses is accomplished through modular modeling, which permits substitution of various models and codes to analyze system components

40 CFR 417.165 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS SOAP AND DETERGENT MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Manufacture of Liquid Detergents Subcategory § 417.165 Standards of performance for new sources. The following standards...) For normal liquid detergent operations the following values pertain: Effluent characteristic Effluent...

Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation and Memory Performance: Sources of Uncertainty in Epidemiological Cohort Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Brzozek, Christopher; Benke, Kurt K; Zeleke, Berihun M; Abramson, Michael J; Benke, Geza

2018-03-26

Uncertainty in experimental studies of exposure to radiation from mobile phones has in the past only been framed within the context of statistical variability. It is now becoming more apparent to researchers that epistemic or reducible uncertainties can also affect the total error in results. These uncertainties are derived from a wide range of sources including human error, such as data transcription, model structure, measurement and linguistic errors in communication. The issue of epistemic uncertainty is reviewed and interpreted in the context of the MoRPhEUS, ExPOSURE and HERMES cohort studies which investigate the effect of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones on memory performance. Research into this field has found inconsistent results due to limitations from a range of epistemic sources. Potential analytic approaches are suggested based on quantification of epistemic error using Monte Carlo simulation. It is recommended that future studies investigating the relationship between radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation and memory performance pay more attention to treatment of epistemic uncertainties as well as further research into improving exposure assessment. Use of directed acyclic graphs is also encouraged to display the assumed covariate relationship.

Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Radiation and Memory Performance: Sources of Uncertainty in Epidemiological Cohort Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christopher Brzozek

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Uncertainty in experimental studies of exposure to radiation from mobile phones has in the past only been framed within the context of statistical variability. It is now becoming more apparent to researchers that epistemic or reducible uncertainties can also affect the total error in results. These uncertainties are derived from a wide range of sources including human error, such as data transcription, model structure, measurement and linguistic errors in communication. The issue of epistemic uncertainty is reviewed and interpreted in the context of the MoRPhEUS, ExPOSURE and HERMES cohort studies which investigate the effect of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation from mobile phones on memory performance. Research into this field has found inconsistent results due to limitations from a range of epistemic sources. Potential analytic approaches are suggested based on quantification of epistemic error using Monte Carlo simulation. It is recommended that future studies investigating the relationship between radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation and memory performance pay more attention to treatment of epistemic uncertainties as well as further research into improving exposure assessment. Use of directed acyclic graphs is also encouraged to display the assumed covariate relationship.

Assessment of In Situ Time Resolved Shock Experiments at Synchrotron Light Sources*

Science.gov (United States)

Belak, J.; Ilavsky, J.; Hessler, J. P.

2005-07-01

Prior to fielding in situ time resolved experiments of shock wave loading at the Advanced Photon Source, we have performed feasibility experiments assessing a single photon bunch. Using single and poly-crystal Al, Ti, V and Cu shock to incipient spallation on the gas gun, samples were prepared from slices normal to the spall plane of thickness 100-500 microns. In addition, single crystal Al of thickness 500 microns was shocked to incipient spallation and soft recovered using the LLNL e-gun mini-flyer system. The e-gun mini-flyer impacts the sample target producing a 10's ns flat-top shock transient. Here, we present results for imaging, small-angle scattering (SAS), and diffraction. In particular, there is little SAS away from the spall plane and significant SAS at the spall plane, demonstrating the presence of sub-micron voids. * Use of the Advanced Photon Source was supported by the U. S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, under Contract No. W-31-109-Eng-38 and work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under Contract W-7405-Eng-48.

Improved Bevatron local injector ion source performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stover, G.; Zajec, E.

1985-05-01

Performance tests of the improved Bevatron Local Injector PIG Ion Source using particles of Si 4 + , Ne 3 + , and He 2 + are described. Initial measurements of the 8.4 keV/nucleon Si 4 + beam show an intensity of 100 particle microamperes with a normalized emittance of .06 π cm-mrad. A low energy beam transport line provides mass analysis, diagnostics, and matching into a 200 MHz RFQ linac. The RFQ accelerates the beam from 8.4 to 200 keV/nucleon. The injector is unusual in the sense that all ion source power supplies, the ac distribution network, vacuum control equipment, and computer control system are contained in a four bay rack mounted on insulators which is located on a floor immediately above the ion source. The rack, transmission line, and the ion source housing are raised by a dc power supply to 80 kilovolts above earth ground. All power supplies, which are referenced to rack ground, are modular in construction and easily removable for maintenance. AC power is delivered to the rack via a 21 kVA, 3-phase transformer. 2 refs., 5 figs., 1 tab

40 CFR 407.25 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Standards of performance for new sources. 407.25 Section 407.25 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS CANNED AND PRESERVED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PROCESSING POINT SOURCE...

40 CFR 407.35 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Standards of performance for new sources. 407.35 Section 407.35 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS CANNED AND PRESERVED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PROCESSING POINT SOURCE...

40 CFR 407.45 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Standards of performance for new sources. 407.45 Section 407.45 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS CANNED AND PRESERVED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PROCESSING POINT SOURCE...

40 CFR 407.15 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Standards of performance for new sources. 407.15 Section 407.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS CANNED AND PRESERVED FRUITS AND VEGETABLES PROCESSING POINT SOURCE...

40 CFR 428.65 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Standards of performance for new sources. 428.65 Section 428.65 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS RUBBER MANUFACTURING POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Medium-Sized General Molded...

Evaluation of Long-term Performance of Enhanced Anaerobic Source Zone Bioremediation using mass flux

Science.gov (United States)

Haluska, A.; Cho, J.; Hatzinger, P.; Annable, M. D.

2017-12-01

Chlorinated ethene DNAPL source zones in groundwater act as potential long term sources of contamination as they dissolve yielding concentrations well above MCLs, posing an on-going public health risk. Enhanced bioremediation has been applied to treat many source zones with significant promise, but long-term sustainability of this technology has not been thoroughly assessed. This study evaluated the long-term effectiveness of enhanced anaerobic source zone bioremediation at chloroethene contaminated sites to determine if the treatment prevented contaminant rebound and removed NAPL from the source zone. Long-term performance was evaluated based on achieving MCL-based contaminant mass fluxes in parent compound concentrations during different monitoring periods. Groundwater concertation versus time data was compiled for 6-sites and post-remedial contaminant mass flux data was then measured using passive flux meters at wells both within and down-gradient of the source zone. Post-remedial mass flux data was then combined with pre-remedial water quality data to estimate pre-remedial mass flux. This information was used to characterize a DNAPL dissolution source strength function, such as the Power Law Model and the Equilibrium Stream tube model. The six-sites characterized for this study were (1) Former Charleston Air Force Base, Charleston, SC; (2) Dover Air Force Base, Dover, DE; (3) Treasure Island Naval Station, San Francisco, CA; (4) Former Raritan Arsenal, Edison, NJ; (5) Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, FL; and, (6) Former Naval Air Station, Alameda, CA. Contaminant mass fluxes decreased for all the sites by the end of the post-treatment monitoring period and rebound was limited within the source zone. Post remedial source strength function estimates suggest that decreases in contaminant mass flux will continue to occur at these sites, but a mass flux based on MCL levels may never be exceeded. Thus, site clean-up goals should be evaluated as order

Allergenicity assessment strategy for novel food proteins and protein sources

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeckx, Kitty; Broekman, Henrike; Knulst, André; Houben, Geert

To solve the future food insecurity problem, alternative and sustainable protein sources (e.g. insects, rapeseed, fava bean and algae) are now being explored for the production of food and feed. To approve these novel protein sources for future food a comprehensive risk assessment is needed

Making Performance Assessments a Part of Accountability

Science.gov (United States)

Haun, Billy

2018-01-01

The purpose of this commentary is to describe recent efforts in Virginia to develop and use performance assessments, including the challenges that emerged during this process and key considerations for states that integrate performance assessment into their systems. Performance assessments can play an important role in preparing students for…

Investigation of Grid-connected Voltage Source Converter Performance under Unbalanced Faults

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jia, Jundi; Yang, Guangya; Nielsen, Arne Hejde

2016-01-01

Renewable energy sources (RES) and HVDC links are typically interfaced with the grid by power converters, whose performance during grid faults is significantly different from that of traditional synchronous generators. This paper investigates the performance of grid-connected voltage source...... that the performance of VSCs varies with their control strategies. Negative-sequence current control is necessary to restrict converter current in each phase under unbalanced faults. Among presented control strategies, the balanced current control strategy complies with the present voltage support requirement best...

Performance Assessment of Mergers and Acquisitions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Daojuan; Moini, Hamid

2012-01-01

on the performance measures and benchmarks adopted in M&A research field and the relevant empirical results. We find that the definitions of performance varied in terms of accounting, financial, operational and perceptual metrics. And performance assessment is sensitive to the definition of performance, methodology......Corporate mergers and acquisitions (M&As) have been increasing popular during these decades. However, a majority of research show failure rate (40% - 80%) has not significantly changed. This “success paradox” triggers us to reflect on performance assessment of M&As: how the performance of M...

Power performance assessment. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frandsen, S.

1998-12-01

In the increasingly commercialised wind power marketplace, the lack of precise assessment methods for the output of an investment is becoming a barrier for wider penetration of wind power. Thus, addressing this problem, the overall objectives of the project are to reduce the financial risk in investment in wind power projects by significantly improving the power performance assessment methods. Ultimately, if this objective is successfully met, the project may also result in improved tuning of the individual wind turbines and in optimisation methods for wind farm operation. The immediate, measurable objectives of the project are: To prepare a review of existing contractual aspects of power performance verification procedures of wind farms; to provide information on production sensitivity to specific terrain characteristics and wind turbine parameters by analyses of a larger number of wind farm power performance data available to the proposers; to improve the understanding of the physical parameters connected to power performance in complex environment by comparing real-life wind farm power performance data with 3D computational flow models and 3D-turbulence wind turbine models; to develop the statistical framework including uncertainty analysis for power performance assessment in complex environments; and to propose one or more procedures for power performance evaluation of wind power plants in complex environments to be applied in contractual agreements between purchasers and manufacturers on production warranties. Although the focus in this project is on power performance assessment the possible results will also be of benefit to energy yield forecasting, since the two tasks are strongly related. (au) JOULE III. 66 refs.; In Co-operation Renewable Energy System Ltd. (GB); Centre for Renewable Energy (GR); Aeronautic Research Centre (SE); National Engineering Lab. (GB); Public Power Cooperation (GR)

Conceptual framework for performance assessment: competency, competence and performance in the context of assessments in healthcare--deciphering the terminology.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Kamran; Ramachandran, Sankaranarayanan

2012-01-01

The definitions of performance, competence and competency are not very clear in the literature. The assessment of performance and the selection of tools for this purpose depend upon a deep understanding of each of the above terms and the factors influencing performance. In this article, we distinguish between competence and competency and explain the relationship of competence and performance in the light of the Dreyfus model of skills acquisition. We briefly critique the application of the principles described by Miller to the modern assessment tools and distinguish between assessment of actual performance in workplace settings and the observed performance, demonstrated by the candidates in the workplace or simulated settings. We describe a modification of the Dreyfus model applicable to assessments in healthcare and propose a new model for the assessment of performance and performance rating scale (PRS) based on this model. We propose that the use of adapted versions of this PRS will result in benchmarking of performance and allowing the candidates to track their progression of skills in various areas of clinical practice.

Competency Assessment Using Key Performance Indicators

OpenAIRE

Elena Alexandra Toader; Laura Brad

2015-01-01

The paper proposes a method for computing the scores of the key performance indicators resulted in the competency assessment process. The key performance indicators are estimated considering four performance levels that an IT professional can obtain at the end of the assessment process. We suggest as the best approach for estimating the performance key indicators an online questionnaire filled by 60 employees that work in IT Romanian companies. The results provide evidence that the difference...

40 CFR 406.25 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Standards of performance for new sources. 406.25 Section 406.25 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GRAIN MILLS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Corn Dry Milling Subcategory § 406.25...

40 CFR 406.15 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Standards of performance for new sources. 406.15 Section 406.15 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) EFFLUENT GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS GRAIN MILLS POINT SOURCE CATEGORY Corn Wet Milling Subcategory § 406.15...

Assessment of risk from radiation sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subbaratnam, T.; Madhvanath, U.; Somasundaram, S.

1976-01-01

Assessment of risk from exposure to ionizing radiations from man-made radiation sources and nuclear installations has to be viewed from three aspects, namely, dose-effect relationship (genetic and somatic) for humans, calculation of doses or dose-commitments to population groups, assessment of risk to radiation workers and the population at large from the current levels of exposure from nuclear industry and comparison of risk estimates with other industries in a modern society. These aspects are discussed in brief. On the basis of available data, it is shown that estimated incidence of genetic diseases and cancers due to exposure of population to radiation from nuclear industry is negligible in comparison with their natural incidence, and radiation risks to the workers in nuclear industry are much lower than the risks in other occupations. (M.G.B.)

Assessing Scientific Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Weiner, John M.; And Others

1984-01-01

A method for assessing scientific performance based on relationships displayed numerically in published documents is proposed and illustrated using published documents in pediatric oncology for the period 1979-1982. Contributions of a major clinical investigations group, the Childrens Cancer Study Group, are analyzed. Twenty-nine references are…

Dose assessments for Greifswald and Cadarache with updated source terms from ITER NSSR-2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raskob, W.; Hasemann, I.

1998-08-01

The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor ITER is in its late engineering phase. One of the most important safety aspects - in particular for achieving public acceptance - is to assure that the releases of harzardous material are minimal during normal operation and for accidental events, even if very unlikely. To this purpose probabilistic dose assessments for accidental atmospheric releases of various ITER source terms which contain tritium and/or activation products were performed for the sites of Greifswald, Germany, and Cadarache, France. In addition, routine releases into the atmosphere and hydrosphere have been evaluated. No country specific rules were applied and the input parameters were adapted as far as possible to those used within former studies to achieve a better comparability with site independent dose assessments performed in the frame of ITER. The calculations were based on source terms which, for the first time, contain a combination of tritium and activation products. This allowed a better judgment of the contribution to the total dose of the individual fusion relevant materials. The results were compared to site independent dose limits defined in the frame of ITER. Annual doses from routine releases (CAT-I) are below 0.1 μSv for the aquatic scenarios and are close to 1 μSv for the atmospheric source terms. Source terms for two different categories of accidental releases, representing 'extremely unlikely events' (CAT-IV) and 'hypothetical sequences' (CAT-V), were investigated. In none of these cases, the release scenarios of category CAT-IV exceed the ITER limits. In addition, relevant characteristic quantities of the early dose distribution from the hypothetical scenarios of type CAT-V are still below 50 mSv or 100 mSv, values which are commonly used as lower reference values for evacuation in many potential home countries of ITER. These site specific assessments confirmed that the proposed release limits and thus the derived dose

Safety assessment of the disposal of sealed radiation sources in boreholes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Rosana Lagua de; Vicente, Roberto; Hiromoto, Goro

2009-01-01

The Radioactive Waste Management Laboratory (RNML) at the Nuclear Energy Research Institute (NERI) in Sao Paulo, Brazil, is developing the concept of a repository for disused sealed radiation sources in a deep borehole. Several thousands disused sealed radiation sources are stored at NERI awaiting the decision on final disposal and tens of thousands are still under the possession of the licensees. A significant fraction of these sources are long-lived and will require final disposal in a geological repository. The purpose of this paper is to identify and discuss suitable safety assessment strategies for the repository concept and to illustrate a rational approach for a long-term safety assessment methodology. (author)

Chemometric Analysis for Pollution Source Assessment of Harbour Sediments in Arctic Locations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Kristine B.; Lejon, Tore; Jensen, Pernille Erland

2015-01-01

Pollution levels, pollutant distribution and potential source assessments based on multivariate analysis (chemometrics) were made for harbour sediments from two Arctic locations; Hammerfest in Norway and Sisimiut in Greenland. High levels of heavy metals were detected in addition to organic...... pollutants. Preliminary assessments based on principal component analysis (PCA) revealed different sources and pollutant distribution in the sediments of the two harbours. Tributyltin (TBT) was, however, found to originate from point source(s), and the highest concentrations of TBT in both harbours were...... indicated relation primarily to German, Russian and American mixtures in Hammerfest; and American, Russian and Japanese mixtures in Sisimiut. PCA was shown to be an important tool for identifying pollutant sources and differences in pollutant composition in relation to sediment characteristics....

Consideration of environmental change in performance assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinedo, P.; Thorne, M.; Egan, M.; Calvez, M.; Kautsky, U.

2005-01-01

Depending on the particular circumstances in which a post-closure performance assessment of a radioactive waste repository is made, it may be appropriate to follow simple or more complex approaches in characterising the biosphere. Several different Example Reference Biospheres were explored in BIOMASS Theme 1 to address a range of issues that arise. Here, consideration is given to Example Reference Biospheres relevant to representing the implications of changes that may occur within the biosphere system during the period over which releases of radionuclides from a disposal facility might take place. Mechanisms of change considered include those extrinsic and intrinsic to the system of interest. An overall methodology for incorporating environmental change into assessments is proposed. This includes screening of primary mechanisms of change; identification of possible time sequences of change; development of a coherent description of the regional landscape response for each time sequence; integration of source term and geosphere-biosphere interface information; identification and description of one or more time series of assessment biospheres; and evaluation of the advantages and disadvantages of simulating the effects of sequences of biosphere systems and the transitions between them, or of defining a set of biosphere systems to be represented individually in a non-sequential analysis. The usefulness of the methodology is explored in two site-specific examples and one generic example

Simultaneous assessments of occurrence, ecological, human health, and organoleptic hazards for 77 VOCs in typical drinking water sources from 5 major river basins, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Xichao; Luo, Qian; Wang, Donghong; Gao, Jijun; Wei, Zi; Wang, Zijian; Zhou, Huaidong; Mazumder, Asit

2015-01-01

Owing to the growing public awareness on the safety and aesthetics in water sources, more attention has been given to the adverse effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on aquatic organisms and human beings. In this study, 77 target VOCs (including 54 common VOCs, 13 carbonyl compounds, and 10 taste and odor compounds) were detected in typical drinking water sources from 5 major river basins (the Yangtze, the Huaihe, the Yellow, the Haihe and the Liaohe River basins) and their occurrences were characterized. The ecological, human health, and olfactory assessments were performed to assess the major hazards in source water. The investigation showed that there existed potential ecological risks (1.30 × 10 ≤ RQ_t_o_t_a_ls ≤ 8.99 × 10) but little human health risks (6.84 × 10"−"7 ≤ RQ_t_o_t_a_ls ≤ 4.24 × 10"−"4) by VOCs, while that odor problems occurred extensively. The priority contaminants in drinking water sources of China were also listed based on the present assessment criteria. - Highlights: • VOCs with various polarities were screened in typical water sources of China. • Ecological, human health and olfactory assessments were simultaneously performed. • The risk assessments were used to identify the major hazards by VOCs. • The detected VOCs posed potential ecological risks but little human health risks. • Odor problems occurred extensively in source water of China. - Detected VOCs with various polarities caused odor problems and posed potential ecological risks but little human health risks in drinking water sources in China.

Preliminary performance assessment for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, December 1992. Volume 3, Model parameters: Sandia WIPP Project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1992-12-29

This volume documents model parameters chosen as of July 1992 that were used by the Performance Assessment Department of Sandia National Laboratories in its 1992 preliminary performance assessment of the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP). Ranges and distributions for about 300 modeling parameters in the current secondary data base are presented in tables for the geologic and engineered barriers, global materials (e.g., fluid properties), and agents that act upon the WIPP disposal system such as climate variability and human-intrusion boreholes. The 49 parameters sampled in the 1992 Preliminary Performance Assessment are given special emphasis with tables and graphics that provide insight and sources of data for each parameter.

How Do States Integrate Performance Assessment in Their Systems of Assessment?

Science.gov (United States)

Stosich, Elizabeth Leisy; Snyder, Jon; Wilczak, Katie

2018-01-01

This paper reviews state strategies for incorporating performance assessment in policy and practice. Specifically, the paper reviews the use of performance assessment in 12 states in the Innovation Lab Network, a group committed to developing systems of assessment that provide meaningful measures of college and career readiness. This review…

Identify and Quantify the Mechanistic Sources of Sensor Performance Variation Between Individual Sensors SN1 and SN2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diaz, Aaron A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Baldwin, David L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Cinson, Anthony D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Jones, Anthony M. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Larche, Michael R. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Mathews, Royce [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Mullen, Crystal A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Pardini, Allan F. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Posakony, Gerald J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Prowant, Matthew S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hartman, Trenton S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Edwards, Matthew K. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2014-08-06

This Technical Letter Report satisfies the M3AR-14PN2301022 milestone, and is focused on identifying and quantifying the mechanistic sources of sensor performance variation between individual 22-element, linear phased-array sensor prototypes, SN1 and SN2. This effort constitutes an iterative evolution that supports the longer term goal of producing and demonstrating a pre-manufacturing prototype ultrasonic probe that possesses the fundamental performance characteristics necessary to enable the development of a high-temperature sodium-cooled fast reactor inspection system. The scope of the work for this portion of the PNNL effort conducted in FY14 includes performing a comparative evaluation and assessment of the performance characteristics of the SN1 and SN2 22 element PA-UT probes manufactured at PNNL. Key transducer performance parameters, such as sound field dimensions, resolution capabilities, frequency response, and bandwidth are used as a metric for the comparative evaluation and assessment of the SN1 and SN2 engineering test units.

Performance of two quantitative PCR methods for microbial source tracking of human sewage and implications for microbial risk assessment in recreational waters

Science.gov (United States)

Before new, rapid quantitative PCR (qPCR) methods for recreational water quality assessment and microbial source tracking (MST) can be useful in a regulatory context, an understanding of the ability of the method to detect a DNA target (marker) when the contaminant soure has been...

Radiological Assessment Survey of the Vance road Facility Source Vault Building Materials, Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morton, J. R.

2000-01-01

From the 1950s, the Vance Road laboratory was the site of extensive nuclear medical research and involved the used of numerous radionuclides. These nuclides were stored in a source vault stored on the first floor of the facility. Nuclear medical research is no longer conducted in this facility, and the source vault was remediated in preparation for converting the area to office space and general use. The Environmental Survey and Site Assessment Program (ESSAP) of ORISE performed a radiological assessment survey of the source vault and its associated miscellaneous building materials and laboratory equipment in preparation for the conversion to general use space

Performance assessment review for DOE LLW disposal facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilhite, Elmer L.

1992-01-01

The United States Department of Energy (US DOE) disposes of low-level radioactive waste in near-surface disposal facilities. Safety of the disposal operations is evaluated for operational safety as well as long-term safety. Operational safety is evaluated based on the perceived level of hazard of the operation and may vary from a simple safety assessment to a safety analysis report. Long-term safety of all low-level waste disposal systems is evaluated through the conduct of a radiological performance assessment. The US DOE has established radiological performance objectives for disposal of low-level waste. They are to protect a member of the general public from receiving over 25 mrem/y, and an inadvertent intruder into the waste from receiving over 100 mrem/y continuous exposure or 500 mrem from a single exposure. For a disposal system to be acceptable, a performance assessment must be prepared which must be technically accurate and provide reasonable assurance that these performance objectives are met. Technical quality of the performance assessments is reviewed by a panel of experts. The panel of experts is used in two ways to assure the technical quality of performance assessment. A preliminary (generally 2 day) review by the panel is employed in the late stages of development to provide guidance on finalizing the performance assessment. The comments from this review are communicated to the personnel responsible for the performance assessment for consideration and incorporation. After finalizing the performance assessment, it is submitted for a formal review. The formal review is accomplished by a much more thorough analysis of the performance assessment over a multi-week time period. The panel then formally reports their recommendations to the US DOE waste management senior staff who make the final determination on acceptability of the performance assessment. A number of lessons have been learned from conducting several preliminary reviews of performance

Performance Management and Sourcing Team Behaviour - Working Paper

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Anders Peder Lysholm

The purpose of this development paper is to outline the main ideas of a Ph.d.-project research proposal,which deals with the influence of Performance Management on the behaviour and decisions of Sourcing Category Team members. The background for the project is described, as well as the main theory...

Source term assessment, containment atmosphere control systems, and accident consequences. Report to CSNI by an OECD/NEA Group of experts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-04-01

CSNI Report 135 summarizes the results of the work performed by CSNI's Principal Working Group No. 4 on the Source Term and Environmental Consequences (PWG4) during the period extending from 1983 to 1986. This document contains the latest information on some important topics relating to source terms, accident consequence assessment, and containment atmospheric control systems. It consists of five parts: (1) a Foreword and Executive Summary prepared by PWG4's Chairman; (2) a Report on the Technical Status of the Source Term; (3) a Report on the Technical Status of Filtration and Containment Atmosphere Control Systems for Nuclear Reactors in the Event of a Severe Accident; (4) a Report on the Technical Status of Reactor Accident Consequence Assessment; (5) a list of members of PWG4

Performance Objective for Tank Farm Closure Risk Assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MANN, F.M.; KNEPP, A.J.; BADDEN, J.

2003-01-01

To be meaningful, results from a numeric risk assessment of the consequences of an action must be compared against the standards for such an action. That is, before one disposes of waste or closes a facility with waste, one must show that the disposal or closure action protects the public health and safety and the environment. These standards are called performance objectives. Regulations requiring performing performance assessments, (whether federal ones like the Department of Energy [DOE] Order 435.1, Radioactive Waste Management and its implementing guides or Washington State ones like the regulations implementing the Washington Administrative Code [WAC] 173-340 ''Model Toxics Control Act - Cleanup''), usually require that the determination of performance objectives be one of the first steps performed. These performance objectives not only set comparison level for the numeric results, but also define the media, pathways, exposure scenarios (receptors), spatial locations, and times that the performance assessment must consider. Thus, a performance objective consists of a compliance level, place(s) of compliance, and time(s) of compliance. Performance objectives are not the levels that a regulatory agency will enforce in a permit or authorization. Those levels, often called enforcement levels, will be set in the permit or authorization. Rather, performance objectives are those levels against which the results of the numeric simulation will be compared to judge the success of the proposed cleanup or disposal actions. Additional comparison levels may be requested for information purposes, but are not officially part of the decision on the adequacy of the proposed action. To emphasize that the performance objectives discussed in this document are not regulatory performance objectives, the three components of the performance objective will be renamed in this document as assessment standard, point(s) of assessment, and time(s) of assessment. However, whenever

Performance assessment - risk assessment vive la differences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitschke, R.L.

1997-01-01

In the sister worlds of radioactive waste management disposal and environmental restoration, there are two similar processes and computational approaches for determining the acceptability of the proposed activities. While similar, these two techniques can lead to confusion and misunderstanding if the differences are not recognized and appreciated. In the case of radioactive waste management, the performance assessment process is used to determine compliance with certain prescribed 'performance objectives'. These objectives are designed to ensure that the disposal of radioactive (high-level, low-level, and/or transuranic) waste will be protective of human health and the environment. The environmental link is primarily through assuring protection of the groundwater as a resource. In the case of environmental restoration, the risk assessment process is used to determine the proper remedial action response, if any, for a past hazardous waste release. The process compares the 'no action' or 'leave as is' option with both carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic values for human health to determine the need for any action and to help to help determine just what the appropriate action would need to be. The impacts to the ecological system are evaluated in a slightly, different but similar fashion. Now the common objectives between these two processes notwithstanding. There are some key and fundamental differences that need to be answered that make direct comparisons or a common approach inappropriate. Failure to recognize this can lead to confusion and misunderstanding. This can be particularly problematic when one is faced with an active disposal facility located within the boundaries of an environmental restoration site as is the case at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL). Through a critical evaluation of the performance assessment and risk assessment processes, highlighting both similarities and differences, it is hoped that greater understanding and appreciation

Assessment of the microbial quality of river water sources in rural ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

drinie

2002-07-03

Jul 3, 2002 ... Assessment of the microbial quality of river water sources ... These untreated water sources are used for drinking and domestic purposes and pose a serious threat to ... These diseases cause crippling, devastating and debilitating effects ..... gastrointestinal illness, due mainly by enteric viruses in sewage.

Performance objectives for the Hanford Immobilized Low-Activity Waste (ILAW) performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MANN, F.M.

1999-01-01

Performance objectives for the disposal of low activity waste from Hanford Waste Tanks have been developed. These objectives have been based on DOE requirements, programmatic requirements, and public involvement. The DOE requirements include regulations that direct the performance assessment and are cited within the Radioactive Waste Management Order (DOE Order 435.1). Performance objectives for other DOE complex performance assessments have been included

Parametric Effects of Debris Source, Environments, and Design Options on the Overall Performance of ECCS Recirculation Sump

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jong Woon; Kim, Chang Hyun

2006-01-01

A primary safety issue regarding long-term recirculation core cooling following a LOCA (Loss of Coolant Accident) is that LOCA-generated debris may be transported to the recirculation sump screen, resulting in adverse blockage on the sump screen and deterioration of available NPSH (Net Positive Suction Head) of ECCS (Emergency Core Cooling System). USNRC identified this as Generic Safety Issue (GSI) 191 and issued the Generic Letter 04-02 to resolve the issue. The GL required that all PWR owners perform an engineering assessment of their containment recirculation sumps to ensure they will not suffer from excessive blockage. The guidance report (GR) for PWR sump performance evaluation has been developed by NEI (Nuclear Energy Institute) and approved by the USNRC. In Korea, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Company (KHNP) is performing the assessment of Kori unit 1 and planning for remaining plants in the near future. The objective of the assessment is to derive required plant modifications including insulation, sump screen, etc. To derive the cost-effective modification items, we have to get insight on the parametric effects of plant conditions and design. Therefore, the general effects of debris source, containment environments and debris interceptor on the performance of ECCS recirculation sump with respect to head loss are parametrically investigated

Immediate Dose Assessment for Radiation Accident in Laboratory Containing Gamma Source and/or Neutron Source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, E.M.

2012-01-01

One of the most important safety requirements for any place containing radiation sources is an accurate and fast way to assess the dose rate in both normal and accidental case. In normal case, the source is completely protected inside its surrounded shields in case of non use. In some cases this source may stuck outside its shield. In this case the walls of the place act as a shield. Many studies were carried for obtaining the most appropriate materials that may be used as shielding depending on their efficiency and also their cost. As concrete- with different densities- is the most available constructive material, this study presented a theoretical model using MCNP-4B code, based on Monte Carlo method to estimate the dose rate distribution in a laboratory with concrete walls in case of source stuck accident. The study dealt with Cs-137 as gamma source and Am-Be-241 as neutron source. Two different densities of concrete and also different thicknesses of walls were studied. The used model was verified by comparing the results with a practical study concerning with the effect of adding carbon powder to the concrete. The results showed good agreement

Community Assessment of Natural Food Sources of Vitamin A ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

1997-01-01

Jan 1, 1997 ... This manual presents a practical step-by-step guide for assessing various aspects of natural food sources of vitamin A within a community and is essential for any research program involved in alleviating vitamin A deficiency.

Performance Assessment Strategy Plan for the Geologic Repository Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

Performance assessment is a major constituent of the program being conducted by the US Department of Energy (DOE) to develop a geologic repository. Performance assessment is the set of activities needed for quantitative evaluations to assess compliance with the performance requirements in the regulations for a geologic repository and to support the development of the repository. The strategy for these evaluations has been documented in the Performance Assessment Strategy Plan (DOE, 1989). The implementation of the performance assessment strategy is defined in this document. This paper discusses the scope and objectives of the implementation plan, the relationship of the plan to other program plans, summarizes the performance assessment areas and the integrated strategy of the performance assessment program. 1 fig., 3 tabs

Should we assess clinical performance in single patient encounters or consistent behaviors of clinical performance over a series of encounters? A qualitative exploration of narrative trainee profiles

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oerlemans, M.; Dielissen, P.W.; Timmerman, A.; Ram, P.; Maiburg, B.; Muris, J.; Vleuten, C. van der

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: A variety of tools have been developed to assess performance which typically use a single clinical encounter as a source for making competency inferences. This strategy may miss consistent behaviors. We therefore explored experienced clinical supervisors' perceptions of behavioral

Assessing Ecosystem Model Performance in Semiarid Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, A.; Dietze, M.; Scott, R. L.; Biederman, J. A.

2017-12-01

In ecosystem process modelling, comparing outputs to benchmark datasets observed in the field is an important way to validate models, allowing the modelling community to track model performance over time and compare models at specific sites. Multi-model comparison projects as well as models themselves have largely been focused on temperate forests and similar biomes. Semiarid regions, on the other hand, are underrepresented in land surface and ecosystem modelling efforts, and yet will be disproportionately impacted by disturbances such as climate change due to their sensitivity to changes in the water balance. Benchmarking models at semiarid sites is an important step in assessing and improving models' suitability for predicting the impact of disturbance on semiarid ecosystems. In this study, several ecosystem models were compared at a semiarid grassland in southwestern Arizona using PEcAn, or the Predictive Ecosystem Analyzer, an open-source eco-informatics toolbox ideal for creating the repeatable model workflows necessary for benchmarking. Models included SIPNET, DALEC, JULES, ED2, GDAY, LPJ-GUESS, MAESPA, CLM, CABLE, and FATES. Comparison between model output and benchmarks such as net ecosystem exchange (NEE) tended to produce high root mean square error and low correlation coefficients, reflecting poor simulation of seasonality and the tendency for models to create much higher carbon sources than observed. These results indicate that ecosystem models do not currently adequately represent semiarid ecosystem processes.

Los Alamos low-level waste performance assessment status

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wenzel, W.J.; Purtymun, W.D.; Dewart, J.M.; Rodgers, J.E.

1986-06-01

This report reviews the documented Los Alamos studies done to assess the containment of buried hazardous wastes. Five sections logically present the environmental studies, operational source terms, transport pathways, environmental dosimetry, and computer model development and use. This review gives a general picture of the Los Alamos solid waste disposal and liquid effluent sites and is intended for technical readers with waste management and environmental science backgrounds but without a detailed familiarization with Los Alamos. The review begins with a wide perspective on environmental studies at Los Alamos. Hydrology, geology, and meteorology are described for the site and region. The ongoing Laboratory-wide environmental surveillance and waste management environmental studies are presented. The next section describes the waste disposal sites and summarizes the current source terms for these sites. Hazardous chemical wastes and liquid effluents are also addressed by describing the sites and canyons that are impacted. The review then focuses on the transport pathways addressed mainly in reports by Healy and Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program. Once the source terms and potential transport pathways are described, the dose assessment methods are addressed. Three major studies, the waste alternatives, Hansen and Rogers, and the Pantex Environmental Impact Statement, contributed to the current Los Alamos dose assessment methodology. Finally, the current Los Alamos groundwater, surface water, and environmental assessment models for these mesa top and canyon sites are described

Preliminary melter performance assessment report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elliott, M.L.; Eyler, L.L.; Mahoney, L.A.; Cooper, M.F.; Whitney, L.D.; Shafer, P.J.

1994-08-01

The Melter Performance Assessment activity, a component of the Pacific Northwest Laboratory's (PNL) Vitrification Technology Development (PVTD) effort, was designed to determine the impact of noble metals on the operational life of the reference Hanford Waste Vitrification Plant (HWVP) melter. The melter performance assessment consisted of several activities, including a literature review of all work done with noble metals in glass, gradient furnace testing to study the behavior of noble metals during the melting process, research-scale and engineering-scale melter testing to evaluate effects of noble metals on melter operation, and computer modeling that used the experimental data to predict effects of noble metals on the full-scale melter. Feed used in these tests simulated neutralized current acid waste (NCAW) feed. This report summarizes the results of the melter performance assessment and predicts the lifetime of the HWVP melter. It should be noted that this work was conducted before the recent Tri-Party Agreement changes, so the reference melter referred to here is the Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) melter design

Performance Assessment Institute-NV

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lombardo, Joesph [Univ. of Nevada, Las Vegas, NV (United States)

2012-12-31

The National Supercomputing Center for Energy and the Environment’s intention is to purchase a multi-purpose computer cluster in support of the Performance Assessment Institute (PA Institute). The PA Institute will serve as a research consortium located in Las Vegas Nevada with membership that includes: national laboratories, universities, industry partners, and domestic and international governments. This center will provide a one-of-a-kind centralized facility for the accumulation of information for use by Institutions of Higher Learning, the U.S. Government, and Regulatory Agencies and approved users. This initiative will enhance and extend High Performance Computing (HPC) resources in Nevada to support critical national and international needs in "scientific confirmation". The PA Institute will be promoted as the leading Modeling, Learning and Research Center worldwide. The program proposes to utilize the existing supercomputing capabilities and alliances of the University of Nevada Las Vegas as a base, and to extend these resource and capabilities through a collaborative relationship with its membership. The PA Institute will provide an academic setting for interactive sharing, learning, mentoring and monitoring of multi-disciplinary performance assessment and performance confirmation information. The role of the PA Institute is to facilitate research, knowledge-increase, and knowledge-sharing among users.

Energy performance assessment methodology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Platzer, W.J. [Fraunhofer Inst. for Solar Energy Systems, Freiburg (Germany)

2006-01-15

The energy performance of buildings are intimately connected to the energy performance of building envelopes. The better we understand the relation between the quality of the envelope and the energy consumption of the building, the better we can improve both. We have to consider not only heating but all service energies related to the human comfort in the building, such as cooling, ventilation, lighting as well. The complexity coming from this embracing approach is not to be underestimated. It is less and less possible to realted simple characteristic performance indicators of building envelopes (such as the U-value) to the overall energy performance. On the one hand much more paramters (e.g. light transmittance) come into the picture we have to assess the product quality in a multidimensional world. Secondly buildings more and more have to work on a narrow optimum: For an old, badly insulated building all solar gains are useful for a high-performance building with very good insulation and heat recovery systems in the ventilation overheating becomes more likely. Thus we have to control the solar gains, and sometimes we need high gains, sometimes low ones. And thirdly we see that the technology within the building and the user patterns and interactions as well influence the performance of a building envelope. The aim of this project within IEA Task27 was to improve our knowledge on the complex situation and also to give a principal approach how to assess the performance of the building envelope. The participants have contributed to this aim not pretending that we have reached the end. (au)

Determination of Safety Performance Grade of NPP Using Integrated Safety Performance Assessment (ISPA) Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, Dae Wook

2011-01-01

Since the beginning of 2000, the safety regulation of nuclear power plant (NPP) has been challenged to be conducted more reasonable, effective and efficient way using risk and performance information. In the United States, USNRC established Reactor Oversight Process (ROP) in 2000 for improving the effectiveness of safety regulation of operating NPPs. The main idea of ROP is to classify the NPPs into 5 categories based on the results of safety performance assessment and to conduct graded regulatory programs according to categorization, which might be interpreted as 'Graded Regulation'. However, the classification of safety performance categories is highly comprehensive and sensitive process so that safety performance assessment program should be prepared in integrated, objective and quantitative manner. Furthermore, the results of assessment should characterize and categorize the actual level of safety performance of specific NPP, integrating all the substantial elements for assessing the safety performance. In consideration of particular regulatory environment in Korea, the integrated safety performance assessment (ISPA) program is being under development for the use in the determination of safety performance grade (SPG) of a NPP. The ISPA program consists of 6 individual assessment programs (4 quantitative and 2 qualitative) which cover the overall safety performance of NPP. Some of the assessment programs which are already implemented are used directly or modified for incorporating risk aspects. The others which are not existing regulatory programs are newly developed. Eventually, all the assessment results from individual assessment programs are produced and integrated to determine the safety performance grade of a specific NPP

Impact of workplace based assessment on doctors' education and performance: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Alice; Archer, Julian

2010-09-24

To investigate the literature for evidence that workplace based assessment affects doctors' education and performance. Systematic review. The primary data sources were the databases Journals@Ovid, Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and ERIC. Evidence based reviews (Bandolier, Cochrane Library, DARE, HTA Database, and NHS EED) were accessed and searched via the Health Information Resources website. Reference lists of relevant studies and bibliographies of review articles were also searched. Review methods Studies of any design that attempted to evaluate either the educational impact of workplace based assessment, or the effect of workplace based assessment on doctors' performance, were included. Studies were excluded if the sampled population was non-medical or the study was performed with medical students. Review articles, commentaries, and letters were also excluded. The final exclusion criterion was the use of simulated patients or models rather than real life clinical encounters. Sixteen studies were included. Fifteen of these were non-comparative descriptive or observational studies; the other was a randomised controlled trial. Study quality was mixed. Eight studies examined multisource feedback with mixed results; most doctors felt that multisource feedback had educational value, although the evidence for practice change was conflicting. Some junior doctors and surgeons displayed little willingness to change in response to multisource feedback, whereas family physicians might be more prepared to initiate change. Performance changes were more likely to occur when feedback was credible and accurate or when coaching was provided to help subjects identify their strengths and weaknesses. Four studies examined the mini-clinical evaluation exercise, one looked at direct observation of procedural skills, and three were concerned with multiple assessment methods: all these studies reported positive results for the educational impact of workplace based assessment tools

Subjective and objective performance assessment : Performance pay at Trelleborg Forsheda AB

OpenAIRE

Luotonen, David; Hasselström, Markus

2009-01-01

  The purpose of this thesis is to understand the opinions and potential effects of objective and subjective assessments of performance as a basis for performance pay for blue-collar workers. The study takes a qualitative approach to find out how and why four companies - Trelleborg Forsheda, Finnveden Powertrain, Isaberg Rapid and Parker Hannifin- work with salaries, incentive system and performance assessment the way they do. The concept of individual salary is central in this thesis, and in...

Gamma camera performance: technical assessment protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolster, A.A.; Waddington, W.A.

1996-01-01

This protocol addresses the performance assessment of single and dual headed gamma cameras. No attempt is made to assess the performance of any associated computing systems. Evaluations are usually performed on a gamma camera commercially available within the United Kingdom and recently installed at a clinical site. In consultation with the manufacturer, GCAT selects the site and liaises with local staff to arrange a mutually convenient time for assessment. The manufacturer is encouraged to have a representative present during the evaluation. Three to four days are typically required for the evaluation team to perform the necessary measurements. When access time is limited, the team will modify the protocol to test the camera as thoroughly as possible. Data are acquired on the camera's computer system and are subsequently transferred to the independent GCAT computer system for analysis. This transfer from site computer to the independent system is effected via a hardware interface and Interfile data transfer. (author)

Gamma camera performance: technical assessment protocol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bolster, A.A. [West Glasgow Hospitals NHS Trust, London (United Kingdom). Dept. of Clinical Physics; Waddington, W.A. [University College London Hospitals NHS Trust, London (United Kingdom). Inst. of Nuclear Medicine

1996-12-31

This protocol addresses the performance assessment of single and dual headed gamma cameras. No attempt is made to assess the performance of any associated computing systems. Evaluations are usually performed on a gamma camera commercially available within the United Kingdom and recently installed at a clinical site. In consultation with the manufacturer, GCAT selects the site and liaises with local staff to arrange a mutually convenient time for assessment. The manufacturer is encouraged to have a representative present during the evaluation. Three to four days are typically required for the evaluation team to perform the necessary measurements. When access time is limited, the team will modify the protocol to test the camera as thoroughly as possible. Data are acquired on the camera`s computer system and are subsequently transferred to the independent GCAT computer system for analysis. This transfer from site computer to the independent system is effected via a hardware interface and Interfile data transfer. (author).

Systematic development of a communication skills training course for physicians performing work disability assessments: from evidence to practice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rijssen, H.J. van; Schellart, A.J.M.; Anema, J.R.; Boer, W.E.L. de; Beek, A.J. van der

2011-01-01

Background Physicians require specific communication skills, because the face-to-face contact with their patients is an important source of information. Although physicians who perform work disability assessments attend some communication-related training courses during their professional education,

Information sources in biomedical science and medical journalism: methodological approaches and assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Giovanna F; Vercellesi, Luisa; Bruno, Flavia

2004-09-01

Throughout the world the public is showing increasing interest in medical and scientific subjects and journalists largely spread this information, with an important impact on knowledge and health. Clearly, therefore, the relationship between the journalist and his sources is delicate: freedom and independence of information depend on the independence and truthfulness of the sources. The new "precision journalism" holds that scientific methods should be applied to journalism, so authoritative sources are a common need for journalists and scientists. We therefore compared the individual classifications and methods of assessing of sources in biomedical science and medical journalism to try to extrapolate scientific methods of evaluation to journalism. In journalism and science terms used to classify sources of information show some similarities, but their meanings are different. In science primary and secondary classes of information, for instance, refer to the levels of processing, but in journalism to the official nature of the source itself. Scientists and journalists must both always consult as many sources as possible and check their authoritativeness, reliability, completeness, up-to-dateness and balance. In journalism, however, there are some important differences and limits: too many sources can sometimes diminish the quality of the information. The sources serve a first filter between the event and the journalist, who is not providing the reader with the fact, but with its projection. Journalists have time constraints and lack the objective criteria for searching, the specific background knowledge, and the expertise to fully assess sources. To assist in understanding the wealth of sources of information in journalism, we have prepared a checklist of items and questions. There are at least four fundamental points that a good journalist, like any scientist, should know: how to find the latest information (the sources), how to assess it (the quality and

Assessing the Hydrologic Performance of the EPA's Nonpoint Source Water Quality Assessment Decision Support Tool Using North American Land Data Assimilation System (Products)

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, S.; Ni-Meister, W.; Toll, D.; Nigro, J.; Guiterrez-Magness, A.; Engman, T.

2010-01-01

The accuracy of streamflow predictions in the EPA's BASINS (Better Assessment Science Integrating Point and Nonpoint Sources) decision support tool is affected by the sparse meteorological data contained in BASINS. The North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) data with high spatial and temporal resolutions provide an alternative to the NOAA National Climatic Data Center (NCDC)'s station data. This study assessed the improvement of streamflow prediction of the Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN (HSPF) model contained within BASINS using the NLDAS 118 degree hourly precipitation and evapotranspiration estimates in seven watersheds of the Chesapeake Bay region. Our results demonstrated consistent improvements of daily streamflow predictions in five of the seven watersheds when NLDAS precipitation and evapotranspiration data was incorporated into BASINS. The improvement of using the NLDAS data is significant when watershed's meteorological station is either far away or not in a similar climatic region. When the station is nearby, using the NLDAS data produces similar results. The correlation coefficients of the analyses using the NLDAS data were greater than 0.8, the Nash-Sutcliffe (NS) model fit efficiency greater than 0.6, and the error in the water balance was less than 5%. Our analyses also showed that the streamflow improvements were mainly contributed by the NLDAS's precipitation data and that the improvement from using NLDAS's evapotranspiration data was not significant; partially due to the constraints of current BASINS-HSPF settings. However, NLDAS's evapotranspiration data did improve the baseflow prediction. This study demonstrates the NLDAS data has the potential to improve stream flow predictions, thus aid the water quality assessment in the EPA nonpoint water quality assessment decision tool.

Practical session assessments in human anatomy: Weightings and performance.

Science.gov (United States)

McDonald, Aaron C; Chan, Siew-Pang; Schuijers, Johannes A

2016-07-08

Assessment weighting within a given module can be a motivating factor for students when deciding on their commitment level and time given to study a specific topic. In this study, an analysis of assessment performances of second year anatomy students was performed over four years to determine if (1) students performed better when a higher weighting was given to a set of practical session assessments and (2) whether an improved performance in the practical session assessments had a carry-over effect on other assessment tasks within that anatomy module and/or other anatomy modules that follow. Results showed that increasing the weighting of practical session assessments improved the average mark in that assessment and also improved the percentage of students passing that assessment. Further, it significantly improved performance in the written end-semester examination within the same module and had a carry-over effect on the anatomy module taught in the next teaching period, as students performed better in subsequent practical session assessments as well as subsequent end-semester examinations. It was concluded that the weighting of assessments had significant influences on a student's performance in that, and subsequent, assessments. It is postulated that practical session assessments, designed to develop deep learning skills in anatomy, improved efficacy in student performance in assessments undertaken in that and subsequent anatomy modules when the weighting of these assessments was greater. These deep learning skills were also transferable to other methods of assessing anatomy. Anat Sci Educ 9: 330-336. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

LTP interferometer-noise sources and performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robertson, David; Killow, Christian; Ward, Harry; Hough, Jim; Heinzel, Gerhard; Garcia, Antonio; Wand, Vinzenz; Johann, Ulrich; Braxmaier, Claus

2005-01-01

The LISA Technology Package (LTP) uses laser interferometry to measure the changes in relative displacement between two inertial test masses. The goals of the mission require a displacement measuring precision of 10 pm Hz -1/2 at frequencies in the 3-30 mHz band. We report on progress with a prototype LTP interferometer optical bench in which fused silica mirrors and beamsplitters are fixed to a ZERODUR (registered) substrate using hydroxide catalysis bonding to form a rigid interferometer. The couplings to displacement noise of this interferometer of two expected noise sources-laser frequency noise and ambient temperature fluctuations-have been investigated, and an additional, unexpected, noise source has been identified. The additional noise is due to small amounts of signal at the heterodyne frequency arriving at the photodiode preamplifiers with a phase that quasistatically changes with respect to the optical signal. The phase shift is caused by differential changes in the external optical paths the beams travel before they reach the rigid interferometer. Two different external path length stabilization systems have been demonstrated and these allowed the performance of the overall system to meet the LTP displacement noise requirement

ASSESSING AND COMBINING RELIABILITY OF PROTEIN INTERACTION SOURCES

Science.gov (United States)

LEACH, SONIA; GABOW, AARON; HUNTER, LAWRENCE; GOLDBERG, DEBRA S.

2008-01-01

Integrating diverse sources of interaction information to create protein networks requires strategies sensitive to differences in accuracy and coverage of each source. Previous integration approaches calculate reliabilities of protein interaction information sources based on congruity to a designated ‘gold standard.’ In this paper, we provide a comparison of the two most popular existing approaches and propose a novel alternative for assessing reliabilities which does not require a gold standard. We identify a new method for combining the resultant reliabilities and compare it against an existing method. Further, we propose an extrinsic approach to evaluation of reliability estimates, considering their influence on the downstream tasks of inferring protein function and learning regulatory networks from expression data. Results using this evaluation method show 1) our method for reliability estimation is an attractive alternative to those requiring a gold standard and 2) the new method for combining reliabilities is less sensitive to noise in reliability assignments than the similar existing technique. PMID:17990508

SUMO, System performance assessment for a high-level nuclear waste repository: Mathematical models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eslinger, P.W.; Miley, T.B.; Engel, D.W.; Chamberlain, P.J. II.

1992-09-01

Following completion of the preliminary risk assessment of the potential Yucca Mountain Site by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) in 1988, the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) of the US Department of Energy (DOE) requested the Performance Assessment Scientific Support (PASS) Program at PNL to develop an integrated system model and computer code that provides performance and risk assessment analysis capabilities for a potential high-level nuclear waste repository. The system model that has been developed addresses the cumulative radionuclide release criteria established by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and estimates population risks in terms of dose to humans. The system model embodied in the SUMO (System Unsaturated Model) code will also allow benchmarking of other models being developed for the Yucca Mountain Project. The system model has three natural divisions: (1) source term, (2) far-field transport, and (3) dose to humans. This document gives a detailed description of the mathematics of each of these three divisions. Each of the governing equations employed is based on modeling assumptions that are widely accepted within the scientific community

Safety assessment plans for authorization and inspection of radiation sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-05-01

The objective of this TECDOC is to enhance the efficacy, quality and efficiency of the whole regulatory process. It provides advice on good practice administrative procedures for the regulatory process for preparation of applications, granting of authorizations, inspection, and enforcement. It also provides information on the development and use of standard safety assessment plans for authorization and inspection. The plans are intended to be used in conjunction with more detailed advice related to specific practices. In this sense, this TECDOC provides advice on a systematic approach to evaluations of protection and safety while other IAEA Safety Guides assist the user to distinguish between the acceptable and the unacceptable. This TECDOC covers administrative advice to facilitate the regulatory process governing authorization and inspection. It also covers the use of standard assessment and inspection plans and provides simplified plans for the more common, well established uses of radiation sources in medicine and industry, i.e. sources for irradiation facilities, industrial radiography, well logging, industrial gauging, unsealed sources in industry, X ray diagnosis, nuclear medicine, teletherapy and brachytherapy

Safety assessment plans for authorization and inspection of radiation sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-09-01

The objective of this TECDOC is to enhance the efficacy, quality and efficiency of the whole regulatory process. It provides advice on good practice administrative procedures for the regulatory process for preparation of applications, granting of authorizations, inspection, and enforcement. It also provides information on the development and use of standard safety assessment plans for authorization and inspection. The plans are intended to be used in conjunction with more detailed advice related to specific practices. In this sense, this TECDOC provides advice on a systematic approach to evaluations of protection and safety while other IAEA Safety Guides assist the user to distinguish between the acceptable and the unacceptable. This TECDOC covers administrative advice to facilitate the regulatory process governing authorization and inspection. It also covers the use of standard assessment and inspection plans and provides simplified plans for the more common, well established uses of radiation sources in medicine and industry, i.e. sources for irradiation facilities, industrial radiography, well logging, industrial gauging, unsealed sources in industry, X ray diagnosis, nuclear medicine, teletherapy and brachytherapy

Enabling performance skills: Assessment in engineering education

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrone, Jenny Kristina

Current reform in engineering education is part of a national trend emphasizing student learning as well as accountability in instruction. Assessing student performance to demonstrate accountability has become a necessity in academia. In newly adopted criterion proposed by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET), undergraduates are expected to demonstrate proficiency in outcomes considered essential for graduating engineers. The case study was designed as a formative evaluation of freshman engineering students to assess the perceived effectiveness of performance skills in a design laboratory environment. The mixed methodology used both quantitative and qualitative approaches to assess students' performance skills and congruency among the respondents, based on individual, team, and faculty perceptions of team effectiveness in three ABET areas: Communications Skills. Design Skills, and Teamwork. The findings of the research were used to address future use of the assessment tool and process. The results of the study found statistically significant differences in perceptions of Teamwork Skills (p performance skills, such as teamwork, among freshman engineering students; (2) incorporate feedback into the learning process; (3) strengthen the assessment process with a follow-up plan that specifically targets performance skill deficiencies, and (4) integrate the assessment instrument and practice with ongoing curriculum development. The findings generated by this study provides engineering departments engaged in assessment activity, opportunity to reflect, refine, and develop their programs as it continues. It also extends research on ABET competencies of engineering students in an under-investigated topic of factors correlated with team processes, behavior, and student learning.

Assessing Vocal Performances Using Analytical Assessment: A Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Gynnild, Vidar

2016-01-01

This study investigated ways to improve the appraisal of vocal performances within a national academy of music. Since a criterion-based assessment framework had already been adopted, the conceptual foundation of an assessment rubric was used as a guide in an action research project. The group of teachers involved wanted to explore thinking…

Performance Assessment as a Diagnostic Tool for Science Teachers

Science.gov (United States)

Kruit, Patricia; Oostdam, Ron; van den Berg, Ed; Schuitema, Jaap

2018-04-01

Information on students' development of science skills is essential for teachers to evaluate and improve their own education, as well as to provide adequate support and feedback to the learning process of individual students. The present study explores and discusses the use of performance assessments as a diagnostic tool for formative assessment to inform teachers and guide instruction of science skills in primary education. Three performance assessments were administered to more than 400 students in grades 5 and 6 of primary education. Students performed small experiments using real materials while following the different steps of the empirical cycle. The mutual relationship between the three performance assessments is examined to provide evidence for the value of performance assessments as useful tools for formative evaluation. Differences in response patterns are discussed, and the diagnostic value of performance assessments is illustrated with examples of individual student performances. Findings show that the performance assessments were difficult for grades 5 and 6 students but that much individual variation exists regarding the different steps of the empirical cycle. Evaluation of scores as well as a more substantive analysis of students' responses provided insight into typical errors that students make. It is concluded that performance assessments can be used as a diagnostic tool for monitoring students' skill performance as well as to support teachers in evaluating and improving their science lessons.

Methods of performing downhole operations using orbital vibrator energy sources

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Jack H.; Weinberg, David M.; Wilson, Dennis R.

2004-02-17

Methods of performing down hole operations in a wellbore. A vibrational source is positioned within a tubular member such that an annulus is formed between the vibrational source and an interior surface of the tubular member. A fluid medium, such as high bulk modulus drilling mud, is disposed within the annulus. The vibrational source forms a fluid coupling with the tubular member through the fluid medium to transfer vibrational energy to the tubular member. The vibrational energy may be used, for example, to free a stuck tubular, consolidate a cement slurry and/or detect voids within a cement slurry prior to the curing thereof.

VISUAL ART TEACHERS AND PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Charles

qualitative research design; an aspect of descriptive survey research aiming at ... the competence and use of assessment strategies is determined by the type of ... Visual Art Teachers and Performance Assessment Methods in Nigerian Senior ...

Entrepreneurial Founders’ Imprints, Human Capital Sourcing, and Firm Performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rocha, Vera; Brymer, Rhett Andrew

) early hiring choices affect new venture performance. This gap is surprising, since hiring soon after a firm founding is especially critical to sustained success. We propose that pipeline hiring – i.e., repeated hiring from various source organizations – might be a strategy considered by startups...

Assessment of the impact of point source pollution from the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Assessment of the impact of point source pollution from the Keiskammahoek Sewage ... Water SA. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL · Advanced Search ... Also, significant pollution of the receiving Keiskamma River was indicated for ...

Metasurface Cloak Performance Near-by Multiple Line Sources and PEC Cylindrical Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arslanagic, Samel; Yatman, William H.; Pehrson, Signe

2014-01-01

The performance/robustness of metasurface cloaks to a complex field environment which may represent a realistic scenario of radiating sources is presently reported. Attention is devoted to the cloak operation near-by multiple line sources and multiple perfectly electrically conducting cylinders. ...

Determining the sources of fine-grained sediment using the Sediment Source Assessment Tool (Sed_SAT)

Science.gov (United States)

Gorman Sanisaca, Lillian E.; Gellis, Allen C.; Lorenz, David L.

2017-07-27

A sound understanding of sources contributing to instream sediment flux in a watershed is important when developing total maximum daily load (TMDL) management strategies designed to reduce suspended sediment in streams. Sediment fingerprinting and sediment budget approaches are two techniques that, when used jointly, can qualify and quantify the major sources of sediment in a given watershed. The sediment fingerprinting approach uses trace element concentrations from samples in known potential source areas to determine a clear signature of each potential source. A mixing model is then used to determine the relative source contribution to the target suspended sediment samples.The computational steps required to apportion sediment for each target sample are quite involved and time intensive, a problem the Sediment Source Assessment Tool (Sed_SAT) addresses. Sed_SAT is a user-friendly statistical model that guides the user through the necessary steps in order to quantify the relative contributions of sediment sources in a given watershed. The model is written using the statistical software R (R Core Team, 2016b) and utilizes Microsoft Access® as a user interface but requires no prior knowledge of R or Microsoft Access® to successfully run the model successfully. Sed_SAT identifies outliers, corrects for differences in size and organic content in the source samples relative to the target samples, evaluates the conservative behavior of tracers used in fingerprinting by applying a “Bracket Test,” identifies tracers with the highest discriminatory power, and provides robust error analysis through a Monte Carlo simulation following the mixing model. Quantifying sediment source contributions using the sediment fingerprinting approach provides local, State, and Federal land management agencies with important information needed to implement effective strategies to reduce sediment. Sed_SAT is designed to assist these agencies in applying the sediment fingerprinting

Performance assessment strategy for low-level waste disposal sites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Starmer, R.J.; Deering, L.G.; Weber, M.F.

1988-01-01

This paper describes US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff views on predicting the performance of low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. Under the Atomic Energy Act, as amended, and the Low Level Radioactive Waste Policy Act, as amended, the NRC and Agreement States license land disposal of low-level radioactive waste (LLW) using the requirements in 10 CFR Part 61 or comparable state requirements. The purpose of this paper is to briefly describe regulatory requirements for performance assessment in low-level waste licensing, a strategy for performance assessments to support license applications, and NRC staff licensing evaluation of performance assessments. NRC's current activities in developing a performance assessment methodology will provide an overall systems modeling approach for assessing the performance of LLW disposal facilities. NRC staff will use the methodology to evaluate performance assessments conducted by applicants for LLW disposal facilities. The methodology will be made available to states and other interested parties

Early growth performances of various seed sources of black (Prunus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Early growth performances of various seed sources of black (Prunus serotina Erhr.) and wild cherry ( Prunus avium L.) seedlings on low and high elevation sites in the western Black Sea Region of Turkey.

Review of MEVVA ion source performance for accelerator injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, I.G.; Godechot, X.; Spaedtke, P.; Emig, H.; Rueck, D.M.; Wolf, B.H.

1991-05-01

The Mevva (metal vapor vacuum arc) ion source provides high current beams of multiply-charged metal ions suitable for use in heavy ion synchrotrons as well as for metallurgical ion implantation. Pulsed beam currents of up to several amperes can be produced at ion energies of up to several hundred keV. Operation has been demonstrate for 48 metallic ion species: Li, C, Mg, Al, Si, Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Pd, Ag, Cd, In, Sn, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Gd, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb, Hf, Ta, W, Ir, Pt, Au, Pb, Bi, Th and U. When the source is operated optimally the rms fractional beam noise can be as low as 7% of the mean beam current; and when properly triggered the source operates reliably and reproducibly for many tens of thousands of pulses without failure. In this paper we review the source performance referred specifically to its use for synchrotron injection. 15 refs., 3 figs

LPTA versus Tradeoff: Analysis of Contract Source Selection Strategies and Performance Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-15

7 - Naval Postgraduate School source selection strategies to be made on a best value basis and not the lowest price ” (Office of...cost is an evaluation factor in all procurements, regardless of the source selection strategy chosen. In evaluating cost or price , FAR...contract performance is minimal, cost or price may play a dominant role in source selection. The less definitive the requirement, the more

Performance assessment of simple and modified cycle turboshaft gas turbines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barinyima Nkoi

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on investigations encompassing comparative assessment of gas turbine cycle options. More specifically, investigation was carried out of technical performance of turboshaft engine cycles based on existing simple cycle (SC and its projected modified cycles for civil helicopter application. Technically, thermal efficiency, specific fuel consumption, and power output are of paramount importance to the overall performance of gas turbine engines. In course of carrying out this research, turbomatch software established at Cranfield University based on gas turbine theory was applied to conduct simulation of a simple cycle (baseline two-spool helicopter turboshaft engine model with free power turbine. Similarly, some modified gas turbine cycle configurations incorporating unconventional components, such as engine cycle with low pressure compressor (LPC zero-staged, recuperated engine cycle, and intercooled/recuperated (ICR engine cycle, were also simulated. In doing so, design point (DP and off-design point (OD performances of the engine models were established. The percentage changes in performance parameters of the modified cycle engines over the simple cycle were evaluated and it was found that to a large extent, the modified engine cycles with unconventional components exhibit better performances in terms of thermal efficiency and specific fuel consumption than the traditional simple cycle engine. This research made use of public domain open source references.

An overview of performance assessment methodology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hongnian Jow

2010-01-01

The definition of performance assessment (PA) within the context of a geologic repository program is a post-closure safety assessment; a system analysis of hazards associated with the facility and the ability of the site and the design of the facility to provide for the safety functions. For the last few decades, PA methodology bas been developed and applied to different waste disposal programs around the world. PA has been used in the safety analyses for waste disposal repositories for low-level waste, intermediate level waste, and high-level waste including spent nuclear fuels. This paper provides an overview of the performance assessment methodology and gives examples of its applications for the Yucca Mountain Project. (authors)

Performance success from self-assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hughes, G.

1996-01-01

This paper provides information on and successes of self-assessments completed at the Callaway plant. It stresses the vital needs and substantial benefits from these continual self-improvement efforts. The Callaway plant staff use a variety of methods and techniques to do self-assessments with the focus on performance outcomes. Self-assessments help Callaway focus on the priority issues and direct resources properly. Callaway's success has been due to this learning culture. The Callaway plant is a Westinghouse four-loop plant in the state of Missouri and has been operational since 1984

Case studies in the application of probabilistic safety assessment techniques to radiation sources. Final report of a coordinated research project 2001-2003

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2006-04-01

Radiation sources are used worldwide in many industrial and medical applications. In general, the safety record associated with their use has been very good. However, accidents involving these sources have occasionally resulted in unplanned exposures to individuals. When assessed prospectively, this type of exposure is termed a 'potential exposure'. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) has recommended the assessment of potential exposures that may result from radiation sources and has suggested that probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) techniques may be used in this process. Also, Paragraph 2.13 of the International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources (BSS) requires that the authorization process for radiation sources include an assessment of all exposures, including potential exposures, which may result from the use of a radiation source. In light of the ICRP's work described above, and the possibility that PSA techniques could be used in exposure assessments that are required by the BSS, the IAEA initiated a coordinated research project (CRP) to study the benefits and limitations of the application of PSA techniques to radiation sources. The results of this CRP are presented in this publication. It should be noted that these results are based solely on the work performed, and the conclusions drawn, by the research teams involved in this CRP. It is intended that international organizations involved in radiation protection will review the information in this report and will take account of it during the development of guidance and requirements related to the assessment of potential exposures from radiation sources. Also, it is anticipated that the risk insights obtained through the studies will be considered by medical practitioners, facility staff and management, equipment designers, and regulators in their safety management and risk evaluation activities. A draft

Performance assessment handbook for low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seitz, R.R.; Garcia, R.S.; Kostelnik, K.M.; Starmer, R.J.

1992-02-01

Performance assessments of proposed low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities must be conducted to support licensing. This handbook provides a reference document that can be used as a resource by management and staff responsible for performance assessments. Brief discussions describe the performance assessment process and emphasize selected critical aspects of the process. References are also provided for additional information on many aspects of the performance assessment process. The user's manual for the National Low-Level Waste Management Program's Performance Assessment Center (PAC) on the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory Cray computer is included as Appendix A. The PAC provides users an opportunity to experiment with a number of performance assessment computer codes on a Cray computer. Appendix B describes input data required for 22 performance assessment codes

The performance of neutron spectrometers AR a long-pulse spallation source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pynn, R.; Daemen, L.L.

1995-01-01

At a recent workshop at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory members of the international neutron scattering community discussed the performance to be anticipated from neutron scattering instruments installed at a 1 MW long-pulse spallation source (LPSS). Although the report of this workshop is long, its principal conclusions can be easily summarised and almost as easily understood. This article presents such a synthesis for a 60 Hz LPSS with 1 msec proton pulses. We discuss some of the limitations of the workshop conclusions and suggest a simple analysis of the performance differences that might be expected between short- and long-pulse sources both of which exploit coupled moderators

Assessment of occupational exposure due to external sources of radiation. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

Occupational exposure to ionizing radiation can occur in a range of industries, medical institutions, educational and research establishments and nuclear fuel cycle facilities. Adequate radiation protection of workers is essential for the safe and acceptable use of radiation, radioactive materials and nuclear energy. The three Safety Guides on occupational radiation protection are jointly sponsored by the IAEA and the International Labour Office. The Agency gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the European Commission to the development of the present Safety Guide. The present Safety Guide addresses the assessment of exposure due to external sources of radiation in the workplace. Such exposure can result from a number of sources within a workplace, and the monitoring of workers and the workplace in such situations is an integral part of any occupational radiation protection programme. The assessment of exposure due to external radiation sources depends critically upon knowledge of the radiation type and energy and the conditions of exposure. The present Safety Guide reflects the major changes over the past decade in international practice in external dose assessment

Assessment of occupational exposure due to external sources of radiation. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2004-01-01

Occupational exposure to ionizing radiation can occur in a range of industries, medical institutions, educational and research establishments and nuclear fuel cycle facilities. Adequate radiation protection of workers is essential for the safe and acceptable use of radiation, radioactive materials and nuclear energy. The three Safety Guides on occupational radiation protection are jointly sponsored by the IAEA and the International Labour Office. The Agency gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the European Commission to the development of the present Safety Guide. The present Safety Guide addresses the assessment of exposure due to external sources of radiation in the workplace. Such exposure can result from a number of sources within a workplace, and the monitoring of workers and the workplace in such situations is an integral part of any occupational radiation protection programme. The assessment of exposure due to external radiation sources depends critically upon knowledge of the radiation type and energy and the conditions of exposure. The present Safety Guide reflects the major changes over the past decade in international practice in external dose assessment

Assessment of occupational exposure due to external sources of radiation. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

Occupational exposure to ionizing radiation can occur in a range of industries, medical institutions, educational and research establishments and nuclear fuel cycle facilities. Adequate radiation protection of workers is essential for the safe and acceptable use of radiation, radioactive materials and nuclear energy. The three Safety Guides on occupational radiation protection are jointly sponsored by the IAEA and the International Labour Office. The Agency gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the European Commission to the development of the present Safety Guide. The present Safety Guide addresses the assessment of exposure due to external sources of radiation in the workplace. Such exposure can result from a number of sources within a workplace, and the monitoring of workers and the workplace in such situations is an integral part of any occupational radiation protection programme. The assessment of exposure due to external radiation sources depends critically upon knowledge of the radiation type and energy and the conditions of exposure. The present Safety Guide reflects the major changes over the past decade in international practice in external dose assessment

Changes in performance: a 5-year longitudinal study of participants in a multi-source feedback programme.

Science.gov (United States)

Violato, Claudio; Lockyer, Jocelyn M; Fidler, Herta

2008-10-01

Multi-source feedback (MSF) enables performance data to be provided to doctors from patients, co-workers and medical colleagues. This study examined the evidence for the validity of MSF instruments for general practice, investigated changes in performance for doctors who participated twice, 5 years apart, and determined the association between change in performance and initial assessment and socio-demographic characteristics. Data for 250 doctors included three datasets per doctor from, respectively, 25 patients, eight co-workers and eight medical colleagues, collected on two occasions. There was high internal consistency (alpha > 0.90) and adequate generalisability (Ep(2) > 0.70). D study results indicate adequate generalisability coefficients for groups of eight assessors (medical colleagues, co-workers) and 25 patient surveys. Confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence for the validity of factors that were theoretically expected, meaningful and cohesive. Comparative fit indices were 0.91 for medical colleague data, 0.87 for co-worker data and 0.81 for patient data. Paired t-test analysis showed significant change between the two assessments from medical colleagues and co-workers, but not between the two patient surveys. Multiple linear regressions explained 2.1% of the variance at time 2 for medical colleagues, 21.4% of the variance for co-workers and 16.35% of the variance for patient assessments, with professionalism a key variable in all regressions. There is evidence for the construct validity of the instruments and for their stability over time. Upward changes in performance will occur, although their effect size is likely to be small to moderate.

Source Water Assessment for the Las Vegas Valley Surface Waters

Science.gov (United States)

Albuquerque, S. P.; Piechota, T. C.

2003-12-01

The 1996 amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 created the Source Water Assessment Program (SWAP) with an objective to evaluate potential sources of contamination to drinking water intakes. The development of a Source Water Assessment Plan for Las Vegas Valley surface water runoff into Lake Mead is important since it will guide future work on source water protection of the main source of water. The first step was the identification of the watershed boundary and source water protection area. Two protection zones were delineated. Zone A extends 500 ft around water bodies, and Zone B extends 3000 ft from the boundaries of Zone A. These Zones extend upstream to the limits of dry weather flows in the storm channels within the Las Vegas Valley. After the protection areas were identified, the potential sources of contamination in the protection area were inventoried. Field work was conducted to identify possible sources of contamination. A GIS coverage obtained from local data sources was used to identify the septic tank locations. Finally, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits were obtained from the State of Nevada, and included in the inventory. After the inventory was completed, a level of risk was assigned to each potential contaminating activity (PCA). The contaminants of concern were grouped into five categories: volatile organic compounds (VOCs), synthetic organic compounds (SOCs), inorganic compounds (IOCs), microbiological, and radionuclides. The vulnerability of the water intake to each of the PCAs was assigned based on these five categories, and also on three other factors: the physical barrier effectiveness, the risk potential, and the time of travel. The vulnerability analysis shows that the PCAs with the highest vulnerability rating include septic systems, golf courses/parks, storm channels, gas stations, auto repair shops, construction, and the wastewater treatment plant discharges. Based on the current water quality

Treatment planning source assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calzetta Larrieu, O.; Blaumann, H.; Longhino, J.

2000-01-01

The reactor RA-6 NCT system was improved during the last year mainly in two aspects: the facility itself getting lower contamination factors and using better measurements techniques to obtain lower uncertainties in its characterization. In this job we show the different steps to get the source to be used in the treatment planning code representing the NCT facility. The first one was to compare the dosimetry in a water phantom between the calculation using the entire facility including core, filter and shields and a surface source at the end of the beam. The second one was to transform this particle by particle source in a distribution one regarding the minimum spatial, energy and angular resolution to get similar results. Finally we compare calculation and experimental values with and without the water phantom to adjust the distribution source. The results are discussed. (author)

Assessment of air, water and land-based sources of pollution in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

A quantitative assessment of air, water and land-based sources of pollution to the coastal zone of the Accra-Tema Metropolitan Area of Ghana was conducted by making an emission inventory from information on industrial, commercial and domestic activities. Three sources of air pollution were analysed, viz, emission from ...

Performance analysis of air source heat pump system for office building

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Han, Dong Won; KIm, Yong Chan [Korea University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Chang, Young Soo [School of Mechanical System Engineering, Kookmin University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-11-15

In this study, the performance of an air source heat pump system installed in a commercial building is analyzed using the developed heat pump performance model and building load simulation data of several regions in Korea. The performance test of an air source heat pump system with a variable speed compressor is tested to develop model that considers changes in the performance characteristics of the heat pump system under various operating conditions. The heat pump system is installed in an environmental chamber, and the experimental equipment is set up according to the manufacturer' specifications as well as the AHRI 1230 test specifications. The performance test conditions of the heat pump system are selected using a central composite design method, in which 29 points for each cooling and heating mode are selected. The developed performance model based on experimental data predicts experimental values with an error of ±5 %. Building cooling and heating loads in three regions in Korea are analyzed using TRNSYS software, which includes standard building and weather data from Seoul, Daejeon and Busan in Korea. The effects of outdoor air temperature and part load ratio on the performance and regional monthly average power consumption of the heat pump system are analyzed.

Performance Evaluation of HYCOM-GOM for Hydrokinetic Resource Assessment in the Florida Strait

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neary, Vincent S [ORNL; Gunawan, Budi [ORNL; Ryou, Albert S [ORNL

2012-06-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) is assessing and mapping the potential off-shore ocean current hydrokinetic energy resources along the U.S. coastline, excluding tidal currents, to facilitate market penetration of water power technologies. This resource assessment includes information on the temporal and three-dimensional spatial distribution of the daily averaged power density, and the overall theoretical hydrokinetic energy production, based on modeled historical simulations spanning a 7-year period of record using HYCOM-GOM, an ocean current observation assimilation model that generates a spatially distributed three-dimensional representation of daily averaged horizontal current magnitude and direction time series from which power density time series and their statistics can be derived. This study ascertains the deviation of HYCOM-GOM outputs, including transport (flow) and power density, from outputs based on three independent observation sources to evaluate HYCOM-GOM performance. The three independent data sources include NOAA s submarine cable data of transport, ADCP data at a high power density location, and HF radar data in the high power density region of the Florida Strait. Comparisons with these three independent observation sets indicate discrepancies with HYCOM model outputs, but overall indicate that the HYCOM-GOM model can provide an adequate assessment of the ocean current hydrokinetic resource in high power density regions like the Florida Strait. Additional independent observational data, in particular stationary ADCP measurements, would be useful for expanding this model performance evaluation study. ADCP measurements are rare in ocean environments not influenced by tides, and limited to one location in the Florida Strait. HF radar data, although providing great spatial coverage, is limited to surface currents only.

Policy and Validity Prospects for Performance-Based Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Eva L.; And Others

1994-01-01

This article describes performance-based assessment as expounded by its proponents, comments on these conceptions, reviews evidence regarding the technical quality of performance-based assessment, and considers its validity under various policy options. (JDD)

An assessment of potential CO2 Sources throughout the Illinois Basin Subtask 5.1 – CO2 Source Assessment Topical Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patel, Vinodkumar [University of Illinois; O?Brien, Kevin; Korose, Christopher

2018-05-09

Large-scale anthropogenic CO2 sources (>100,000 tonnes/year) were catalogued and assessed for the Illinois East Sub-Basin project area. The portfolio of sources is quite diverse, and contains not only fossil-based power generation facilities but also ethanol, chemical, and refinery facilities. Over 60% of the facilities are relatively new (i.e. post year 2000 construction) hence increasing the likelihood that retrofitting the facility with a carbon capture plant is feasible. Two of the facilities have indicated interest in being “early adopters” should the CarbonSAFE project eventually transition to a build and operate phase: the Prairie State Generating Company’s electricity generation facility near Marissa, Illinois, and Quasar Syngas, LLC’s Wabash ammonia/direct-reduced iron plant, currently in development north of Terre Haute, Indiana.

Organic migration forms of radionuclides and performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Gouqing

2010-01-01

Much attention is paid to inorganic migration forms of radionuclides in groundwater during performance assessment before and organic migration forms, are seldom noted. Therefore some question may come into confidence level in performance assessment. This paper mainly discusses the distribution of organic substances in groundwater and their potential effect on performance assessment. The results obtained in recent years show that clay rocks are generally impermeable to water, but in some cases the interstitial water may be observed in them and the concentration of DOC, HA and FA is rather higher than that in granitic groundwater. The concentration of DOC is relatively low in granitic groundwater, but up to now the effect of organic migration forms of radionuclides in granitic groundwater on performance assessment is not finally determined, it is necessary to make further investigations. (authors)

Open source posturography.

Science.gov (United States)

Rey-Martinez, Jorge; Pérez-Fernández, Nicolás

2016-12-01

The proposed validation goal of 0.9 in intra-class correlation coefficient was reached with the results of this study. With the obtained results we consider that the developed software (RombergLab) is a validated balance assessment software. The reliability of this software is dependent of the used force platform technical specifications. Develop and validate a posturography software and share its source code in open source terms. Prospective non-randomized validation study: 20 consecutive adults underwent two balance assessment tests, six condition posturography was performed using a clinical approved software and force platform and the same conditions were measured using the new developed open source software using a low cost force platform. Intra-class correlation index of the sway area obtained from the center of pressure variations in both devices for the six conditions was the main variable used for validation. Excellent concordance between RombergLab and clinical approved force platform was obtained (intra-class correlation coefficient =0.94). A Bland and Altman graphic concordance plot was also obtained. The source code used to develop RombergLab was published in open source terms.

Thermodynamic performance assessment of an integrated geothermal powered supercritical regenerative organic Rankine cycle and parabolic trough solar collectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cakici, Duygu Melek; Erdogan, Anil; Colpan, Can Ozgur

2017-01-01

In this study, the thermodynamic performance of an integrated geothermal powered supercritical regenerative organic Rankine cycle (ORC) and parabolic trough solar collectors (PTSC) is assessed. A thermal model based on the principles of thermodynamics (mass, energy, and exergy balances) and heat transfer is first developed for the components of this integrated system. This model gives the performance assessment parameters of the system such as the electrical and exergetic efficiencies, total exergy destruction and loss, productivity lack, fuel depletion ratio, and improvement potential rate. To validate this model, the data of an existing geothermal power plant based on a supercritical ORC and literature data for the PTSC are used. After validation, parametric studies are conducted to assess the effect of some of the important design and operating parameters on the performance of the system. As a result of these studies, it is found that the integration of ORC and PTSC systems increases the net power output but decreases the electrical and exergetic efficiencies of the integrated system. It is also shown that R134a is the most suitable working fluid type for this system; and the PTSCs and air cooled condenser are the main sources of the exergy destructions. - Highlights: • A geothermal power plant integrated with PTSC is investigated. • Different approaches for defining the exergetic efficiency are used. • The PTSCs and ACC are the main sources of the exergy destructions. • R134a gives the highest performance for any number of collectors studied.

Compact portable electric power sources

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fry, D.N.; Holcomb, D.E.; Munro, J.K.; Oakes, L.C.; Matson, M.J.

1997-02-01

This report provides an overview of recent advances in portable electric power source (PEPS) technology and an assessment of emerging PEPS technologies that may meet US Special Operations Command`s (SOCOM) needs in the next 1--2- and 3--5-year time frames. The assessment was performed through a literature search and interviews with experts in various laboratories and companies. Nineteen PEPS technologies were reviewed and characterized as (1) PEPSs that meet SOCOM requirements; (2) PEPSs that could fulfill requirements for special field conditions and locations; (3) potentially high-payoff sources that require additional R and D; and (4) sources unlikely to meet present SOCOM requirements. 6 figs., 10 tabs.

Personality, Assessment Methods and Academic Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Furnham, Adrian; Nuygards, Sarah; Chamorro-Premuzic, Tomas

2013-01-01

This study examines the relationship between personality and two different academic performance (AP) assessment methods, namely exams and coursework. It aimed to examine whether the relationship between traits and AP was consistent across self-reported versus documented exam results, two different assessment techniques and across different…

Dehydration: physiology, assessment, and performance effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheuvront, Samuel N; Kenefick, Robert W

2014-01-01

This article provides a comprehensive review of dehydration assessment and presents a unique evaluation of the dehydration and performance literature. The importance of osmolality and volume are emphasized when discussing the physiology, assessment, and performance effects of dehydration. The underappreciated physiologic distinction between a loss of hypo-osmotic body water (intracellular dehydration) and an iso-osmotic loss of body water (extracellular dehydration) is presented and argued as the single most essential aspect of dehydration assessment. The importance of diagnostic and biological variation analyses to dehydration assessment methods is reviewed and their use in gauging the true potential of any dehydration assessment method highlighted. The necessity for establishing proper baselines is discussed, as is the magnitude of dehydration required to elicit reliable and detectable osmotic or volume-mediated compensatory physiologic responses. The discussion of physiologic responses further helps inform and explain our analysis of the literature suggesting a ≥ 2% dehydration threshold for impaired endurance exercise performance mediated by volume loss. In contrast, no clear threshold or plausible mechanism(s) support the marginal, but potentially important, impairment in strength, and power observed with dehydration. Similarly, the potential for dehydration to impair cognition appears small and related primarily to distraction or discomfort. The impact of dehydration on any particular sport skill or task is therefore likely dependent upon the makeup of the task itself (e.g., endurance, strength, cognitive, and motor skill). © 2014 American Physiological Society.

Performing the lockout/tagout risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, W Jon

2007-03-01

Lockout/tagout provides the greatest level routine, repetitive, and integral to the production process, a risk assessment should be performed. If the task performed poses an unacceptable risk, acceptable risk reduction methods should be implemented to reduce the risk to acceptable levels.

Open source tools for ATR development and performance evaluation

Science.gov (United States)

Baumann, James M.; Dilsavor, Ronald L.; Stubbles, James; Mossing, John C.

2002-07-01

Early in almost every engineering project, a decision must be made about tools; should I buy off-the-shelf tools or should I develop my own. Either choice can involve significant cost and risk. Off-the-shelf tools may be readily available, but they can be expensive to purchase and to maintain licenses, and may not be flexible enough to satisfy all project requirements. On the other hand, developing new tools permits great flexibility, but it can be time- (and budget-) consuming, and the end product still may not work as intended. Open source software has the advantages of both approaches without many of the pitfalls. This paper examines the concept of open source software, including its history, unique culture, and informal yet closely followed conventions. These characteristics influence the quality and quantity of software available, and ultimately its suitability for serious ATR development work. We give an example where Python, an open source scripting language, and OpenEV, a viewing and analysis tool for geospatial data, have been incorporated into ATR performance evaluation projects. While this case highlights the successful use of open source tools, we also offer important insight into risks associated with this approach.

Probabilistic safety assessment of LWR containment systems performance. Report of principal working group n.5 on risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holloway, N.J.; Harper, F.T.; Bellard, S.W.

1992-01-01

This report reviews current approaches to PSA of LWR containment systems performance. It is based on a variety of recent PSA reports which deal with Level-2 PSA. The report is a summary of recent state-of-the-art containment analysis and is intended to assist analysts in their selection of the most appropriate methods of extending Level-1 plant safety evaluations into Level-2 assessments of the containment performance. The document is primarily concerned with the performance of the containment as an engineered system rather than with the source terms consequent upon its failure. It is addressed mainly to the performance of large dry PWR containments, with a secondary emphasis on other containment types. After explaining the purposes of these analyses, a survey of LWR containment analysis options is presented: direct approaches using containment event tree construction, indirect approaches based on previous PSAs, alternative and novel approaches. The selection process is then described, followed by conclusions on their suitability for various cases: accident management, research prioritization, identifying design weaknesses, specific issue resolution, modelling physical reality, etc.

Assessing Performance of Botswana’s Public Hospital System: The Use of the World Health Organization Health System Performance Assessment Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Onalenna Seitio-Kgokgwe

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background Very few studies have assessed performance of Botswana public hospitals. We draw from a large research study assessing performance of the Botswana Ministry of Health (MoH to evaluate the performance of public hospital system using the World Health Organization Health Systems Performance Assessment Framework (WHO HSPAF. We aimed to evaluate performance of Botswana public hospital system; relate findings of the assessment to the potential for improvements in hospital performance; and determine the usefulness of the WHO HSPAF in assessing performance of hospital systems in a developing country. Methods This article is based on data collected from document analysis, 54 key informants comprising senior managers and staff of the MoH (N= 40 and senior officers from stakeholder organizations (N= 14, and surveys of 42 hospital managers and 389 health workers. Data from documents and transcripts were analyzed using content and thematic analysis while data analysis for surveys was descriptive determining proportions and percentages. Results The organizational structure of the Botswana’s public hospital system, authority and decision-making are highly centralized. Overall physical access to health services is high. However, challenges in the distribution of facilities and inpatient beds create inequities and inefficiencies. Capacity of the hospitals to deliver services is limited by inadequate resources. There are significant challenges with the quality of care. Conclusion While Botswana invested considerably in building hospitals around the country resulting in high physical access to services, the organization and governance of the hospital system, and inadequate resources limit service delivery. The ongoing efforts to decentralize management of hospitals to district level entities should be expedited. The WHO HSPAF enabled us to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the public hospital system. Though relatively new, this approach proved

Enhanced ECR ion source performance with an electron gun

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Z.; Lyneis, C.M.; Lam, R.S.; Lundgren, S.A.

1991-01-01

An electron gun for the advanced electron cyclotron resonance (AECR) source has been developed to increase the production of high charge state ions. The AECR source, which operates at 14 GHz, is being developed for the 88-in. cyclotron at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory. The electron gun injects 10 to 150 eV electrons into the plasma chamber of the AECR. With the electron gun the AECR has produced at 10 kV extraction voltage 131 e μA of O 7+ , 13 e μA of O 8+ , 17 e μA of Ar 14+ , 2.2 e μA of Kr 25+ , 1 e μA of Xe 31+ , and 0.2 e μA of Bi 38+ . The AECR was also tested as a single stage source with a coating of SiO 2 on the plasma chamber walls. This significantly improved its performance compared to no coating, but direct injection of electrons with the electron gun produced the best results

Distribution, sources and health risk assessment of mercury in kindergarten dust

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Guangyi; Li, Zhonggen; Bi, Xiangyang; Chen, Yupeng; Lu, Shuangfang; Yuan, Xin

2013-07-01

Mercury (Hg) contamination in urban area is a hot issue in environmental research. In this study, the distribution, sources and health risk of Hg in dust from 69 kindergartens in Wuhan, China, were investigated. In comparison with most other cities, the concentrations of total mercury (THg) and methylmercury (MeHg) were significantly elevated, ranging from 0.15 to 10.59 mg kg-1 and from 0.64 to 3.88 μg kg-1, respectively. Among the five different urban areas, the educational area had the highest concentrations of THg and MeHg. The GIS mapping was used to identify the hot-spot areas and assess the potential pollution sources of Hg. The emissions of coal-power plants and coking plants were the main sources of THg in the dust, whereas the contributions of municipal solid waste (MSW) landfills and iron and steel smelting related industries were not significant. However, the emission of MSW landfills was considered to be an important source of MeHg in the studied area. The result of health risk assessment indicated that there was a high adverse health effect of the kindergarten dust in terms of Hg contamination on the children living in the educational area (Hazard index (HI) = 6.89).

Methodology developed at the CEA/IPSN for logn term performance assessment of nuclear waste repositories in geological formations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raimbault, P.; Lewi, J.

1985-05-01

The CEA/ISPN is currently developing a methodology for safety evaluation of disposal site projects in granite, clay and bedded salt, host rocks formations. In the Institute of Protection and Nuclear Safety, the Department of Safety Analysis (DAS) is responsible for the coordination of the modeling effort which is performed in several specialized groups. The models are commissionned and utilized at the IPSN for specific safety evaluations. They are improved as needed and validated through international exercices (INTRACOIN-HYDROCOIN-ATKINS) and experimental programs. The DAS develops as well a global performance assessment code named MELODIE which structure allows to couple the individual models. This code participates to international joint studies such as PAGIS, in order to test its ability to model specific sites. This should help to control the adequation of the individual models to the risk assessment evaluation in order to insure the availability of specific data and to identify the most sensitive parameters. This approach should allow to coordinate the action between experimentation, code development and safety rules determination in order to be ready to perform safety assessment on chosen sites. The current status of the different aspects of this work is presented. The model development concerns mainly: transport, hydrogeology, source term, dose calculation and sensitivity studies. Its connection with data collection and model validation is stressed in the field of source modeling, hydrogeology, geochemistry and geoprospective. The description of the first version of MELODIE is presented. Some results of the interactive evaluation of the source term, the groundwater flow and the transport of radionuclides in a granite site are presented as well

A performance assessment methodology for low-level waste facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kozak, M.W.; Chu, M.S.Y.; Mattingly, P.A.

1990-07-01

A performance assessment methodology has been developed for use by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission in evaluating license applications for low-level waste disposal facilities. This report provides a summary of background reports on the development of the methodology and an overview of the models and codes selected for the methodology. The overview includes discussions of the philosophy and structure of the methodology and a sequential procedure for applying the methodology. Discussions are provided of models and associated assumptions that are appropriate for each phase of the methodology, the goals of each phase, data required to implement the models, significant sources of uncertainty associated with each phase, and the computer codes used to implement the appropriate models. In addition, a sample demonstration of the methodology is presented for a simple conceptual model. 64 refs., 12 figs., 15 tabs

Application of fuzzy expert system on LILW performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemos, F.L. de; Sullivan, T.

2002-01-01

A complete LILW repository performance assessment requires the involvement between several experts in many fields of science. Many sources of uncertainties arise due to complexity of interaction of environmental parameters, lack of data and ignorance, this makes predictive analysis and interpretation difficult. This difficulty in understanding the impact of the ambiguities is even higher when it comes to public and decision makers involvement. Traditional methods of data analysis, while having strong mathematical basis, many times are not adequate to deal with ambiguous data. These ambiguities can be an obstacle to make the results easier to understand and defensible. A methodology of decision making, based on fuzzy logic, can help the interaction between experts, decision makers and the public. This method is the basis of an expert system which can help the analysis of very complex and ambiguous processes. (author)

The Advanced Photon Source: Performance and results from early operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moncton, D.E.

1997-01-01

The Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory is now providing researchers with extreme-brilliance undulator radiation in the hard x-ray region of the spectrum. All technical facilities and components are operational and have met design specifications. Fourteen research teams, occupying 20 sectors on the APS experiment hall floor, are currently installing beamline instrumentation or actively taking data. An overview is presented for the first operational years of the Advanced Photon Source. Emphasis is on the performance of accelerators and insertion devices, as well as early scientific results and future plans

Investigating Assessment Bias for Constructed Response Explanation Tasks: Implications for Evaluating Performance Expectations for Scientific Practice

Science.gov (United States)

Federer, Meghan Rector

Assessment is a key element in the process of science education teaching and research. Understanding sources of performance bias in science assessment is a major challenge for science education reforms. Prior research has documented several limitations of instrument types on the measurement of students' scientific knowledge (Liu et al., 2011; Messick, 1995; Popham, 2010). Furthermore, a large body of work has been devoted to reducing assessment biases that distort inferences about students' science understanding, particularly in multiple-choice [MC] instruments. Despite the above documented biases, much has yet to be determined for constructed response [CR] assessments in biology and their use for evaluating students' conceptual understanding of scientific practices (such as explanation). Understanding differences in science achievement provides important insights into whether science curricula and/or assessments are valid representations of student abilities. Using the integrative framework put forth by the National Research Council (2012), this dissertation aimed to explore whether assessment biases occur for assessment practices intended to measure students' conceptual understanding and proficiency in scientific practices. Using a large corpus of undergraduate biology students' explanations, three studies were conducted to examine whether known biases of MC instruments were also apparent in a CR instrument designed to assess students' explanatory practice and understanding of evolutionary change (ACORNS: Assessment of COntextual Reasoning about Natural Selection). The first study investigated the challenge of interpreting and scoring lexically ambiguous language in CR answers. The incorporation of 'multivalent' terms into scientific discourse practices often results in statements or explanations that are difficult to interpret and can produce faulty inferences about student knowledge. The results of this study indicate that many undergraduate biology majors

Performance assessment for low-level radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, J.R.; Hsu, R.H.; Wilhite, E.L.; Yu, A.D.

1996-01-01

In October 1994 the Savannah River Site became the first US DOE complex to use concrete vaults to dispose of low-level radioactive solid waste and better prevent soil and groundwater contamination. This article describes the design and gives a performance assessment of the vaults. Topics include the following: Performance objectives; scope; the performance assessment process-assemble a multidisciplinary working group; collect available data; define credible pathways/scenarios; develop conceptual models; conduct screening and detailed model calculations; assess sensitivity/uncertainty; integrate and interpret results; report. 9 figs., 3 tabs

Independent assessment of MELCOR as a severe accident thermal-hydraulic/source term analysis tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Madni, I.K.; Eltawila, F.

1994-01-01

MELCOR is a fully integrated computer code that models all phases of the progression of severe accidents in light water reactor nuclear power plants, and is being developed for the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) has a program with the NRC called ''MELCOR Verification, Benchmarking, and Applications,'' whose aim is to provide independent assessment of MELCOR as a severe accident thermal-hydraulic/source term analysis tool. The scope of this program is to perform quality control verification on all released versions of MELCOR, to benchmark MELCOR against more mechanistic codes and experimental data from severe fuel damage tests, and to evaluate the ability of MELCOR to simulate long-term severe accident transients in commercial LWRs, by applying the code to model both BWRs and PWRs. Under this program, BNL provided input to the NRC-sponsored MELCOR Peer Review, and is currently contributing to the MELCOR Cooperative Assessment Program (MCAP). This paper presents a summary of MELCOR assessment efforts at BNL and their contribution to NRC goals with respect to MELCOR

Methods for comparative risk assessment of different energy sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-10-01

The environmental and health aspects of different energy systems, particularly those associated with the generation of electricity, are emerging as significant issues for policy formulation and implementation. This, together with the growing need of many countries to define their energy programmes for the next century, has provided the basis for a renewed interest in the comparative risk assessment of different energy sources (fossil, nuclear, renewables). This document is the outcome of a Specialists Meeting on the procedural and methodological issues associated with comparative health and environmental risks of different energy sources. After an introductory chapter outlining the issues under consideration the papers presented at the Meeting, which have been indexed separately, are given. Refs, figs and tabs

Assessment of variable drinking water sources used in Egypt on broiler health and welfare.

Science.gov (United States)

ELSaidy, N; Mohamed, R A; Abouelenien, F

2015-07-01

This study assessed the impact of four water sources used as drinking water in Egypt for broiler chickens on its performance, carcass characteristic, hematological, and immunological responses. A total of 204 unsexed 1-day old Indian River broiler chickens were used in this study. They were randomly allocated into four treatment groups of 51 birds in each, with three replicates, 17 birds per replicate. Groups were classified according to water source they had been received into (T1) received farm tap water; (T2) received filtered tap water (T3) received farm stored water at rooftop tanks, (T4) received underground (well) water. All water sources showed no significant differences among treated groups at (p>0.05) for most of the performance parameters and carcass characteristics. However (T2) group showed higher records for body weight (BWT), BWT gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio, bursa weight, serum total protein, globulin (G), albumin (A) and A/G ratio, Ab titer against New castle disease virus vaccine. On the other hand, it showed lower records for water intake (WI), WI/Feed intake ratio, total leukocytes count %, heterophil %, lymphocyte %, H/L ratio, liver weight, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum uric acid and creatinine. Where filtered water reverse osmosis showed lowest records for bacterial load, the absence of coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC) and salinity. On the other hand stored water showed higher numerical values for TDS, EC, alkalinity, salinity, pH, bacterial count, and coliform count. Base on the results of this study, it is concluded that different water sources could safely be used as drinking water for poultry; as long as it is present within the acceptable range of drinking water quality for chickens. Suggesting the benefits of treatment of water sources on improving chickens' health and welfare. Draw attention to the importance of maintaining the hygienic quality

Assessment of variable drinking water sources used in Egypt on broiler health and welfare

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. ELSaidy

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Aim: This study assessed the impact of four water sources used as drinking water in Egypt for broiler chickens on its performance, carcass characteristic, hematological, and immunological responses. Materials and Methods: A total of 204 unsexed 1-day old Indian River broiler chickens were used in this study. They were randomly allocated into four treatment groups of 51 birds in each, with three replicates, 17 birds per replicate. Groups were classified according to water source they had been received into (T1 received farm tap water; (T2 received filtered tap water (T3 received farm stored water at rooftop tanks, (T4 received underground (well water. Results: All water sources showed no significant differences among treated groups at (p>0.05 for most of the performance parameters and carcass characteristics. However (T2 group showed higher records for body weight (BWT, BWT gain (BWG, feed conversion ratio, bursa weight, serum total protein, globulin (G, albumin (A and A/G ratio, Ab titer against New castle disease virus vaccine. On the other hand, it showed lower records for water intake (WI, WI/Feed intake ratio, total leukocytes count %, heterophil %, lymphocyte %, H/L ratio, liver weight, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum uric acid and creatinine. Where filtered water reverse osmosis showed lowest records for bacterial load, the absence of coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids (TDS, electrical conductivity (EC and salinity. On the other hand stored water showed higher numerical values for TDS, EC, alkalinity, salinity, pH, bacterial count, and coliform count. Conclusion: Base on the results of this study, it is concluded that different water sources could safely be used as drinking water for poultry; as long as it is present within the acceptable range of drinking water quality for chickens. Suggesting the benefits of treatment of water sources on improving chickens’ health and welfare. Draw

Assessment of variable drinking water sources used in Egypt on broiler health and welfare

Science.gov (United States)

ELSaidy, N.; Mohamed, R. A.; Abouelenien, F.

2015-01-01

Aim: This study assessed the impact of four water sources used as drinking water in Egypt for broiler chickens on its performance, carcass characteristic, hematological, and immunological responses. Materials and Methods: A total of 204 unsexed 1-day old Indian River broiler chickens were used in this study. They were randomly allocated into four treatment groups of 51 birds in each, with three replicates, 17 birds per replicate. Groups were classified according to water source they had been received into (T1) received farm tap water; (T2) received filtered tap water (T3) received farm stored water at rooftop tanks, (T4) received underground (well) water. Results: All water sources showed no significant differences among treated groups at (p>0.05) for most of the performance parameters and carcass characteristics. However (T2) group showed higher records for body weight (BWT), BWT gain (BWG), feed conversion ratio, bursa weight, serum total protein, globulin (G), albumin (A) and A/G ratio, Ab titer against New castle disease virus vaccine. On the other hand, it showed lower records for water intake (WI), WI/Feed intake ratio, total leukocytes count %, heterophil %, lymphocyte %, H/L ratio, liver weight, glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, glutamic pyruvic transaminase, serum uric acid and creatinine. Where filtered water reverse osmosis showed lowest records for bacterial load, the absence of coliform bacteria, total dissolved solids (TDS), electrical conductivity (EC) and salinity. On the other hand stored water showed higher numerical values for TDS, EC, alkalinity, salinity, pH, bacterial count, and coliform count. Conclusion: Base on the results of this study, it is concluded that different water sources could safely be used as drinking water for poultry; as long as it is present within the acceptable range of drinking water quality for chickens. Suggesting the benefits of treatment of water sources on improving chickens’ health and welfare. Draw attention to

Assessment Training Effects on Student Assessment Skills and Task Performance in a Technology-Facilitated Peer Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Xiongyi; Li, Lan

2014-01-01

This study examines the impact of an assessment training module on student assessment skills and task performance in a technology-facilitated peer assessment. Seventy-eight undergraduate students participated in the study. The participants completed an assessment training exercise, prior to engaging in peer-assessment activities. During the…

A Novel Method for Assessing Task Complexity in Outpatient Clinical-Performance Measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Hysong, Sylvia J; Amspoker, Amber B; Petersen, Laura A

2016-04-01

Clinical-performance measurement has helped improve the quality of health-care; yet success in attaining high levels of quality across multiple domains simultaneously still varies considerably. Although many sources of variability in care quality have been studied, the difficulty required to complete the clinical work itself has received little attention. We present a task-based methodology for evaluating the difficulty of clinical-performance measures (CPMs) by assessing the complexity of their component requisite tasks. Using Functional Job Analysis (FJA), subject-matter experts (SMEs) generated task lists for 17 CPMs; task lists were rated on ten dimensions of complexity, and then aggregated into difficulty composites. Eleven outpatient work SMEs; 133 VA Medical Centers nationwide. Clinical Performance: 17 outpatient CPMs (2000-2008) at 133 VA Medical Centers nationwide. Measure Difficulty: for each CPM, the number of component requisite tasks and the average rating across ten FJA complexity scales for the set of tasks comprising the measure. Measures varied considerably in the number of component tasks (M = 10.56, SD = 6.25, min = 5, max = 25). Measures of chronic care following acute myocardial infarction exhibited significantly higher measure difficulty ratings compared to diabetes or screening measures, but not to immunization measures ([Formula: see text] = 0.45, -0.04, -0.05, and -0.06 respectively; F (3, 186) = 3.57, p = 0.015). Measure difficulty ratings were not significantly correlated with the number of component tasks (r = -0.30, p = 0.23). Evaluating the difficulty of achieving recommended CPM performance levels requires more than simply counting the tasks involved; using FJA to assess the complexity of CPMs' component tasks presents an alternate means of assessing the difficulty of primary-care CPMs and accounting for performance variation among measures and performers. This in turn could be used in designing

Performance analysis on solar-water compound source heat pump for radiant floor heating system

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

曲世林; 马飞; 仇安兵

2009-01-01

A solar-water compound source heat pump for radiant floor heating (SWHP-RFH) experimental system was introduced and analyzed. The SWHP-RFH system mainly consists of 11.44 m2 vacuum tube solar collector,1 000 L water tank assisted 3 kW electrical heater,a water source heat pump,the radiant floor heating system with cross-linked polyethylene (PE-X) of diameter 20 mm,temperature controller and solar testing system. The SWHP-RFH system was tested from December to February during the heating season in Beijing,China under different operation situations. The test parameters include the outdoor air temperature,solar radiation intensity,indoor air temperature,radiation floor average surface temperature,average surface temperature of the building envelope,the inlet and outlet temperatures of solar collector,the temperature of water tank,the heat medium temperatures of heat pump condenser side and evaporator side,and the power consumption includes the water source heat pump system,the solar source heat pump system,the auxiliary heater and the radiant floor heating systems etc. The experimental results were used to calculate the collector efficiency,heat pump dynamic coefficient of performance (COP),total energy consumption and seasonal heating performance during the heating season. The results indicate that the performance of the compound source heat pump system is better than that of the air source heat pump system. Furthermore,some methods are suggested to improve the thermal performance of each component and the whole SWHP-RFH system.

Performance of the 2-D asynchronous OCDMA system with ASE light sources

Science.gov (United States)

Ni, Bin; Lehnert, James S.

2005-09-01

The wavelength-hopping/time-spreading scheme for optical code-division multiple-access (OCDMA), also known as the 2-D scheme, has been studied by many researchers for more than a decade. In all of previous analyses, the light sources were modeled as perfectly incoherent, which requires infinite bandwidth, and chip-synchrony was assumed for mathematical simplicity. Therefore, it is important to study how the system actually performs with true asynchrony and practical light sources. The amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) source is a desirable source for the incoherent OCDMA system because of its broad bandwidth, large power, and low cost. In this paper, each chip generated by the transmitter is a rectangular ASE pulse with a Gaussian-distributed electrical field. The coherence time is much smaller than the chip duration, but non-zero. Because of this partial coherence of the light source, beat noise will occur when multiple pulses are combined. In addition, interfering pulses may only partially overlap with the pulses from the desired user due to the asynchrony, which introduces more randomness into the decision statistic. Both factors are taken into account when the distribution of the decision statistic is derived mathematically. Simulations of the bit-error rate (BER) are performed, and the results show that the coherence time may be the major limiting factor on the system performance. For example, when the coherence time is only 1/100 of the chip duration, the BER is 1-4 orders of magnitude worse than that of the ideal case.

Performance analysis and experimental study of heat-source tower solution regeneration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang, Caihua; Wen, Xiantai; Liu, Chengxing; Zhang, Xiaosong

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Theoretical analysis is performed on the characteristics of heat-source tower. • Experimental study is performed on various rules of the solution regeneration rate. • The characteristics of solution regeneration vary widely with different demands. • Results are useful for optimizing the process of solution regeneration. - Abstract: By analyzing similarities and difference between the solution regeneration of a heat-source tower and desiccant solution regeneration, this paper points out that solution regeneration of a heat-source tower has the characteristics of small demands and that a regeneration rate is susceptible to outdoor ambient environments. A theoretical analysis is performed on the characteristics of a heat-source tower solution in different outdoor environments and different regeneration modes, and an experimental study is performed on variation rules of the solution regeneration rate of a cross-flow heat-source tower under different inlet parameters and operating parameters. The experimental results show that: in the operating regeneration mode, as the air volume was increased from 123 m 3 h −1 to 550 m 3 h −1 , the system heat transfer amount increased from 0.42 kW to 0.78 kW, and the regeneration rate increased from 0.03 g s −1 to 0.19 g s −1 . Increasing the solution flow may increase the system heat transfer amount; however, the regeneration rate decreased to a certain extent. In the regeneration mode when the system is idle, as the air volume was increased from 136 m 3 h −1 to 541 m 3 h −1 , the regeneration rate increased from 0.03 g s −1 to 0.1 g s −1 . The regeneration rate almost remained unchanged around 0.07 g s −1 as the solution flow is increased. In the regeneration mode with auxiliary heat when the system is idle, increasing the air volume and increasing the solution flow required more auxiliary heat, thereby improving the solution regeneration rate. As the auxiliary heat was increased from 0.33 k

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory Source Water Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sehlke, G.

2003-03-17

The Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) covers approximately 890 square miles and includes 12 public water systems that must be evaluated for Source water protection purposes under the Safe Drinking Water Act. Because of its size and location, six watersheds and five aquifers could potentially affect the INEEL's drinking water sources. Based on a preliminary evaluation of the available information, it was determined that the Big Lost River, Birch Creek, and Little Lost River Watersheds and the eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer needed to be assessed. These watersheds were delineated using the United States Geologic Survey's Hydrological Unit scheme. Well capture zones were originally estimated using the RESSQC module of the Environmental Protection Agency's Well Head Protection Area model, and the initial modeling assumptions and results were checked by running several scenarios using Modflow modeling. After a technical review, the resulting capture zones were expanded to account for the uncertainties associated with changing groundwater flow directions, a this vadose zone, and other data uncertainties. Finally, all well capture zones at a given facility were merged to a single wellhead protection area at each facility. A contaminant source inventory was conducted, and the results were integrated with the well capture zones, watershed and aquifer information, and facility information using geographic information system technology to complete the INEEL's Source Water Assessment. Of the INEEL's 12 public water systems, three systems rated as low susceptibility (EBR-1, Main Gate, and Gun Range), and the remainder rated as moderate susceptibility. No INEEL public water system rated as high susceptibility. We are using this information to develop a source water management plan from which we will subsequently implement an INEEL-wide source water management program. The results are a very robust set of wellhead

Simultaneous assessments of occurrence, ecological, human health, and organoleptic hazards for 77 VOCs in typical drinking water sources from 5 major river basins, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xichao; Luo, Qian; Wang, Donghong; Gao, Jijun; Wei, Zi; Wang, Zijian; Zhou, Huaidong; Mazumder, Asit

2015-11-01

Owing to the growing public awareness on the safety and aesthetics in water sources, more attention has been given to the adverse effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on aquatic organisms and human beings. In this study, 77 target VOCs (including 54 common VOCs, 13 carbonyl compounds, and 10 taste and odor compounds) were detected in typical drinking water sources from 5 major river basins (the Yangtze, the Huaihe, the Yellow, the Haihe and the Liaohe River basins) and their occurrences were characterized. The ecological, human health, and olfactory assessments were performed to assess the major hazards in source water. The investigation showed that there existed potential ecological risks (1.30 × 10 ≤ RQtotals ≤ 8.99 × 10) but little human health risks (6.84 × 10(-7) ≤ RQtotals ≤ 4.24 × 10(-4)) by VOCs, while that odor problems occurred extensively. The priority contaminants in drinking water sources of China were also listed based on the present assessment criteria. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance of the modified DREAMS ion source for {sup 36}Cl applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavetich, Stefan; Akhmadaliev, Shavkat; Merchel, Silke; Rugel, Georg; Ziegenruecker, Rene [Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (Germany)

2014-07-01

First analyses of real {sup 36}Cl-AMS samples were performed with the newly developed low memory-effect ion source at the DREsden Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (DREAMS) facility. Considerable improvements have been reached with respect to the overall ion source performance. Especially, parameters like current output, ion source fractionation effects, normalization factors, blank values and sulphur suppression factors have been investigated to enhance accuracy of {sup 36}Cl-data. Applications cover a wide spectrum, which implies also highly variable {sup 36}Cl/{sup 35+37}Cl-ratios ranging from nearly background level of ∝10{sup -15} up to 10{sup -10}. Samples from aquifers in arid regions for groundwater dating and modelling were analysed. Meteorite samples were measured to investigate the constancy of the galactic cosmic radiation, production rates from sulphur, and reconstruction of exposure histories of individual meteorites.

Performance and upgrades of the NSLS storage rings and photon sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-01-01

The usefulness of synchrotron radiation sources is not only determined by current, energy and magnetic field but also orbit stability and lifetime. The status and developments at NSLS in storage ring performance are discussed. Efforts at NSLS to look toward the future in source development are presented. In particular, small gap undulator development and studies toward development of UV Free Electron Laser at the Accelerator Test Facility are described. 5 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab

American Art Music in the Twentieth-Century: An Assessment of the Basic Information Sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Alan Anthony

This assessment of 62 reference sources that contain information on U.S. art (classical) music of the twentieth century examines the following categories of sources: (1) Pilot Sources; (2) Lexica; (3) Histories and Chronologies; (4) Gesamtausgaben, Denkmaler, and Thematic catalogs; (5) Indexes and Bibliographies of Literature; (6) Lists of Music…

Summary of Energy Assessment Requirements under the Area Source Boiler Rule

Science.gov (United States)

This document provides an overview of the energy assessment requirements for the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants (NESHAP) for area sources: industrial, commercial and Institutional boilers, 40 CFR Part 63, Subpart JJJJJJ.

The role of performance assessment in radioactive waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stenhouse, M.J.

1998-01-01

Performance assessment has many applications in the field of radioactive waste management, none more important than demonstrating the suitability of a particular repository system for waste disposal. The role of performance assessment in radioactive waste disposal is discussed with reference to assessments performed in civilian waste management programmes. The process is, however, relevant, and may be applied directly to the disposal of defence-related wastes. When used in an open and transparent manner, performance assessment is a powerful methodology not only for convincing the authorities of the safety of a disposal concept, but also for gaining the wider acceptance of the general public for repository siting. 26 refs

Drawing and Writing in Digital Science Notebooks: Sources of Formative Assessment Data

Science.gov (United States)

Shelton, Angi; Smith, Andrew; Wiebe, Eric; Behrle, Courtney; Sirkin, Ruth; Lester, James

2016-01-01

Formative assessment strategies are used to direct instruction by establishing where learners' understanding is, how it is developing, informing teachers and students alike as to how they might get to their next set of goals of conceptual understanding. For the science classroom, one rich source of formative assessment data about scientific…

Availability and use of medical isotopes in Canada : performed as part of a radiological terrorism risk assessment. Technical memorandum

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larsson, C.L.

2004-12-01

An assessment of the availability of radioactive material used for medical applications in Canada has been performed as part of the CBRN Research and Technology Initiative (CRTI) Project CRTI-02-0024RD (Probabilistic Risk Assessment Tool for Radiological Dispersal Devices). A general list of medical radioisotopes used worldwide was compiled via literature searches and Internet investigations. This list was then compared to all isotopes licenced to healthcare facilities in Canada. Sources of lesser concern for this study, such as noble gases, short-lived isotopes, and radioisotopes not licenced for medical applications in Canada, were eliminated. The remaining sources were then analysed for frequency of use and maximum licenced activity to assess which materials would be of highest concern in relation to radiological terrorism. A detailed description of the application, typical administered activity, and other relevant information for these most common and highest licenced activity medical sources was assembled to feed directly into the risk assessment database. A general discussion of security in healthcare facilities is also given. Due to the constant advances made in medicine, the information relating to licenced isotopes is dynamic and thus requires updating to ensure the database is kept current. (author)

Small animal PET: aspects of performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, Simone; Bauer, Andreas

2004-01-01

Dedicated small animal positron emission tomography (PET) systems are increasingly prevalent in industry (e.g. for preclinical drug development) and biological research. Such systems permit researchers to perform animal studies of a longitudinal design characterised by repeated measurements in single animals. With the advent of commercial systems, scanners have become readily available and increasingly popular. As a consequence, technical specifications are becoming more diverse, making scanner systems less broadly applicable. The investigator has, therefore, to make a decision regarding which type of scanner is most suitable for the intended experiments. This decision should be based on gantry characteristics and the physical performance. The first few steps have been taken towards standardisation of the assessment of performance characteristics of dedicated animal PET systems, though such assessment is not yet routinely implemented. In this review, we describe current methods of evaluation of physical performance parameters of small animal PET scanners. Effects of methodologically different approaches on the results are assessed. It is underscored that particular attention has to be paid to spatial resolution, sensitivity, scatter fraction and count rate performance. Differences in performance measurement methods are described with regard to commercially available systems, namely the Concorde MicroPET systems P4 and R4 and the quad-HIDAC. Lastly, consequences of differences in scanner performance parameters are rated with respect to applications of small animal PET. (orig.)

40 CFR 450.24 - New source performance standards reflecting the best available demonstrated control technology...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... performance standards reflecting the best available demonstrated control technology (NSPS). Any new source... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards reflecting the best available demonstrated control technology (NSPS). 450.24 Section 450.24 Protection of...

Some concepts of model uncertainty for performance assessments of nuclear waste repositories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eisenberg, N.A.; Sagar, B.; Wittmeyer, G.W.

1994-01-01

Models of the performance of nuclear waste repositories will be central to making regulatory decisions regarding the safety of such facilities. The conceptual model of repository performance is represented by mathematical relationships, which are usually implemented as one or more computer codes. A geologic system may allow many conceptual models, which are consistent with the observations. These conceptual models may or may not have the same mathematical representation. Experiences in modeling the performance of a waste repository representation. Experiences in modeling the performance of a waste repository (which is, in part, a geologic system), show that this non-uniqueness of conceptual models is a significant source of model uncertainty. At the same time, each conceptual model has its own set of parameters and usually, it is not be possible to completely separate model uncertainty from parameter uncertainty for the repository system. Issues related to the origin of model uncertainty, its relation to parameter uncertainty, and its incorporation in safety assessments are discussed from a broad regulatory perspective. An extended example in which these issues are explored numerically is also provided

Google vs. the Library (Part III): Assessing the Quality of Sources Found by Undergraduates

Science.gov (United States)

Georgas, Helen

2015-01-01

This study assesses and compares the quality of sources found by undergraduate students when doing research using both Google and a library (federated) search tool. Thirty undergraduates were asked to find four sources (one book, two articles, and one additional source of their choosing) related to a selected research topic. Students used both…

Development of a Risk-Based Probabilistic Performance-Assessment Method for Long-Term Cover Systems - 2nd Edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

HO, CLIFFORD K.; ARNOLD, BILL W.; COCHRAN, JOHN R.; TAIRA, RANDAL Y.

2002-01-01

A probabilistic, risk-based performance-assessment methodology has been developed to assist designers, regulators, and stakeholders in the selection, design, and monitoring of long-term covers for contaminated subsurface sites. This report describes the method, the software tools that were developed, and an example that illustrates the probabilistic performance-assessment method using a repository site in Monticello, Utah. At the Monticello site, a long-term cover system is being used to isolate long-lived uranium mill tailings from the biosphere. Computer models were developed to simulate relevant features, events, and processes that include water flux through the cover, source-term release, vadose-zone transport, saturated-zone transport, gas transport, and exposure pathways. The component models were then integrated into a total-system performance-assessment model, and uncertainty distributions of important input parameters were constructed and sampled in a stochastic Monte Carlo analysis. Multiple realizations were simulated using the integrated model to produce cumulative distribution functions of the performance metrics, which were used to assess cover performance for both present- and long-term future conditions. Performance metrics for this study included the water percolation reaching the uranium mill tailings, radon gas flux at the surface, groundwater concentrations, and dose. Results from uncertainty analyses, sensitivity analyses, and alternative design comparisons are presented for each of the performance metrics. The benefits from this methodology include a quantification of uncertainty, the identification of parameters most important to performance (to prioritize site characterization and monitoring activities), and the ability to compare alternative designs using probabilistic evaluations of performance (for cost savings)

Development of Integrated Assessment Technology of Risk and Performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Jun Eon; Kang, Dae Il; Kang, Hyun Gook

2010-04-01

The main idea and contents are summarized as below 1) Development of new risk/performance assessment system innovating old labor-intensive risk assessment structure - New consolidated risk assessment technology from various hazard(flood, fire, seismic in NPP) - BOP model development for performance monitoring - Consolidated risk/performance management system for consistency and efficiency of NPP 2) Resolution technology for pending issues in PSA - Base technology for PSA of digital I and C system - Base technology for seismic PSA reflecting domestic seismic characteristics and aging effect - Uncertainty reduction technology for level 2 PSA and best estimation of containment failure frequency 3) Next generation risk/performance assessment technology - Human-induced error reduction technology for efficient operation of a NPP

The validity of open-source data when assessing jail suicides.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Amanda L; Scott, Jacqueline; Mellow, Jeff

2018-05-09

The Bureau of Justice Statistics' Deaths in Custody Reporting Program is the primary source for jail suicide research, though the data is restricted from general dissemination. This study is the first to examine whether jail suicide data obtained from publicly available sources can help inform our understanding of this serious public health problem. Of the 304 suicides that were reported through the DCRP in 2009, roughly 56 percent (N = 170) of those suicides were identified through the open-source search protocol. Each of the sources was assessed based on how much information was collected on the incident and the types of variables available. A descriptive analysis was then conducted on the variables that were present in both data sources. The four variables present in each data source were: (1) demographic characteristics of the victim, (2) the location of occurrence within the facility, (3) the location of occurrence by state, and (4) the size of the facility. Findings demonstrate that the prevalence and correlates of jail suicides are extremely similar in both open-source and official data. However, for almost every variable measured, open-source data captured as much information as official data did, if not more. Further, variables not found in official data were identified in the open-source database, thus allowing researchers to have a more nuanced understanding of the situational characteristics of the event. This research provides support for the argument in favor of including open-source data in jail suicide research as it illustrates how open-source data can be used to provide additional information not originally found in official data. In sum, this research is vital in terms of possible suicide prevention, which may be directly linked to being able to manipulate environmental factors.

Comparative Assessment of Health Workers Performance and The ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Comparative Assessment of Health Workers Performance and The Performance ... had very high significant effect on performance of health workers which was independent of ... Keywords: Health Worker Performance Factors Hospitals Nigeria ...

Methodology for NDA performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cuypers, M.; Franklin, M.; Guardini, S.

1986-01-01

In the framework of the RandD programme of the Joint Research Centre of the Commission of the European Communities, a considerable effort is being dedicated to performance assessment of NDA techniques taking account of field conditions. By taking account of field conditions is meant measurement samples of the size encountered in practice and training which allows inspectors to design cost efficient verification plans for the real situations encountered in the field. Special laboratory facilities referred to as PERLA are being constructed for this purpose. These facilities will be used for measurement experiments and for training. In this paper, performance assessment is discussed under the headings of measurement capability and in-field effectiveness. Considerable emphasis is given to the role of method specific measurement error models. The authors outline the advantages of giving statistical error models a sounder basis in the physical phenomenology of the measurement method

Trait Sources of Spirituality Scale: Assessing Trait Spirituality More Inclusively

Science.gov (United States)

Westbrook, Charles J.; Davis, Don E.; McElroy, Stacey E.; Brubaker, Kacy; Choe, Elise; Karaga, Sara; Dooley, Matt; O'Bryant, Brittany L.; Van Tongeren, Daryl R.; Hook, Joshua

2018-01-01

We develop the Trait Sources of Spirituality Scale (TSSS), which assesses experiences of closeness to the sacred, within and outside a religious tradition. After using factor analysis to finalize the scale, we examine evidence of construct validity, including latent profile analysis that reveals 5 patterns of how spirituality is experienced.

Features of assessment learners use to make informed self-assessments of clinical performance.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Sargeant, J.; Eva, K.W.; Armson, H.; Chesluk, B.; Dornan, T.; Holmboe, E.; Lockyer, J.M.; Loney, E.; Mann, K.V.; Vleuten, C.P.M. van der

2011-01-01

CONTEXT: Conceptualisations of self-assessment are changing as its role in professional development comes to be viewed more broadly as needing to be both externally and internally informed through activities that enable access to and the interpretation and integration of data from external sources.

Current perspectives on performance assessment at the NRC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coplan, S.M.; Eisenberg, N.A.; Federline, M.V.; Randall, J.D.

1992-01-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff is engaging in a number of activities involving performance assessment in order to support NRC's program in high-level waste management. Broad areas of activity include: (1) reactive work responding to products and activities of the Department of Energy (DOE), (2) proactive work, including development of an independent performance assessment capability, development of guidance for DOE, support for technical and programmatic integration, (3) a program of regulatory research, and (4) participation in a number of international activities. As the U.S. high-level waste program continues to mature, performance assessment is seen as playing a more prominent role in evaluating safety and focussing technical activities

Insights from Guideline for Performance of Internal Flooding Probabilistic Risk Assessment (IFPRA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sun Yeong; Yang, Joo Eon

2009-01-01

An internal flooding (IF) risk assessment refers to the quantitative probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) treatment of flooding as a result of pipe and tank breaks inside the plants, as well as from other recognized flood sources. The industry consensus standard for Internal Events Probabilistic Risk Assessment (ASME-RA-Sb-2005) includes high-level and supporting technical requirements for developing internal flooding probabilistic risk assessment (IFPRA). This industry standard is endorsed in Regulatory Guide 1.200, Revision 1 as an acceptable approach for addressing the risk contribution from IF events for risk informed applications that require U.S. Nuclear Regulatory commission (NRC) approval. In 2006, EPRI published a draft report for IFPRA that addresses the requirements of the ASME PRA consensus standard and have made efforts to refine and update the final EPRI IFPRA guideline. Westinghouse has performed an IFPRA analysis for several nuclear power plants (NPPs), such as Watts Bar and Fort Calhoun, using the draft EPRI guidelines for development of an IFPRA. Proprietary methodologies have been developed to apply the EPRI guidelines. The objectives of the draft report for IFPRA guideline are to: · Provide guidance for PSA practitioners in the performance of the elements of a PRA associated with internal flooding events consistent with the current state of the art for internal flooding PRA · Provide guidance regarding acceptable approaches that is sufficient to meeting the requirements of the ASME PRA Standard associated with internal flooding · Incorporate lessons learned in the performance of internal flooding PRAs including those identified as pilot applications of earlier drafts of this procedures guide The purpose of this paper is to present a vision for domestic nuclear power plants' IFPRA by comparing the method of the draft EPRI guidelines with the existing IFPRA method for domestic NPPs

Insights from Guideline for Performance of Internal Flooding Probabilistic Risk Assessment (IFPRA)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Sun Yeong; Yang, Joo Eon [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2009-10-15

An internal flooding (IF) risk assessment refers to the quantitative probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) treatment of flooding as a result of pipe and tank breaks inside the plants, as well as from other recognized flood sources. The industry consensus standard for Internal Events Probabilistic Risk Assessment (ASME-RA-Sb-2005) includes high-level and supporting technical requirements for developing internal flooding probabilistic risk assessment (IFPRA). This industry standard is endorsed in Regulatory Guide 1.200, Revision 1 as an acceptable approach for addressing the risk contribution from IF events for risk informed applications that require U.S. Nuclear Regulatory commission (NRC) approval. In 2006, EPRI published a draft report for IFPRA that addresses the requirements of the ASME PRA consensus standard and have made efforts to refine and update the final EPRI IFPRA guideline. Westinghouse has performed an IFPRA analysis for several nuclear power plants (NPPs), such as Watts Bar and Fort Calhoun, using the draft EPRI guidelines for development of an IFPRA. Proprietary methodologies have been developed to apply the EPRI guidelines. The objectives of the draft report for IFPRA guideline are to: {center_dot} Provide guidance for PSA practitioners in the performance of the elements of a PRA associated with internal flooding events consistent with the current state of the art for internal flooding PRA {center_dot} Provide guidance regarding acceptable approaches that is sufficient to meeting the requirements of the ASME PRA Standard associated with internal flooding {center_dot} Incorporate lessons learned in the performance of internal flooding PRAs including those identified as pilot applications of earlier drafts of this procedures guide The purpose of this paper is to present a vision for domestic nuclear power plants' IFPRA by comparing the method of the draft EPRI guidelines with the existing IFPRA method for domestic NPPs.

Off-design performance analysis of Kalina cycle for low temperature geothermal source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Hang; Hu, Dongshuai; Wang, Mingkun; Dai, Yiping

2016-01-01

Highlights: • The off-design performance analysis of Kalina cycle is conducted. • The off-design models are established. • The genetic algorithm is used in the design phase. • The sliding pressure control strategy is applied. - Abstract: Low temperature geothermal sources with brilliant prospects have attracted more and more people’s attention. Kalina cycle system using ammonia water as working fluid could exploit geothermal energy effectively. In this paper, the quantitative analysis of off-design performance of Kalina cycle for the low temperature geothermal source is conducted. The off-design models including turbine, pump and heat exchangers are established preliminarily. Genetic algorithm is used to maximize the net power output and determine the thermodynamic parameters in the design phase. The sliding pressure control strategy applied widely in existing Rankine cycle power plants is adopted to response to the variations of geothermal source mass flow rate ratio (70–120%), geothermal source temperature (116–128 °C) and heat sink temperature (0–35 °C). In the off-design research scopes, the guidance for pump rotational speed adjustment is listed to provide some reference for off-design operation of geothermal power plants. The required adjustment rate of pump rotational speed is more sensitive to per unit geothermal source temperature than per unit heat sink temperature. Influence of the heat sink variation is greater than that of the geothermal source variation on the ranges of net power output and thermal efficiency.

Some viewpoints on reference biospheres in Finnish performance assessments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasilainen, K.; Kattilakoski, E.; Suolanen, V.; Vieno, T.; Vuori, S.

2002-01-01

Viewpoints are presented concerning biosphere studies in performance assessments of nuclear waste disposal. The points are based on experiences from several Finnish performance assessments. The latest performance assessment for spent fuel disposal, TILA-99, was considered in the Decision in Principle process for the site selection of the repository. The points given are also based on experiences from participation in international projects dealing with biosphere modelling, for instance BIOMOVS and BIOMASS. (author)

Radionuclide field lysimeter experiment (RadFLEx): geochemical and hydrological data for SRS performance assessments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaplan, D. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Powell, B. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Barber, K. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Devol, T. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Dixon, K. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Erdmann, B. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Maloubier, M. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Martinez, N. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Montgomery, D. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Peruski, K. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States); Roberts, K. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Witmer, M. [Clemson Univ., SC (United States)

2017-12-12

The SRNL Radiological Field Lysimeter Experiment (RadFLEx) is a one-of-a-kind test bed facility designed to study radionuclide geochemical processes in the Savannah River Site (SRS) vadose zone at a larger spatial scale (from grams to tens of kilograms of sediment) and temporal scale (from months to decade) than is readily afforded through laboratory studies. RadFLEx is a decade-long project that was initiated on July 5, 2012 and is funded by six different sources. The objective of this status report is as follows: 1) to report findings to date that have an impact on SRS performance assessment (PA) calculations, and 2) to provide performance metrics of the RadFLEx program. The PA results are focused on measurements of transport parameters, such as distribution coefficients (Kd values), solubility, and unsaturated flow values. As this is an interim report, additional information from subsequent research may influence our interpretation of current results. Research related to basic understanding of radionuclide geochemistry in these vadose zone soils and other source terms are not described here but are referenced for the interested reader.

Assessing Model Characterization of Single Source ...

Science.gov (United States)

Aircraft measurements made downwind from specific coal fired power plants during the 2013 Southeast Nexus field campaign provide a unique opportunity to evaluate single source photochemical model predictions of both O3 and secondary PM2.5 species. The model did well at predicting downwind plume placement. The model shows similar patterns of an increasing fraction of PM2.5 sulfate ion to the sum of SO2 and PM2.5 sulfate ion by distance from the source compared with ambient based estimates. The model was less consistent in capturing downwind ambient based trends in conversion of NOX to NOY from these sources. Source sensitivity approaches capture near-source O3 titration by fresh NO emissions, in particular subgrid plume treatment. However, capturing this near-source chemical feature did not translate into better downwind peak estimates of single source O3 impacts. The model estimated O3 production from these sources but often was lower than ambient based source production. The downwind transect ambient measurements, in particular secondary PM2.5 and O3, have some level of contribution from other sources which makes direct comparison with model source contribution challenging. Model source attribution results suggest contribution to secondary pollutants from multiple sources even where primary pollutants indicate the presence of a single source. The National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Computational Exposure Division (CED) develops and evaluates data, deci

Hanford low-level tank waste interim performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, F.M.

1997-01-01

The Hanford Low-Level Tank Waste Interim Performance Assessment examines the long-term environmental and human health effects associated with the disposal of the low-level fraction of the Hanford single and double-shell tank waste in the Hanford Site 200 East Area. This report was prepared as a good management practice to provide needed information about the relationship between the disposal system design and performance early in the disposal system project cycle. The calculations in this performance assessment show that the disposal of the low-level fraction can meet environmental and health performance objectives

Assessing the Performance of Natural Resource Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruce Campbell

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Assessing the performance of management is central to natural resource management, in terms of improving the efficiency of interventions in an adaptive-learning cycle. This is not simple, given that such systems generally have multiple scales of interaction and response; high frequency of nonlinearity, uncertainty, and time lags; multiple stakeholders with contrasting objectives; and a high degree of context specificity. The importance of bounding the problem and preparing a conceptual model of the system is highlighted. We suggest that the capital assets approach to livelihoods may be an appropriate organizing principle for the selection of indicators of system performance. In this approach, five capital assets are recognized: physical, financial, social, natural, and human. A number of principles can be derived for each capital asset; indicators for assessing system performance should cover all of the principles. To cater for multiple stakeholders, participatory selection of indicators is appropriate, although when cross-site comparability is required, some generic indicators are suitable. Because of the high degree of context specificity of natural resource management systems, a typology of landscapes or resource management domains may be useful to allow extrapolation to broader systems. The problems of nonlinearities, uncertainty, and time lags in natural resource management systems suggest that systems modeling is crucial for performance assessment, in terms of deriving "what would have happened anyway" scenarios for comparison to the measured trajectory of systems. Given that a number of indicators are necessary for assessing performance, the question becomes whether these can be combined to give an integrative assessment. We explore five possible approaches: (1 simple additive index, as used for the Human Development Index; (2 derived variables (e.g., principal components as the indices of performance; (3 two-dimensional plots of

Dependence of the source performance on plasma parameters at the BATMAN test facility

Science.gov (United States)

Wimmer, C.; Fantz, U.

2015-04-01

The investigation of the dependence of the source performance (high jH-, low je) for optimum Cs conditions on the plasma parameters at the BATMAN (Bavarian Test MAchine for Negative hydrogen ions) test facility is desirable in order to find key parameters for the operation of the source as well as to deepen the physical understanding. The most relevant source physics takes place in the extended boundary layer, which is the plasma layer with a thickness of several cm in front of the plasma grid: the production of H-, its transport through the plasma and its extraction, inevitably accompanied by the co-extraction of electrons. Hence, a link of the source performance with the plasma parameters in the extended boundary layer is expected. In order to characterize electron and negative hydrogen ion fluxes in the extended boundary layer, Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy and Langmuir probes have been applied for the measurement of the H- density and the determination of the plasma density, the plasma potential and the electron temperature, respectively. The plasma potential is of particular importance as it determines the sheath potential profile at the plasma grid: depending on the plasma grid bias relative to the plasma potential, a transition in the plasma sheath from an electron repelling to an electron attracting sheath takes place, influencing strongly the electron fraction of the bias current and thus the amount of co-extracted electrons. Dependencies of the source performance on the determined plasma parameters are presented for the comparison of two source pressures (0.6 Pa, 0.45 Pa) in hydrogen operation. The higher source pressure of 0.6 Pa is a standard point of operation at BATMAN with external magnets, whereas the lower pressure of 0.45 Pa is closer to the ITER requirements (p ≤ 0.3 Pa).

Dependence of the source performance on plasma parameters at the BATMAN test facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wimmer, C.; Fantz, U.

2015-01-01

The investigation of the dependence of the source performance (high j H − , low j e ) for optimum Cs conditions on the plasma parameters at the BATMAN (Bavarian Test MAchine for Negative hydrogen ions) test facility is desirable in order to find key parameters for the operation of the source as well as to deepen the physical understanding. The most relevant source physics takes place in the extended boundary layer, which is the plasma layer with a thickness of several cm in front of the plasma grid: the production of H − , its transport through the plasma and its extraction, inevitably accompanied by the co-extraction of electrons. Hence, a link of the source performance with the plasma parameters in the extended boundary layer is expected. In order to characterize electron and negative hydrogen ion fluxes in the extended boundary layer, Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy and Langmuir probes have been applied for the measurement of the H − density and the determination of the plasma density, the plasma potential and the electron temperature, respectively. The plasma potential is of particular importance as it determines the sheath potential profile at the plasma grid: depending on the plasma grid bias relative to the plasma potential, a transition in the plasma sheath from an electron repelling to an electron attracting sheath takes place, influencing strongly the electron fraction of the bias current and thus the amount of co-extracted electrons. Dependencies of the source performance on the determined plasma parameters are presented for the comparison of two source pressures (0.6 Pa, 0.45 Pa) in hydrogen operation. The higher source pressure of 0.6 Pa is a standard point of operation at BATMAN with external magnets, whereas the lower pressure of 0.45 Pa is closer to the ITER requirements (p ≤ 0.3 Pa)

The Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS)reg-sign: Source-term release formulations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Streile, G.P.; Shields, K.D.; Stroh, J.L.; Bagaasen, L.M.; Whelan, G.; McDonald, J.P.; Droppo, J.G.; Buck, J.W.

1996-11-01

This report is one of a series of reports that document the mathematical models in the Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS). Developed by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for the US Department of Energy, MEPAS is an integrated impact assessment software implementation of physics-based fate and transport models in air, soil, and water media. Outputs are estimates of exposures and health risk assessments for radioactive and hazardous pollutants. Each of the MEPAS formulation documents covers a major MEPAS component such as source-term, atmospheric, vadose zone/groundwater, surface water, and health exposure/health impact assessment. Other MEPAS documentation reports cover the sensitivity/uncertainty formulations and the database parameter constituent property estimation methods. The pollutant source-term release component is documented in this report. MEPAS simulates the release of contaminants from a source, transport through the air, groundwater, surface water, or overland pathways, and transfer through food chains and exposure pathways to the exposed individual or population. For human health impacts, risks are computed for carcinogens and hazard quotients for noncarcinogens. MEPAS is implemented on a desktop computer with a user-friendly interface that allows the user to define the problem, input the required data, and execute the appropriate models for both deterministic and probabilistic analyses

Performance Assessment Framework for Private Finance Initiative Projects in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lop Nor Suzila

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Private Finance Initiative (PFI is viewed as restructuring the previous privatisation concept in delivering value for money for the Malaysian public infrastructure. Among the restructuring efforts in the privatisation is specifying the standard assessment of private concessionaires’ performance through the execution of key performance indicators (KPIs where the private concessionaires’ performance is benchmarked against the government’s standard. KPIs have served as useful tools in assessing performance of PFI projects. However, there is still lacking on determination methods performed to define and measure this KPIs and the absence of guidelines or a framework is also an issue in the implementation of the PFI procurement in Malaysia. Therefore, the objectives of this paper is to investigate the notion of performance assessment model approaches globally (i.e. UK, China, Australia, Serbia and Malaysia and to identify direction for PFI performance assessment tools (KPIs to be practiced in Malaysia. Based on the consideration of these models, this research paper propose an initial framework of performance assessment for PFI projects in Malaysia. The framework is deliberate to cover the performance of PFI at the operation and maintenance phase. The outcomes of this paper can serve as a theoretical base for the development of comprehensive and effective performance assessment for PFI projects in Malaysia.

Performance Assessment for Pump-and-Treat Closure or Transition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Truex, Michael J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Johnson, Christian D. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Becker, Dave J. [U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise, Huntsville, AL (United States); Lee, Michelle H. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Nimmons, Michael J. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-09-29

A structured performance assessment approach is useful to evaluate pump-and-treat (P&T) groundwater remediation, which has been applied at numerous sites. Consistent with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Groundwater Road Map, performance assessment during remedy implementation may be needed, and should consider remedy optimization, transition to alternative remedies, or remedy closure. In addition, a recent National Research Council study examined groundwater remediation at complex contaminated sites and concluded that it may be beneficial to evaluate remedy performance and the potential need for transition to alternative approaches at these sites. The intent of this document is to provide a structured approach for assessing P&T performance to support a decision to optimize, transition, or close a P&T remedy. The process presented in this document for gathering information and performing evaluations to support P&T remedy decisions includes use of decision elements to distinguish between potential outcomes of a remedy decision. Case studies are used to augment descriptions of decision elements and to illustrate each type of outcome identified in the performance assessment approach. The document provides references to resources for tools and other guidance relevant to conducting the P&T assessment.

Open-Source Syringe Pump Library

Science.gov (United States)

Wijnen, Bas; Hunt, Emily J.; Anzalone, Gerald C.; Pearce, Joshua M.

2014-01-01

This article explores a new open-source method for developing and manufacturing high-quality scientific equipment suitable for use in virtually any laboratory. A syringe pump was designed using freely available open-source computer aided design (CAD) software and manufactured using an open-source RepRap 3-D printer and readily available parts. The design, bill of materials and assembly instructions are globally available to anyone wishing to use them. Details are provided covering the use of the CAD software and the RepRap 3-D printer. The use of an open-source Rasberry Pi computer as a wireless control device is also illustrated. Performance of the syringe pump was assessed and the methods used for assessment are detailed. The cost of the entire system, including the controller and web-based control interface, is on the order of 5% or less than one would expect to pay for a commercial syringe pump having similar performance. The design should suit the needs of a given research activity requiring a syringe pump including carefully controlled dosing of reagents, pharmaceuticals, and delivery of viscous 3-D printer media among other applications. PMID:25229451

Deterministic approach for multiple-source tsunami hazard assessment for Sines, Portugal

OpenAIRE

Wronna, M.; Omira, R.; Baptista, M. A.

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present a deterministic approach to tsunami hazard assessment for the city and harbour of Sines, Portugal, one of the test sites of project ASTARTE (Assessment, STrategy And Risk Reduction for Tsunamis in Europe). Sines has one of the most important deep-water ports, which has oil-bearing, petrochemical, liquid-bulk, coal, and container terminals. The port and its industrial infrastructures face the ocean southwest towards the main seismogenic sources. This...

40 CFR 417.155 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...: (a) For normal operation of spray drying towers as defined above, the following values pertain... operation of a spray drying tower, but only when a high rate of wet scrubbing is in operation which produces... Spray Dried Detergents Subcategory § 417.155 Standards of performance for new sources. The following...

A Source Activation Account of Individual Differences in Working Memory Performance

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Reder, Lynne

1999-01-01

...' patterns of performance. We propose a computational model that accounts for differences in working memory capacity in terms of a quantity called source activation, which is used to maintain goal relevant information in an available state...

42 CFR 460.132 - Quality assessment and performance improvement plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Quality assessment and performance improvement plan... assessment and performance improvement plan. (a) Basic rule. A PACE organization must have a written quality assessment and performance improvement plan. (b) Annual review. The PACE governing body must review the plan...

Sources of sport confidence, imagery type and performance among competitive athletes: the mediating role of sports confidence.

Science.gov (United States)

Levy, A R; Perry, J; Nicholls, A R; Larkin, D; Davies, J

2015-01-01

This study explored the mediating role of sport confidence upon (1) sources of sport confidence-performance relationship and (2) imagery-performance relationship. Participants were 157 competitive athletes who completed state measures of confidence level/sources, imagery type and performance within one hour after competition. Among the current sample, confirmatory factor analysis revealed appropriate support for the nine-factor SSCQ and the five-factor SIQ. Mediational analysis revealed that sport confidence had a mediating influence upon the achievement source of confidence-performance relationship. In addition, both cognitive and motivational imagery types were found to be important sources of confidence, as sport confidence mediated imagery type- performance relationship. Findings indicated that athletes who construed confidence from their own achievements and report multiple images on a more frequent basis are likely to benefit from enhanced levels of state sport confidence and subsequent performance.

Performance of a modified DuoPIGatron ion source for PLT neutral beam injectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsai, C.C.; Stirling, W.L.; Haselton, H.H.

1978-09-01

The performance of a modified duoPIGatron ion source for PLT neutral beam injectors is described. The 22-cm source has been operated to deliver beams of 70 A, up to 45 keV, and 0.5 sec. Following a brief review of source operation, the dominant reactions leading to an enhanced atomic ion fraction in the source plasma are emphasized. In addition to the high atomic ion species yield (about 85%), other important characteristics of the source such as high arc efficiency (about 1.1 A ion beam current per kW of arc power), long filament lifetime, high reliability, and scalability are also described

Charge plasma based source/drain engineered Schottky Barrier MOSFET: Ambipolar suppression and improvement of the RF performance

Science.gov (United States)

Kale, Sumit; Kondekar, Pravin N.

2018-01-01

This paper reports a novel device structure for charge plasma based Schottky Barrier (SB) MOSFET on ultrathin SOI to suppress the ambipolar leakage current and improvement of the radio frequency (RF) performance. In the proposed device, we employ dual material for the source and drain formation. Therefore, source/drain is divided into two parts as main source/drain and source/drain extension. Erbium silicide (ErSi1.7) is used as main source/drain material and Hafnium metal is used as source/drain extension material. The source extension induces the electron plasma in the ultrathin SOI body resulting reduction of SB width at the source side. Similarly, drain extension also induces the electron plasma at the drain side. This significantly increases the SB width due to increased depletion at the drain end. As a result, the ambipolar leakage current can be suppressed. In addition, drain extension also reduces the parasitic capacitances of the proposed device to improve the RF performance. The optimization of length and work function of metal used in the drain extension is performed to achieve improvement in device performance. Moreover, the proposed device makes fabrication simpler, requires low thermal budget and free from random dopant fluctuations.

[Teaching performance assessment in Public Health employing three different strategies].

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-González, Adrián; Moreno-Altamirano, Laura; Ponce-Rosas, Efrén Raúl; Martínez-Franco, Adrián Israel; Urrutia-Aguilar, María Esther

2011-01-01

The educational system depends upon the quality and performance of their faculty and should therefore be process of continuous improvement. To assess the teaching performance of the Public Health professors, at the Faculty of Medicine, UNAM through three strategies. Justification study. The evaluation was conducted under a mediational model through three strategies: students' opinion assessment, self-assessment and students' academic achievement. We applied descriptive statistics, Student t test, ANOVA and Pearson correlation. Twenty professors were evaluated from the Public Health department, representing 57% of all them who teach the subject. The professor's performance was highly valued self-assessment compared with assessment of student opinion, was confirmed by statistical analysis the difference was significant. The difference amongst the three evaluation strategies became more evident between self-assessment and the scores obtained by students in their academic achievement. The integration of these three strategies offers a more complete view of the teacher's performance quality. Academic achievement appears to be a more objective strategy for teaching performance assessment than students' opinion and self-assessment.

Standardized assessment of infrared thermographic fever screening system performance

Science.gov (United States)

Ghassemi, Pejhman; Pfefer, Joshua; Casamento, Jon; Wang, Quanzeng

2017-03-01

Thermal modalities represent the only currently viable mass fever screening approach for outbreaks of infectious disease pandemics such as Ebola and SARS. Non-contact infrared thermometers (NCITs) and infrared thermographs (IRTs) have been previously used for mass fever screening in transportation hubs such as airports to reduce the spread of disease. While NCITs remain a more popular choice for fever screening in the field and at fixed locations, there has been increasing evidence in the literature that IRTs can provide greater accuracy in estimating core body temperature if appropriate measurement practices are applied - including the use of technically suitable thermographs. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a battery of evaluation test methods for standardized, objective and quantitative assessment of thermograph performance characteristics critical to assessing suitability for clinical use. These factors include stability, drift, uniformity, minimum resolvable temperature difference, and accuracy. Two commercial IRT models were characterized. An external temperature reference source with high temperature accuracy was utilized as part of the screening thermograph. Results showed that both IRTs are relatively accurate and stable (<1% error of reading with stability of +/-0.05°C). Overall, results of this study may facilitate development of standardized consensus test methods to enable consistent and accurate use of IRTs for fever screening.

Performance of the IBM synchrotron X-ray source for lithography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Archie, C.

1993-01-01

The compact superconducting synchrotron X-ray source at the IBM Advanced Lithography Facility in East Fishkill, New York has been in service to customers since the start of 1992. It availability during scheduled time is greater than 90%, with recent months frequently surpassing 95%. Data on the long-term behavior of the X-ray source properties and subsystem performance are now available. The full system continues to meet all specifications and even to surpass them in key areas. Measured electron beam properties such as beam size, short- and long-term positional stability, and beam life are presented. Lifetimes greater than 20 hours for typical stored beams have significantly simplified operations and increased availability compared to projections. This paper also describes some unique features of this X-ray source and goes beyond a discussion of downtime to describe the efforts behind the scenes to maintain and operate it

ASSESSING STUDENT PERFORMANCE ON INTERPRETING THROUGH PEER-ASSESSMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Titik Ismailia

2017-12-01

Full Text Available As a part of translation interpreting is translating spoken discourse orally. It needs some requirements like ability to speak clearly, clarity, fluency, eye contact, and self-confidence. It also needs linguistic proficiency, analytical skill, listening and recall, interpersonal skills, ethical behaviour, speaking skills, cultural knowledge, and subject knowledge. Evaluating students performance on interpreting can be done through peer assessment. Peer- assessment is one of alternative assessment to grade the peers in group or individuals by commenting on and judging other students work. To do this process there is a join work between listening and speaking, and two students. The first student as a speaker and the second student as an interpreter. Both of them should do the same quality on speak clearly as a speaker and as an interpreter should able to listen and translating the spoken discourse orally. Evaluation can use analytical grade that allows teacher to set clear criteria for correction like fluency, grammar, terminology, general content, and mechanics. Students and teacher can give comment on every criteria based on their own competency. During the process on making criteria, students and teacher can discuss and give reasonable suggestion to make the assessment suitable to the students competency. At the end, a rubric of assessment with the score from 0 to 100 and criteria and also the comment included in the paper of assessment.

Waste package performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lester, D.H.

1981-01-01

This paper describes work undertaken to assess the life-expectancy and post-failure nuclide release behavior of high-level and waste packages in a geologic repository. The work involved integrating models of individual phenomena (such as heat transfer, corrosion, package deformation, and nuclide transport) and using existing data to make estimates of post-emplacement behavior of waste packages. A package performance assessment code was developed to predict time to package failure in a flooded repository and subsequent transport of nuclides out of the leaking package. The model has been used to evaluate preliminary package designs. The results indicate, that within the limitation of model assumptions and data base, packages lasting a few hundreds of years could be developed. Very long lived packages may be possible but more comprehensive data are needed to confirm this

Performance Evaluation of Three-Level Z-Source Inverters Under Semiconductor-Failure Conditions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gao, Feng; Loh, Poh Chiang; Blaabjerg, Frede

2009-01-01

This paper evaluates and proposes various compensation methods for three-level Z-source inverters under semiconductor-failure conditions. Unlike the fault-tolerant techniques used in traditional three-level inverters, where either an extra phase-leg or collective switching states are used......, the proposed methods for three-level Z-source inverters simply reconfigure their relevant gating signals so as to ride-through the failed semiconductor conditions smoothly without any significant decrease in their ac-output quality and amplitude. These features are partly attributed to the inherent boost...... under semiconductor-failure conditions. For verifying these described performance features, PLECS simulation and experimental testing were performed with some results captured and shown in a later section for visual confirmation....

Assessment of Fine Aggregates from Different Sources in Ibadan and Environs for Concrete Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. O. Ajagbe

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Assessment of natural sand being used as fine aggregate for concrete production in Ibadan and its environs was carried out. Ten sources (F1 – F10 were selected for the study; four (F5, F6, F7, F8 were river sand sources while six (F1, F2, F3, F4, F9, F10 were burrow pit sand sources. Samples from each source were subjected to sieve analysis, atterberg limit, bulk density, specific gravity, water absorption, sand equivalent, clay lumps and friable particles, amount of materials passing 75μm and organic impurities adopting ASTM standard procedures. Results revealed that sand from river sources met all the criteria for concrete production stated in ASTM standard while sand from burrow pits deviated from limits of the standard in some respects. F10 had water absorption of 2.6% which exceeded maximum 2% specified, F9 was not free from clay lumps and friable particles with a significant value of 6% as against 3% maximum specification. F1, F2, F3, F4, F9 and F10 have more amounts of materials passing the 75μm sieve ranging from 10.8% for F9 to 20.1% for F10 than maximum of 5% in standard specification while F1, F9 and F10 showed an indication of having organic impurities. It is recommended that performance test be conducted on concrete made from burrow pits sand before use for concrete production. The knowledge of this study can be used as a prospecting tool for selecting suitable sand for the production of quality concrete.

Open source engineering and sustainability tools for the built environment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Coenders, J.L.

2013-01-01

This paper presents two novel open source software developments for design and engineering in the built environment. The first development, called “sustainability-open” [1], aims on providing open source design, analysis and assessment software source code for (environmental) performance of

Performance Availability Assessment of Combined Multi Power Source Traction Drive Considering Real Operational Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Frenkel Ilia

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The present paper deals with the vehicle’s traction electric drive, consisting of several various electric power sources. One of the main requirements for such systems are the safety and sustainable operations, achieved largely the implementation of an uninterrupted supply of the vehicle’s propulsion system with an electric power.

Assessment of Student Music Performances Using Deep Neural Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kumar Ashis Pati

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Music performance assessment is a highly subjective task often relying on experts to gauge both the technical and aesthetic aspects of the performance from the audio signal. This article explores the task of building computational models for music performance assessment, i.e., analyzing an audio recording of a performance and rating it along several criteria such as musicality, note accuracy, etc. Much of the earlier work in this area has been centered around using hand-crafted features intended to capture relevant aspects of a performance. However, such features are based on our limited understanding of music perception and may not be optimal. In this article, we propose using Deep Neural Networks (DNNs for the task and compare their performance against a baseline model using standard and hand-crafted features. We show that, using input representations at different levels of abstraction, DNNs can outperform the baseline models across all assessment criteria. In addition, we use model analysis techniques to further explain the model predictions in an attempt to gain useful insights into the assessment process. The results demonstrate the potential of using supervised feature learning techniques to better characterize music performances.

SITE-94. Site specific base data for the performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geier, J.; Tiren, S.; Dverstorp, B.; Glynn, P.

1996-06-01

This report documents the site specific base data that were available, and the utilization of these data within SITE-94. A brief summary is given of SKB's preliminary site investigations for the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory (HRL), which were the main source of site-specific data for SITE-94, and an overview is given of the field methods and instrumentation for the preliminary investigations. A compilation is given of comments concerning the availability and quality of the data for Aespoe, and specific recommendations are given for future site investigations. It was found that the HRL pre-investigations produced a large quantity of data which were, for the most part, of sufficient quality to be valuable for a performance assessment. However, some problems were encountered regarding documentation, procedural consistency, positional information, and storage of the data from the measurements. 77 refs, 4 tabs

Free and Open Source Software for land degradation vulnerability assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Imbrenda, Vito; Calamita, Giuseppe; Coluzzi, Rosa; D'Emilio, Mariagrazia; Lanfredi, Maria Teresa; Perrone, Angela; Ragosta, Maria; Simoniello, Tiziana

2013-04-01

Nowadays the role of FOSS software in scientific research is becoming increasingly important. Besides the important issues of reduced costs for licences, legality and security there are many other reasons that make FOSS software attractive. Firstly, making the code opened is a warranty of quality permitting to thousands of developers around the world to check the code and fix bugs rather than rely on vendors claims. FOSS communities are usually enthusiastic about helping other users for solving problems and expand or customize software (flexibility). Most important for this study, the interoperability allows to combine the user-friendly QGIS with the powerful GRASS-GIS and the richness of statistical methods of R in order to process remote sensing data and to perform geo-statistical analysis in one only environment. This study is focused on the land degradation (i.e. the reduction in the capacity of the land to provide ecosystem goods and services and assure its functions) and in particular on the estimation of the vulnerability levels in order to suggest appropriate policy actions to reduce/halt land degradation impacts, using the above mentioned software. The area investigated is the Basilicata Region (Southern Italy) where large natural areas are mixed with anthropized areas. To identify different levels of vulnerability we adopted the Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs) model, based on the combination of indicators related to soil, climate, vegetation and anthropic stress. Such indicators were estimated by using the following data-sources: - Basilicata Region Geoportal to assess soil vulnerability; - DESERTNET2 project to evaluate potential vegetation vulnerability and climate vulnerability; - NDVI-MODIS satellite time series (2000-2010) with 250m resolution, available as 16-day composite from the NASA LP DAAC to characterize the dynamic component of vegetation; - Agricultural Census data 2010, Corine Land Cover 2006 and morphological information to assess

VISUAL ART TEACHERS AND PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Charles

Senior Secondary school visual art teachers constituted the sample of this ... and Performance Assessment Methods in Nigerian Senior Secondary Schools – Bello .... definition includes knowledge, skills, attitudes, metacognition and strategic ...

Source apportionment and air quality impact assessment studies in Beijing/China

Science.gov (United States)

Suppan, P.; Schrader, S.; Shen, R.; Ling, H.; Schäfer, K.; Norra, S.; Vogel, B.; Wang, Y.

2012-04-01

More than 15 million people in the greater area of Beijing are still suffering from severe air pollution levels caused by sources within the city itself but also from external impacts like severe dust storms and long range advection from the southern and central part of China. Within this context particulate matter (PM) is the major air pollutant in the greater area of Beijing (Garland et al., 2009). PM did not serve only as lead substance for air quality levels and therefore for adverse health impact effects but also for a strong influence on the climate system by changing e.g. the radiative balance. Investigations on emission reductions during the Olympic Summer Games in 2008 have caused a strong reduction on coarser particles (PM10) but not on smaller particles (PM2.5). In order to discriminate the composition of the particulate matter levels, the different behavior of coarser and smaller particles investigations on source attribution, particle characteristics and external impacts on the PM levels of the city of Beijing by measurements and modeling are performed: Examples of long term measurements of PM2.5 filter sampling in 2005 with the objectives of detailed chemical (source attribution, carbon fraction, organic speciation and inorganic composition) and isotopic analyses as well as toxicological assessment in cooperation with several institutions (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (IfGG/IMG), Helmholtz Zentrum München (HMGU), University Rostock (UR), Chinese University of Mining and Technology Beijing, CUMTB) will be discussed. Further experimental studies include the operation of remote sensing systems to determine continuously the MLH (by a ceilometer) and gaseous air pollutants near the ground (by DOAS systems) as well as at the 320 m measurement tower (adhesive plates at different heights for passive particle collection) in cooperation with the Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). The influence of the MLH on

Design parameters and source terms: Volume 2, Source terms: Revision 0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-09-01

The Design Parameters and Source Terms Document was prepared in accordance with DOE request and to provide data for the environmental impact study to be performed in the future for the Deaf Smith County, Texas site for a nuclear waste repository in salt. This document updates a previous unpublished report to the level of the Site Characterization Plan---Conceptual Design Report SCP-CDR. The previous study identifies the data needs for the Environmental Assessment effort for seven possible salt repository sites. Volume 2 contains tables of source terms

ANALYSING PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT IN PUBLIC SERVICES: HOW USEFUL IS THE CONCEPT OF A PERFORMANCE REGIME?

Science.gov (United States)

Martin, Steve; Nutley, Sandra; Downe, James; Grace, Clive

2016-03-01

Approaches to performance assessment have been described as 'performance regimes', but there has been little analysis of what is meant by this concept and whether it has any real value. We draw on four perspectives on regimes - 'institutions and instruments', 'risk regulation regimes', 'internal logics and effects' and 'analytics of government' - to explore how the concept of a multi-dimensional regime can be applied to performance assessment in public services. We conclude that the concept is valuable. It helps to frame comparative and longitudinal analyses of approaches to performance assessment and draws attention to the ways in which public service performance regimes operate at different levels, how they change over time and what drives their development. Areas for future research include analysis of the impacts of performance regimes and interactions between their visible features (such as inspections, performance indicators and star ratings) and the veiled rationalities which underpin them.

Web-Based Portfolio Assessment: Validation of an Open Source Platform

Science.gov (United States)

Collins, Regina; Elliot, Norbert; Klobucar, Andrew; Deek, Fadi P.

2013-01-01

Assessment of educational outcomes through purchased tests is commonplace in the evaluation of individual student ability and of educational programs. Focusing on the assessment of writing performance in a longitudinal study of first-time, full-time students (n = 598), this research describes the design, use, and assessment of an open-source…

40 CFR 421.334 - Standards of performance for new sources.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... range of 7.5 to 10.0 at all times. (d) SiC14 purification wet air pollution control. NSPS for the... this subpart shall achieve the following new source performance standards: (a) Sand drying wet air... the range of 7.5 to 10.0 at all times. (b) Sand chlorination off-gas wet air pollution control. NSPS...

TURVA-2012: Performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hellae, Pirjo; Snellman, Margit; Marcos, Nuria; Pastina, Barbara; Smith, Paul; Koskinen, Kari

2014-01-01

TURVA-2012 is Posiva's safety case in support of the Preliminary Safety Analysis Report (PSAR) and application for a construction licence for a repository for disposal of spent nuclear fuel at the Olkiluoto site in south-western Finland. Posiva's safety concept is based on long-term isolation and containment, which is achieved through a robust engineered barrier system (EBS) design and favourable geological conditions at the repository site. The reference design considered in the TURVA-2012 safety case is the KBS-3V design, with the EBS consisting of a copper-iron canister, a buffer of swelling clay material, a backfill in the deposition tunnels of low-permeability material and closure of the central tunnels and other underground openings. The host rock acts as a natural barrier. Each barrier contributes to safety through one or more safety function. The conditions needed for the barriers to fulfil their respective safety functions are expressed in terms of performance targets for the EBS and the target properties for the host rock. The performance assessment (Posiva, 2013), which is a key component of TURVA-2012, analyses the ability of the repository system to provide containment and isolation of the spent nuclear fuel during the long-term evolution of the system and the site. The conditions needed for the barriers to fulfil their respective safety functions are expressed in terms of performance targets for the engineered barriers and target properties for the host rock, for example properties related to the corrosion resistance and mechanical strength of the canister as well as groundwater flow and composition. The analyses take into account the uncertainties in the initial state, the subsequent thermal, hydraulic, mechanical and chemical evolution of the repository system and uncertainties in the evolution. The conclusions of the performance assessment are based mostly on the output of key modelling activities. Whenever modelling is not possible the conclusions

Assessing irrigation performance by using remote sensing

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bandara, K.M.P.S.

2006-01-01

Keywords: Performance indicators, performance assessment, diagnostic approach, SEBAL, target level, grain yield, water productivity, error estimation, spatio-temporal resolution.

In

Assessment of intake inadequacy and food sources of zinc of people in China

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ma Guansheng,; Li Yanping,; Kok, F.J.; Xiaoguang, Y.

2007-01-01

Objectives: To assess the intake inadequacy and food sources of zinc of people in China. Design and subjects: Diets of 68 962 subjects aged 2-101 years (urban 21103, rural 47859) in the 2002 China National Nutrition and Health Survey were analysed. Dietary intake was assessed using 24-hour recall

Incorrect Weighting of Absolute Performance in Self-Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffrey, Scott A.; Cozzarin, Brian

Students spend much of their life in an attempt to assess their aptitude for numerous tasks. For example, they expend a great deal of effort to determine their academic standing given a distribution of grades. This research finds that students use their absolute performance, or percentage correct as a yardstick for their self-assessment, even when relative standing is much more informative. An experiment shows that this reliance on absolute performance for self-evaluation causes a misallocation of time and financial resources. Reasons for this inappropriate responsiveness to absolute performance are explored.

Performance variations of river water source heat pump system according to heat exchanger capacity variations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Seong Ryong; Baik, Young Jin; Lee, Young Soo; Kim, Hee Hwan

2003-01-01

The utilization of unused energy is important because it can afford to offer a chance to increase energy efficiency of a heat pump system. One of the promising unused energy sources is river water. It can be used as a heat source in both heating and cooling effectively with its superior features as a secondary working fluids. In this study, the performance of a 5HP heat pump system using river water as a heat source is investigated by both experiment and simulation. According to system simulation results, performance improvement of condenser seems more effective than that of evaporator for better COPH. The serial connection is also preferred among several methods to improve plate type heat exchanger performance. The experimental results show that the hot water of 50∼60 .deg. C can be acquired from water heat source of 5∼9 .deg. C with COPH of 2.7∼3.5

Performance assessment for underground radioactive waste disposal systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1985-01-01

A waste disposal system comprises a number of subsystems and components. The performance of most systems can be demonstrated only indirectly because of the long period that would be required to test them. This report gives special attention to performance assessment of subsystems within the total waste disposal system, and is an extension of an IAEA report on Safety Assessment for the Underground Disposal of Radioactive Wastes

Performance evaluation of the Champagne source reconstruction algorithm on simulated and real M/EEG data.

Science.gov (United States)

Owen, Julia P; Wipf, David P; Attias, Hagai T; Sekihara, Kensuke; Nagarajan, Srikantan S

2012-03-01

In this paper, we present an extensive performance evaluation of a novel source localization algorithm, Champagne. It is derived in an empirical Bayesian framework that yields sparse solutions to the inverse problem. It is robust to correlated sources and learns the statistics of non-stimulus-evoked activity to suppress the effect of noise and interfering brain activity. We tested Champagne on both simulated and real M/EEG data. The source locations used for the simulated data were chosen to test the performance on challenging source configurations. In simulations, we found that Champagne outperforms the benchmark algorithms in terms of both the accuracy of the source localizations and the correct estimation of source time courses. We also demonstrate that Champagne is more robust to correlated brain activity present in real MEG data and is able to resolve many distinct and functionally relevant brain areas with real MEG and EEG data. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of light extinction at a European polluted urban area during wintertime: Impact of PM1 composition and sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Vecchi, R; Bernardoni, V; Valentini, S; Piazzalunga, A; Fermo, P; Valli, G

2018-02-01

In this paper, results from receptor modelling performed on a well-characterised PM 1 dataset were combined to chemical light extinction data (b ext ) with the aim of assessing the impact of different PM 1 components and sources on light extinction and visibility at a European polluted urban area. It is noteworthy that, at the state of the art, there are still very few papers estimating the impact of different emission sources on light extinction as we present here, although being among the major environmental challenges at many polluted areas. Following the concept of the well-known IMPROVE algorithm, here a tailored site-specific approach (recently developed by our group) was applied to assess chemical light extinction due to PM 1 components and major sources. PM 1 samples collected separately during daytime and nighttime at the urban area of Milan (Italy) were chemically characterised for elements, major ions, elemental and organic carbon, and levoglucosan. Chemical light extinction was estimated and results showed that at the investigated urban site it is heavily impacted by ammonium nitrate and organic matter. Receptor modelling (i.e. Positive Matrix Factorization, EPA-PMF 5.0) was effective to obtain source apportionment; the most reliable solution was found with 7 factors which were tentatively assigned to nitrates, sulphates, wood burning, traffic, industry, fine dust, and a Pb-rich source. The apportionment of aerosol light extinction (b ext,aer ) according to resolved sources showed that considering all samples together nitrate contributed at most (on average 41.6%), followed by sulphate, traffic, and wood burning accounting for 18.3%, 17.8% and 12.4%, respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reduction Assessment of Agricultural Non-Point Source Pollutant Loading

OpenAIRE

Fu, YiCheng; Zang, Wenbin; Zhang, Jian; Wang, Hongtao; Zhang, Chunling; Shi, Wanli

2018-01-01

NPS (Non-point source) pollution has become a key impact element to watershed environment at present. With the development of technology, application of models to control NPS pollution has become a very common practice for resource management and Pollutant reduction control in the watershed scale of China. The SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model is a semi-conceptual model, which was put forward to estimate pollutant production & the influences on water quantity-quality under different...

Pylinguistics: an open source library for readability assessment of texts written in Portuguese

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Castilhos, S.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Readability assessment is an important task in automatic text simplification that aims identify the text complexity by computing a set of metrics. In this paper, we present the development and assessment of an open source library called Pylinguistics to readability assessment of texts written in Portuguese. Additionally, to illustrate the possibilities of our tool, this work also presents an empirical analysis of readability of Brazilian scientific news dissemination.

Design parameters and source terms: Volume 3, Source terms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-10-01

The Design Parameters and Source Terms Document was prepared in accordance with DOE request and to provide data for the environmental impact study to be performed in the future for the Deaf Smith County, Texas site for a nuclear waste repository in salt. This document updates a previous unpublished report by Stearns Catalytic Corporation (SCC), entitled ''Design Parameters and Source Terms for a Two-Phase Repository in Salt,'' 1985, to the level of the Site Characterization Plan - Conceptual Design Report. The previous unpublished SCC Study identifies the data needs for the Environmental Assessment effort for seven possible Salt Repository sites. 11 refs., 9 tabs

Development of visible spectroscopy diagnostics for W sources assessment in WEST

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, O., E-mail: olivier.meyer@cea.fr; Giacalone, J. C.; Pascal, J. Y.; Raulin, D.; Aumeunier, M. H.; Gil, C.; Hatchressian, J.-C.; Larroque, S.; Lotte, Ph.; Moreau, Ph.; Pégourié, B.; Vartanian, S. [CEA, IRFM, F-13108 Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance (France); Jones, O. M.; Baude, R.; Escarguel, A. [PIIM, Avenue Escadrille Normandie-Niemen, 13397 Marseille Cedex 20 (France); Xu, H. [ASIPP, 350 Shushanhu Road, Hefei, Anhui 230031 (China); Harris, J. H.; Klepper, C. C. [ORNL, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6169 (United States)

2016-11-15

The present work concerns the development of a W sources assessment system in the framework of the tungsten-W environment in steady state tokamak project that aims at equipping the existing Tore Supra device with a tungsten divertor in order to test actively cooled tungsten Plasma Facing Components (PFCs) in view of preparing ITER operation. The goal is to assess W sources and D recycling with spectral, spatial, and temporal resolution adapted to the PFCs observed. The originality of the system is that all optical elements are installed in the vacuum vessel and compatible with steady state operation. Our system is optimized to measure radiance as low as 10{sup 16} Ph/(m{sup 2} s sr). A total of 240 optical fibers will be deployed to the detection systems such as the “Filterscope,” developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (USA) and consisting of photomultiplier tubes and filters, or imaging spectrometers dedicated to Multiview analysis.

Simulation analysis on dynamic performance of a combined solar/air dual source heat pump water heater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng, Weishi; Yu, Jianlin

2016-01-01

Highlights: • A modified direct expansion solar-assisted heat pump water heater is investigated. • An additional air source evaporator is used in parallel way in the M-DX-SHPWH system. • The M-DX-SHPWH system displays a higher performance at the low solar radiation. • Effects of solar radiation and air temperature on the performance are discussed. - Abstract: This paper investigated a combined solar/air dual source heat pump water heater system for domestic water heating application. In the dual source system, an additional air source evaporator is introduced in parallel way based on a conventional direct expansion solar-assisted heat pump water heaters (DX-SHPWH) system, which can improve the performance of the DX-SHPWH system at a low solar radiation. In the present study, a dynamic mathematical model based on zoned lump parameter approach is developed to simulate the performance of the system (i.e. a modified DX-SHPWH (M-DX-SHPWH) system). Using the model, the performance of M-DX-SHPWH system is evaluated and then compared with that of the conventional DX-SHPWH system. The simulation results show the M-DX-SHPWH system has a better performance than that of the conventional DX-SHPWH system. At a low solar radiation of 100 W/m"2, the heating time of the M-DX-SHPWH decreases by 19.8% compared to the DX-SHPWH when water temperature reaches 55 °C. Meanwhile, the COP on average increases by 14.1%. In addition, the refrigerant mass flow rate distribution in the air source evaporator and the solar collector of the system, the allocation between the air source evaporator and the solar collector areas and effects of solar radiation and ambient air temperature on the system performance are discussed.

Studies Performed in Preparation for the Spallation Neutron Source Accumulator Ring Commissioning

CERN Document Server

Cousineau, Sarah M; Henderson, Stuart; Holmes, Jeffrey Alan; Plum, Michael

2005-01-01

The Spallation Neutron Source accumulator ring will compress 1.5?1014, 1 GeV protons from a 1 ms bunch train to a single 695 ns proton bunch for use in neutron spallation. Due to the high beam power, unprecedented control of beam loss will be required in order to control radiation and allow for hands-on maintenance in most areas of the ring. A number of detailed investigations have been performed to understand the primary sources of beam loss and to predict and mitigate problems associated with radiation hot spots in the ring. The ORBIT particle tracking code is used to perform realistic simulations of the beam accumulation in the ring, including detailed modeling of the injection system, transport through the measured magnet fields including higher order multipoles, and beam loss and collimation. In this paper we present the results of a number of studies performed in preparation for the 2006 commissioning of the accumulator ring.

Performances of a Compact, High-Power WB Source with Circular Polarization

Science.gov (United States)

Delmote, P.; Pinguet, S.; Bieth, F.

This paper presents the design and the performances of an embedded high-power microwave (HPM) wideband source, developed and built at the French-German Research Institute of Saint-Louis. The system was intended for dual use, homeland security, and military applications. It is powered by a 400 kV compact Marx generator with specificities in coaxial design and low energy. The slow monopolar signal from the Marx is sharpened using a pulse-forming stage, made of a switching module pressurized with nitrogen, followed by a monopulse-to-monocycle converter. The duration and rise times of this signal could be adjusted by varying the pressure and space between electrodes. Repetitive operations were performed up to 100 Hz during 10 s without a gas flow. Two kinds of antennas can be connected to the source. The first one is a TEM horn, with an optional dielectric lens, that radiates a vertically polarized UWB short pulse. The second one is a nine-turn helix, working in Kraus monopolar axial mode and radiating a circularly polarized wideband signal along the main axis. A dedicated conical reflector increases its directivity and bandwidth. The whole source is designed to be embedded inside an aluminum trailer, powered by batteries and remote controlled through an optical fiber.

Recent performances of the multiple charged heavy-ion source - triple mafios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Briand, P.; Chan-tung, N.; Geller, R.; Jacquot, B.

1977-01-01

The principle and the characteristics of the ion source are described. We also furnish upto date performances concerning ion currents, globale emittances of the beam as well as the emittances of Ar 1+ to Ar 10+ in the radial and axial planes. (orig./WL) [de

Comment Response on the Final Report: Peer Review of the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (TSPA-VA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pendleton, M. W.

1999-01-01

The Management and Operating Contractor established a Performance Assessment Peer Review Panel (hereinafter ''the Panel'') at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office. The objectives of the peer review were to provide: (1) A formal, independent evaluation and critique of Viability Assessment of a Repository at Yucca Mountain: Total System Performance Assessment, Volume 3 (DOE 1998a; hereinafter ''Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment'') that was conducted in support of the Viability Assessment of a Repository at Yucca Mountain (DOE 1998b). (2) Suggestions for improvements as the U.S. Department of Energy prepares to develop the documentation for a Total System Performance Assessment to support a potential License Application. The Panel conducted a phased review over a two-year period to observe the development and, ultimately, to review the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (DOE 1998a). During the development of the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (DOE 1998a), the Panel submitted three Interim Reports (Whipple et al., 1997a, 1997b, and 1998) to the Management and Operating Contractor with recommendations and comments on the process models, model abstractions, and draft documentation for the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (DOE 1998a). The Panel's Final Report Total System Performance Assessment Peer Review Panel (Whipple et al. 1999; hereinafter ''Final Report'') on the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (DOE 1998a) is based primarily on the completed Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (DOE 1998a), the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (TSPA-VA) Analyses Technical Basis Document (CRWMS M and O 1998), and the cited references. The Final Report (Whipple et al. 1999) includes the major points from the three Interim Reports (Whipple et al. 1997a, 1997b, and 1998

Workplace-based assessment: raters' performance theories and constructs.

Science.gov (United States)

Govaerts, M J B; Van de Wiel, M W J; Schuwirth, L W T; Van der Vleuten, C P M; Muijtjens, A M M

2013-08-01

Weaknesses in the nature of rater judgments are generally considered to compromise the utility of workplace-based assessment (WBA). In order to gain insight into the underpinnings of rater behaviours, we investigated how raters form impressions of and make judgments on trainee performance. Using theoretical frameworks of social cognition and person perception, we explored raters' implicit performance theories, use of task-specific performance schemas and the formation of person schemas during WBA. We used think-aloud procedures and verbal protocol analysis to investigate schema-based processing by experienced (N = 18) and inexperienced (N = 16) raters (supervisor-raters in general practice residency training). Qualitative data analysis was used to explore schema content and usage. We quantitatively assessed rater idiosyncrasy in the use of performance schemas and we investigated effects of rater expertise on the use of (task-specific) performance schemas. Raters used different schemas in judging trainee performance. We developed a normative performance theory comprising seventeen inter-related performance dimensions. Levels of rater idiosyncrasy were substantial and unrelated to rater expertise. Experienced raters made significantly more use of task-specific performance schemas compared to inexperienced raters, suggesting more differentiated performance schemas in experienced raters. Most raters started to develop person schemas the moment they began to observe trainee performance. The findings further our understanding of processes underpinning judgment and decision making in WBA. Raters make and justify judgments based on personal theories and performance constructs. Raters' information processing seems to be affected by differences in rater expertise. The results of this study can help to improve rater training, the design of assessment instruments and decision making in WBA.

Functional Performance and Associations between Performance Tests and Neurological Assessment Differ in Men and Women with Parkinson's Disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Medijainen, Kadri; Pääsuke, Mati; Lukmann, Aet; Taba, Pille

2015-01-01

Neurological assessment of a patient with Parkinson's disease (PD) is expected to reflect upon functional performance. As women are known to report more limitations even for same observed functional performance level, present study was designed to examine whether associations between neurological assessments and functional performance differ across genders. 14 men and 14 women with PD participated. Functional performance was assessed by measuring walking speeds on 10-meter walk test (10MWT) and by performing timed-up-and-go-test (TUG). Neurological assessment included Hoehn and Yahr Scale (HY), Movement Disorders Society Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living Scale (S-E), and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE). In women with PD, Kendall's tau-b correlation analyses revealed significant correlations between functional performance tests and neurological assessment measures, with the exception in MMSE. No corresponding associations were found for men, although they demonstrated better functional performance, as expected. Men in similar clinical stage of the PD perform better on functional tests than women. Disease severity reflects upon functional performance differently in men and women with PD. Results indicate that when interpreting the assessment results of both functional performance and neurological assessment tests, the gender of the patient should be taken into consideration.

Experimental performance analysis of a direct-expansion ground source heat pump in Xiangtan, China

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Wei

2013-01-01

The DX GSHP (direct-expansion ground source heat pump), which uses a buried copper piping network through which refrigerant is circulated, is one type of GSHP (ground source heat pump). This study investigates the performance characteristics of a vertical U-bend direct-expansion ground source (geothermal) heat pump system (DX GSHPS) for both heating and cooling. Compared with the conventional GCHP (ground coupled heat pump) system, the DX GSHP system is more efficient, with lower thermal resistance in the GHE (ground heat exchanger) and a lower (higher) condensing (evaporating) temperature in the cooling (heating) mode. In addition, the system performance of the whole DX GSHP system is also higher than that of the conventional GCHP system. A DX GSHP system in Xiangtan, China with a U-bend ground heat exchanger 42 m deep with a nominal outside diameter of 12.7 mm buried in a water well was tested and analysed. The results showed that the performance of this system is very high. The maximum (average) COPs of the system were found to be 6.08 (4.73) and 6.32 (5.03) in the heating and cooling modes, respectively. - Highlights: • The reasons for the higher performance of the DX GSHP (direct-expansion ground source heat pump) are analysed theoretically compared with the conventional GCHP (ground coupled heat pump). • The experimental performance of a DX GSHP system is investigated, which makes a valuable contribution to the literature. • The study is helpful in demonstrating the energy efficiency of the DX GSHP system

Exposure calculations for the FRG isotopic heat source project environmental assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Metcalf, I.L.

1997-01-01

The report documents the maximum exposure for transfer of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) Isotopic Heat Sources from the 324 Building and placed in interim storage at the Central Waste Complex (CWC). These results are to be reported in the Environmental Assessment DOE-EA- 1 21 1

Physician Performance Assessment: Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease

Science.gov (United States)

Lipner, Rebecca S.; Weng, Weifeng; Caverzagie, Kelly J.; Hess, Brian J.

2013-01-01

Given the rising burden of healthcare costs, both patients and healthcare purchasers are interested in discerning which physicians deliver quality care. We proposed a methodology to assess physician clinical performance in preventive cardiology care, and determined a benchmark for minimally acceptable performance. We used data on eight…

Radioactive Waste Management Complex performance assessment: Draft

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Case, M.J.; Maheras, S.J.; McKenzie-Carter, M.A.; Sussman, M.E.; Voilleque, P.

1990-06-01

A radiological performance assessment of the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory was conducted to demonstrate compliance with appropriate radiological criteria of the US Department of Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency for protection of the general public. The calculations involved modeling the transport of radionuclides from buried waste, to surface soil and subsurface media, and eventually to members of the general public via air, ground water, and food chain pathways. Projections of doses were made for both offsite receptors and individuals intruding onto the site after closure. In addition, uncertainty analyses were performed. Results of calculations made using nominal data indicate that the radiological doses will be below appropriate radiological criteria throughout operations and after closure of the facility. Recommendations were made for future performance assessment calculations.

Radioactive Waste Management Complex performance assessment: Draft

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Case, M.J.; Maheras, S.J.; McKenzie-Carter, M.A.; Sussman, M.E.; Voilleque, P.

1990-06-01

A radiological performance assessment of the Radioactive Waste Management Complex at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory was conducted to demonstrate compliance with appropriate radiological criteria of the US Department of Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency for protection of the general public. The calculations involved modeling the transport of radionuclides from buried waste, to surface soil and subsurface media, and eventually to members of the general public via air, ground water, and food chain pathways. Projections of doses were made for both offsite receptors and individuals intruding onto the site after closure. In addition, uncertainty analyses were performed. Results of calculations made using nominal data indicate that the radiological doses will be below appropriate radiological criteria throughout operations and after closure of the facility. Recommendations were made for future performance assessment calculations

A global probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment from earthquake sources

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Gareth; Griffin, Jonathan; Lovholt, Finn; Glimsdal, Sylfest; Harbitz, Carl; Thio, Hong Kie; Lorito, Stefano; Basili, Roberto; Selva, Jacopo; Geist, Eric L.; Baptista, Maria Ana

2017-01-01

Large tsunamis occur infrequently but have the capacity to cause enormous numbers of casualties, damage to the built environment and critical infrastructure, and economic losses. A sound understanding of tsunami hazard is required to underpin management of these risks, and while tsunami hazard assessments are typically conducted at regional or local scales, globally consistent assessments are required to support international disaster risk reduction efforts, and can serve as a reference for local and regional studies. This study presents a global-scale probabilistic tsunami hazard assessment (PTHA), extending previous global-scale assessments based largely on scenario analysis. Only earthquake sources are considered, as they represent about 80% of the recorded damaging tsunami events. Globally extensive estimates of tsunami run-up height are derived at various exceedance rates, and the associated uncertainties are quantified. Epistemic uncertainties in the exceedance rates of large earthquakes often lead to large uncertainties in tsunami run-up. Deviations between modelled tsunami run-up and event observations are quantified, and found to be larger than suggested in previous studies. Accounting for these deviations in PTHA is important, as it leads to a pronounced increase in predicted tsunami run-up for a given exceedance rate.

FMRI activity during associative encoding is correlated with cardiorespiratory fitness and source memory performance in older adults

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Scott M.; Hayes, Jasmeet P.; Williams, Victoria J.; Liu, Huiting; Verfaellie, Mieke

2017-01-01

Older adults (OA), relative to young adults (YA), exhibit age-related alterations in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) activity during associative encoding, which contributes to deficits in source memory. Yet, there are remarkable individual differences in brain health and memory performance among OA. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is one individual difference factor that may attenuate brain aging, and thereby contribute to enhanced source memory in OA. To examine this possibility, 26 OA and 31 YA completed a treadmill-based exercise test to evaluate CRF (peak VO2) and fMRI to examine brain activation during a face-name associative encoding task. Our results indicated that in OA, peak VO2 was positively associated with fMRI activity during associative encoding in multiple regions including bilateral prefrontal cortex, medial frontal cortex, bilateral thalamus and left hippocampus. Next, a conjunction analysis was conducted to assess whether CRF influenced age-related differences in fMRI activation. We classified OA as high or low CRF and compared their activation to YA. High fit OA (HFOA) showed fMRI activation more similar to YA than low fit OA (LFOA) (i.e., reduced age-related differences) in multiple regions including thalamus, posterior and prefrontal cortex. Conversely, in other regions, primarily in prefrontal cortex, HFOA, but not LFOA, demonstrated greater activation than YA (i.e., increased age-related differences). Further, fMRI activity in these brain regions was positively associated with source memory among OA, with a mediation model demonstrating that associative encoding activation in medial frontal cortex indirectly influenced the relationship between peak VO2 and subsequent source memory performance. These results indicate that CRF may contribute to neuroplasticity among OA, reducing age-related differences in some brain regions, consistent with the brain maintenance hypothesis, but accentuating age-differences in other regions

FMRI activity during associative encoding is correlated with cardiorespiratory fitness and source memory performance in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Scott M; Hayes, Jasmeet P; Williams, Victoria J; Liu, Huiting; Verfaellie, Mieke

2017-06-01

Older adults (OA), relative to young adults (YA), exhibit age-related alterations in functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) activity during associative encoding, which contributes to deficits in source memory. Yet, there are remarkable individual differences in brain health and memory performance among OA. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is one individual difference factor that may attenuate brain aging, and thereby contribute to enhanced source memory in OA. To examine this possibility, 26 OA and 31 YA completed a treadmill-based exercise test to evaluate CRF (peak VO 2 ) and fMRI to examine brain activation during a face-name associative encoding task. Our results indicated that in OA, peak VO 2 was positively associated with fMRI activity during associative encoding in multiple regions including bilateral prefrontal cortex, medial frontal cortex, bilateral thalamus and left hippocampus. Next, a conjunction analysis was conducted to assess whether CRF influenced age-related differences in fMRI activation. We classified OA as high or low CRF and compared their activation to YA. High fit OA (HFOA) showed fMRI activation more similar to YA than low fit OA (LFOA) (i.e., reduced age-related differences) in multiple regions including thalamus, posterior and prefrontal cortex. Conversely, in other regions, primarily in prefrontal cortex, HFOA, but not LFOA, demonstrated greater activation than YA (i.e., increased age-related differences). Further, fMRI activity in these brain regions was positively associated with source memory among OA, with a mediation model demonstrating that associative encoding activation in medial frontal cortex indirectly influenced the relationship between peak VO 2 and subsequent source memory performance. These results indicate that CRF may contribute to neuroplasticity among OA, reducing age-related differences in some brain regions, consistent with the brain maintenance hypothesis, but accentuating age-differences in other regions

Self- and peer-assessments of ambulance drivers' driving performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Sundström

2012-07-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to develop and examine the quality of the Ambulance Driver Self-assessment Questionnaire (ADSQ and the Ambulance Driver Peer-assessment Questionnaire (ADPQ measuring aspects of, driving performance, driving style and driving competence. In addition the ADSQ measures self-reflection and safety-attitudes. The aim of the study was also to examine ambulance drivers' self- and peer-assessments as well as to examine the accuracy of self-assessments by comparing self-assessed and peer-assessed driving performance, driving style and competence. 76 ambulance drivers employed at two ambulance stations in northern Sweden completed ADSQ and ADPQ. Item analyses were conducted to examine the psychometric properties of the items, and based on the results some revisions were made to improve the questionnaires. The revised questionnaires were functioning rather well, although some subscale demonstrated low internal consistency. Subscale inter-correlations provided support for construct validity. Self- and peer-assessments indicated safe driving performance and good driver competence, which is positive from a traffic safety perspective. A comparison of mean self- and peer-assessment ratings, controlling for age, gender and driving experience showed no significant differences, except for the subscale overtaking. This indicates that ambulance drivers' self-assessments are realistic in most areas.

The effect of pollen source vs. flower type on progeny performance and seed predation under contrasting light environments in a cleistogamous herb.

Science.gov (United States)

Munguía-Rosas, Miguel A; Campos-Navarrete, María J; Parra-Tabla, Víctor

2013-01-01

Dimorphic cleistogamy is a specialized form of mixed mating system where a single plant produces both open, potentially outcrossed chasmogamous (CH) and closed, obligately self-pollinated cleistogamous (CL) flowers. Typically, CH flowers and seeds are bigger and energetically more costly than those of CL. Although the effects of inbreeding and floral dimorphism are critical to understanding the evolution and maintenance of cleistogamy, these effects have been repeatedly confounded. In an attempt to separate these effects, we compared the performance of progeny derived from the two floral morphs while controlling for the source of pollen. That is, flower type and pollen source effects were assessed by comparing the performance of progeny derived from selfed CH vs. CL and outcrossed CH vs. selfed CH flowers, respectively. The experiment was carried out with the herb Ruellia nudiflora under two contrasting light environments. Outcrossed progeny generally performed better than selfed progeny. However, inbreeding depression ranges from low (1%) to moderate (36%), with the greatest value detected under shaded conditions when cumulative fitness was used. Although flower type generally had less of an effect on progeny performance than pollen source did, the progeny derived from selfed CH flowers largely outperformed the progeny from CL flowers, but only under shaded conditions and when cumulative fitness was taken into account. On the other hand, the source of pollen and flower type influenced seed predation, with selfed CH progeny the most heavily attacked by predators. Therefore, the effects of pollen source and flower type are environment-dependant and seed predators may increase the genetic differences between progeny derived from CH and CL flowers. Inbreeding depression alone cannot account for the maintenance of a mixed mating system in R. nudiflora and other unidentified mechanisms must thus be involved.

The effect of pollen source vs. flower type on progeny performance and seed predation under contrasting light environments in a cleistogamous herb.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miguel A Munguía-Rosas

Full Text Available Dimorphic cleistogamy is a specialized form of mixed mating system where a single plant produces both open, potentially outcrossed chasmogamous (CH and closed, obligately self-pollinated cleistogamous (CL flowers. Typically, CH flowers and seeds are bigger and energetically more costly than those of CL. Although the effects of inbreeding and floral dimorphism are critical to understanding the evolution and maintenance of cleistogamy, these effects have been repeatedly confounded. In an attempt to separate these effects, we compared the performance of progeny derived from the two floral morphs while controlling for the source of pollen. That is, flower type and pollen source effects were assessed by comparing the performance of progeny derived from selfed CH vs. CL and outcrossed CH vs. selfed CH flowers, respectively. The experiment was carried out with the herb Ruellia nudiflora under two contrasting light environments. Outcrossed progeny generally performed better than selfed progeny. However, inbreeding depression ranges from low (1% to moderate (36%, with the greatest value detected under shaded conditions when cumulative fitness was used. Although flower type generally had less of an effect on progeny performance than pollen source did, the progeny derived from selfed CH flowers largely outperformed the progeny from CL flowers, but only under shaded conditions and when cumulative fitness was taken into account. On the other hand, the source of pollen and flower type influenced seed predation, with selfed CH progeny the most heavily attacked by predators. Therefore, the effects of pollen source and flower type are environment-dependant and seed predators may increase the genetic differences between progeny derived from CH and CL flowers. Inbreeding depression alone cannot account for the maintenance of a mixed mating system in R. nudiflora and other unidentified mechanisms must thus be involved.

Assessing the Sustainability Performance of Urban Plans based on Ecosystem Services

Science.gov (United States)

Menteşe, E. Y.; Tezer, A.

2017-12-01

Aiming at efficient and mindful use of natural resources while enabling social cohesion and economic development; sustainable development is one of the most emerging phenomenon in last decade. In this regard, role of urban development is critical by means of achieving sustainability since more than half of the world's population lives in cities. However, there is no solid and widely accepted approach for sustainability assessment in land use planning because there is not enough evidence on the relation between land use plans and environmental sustainability. With the basic aim of setting up relation between environmental sustainability and urban plans, this study utilizes ecosystem services phenomenon to define sustainability performance of a land use plan. Since ecosystem services can easily be related with land cover and land use they can be used as an efficient tool to act as indicators of sustainability. Meanwhile, while urban plans can provide ecosystem services and their level of service provision can be quantified, this is not solely enough for understanding its sustainability. Because it is also known that a land use plan mostly has negative impact on sustainability. Hence, this study embraces land use plans as a source of ecosystem services and environmental impacts. The difference between these entities are assumed to be the sustainability performance of a plan. The analysis relies on four parameters: ecosystem service capacity (environmental impact capacity), areal quantity of a land cover / use function, fragmantation level of the land use / cover and weight of ecosystem services / environmental impacts. Lastly, this approach is adopted for Istanbul's environmental master plan of 2009 and actual land cover of the same period. By calculating both data's environmental performance, the change of sustainability level sourced from environmental plan is analyzed.

Investigation of rf plasma light sources for dye laser excitation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kendall, J.S.; Jaminet, J.F.

1975-06-01

Analytical and experimental studies were performed to assess the applicability of radio frequency (rf) induction heated plasma light sources for potential excitation of continuous dye lasers. Experimental efforts were directed toward development of a continuous light source having spectral flux and emission characteristics approaching that required for pumping organic dye lasers. Analytical studies were performed to investigate (1) methods of pulsing the light source to obtain higher radiant intensity and (2) methods of integrating the source with a reflective cavity for pumping a dye cell. (TFD)

Machine performance assessment and enhancement for a hexapod machine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mou, J.I. [Arizona State Univ., Tempe, AZ (United States); King, C. [Sandia National Labs., Livermore, CA (United States). Integrated Manufacturing Systems Center

1998-03-19

The focus of this study is to develop a sensor fused process modeling and control methodology to model, assess, and then enhance the performance of a hexapod machine for precision product realization. Deterministic modeling technique was used to derive models for machine performance assessment and enhancement. Sensor fusion methodology was adopted to identify the parameters of the derived models. Empirical models and computational algorithms were also derived and implemented to model, assess, and then enhance the machine performance. The developed sensor fusion algorithms can be implemented on a PC-based open architecture controller to receive information from various sensors, assess the status of the process, determine the proper action, and deliver the command to actuators for task execution. This will enhance a hexapod machine`s capability to produce workpieces within the imposed dimensional tolerances.

High Dynamic Performance Nonlinear Source Emulator

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nguyen-Duy, Khiem; Knott, Arnold; Andersen, Michael A. E.

2016-01-01

As research and development of renewable and clean energy based systems is advancing rapidly, the nonlinear source emulator (NSE) is becoming very essential for testing of maximum power point trackers or downstream converters. Renewable and clean energy sources play important roles in both...... terrestrial and nonterrestrial applications. However, most existing NSEs have only been concerned with simulating energy sources in terrestrial applications, which may not be fast enough for testing of nonterrestrial applications. In this paper, a high-bandwidth NSE is developed that is able to simulate...... change in the input source but also to a load step between nominal and open circuit. Moreover, all of these operation modes have a very fast settling time of only 10 μs, which is hundreds of times faster than that of existing works. This attribute allows for higher speed and a more efficient maximum...

The concept of recommended working life applied to radiation sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorch, E.A.

1980-01-01

Consideration is given to the background behind the Radiochemical Centre's decision to introduce values of recommended working life (RWL) of 5, 10 or 15 years for the majority of its radiation sources. Criteria used in assessing RWL included toxicity, half-life and total initial activity of the nuclide, source construction, typical application environments, experience of safety in use and test performance data. The introduction of the concept of RWL has meant that users are becoming aware of the need for regular inspection and assessment of sources, but it is emphasized that the RWL does not constitute a guarantee of performance. It represents an effort by the Radiochemical Centre to ensure the proper use of its products. (U.K.)

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Performance Assessment Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, J.; Coons, W.E.; Eastmond, R.; Morse, J.; Chakrabarti, S.; Zurkoff, J.; Colton, I.D.; Banz, I.

1986-01-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) Performance Assessment Program involves a comprehensive analysis of the WIPP project with respect to the recently finalized Environmental Protection Agency regulations regarding the long-term geologic isolation of radioactive wastes. The performance assessment brings together the results of site characterization, underground experimental, and environmental studies into a rigorous determination of the performance of WIPP as a disposal system for transuranic radioactive waste. The Program consists of scenario development, geochemical, hydrologic, and thermomechanical support analyses and will address the specific containment and individual protection requirements specified in 40 CFR 191 sub-part B. Calculated releases from these interrelated analyses will be reported as an overall probability distribution of cumulative release resulting from all processes and events occurring over the 10,000 year post-closure period. In addition, results will include any doses to the public resulting from natural processes occurring over the 1,000 year post-closure period. The overall plan for the WIPP Performance Assessment Program is presented along with approaches to issues specific to the WIPP project

Performance objectives for the Hanford immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MANN, F.M.

1999-01-01

Before low-level waste may be disposed of, a performance assessment must be written and then approved by the DOE (DOE 1988a, DOE 1999a). The performance assessment is to determine whether ''reasonable assurance'' exists that the performance objectives of the disposal facility will be met. The DOE requirements for waste disposal (DOE 1988a, DOE 1999a) require (see Appendix B): The protection of public health and safety; and The protection of the environment. Although quantitative limits are sometimes stated (for example, the all-pathways exposure limit is 25 mredyear), usually the requirements are stated in a general nature. Quantitative limits were established by: investigating all potentially applicable regulations as well as interpretations of the review panels which DOE has established to review performance assessments; interacting with program management to establish the additional requirements of the program; and interacting with the public (i.e., the Hanford Advisory Board members; as well as affected Tribal Governments) to understand the values of residents in the Pacific Northwest. Because of space considerations, not all radionuclides and dangerous chemicals are listed in this document. The radionuclides listed here are those which were explicitly treated in the ILAW PA (Mann 1998). The dangerous chemicals listed here are those most often detected in Hanford tank waste as documented in the Regulatory Data Quality Objectives Supporting Tank Waste Remediation System Privatization Project (Wiemers 1998)

Design parameters and source terms: Volume 2, Source terms: Revision 0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1987-10-01

The Design Parameters and Source Terms Document was prepared in accordance with DOE request and to provide data for the environmental impact study to be performed in the future for the Deaf Smith County, Texas site for a nuclear waste repository in salt. This document updates a previous unpublished report by Stearns Catalytic Corporation (SCC), entitled ''Design Parameters and Source Terms for a Two-Phase Repository Salt,'' 1985, to the level of the Site Characterization Plan - Conceptual Design Report. The previous unpublished SCC Study identifies the data needs for the Environmental Assessment effort for seven possible Salt Repository sites. 2 tabs

Impact of replacing fish meal by a mixture of different plant protein sources on the growth performance in Nile Tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus L.) diets.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Thobaiti, A; Al-Ghanim, K; Ahmed, Z; Suliman, E M; Mahboob, S

2017-10-23

The present study aimed to assess the appropriate level of replacement of fish meal (FM) with alternative plant sources in the feed fed to Oreochromis niloticus to evaluate the growth performance. Three isoproteinious (40% crude protein) diets were prepared from different ingredients viz., fish meal, corn gluten meal, wheat gluten meal, and bagasse kenna meal. O. niloticus showed a maximum increase in weight as 9.70, 11.09, 8.53 and 8.32 g during the 2nd, 2nd, 3rd and 2nd fortnight with feeding treatment A, B, C and D, respectively. The growth performance of the fish in terms of weight gain, specific growth rate, feed conversion ratio and protein efficiency ratio were found to be significantly (P replacement of fishmeal in diet B. The worst growth performance was observed in fish fed with commercial diet, designated as diet D. It was concluded that the fish meal can be replaced up to 20 percent with other plant protein sources without any negative impact on fish health. The replacement of fish meal with local plant sources (corn gluten meal, wheat gluten meal, soybean meal and bagasse kenna mix) will not only be beneficial to achieve better growth performance in O. niloticus, it will be a value addition as well.

Effect of lipid sources of diets on broiler performance

OpenAIRE

Lara,L.J.C.; Baião,N.C.; Aguilar,C.A.L.; Cançado,S.V.; Fiuza,M.A.; Ribeiro,B.R.C.

2005-01-01

A completely randomized design with six replicates of 30 birds per experimental unit was used to evaluate the effect of five fat sources of diets (soybean oil, poultry fat, acidulated soybean oil soapstock and a mix of soybean oil plus poultry fat and soybean oil plus acidulated soybean oil soapstock) on the performance of male Ross broilers, during the growing period (1-45 days of age). The diets for each phase were isonutritional. Broilers fed on soybean oil showed higher weight gain in com...

Influence of nitrogen sources on growth and fermentation performance of different wine yeast species during alcoholic fermentation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kemsawasd, Varongsiri; Monteiro Lomba Viana, Tiago; Ardö, Ylva

2015-01-01

-Saccharomyces yeast species (Lachancea thermotolerans, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, Hanseniaspora uvarum and Torulaspora delbrueckii) was investigated during alcoholic fermentation. Briefly, the N-sources with beneficial effects on all performance parameters (or for the majority of them) for each yeast species were...... for L. thermotolerans, H. uvarum and M. pulcherrima, single amino acids affected growth and fermentation performance to the same extent as the mixtures. Moreover, we found groups of N-sources with similar effects on the growth and/or fermentation performance of two or more yeast species. Finally...... species under oxygen-limited conditions, which, in turn, may be used to, e.g. optimize growth and fermentation performance of the given yeast upon N-source supplementation during wine fermentations....

Methodology for assessing performance of waste management systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meshkov, N.K.; Herzenberg, C.L.; Camasta, S.F.

1988-01-01

The newly revised draft DOE Order 5820.2, Chapter 3, requires that DOE low-level waste shall be managed on a systematic basis using the most appropriate combination of waste generation reduction, segregation, treatment, and disposal practices so that the radioactive components are contained and the overall cost effectiveness is minimized. This order expects each site to prepare and maintain an overall waste management systems performance assessment supporting the combination of waste management practices used in generation reduction segregation, treatment, packaging, storage, and disposal. A document prepared by EG and G Idaho, Inc. for the Department of Energy called Guidance for Conduct of Waste Management Systems Performance Assessment is specifically intended to provide the approach necessary to meet the systems performance assessment requirement of DOE Order 5820.2, Chapter 3, and other applicable state regulations dealing with LLW (low-level radioactive wastes). Methods and procedures are needed for assessing the performance of a waste management system. This report addresses this need. The purpose of the methodology provided in this report is to select the optimal way to manage particular sets of waste streams from generation to disposal in a safe and cost-effective manner, and thereby assist the DOE LLW mangers in complying with the DOE Order 5820.2, Chapter 3, and the associated guidance document

Impact assessment of radionuclide dispersion due to stuck of sources used in well logging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amado, V. A.; Alvarez, D.E.; Lee Gonzáles, H.

2015-01-01

The well logging allows to characterize and to predict the hydrocarbon potential of an area. For this, tools that may contain one or more radioactive sources are used. Eventually, they may be stuck at a certain depth, without viable technical alternatives for recovery. In this case, it is necessary to implement actions that minimize the risk of release of radioactive material into the groundwater, because of the natural degradation of shielding or by the accidental destruction by the unexpected collision with another tool, in a possible future drilling. In this paper, a simplified assessment of the doses associated with the natural degradation and the breakdown of shielding radioactive sources is presented. For this purpose two main pathways of exposure; incorporation by ingestion of contaminated water from the aquifer and external irradiation because of the drilling mud that rise to the surface and distributed over it, are considered. Each of these pathways corresponds to a different scenario. In the first scenario, the evaluation was performed by applying the Dispersion of Radionuclides in Aquifers model that take in account pollutants dispersion in the aquifer unto extraction well water. This model solves the equation of solute transport in porous media in three dimensions, considering soil retention and radioactive decay. In the second scenario the contaminated mud rises from the well to the surface, due to actions taken to retrieve stuck sources or because of new drillings are assumed. The aim of this work is to present a simple and conservative method to estimate doses involved in the natural degradation of shielding or by accidental destruction of sources used in well logging. (authors) [es

High performance AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with 2.4 μm source-drain spacing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Dongfang; Wei Ke; Yuan Tingting; Liu Xinyu

2010-01-01

This paper describes the performance of AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with 2.4 μm source-drain spacing. So far these are the smallest source-drain spacing AlGaN/GaN HEMTs which have been implemented with a domestic wafer and domestic process. This paper also compares their performance with that of 4 μm source-drain spacing devices. The former exhibit higher drain current, higher gain, and higher efficiency. It is especially significant that the maximum frequency of oscillation noticeably increased. (semiconductor integrated circuits)

Performance Characteristics of qPCR Assays Targeting Human- and Ruminant-Associated Bacteroidetes for Microbial Source Tracking across Sixteen Countries on Six Continents

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Numerous quantitative PCR assays for microbial fecal source tracking (MST) have been developed and evaluated in recent years. Widespread application has been hindered by a lack of knowledge regarding the geographical stability and hence applicability of such methods beyond the regional level. This study assessed the performance of five previously reported quantitative PCR assays targeting human-, cattle-, or ruminant-associated Bacteroidetes populations on 280 human and animal fecal samples from 16 countries across six continents. The tested cattle-associated markers were shown to be ruminant-associated. The quantitative distributions of marker concentrations in target and nontarget samples proved to be essential for the assessment of assay performance and were used to establish a new metric for quantitative source-specificity. In general, this study demonstrates that stable target populations required for marker-based MST occur around the globe. Ruminant-associated marker concentrations were strongly correlated with total intestinal Bacteroidetes populations and with each other, indicating that the detected ruminant-associated populations seem to be part of the intestinal core microbiome of ruminants worldwide. Consequently tested ruminant-targeted assays appear to be suitable quantitative MST tools beyond the regional level while the targeted human-associated populations seem to be less prevalent and stable, suggesting potential for improvements in human-targeted methods. PMID:23755882

Performance Standards': Utility for Different Uses of Assessments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert L. Linn

2003-09-01

Full Text Available Performance standards are arguably one of the most controversial topics in educational measurement. There are uses of assessments such as licensure and certification where performance standards are essential. There are many other uses, however, where performance standards have been mandated or become the preferred method of reporting assessment results where the standards are not essential to the use. Distinctions between essential and nonessential uses of performance standards are discussed. It is argued that the insistence on reporting in terms of performance standards in situations where they are not essential has been more harmful than helpful. Variability in the definitions of proficient academic achievement by states for purposes of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is discussed and it is argued that the variability is so great that characterizing achievement is meaningless. Illustrations of the great uncertainty in standards are provided.

Web-based application on employee performance assessment using exponential comparison method

Science.gov (United States)

Maryana, S.; Kurnia, E.; Ruyani, A.

2017-02-01

Employee performance assessment is also called a performance review, performance evaluation, or assessment of employees, is an effort to assess the achievements of staffing performance with the aim to increase productivity of employees and companies. This application helps in the assessment of employee performance using five criteria: Presence, Quality of Work, Quantity of Work, Discipline, and Teamwork. The system uses the Exponential Comparative Method and Weighting Eckenrode. Calculation results using graphs were provided to see the assessment of each employee. Programming language used in this system is written in Notepad++ and MySQL database. The testing result on the system can be concluded that this application is correspond with the design and running properly. The test conducted is structural test, functional test, and validation, sensitivity analysis, and SUMI testing.

Performance of a C{sub 60}{sup +} ion source on a dynamic SIMS instrument

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fahey, Albert J. [Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Dr. Stop 8371, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8371 (United States)]. E-mail: albert.fahey@nist.gov; Gillen, Greg [Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Dr. Stop 8371, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8371 (United States); Chi, Peter [Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Dr. Stop 8371, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8371 (United States); Mahoney, Christine M. [Surface and Microanalysis Science Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Dr. Stop 8371, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8371 (United States)

2006-07-30

An IonOptika C{sub 60}{sup +} ion source has been fitted onto a CAMECA{sup 1} ims-4f. Stable ion beams of C{sub 60}{sup +} and C{sub 60}{sup 2+} have been obtained with typical currents approaching 20nA under conditions that allow for several days of source operation. The beam has been able to be focussed into a spot size of {approx}3{mu}m with an anode voltage of 10keV and scanning ion images have been acquired. We have performed analyses to characterize the performance of C{sub 60}{sup +} and C{sub 60}{sup 2+}. Depth profiles of a Cr-Ni multi-layer and polymer films with C{sub 60}{sup +} have produced excellent results. We have discovered that, under bombardment energies of <12keV on Si, C{sub 60}{sup +} will sputter material from the sample but will also produce deposition at a rate that exceeds the sputter rate. The performance of the source and our experiences with its operation will be discussed and some characteristic analysis data will be shown.

Survey and review of near-field performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apted, M.J.

1993-01-01

The aim of this chapter is to describe the performance assessment (PA) context in which near-field models have been developed and applied. An overview is given of a number of PA studies. Although the focus is on near-field models, the overview covers the full context in which the PAs have been performed, including the purpose of the studies and regulatory context. Special emphasis has been given to the scenarios analyzed in the assessments; the scenarios set the framework for model development and application. Another aspect to consider in a study of near-field modeling from the perspective of total PA is the linking between near-field and far-field assessment. (R.P.) 6 tabs

Development of self and peer performance assessment on iodometric titration experiment

Science.gov (United States)

Nahadi; Siswaningsih, W.; Kusumaningtyas, H.

2018-05-01

This study aims to describe the process in developing of reliable and valid assessment to measure students’ performance on iodometric titration and the effect of the self and peer assessment on students’ performance. The self and peer-instrument provides valuable feedback for the student performance improvement. The developed assessment contains rubric and task for facilitating self and peer assessment. The participants are 24 students at the second-grade student in certain vocational high school in Bandung. The participants divided into two groups. The first 12 students involved in the validity test of the developed assessment, while the remain 12 students participated for the reliability test. The content validity was evaluated based on the judgment experts. Test result of content validity based on judgment expert show that the developed performance assessment instrument categorized as valid on each task with the realibity classified as very good. Analysis of the impact of the self and peer assessment implementation showed that the peer instrument supported the self assessment.

An open-source software program for performing Bonferroni and related corrections for multiple comparisons

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyle Lesack

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Increased type I error resulting from multiple statistical comparisons remains a common problem in the scientific literature. This may result in the reporting and promulgation of spurious findings. One approach to this problem is to correct groups of P-values for "family-wide significance" using a Bonferroni correction or the less conservative Bonferroni-Holm correction or to correct for the "false discovery rate" with a Benjamini-Hochberg correction. Although several solutions are available for performing this correction through commercially available software there are no widely available easy to use open source programs to perform these calculations. In this paper we present an open source program written in Python 3.2 that performs calculations for standard Bonferroni, Bonferroni-Holm and Benjamini-Hochberg corrections.

Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units (CISWI): New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emission Guidelines (EG) for Existing Sources

Science.gov (United States)

Learn about the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for commercial and industrial solid waste incineration (CISWI) units including emission guidelines and compliance times for the rule. Read the rule history and summary, and find supporting documents

Performance assessment techniques for groundwater recovery and treatment systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kirkpatrick, G.L. [Environmental Resources Management, Inc., Exton, PA (United States)

1993-03-01

Groundwater recovery and treatment (pump and treat systems) continue to be the most commonly selected remedial technology for groundwater restoration and protection programs at hazardous waste sites and RCRA facilities nationwide. Implementing a typical groundwater recovery and treatment system includes the initial assessment of groundwater quality, characterizing aquifer hydrodynamics, recovery system design, system installation, testing, permitting, and operation and maintenance. This paper focuses on methods used to assess the long-term efficiency of a pump and treat system. Regulatory agencies and industry alike are sensitive to the need for accurate assessment of the performance and success of groundwater recovery systems for contaminant plume abatement and aquifer restoration. Several assessment methods are available to measure the long-term performance of a groundwater recovery system. This paper presents six assessment techniques: degree of compliance with regulatory agency agreement (Consent Order of Record of Decision), hydraulic demonstration of system performance, contaminant mass recovery calculation, system design and performance comparison, statistical evaluation of groundwater quality and preferably, integration of the assessment methods. Applying specific recovery system assessment methods depends upon the type, amount, and quality of data available. Use of an integrated approach is encouraged to evaluate the success of a groundwater recovery and treatment system. The methods presented in this paper are for engineers and corporate management to use when discussing the effectiveness of groundwater remediation systems with their environmental consultant. In addition, an independent (third party) system evaluation is recommended to be sure that a recovery system operates efficiently and with minimum expense.

Performance assessment studies for the long-term safety evaluation of radioactive waste disposal facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bujoreanu, D.; Olteanu, M.; Bujoreanu, L.

2008-01-01

Especially during the last ten years, a part of Romanian research program 'Management of Radioactive Waste and Spent Fuel' was focused mainly on applicative research for the design of near-surface disposal facility, which intends to accommodate the low and intermediate radioactive waste generated from Cernavoda NPP. In this frame, our contribution was at the acquisition of technical data for the characterization of the future disposal facility. In the present, the project of the disposal facility, located on the Saligny site, near Cernavoda NPP, must be licensed. As regards to the safe disposal, the location of final disposal, the Saligny site, has been characterized through the five geological formations which contain potential routes for transport of radionuclide released from disposal facility, in the receiving zones(potential receiving zones), into liquid and gaseous phases. The technical characteristics of the disposal facility were adapted at the Romanian disposal concept using the reference data from IAEA technical report (IAEA,1999). Input parameters which characterized from physical and chemical point of view the disposal system, were partially taken from literature. The performance assessment studies, which follows the preliminary design development phases and the selection, describes how the source term is affected by the infiltration of water through the disposal facility, degradation process of engineering barriers (reflected in the distribution coefficient values) and solubility limit. The studies regard the evaluation of the source term, sensitivity and uncertainty analysis provide the information on 'how' and 'why' were evaluated, following: (i) radiological safety assessment of near-surface disposal facility on Saligny site; (ii) complexity standard assessment of the Engineering Barriers Systems (EBS); (iii) identification of the elements which must be elaborated for the increase of the disposal safety and the necessity for new technical data for

Feedback from performance assessment to site characterisation. The SITE-94 example

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dverstorp, B.; Geier, J.

1999-01-01

Interaction and information exchange between site characterisation and performance assessment are key features of any successful radioactive waste management programme. Some examples are presented of the types of feedback that can be offered from performance assessment to site characterisation, based on SKI's most recent performance assessment project, SITE-94. SITE-94 in Sweden was an assessment of a hypothetical repository for spent nuclear fuel, based on real data gathered in the surface-based investigation of the Aespoe Hard Rock Laboratory site. Examples of feedback are given concerning quality control of data and site investigation procedures, identification of key parameters for the performance assessment, use of models for planning and evaluation of a site investigation, data sampling strategies, and guidance on future priorities for further development of site investigation methods. Because site characterisation serves multiple purposes, including provision of data for repository design and construction, it must account for and compromise among requirements from several lines of analyses in the performance assessment. (author)

RESIDUAL RISK ASSESSMENT: ETHYLENE OXIDE ...

Science.gov (United States)

This document describes the residual risk assessment for the Ethylene Oxide Commercial Sterilization source category. For stationary sources, section 112 (f) of the Clean Air Act requires EPA to assess risks to human health and the environment following implementation of technology-based control standards. If these technology-based control standards do not provide an ample margin of safety, then EPA is required to promulgate addtional standards. This document describes the methodology and results of the residual risk assessment performed for the Ethylene Oxide Commercial Sterilization source category. The results of this analyiss will assist EPA in determining whether a residual risk rule for this source category is appropriate.