Paying for performance: Performance incentives increase desire for the reward object.

Science.gov (United States)

Hur, Julia D; Nordgren, Loran F

2016-09-01

The current research examines how exposure to performance incentives affects one's desire for the reward object. We hypothesized that the flexible nature of performance incentives creates an attentional fixation on the reward object (e.g., money), which leads people to become more desirous of the rewards. Results from 5 laboratory experiments and 1 large-scale field study provide support for this prediction. When performance was incentivized with monetary rewards, participants reported being more desirous of money (Study 1), put in more effort to earn additional money in an ensuing task (Study 2), and were less willing to donate money to charity (Study 4). We replicated the result with nonmonetary rewards (Study 5). We also found that performance incentives increased attention to the reward object during the task, which in part explains the observed effects (Study 6). A large-scale field study replicated these findings in a real-world setting (Study 7). One laboratory experiment failed to replicate (Study 3). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Generating units performances: power system requirements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fourment, C; Girard, N; Lefebvre, H

1994-08-01

The part of generating units within the power system is more than providing power and energy. Their performance are not only measured by their energy efficiency and availability. Namely, there is a strong interaction between the generating units and the power system. The units are essential components of the system: for a given load profile the frequency variation follows directly from the behaviour of the units and their ability to adapt their power output. In the same way, the voltage at the units terminals are the key points to which the voltage profile at each node of the network is linked through the active and especially the reactive power flows. Therefore, the customer will experience the frequency and voltage variations induced by the units behaviour. Moreover, in case of adverse conditions, if the units do not operate as well as expected or trip, a portion of the system, may be the whole system, may collapse. The limitation of the performance of a unit has two kinds of consequences. Firstly, it may result in an increased amount of not supplied energy or loss of load probability: for example if the primary reserve is not sufficient, a generator tripping may lead to an abnormal frequency deviation, and load may have to be shed to restore the balance. Secondly, the limitation of a unit performance results in an economic over-cost for the system: for instance, if not enough `cheap` units are able to load-following, other units with higher operating costs have to be started up. We would like to stress the interest for the operators and design teams of the units on the one hand, and the operators and design teams of the system on the other hand, of dialog and information exchange, in operation but also at the conception stage, in order to find a satisfactory compromise between the system requirements and the consequences for the generating units. (authors). 11 refs., 4 figs.

Supporting an Object-Oriented Approach to Unit Generator Development: The Csound Plugin Opcode Framework

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Lazzarini

2017-09-01

Full Text Available This article presents a new framework for unit generator development for Csound, supporting a full object-oriented programming approach. It introduces the concept of unit generators and opcodes, and its centrality with regards to music programming languages in general, and Csound in specific. The layout of an opcode from the perspective of the Csound C-language API is presented, with some outline code examples. This is followed by a discussion which places the unit generator within the object-oriented paradigm and the motivation for a full C++ programming support, which is provided by the Csound Plugin Opcode Framework (CPOF. The design of CPOF is then explored in detail, supported by several opcode examples. The article concludes by discussing two key applications of object-orientation and their respective instances in the Csound code base.

Introducing a performance-based objective clinical examination into ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To describe how a formative Objective Structured Clinical Examination was applied to fourth year pharmacy students at a university in Northern Cyprus. Methods: A blueprint-guided performance-based objective clinical examination was implemented. Group-prepared case scenarios based on course objectives ...

Search and Retrieval of Foreign Objects for the Steam Generator of Wolsung NPP Unit 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Woo-Tae; Lee, Kyung-Ho [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

We developed a foreign object search and retrieval (FOSAR) system for Wolsung NPP unit 1 steam generators. The steam generators of Wolsung NPP unit 1 have one 2.5 inch hand hole and two 4 inch hand holes. The FOSAR system was designed to be installed through 4 inch hand holes. Using permanent magnet, the FOSAR system was firmly attached to the vertical annulus wall of the steam generator. We successfully developed the FOSAR system for Wolsung NPP unit 1. Using the developed FOSAR system, technicians successfully found and removed various foreign objects. Most of the foreign objects, we found, were made of carbon steel sheet, therefore magnet tool was the most useful to remove it. Alligator tool was sometimes used. Based on the experience during the FOSAR activities, we are developing a lancing system for Wolsung NPP unit 1. It will be designed and manufactured until November 2016.

Search and Retrieval of Foreign Objects for the Steam Generator of Wolsung NPP Unit 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Woo-Tae; Lee, Kyung-Ho

2016-01-01

We developed a foreign object search and retrieval (FOSAR) system for Wolsung NPP unit 1 steam generators. The steam generators of Wolsung NPP unit 1 have one 2.5 inch hand hole and two 4 inch hand holes. The FOSAR system was designed to be installed through 4 inch hand holes. Using permanent magnet, the FOSAR system was firmly attached to the vertical annulus wall of the steam generator. We successfully developed the FOSAR system for Wolsung NPP unit 1. Using the developed FOSAR system, technicians successfully found and removed various foreign objects. Most of the foreign objects, we found, were made of carbon steel sheet, therefore magnet tool was the most useful to remove it. Alligator tool was sometimes used. Based on the experience during the FOSAR activities, we are developing a lancing system for Wolsung NPP unit 1. It will be designed and manufactured until November 2016

Service Station Attendant. Performance Objectives. Basic Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, John

Several intermediate performance objectives and corresponding criterion measures are listed for each of 24 terminal objectives for a basic secondary level service station attendant course. The materials were developed for a two-semester course (2 and 3 hours daily). The specialized classroom and shop experiences are designed to enable the student…

Gasoline Engine Mechanics. Performance Objectives. Intermediate Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Marion

Several intermediate performance objectives and corresponding criterion measures are listed for each of six terminal objectives presented in this curriculum guide for an intermediate gasoline engine mechanics course at the secondary level. (For the beginning course guide see CE 010 947.) The materials were developed for a two-semester (2 hour…

Drop performance test and evaluation for HANARO shutoff units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Y. H.; Cho, Y. K.; Lee, J. H.; Choi, Y. S.; Woo, J. S.

2004-01-01

The function of the shutoff units of the HANARO is to rapidly insert the shutoff rod into the reactor core for safe shutdown of reactor. This paper describes drop performance test and evaluation for a shutoff unit for the technical verification of lifetime extension and localization of the HANARO shutoff units. We have performed preliminary drop performance tests for a shutoff unit at 1/2-core test loop and analyzed through the comparison with the test results performed during design verification test and the results of the periodic performance test in HANARO. It shows that the results of the local fabrication, installation and alignment for the shutoff unit meet the basic performance requirements, Furthermore, the performance evaluation method of the periodic drop test of the HANARO shutoff units is a conservative method comparing with the real drop time

Custodial Services and Building Maint: Performance Objectives.

Science.gov (United States)

Downing, Charles; And Others

Several intermediate performance objectives and corresponding criterion measures are listed for each of 14 terminal objectives for high school custodial service and building maintenance course (the third year of a 3-year program). The materials were developed for a 36-week course (3 hours daily) designed to prepare 12th graders with entry level…

Optimization of Fuel Consumption and Emissions for Auxiliary Power Unit Based on Multi-Objective Optimization Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yongpeng Shen

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Auxiliary power units (APUs are widely used for electric power generation in various types of electric vehicles, improvements in fuel economy and emissions of these vehicles directly depend on the operating point of the APUs. In order to balance the conflicting goals of fuel consumption and emissions reduction in the process of operating point choice, the APU operating point optimization problem is formulated as a constrained multi-objective optimization problem (CMOP firstly. The four competing objectives of this CMOP are fuel-electricity conversion cost, hydrocarbon (HC emissions, carbon monoxide (CO emissions and nitric oxide (NO x emissions. Then, the multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO algorithm and weighted metric decision making method are employed to solve the APU operating point multi-objective optimization model. Finally, bench experiments under New European driving cycle (NEDC, Federal test procedure (FTP and high way fuel economy test (HWFET driving cycles show that, compared with the results of the traditional fuel consumption single-objective optimization approach, the proposed multi-objective optimization approach shows significant improvements in emissions performance, at the expense of a slight drop in fuel efficiency.

Environmental Measurements Laboratory 2002 Unit Performance Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None

2001-10-01

This EML Unit Performance Plan provides the key goals and performance measures for FY 2002 and continuing to FY 2003. The purpose of the Plan is to inform EML's stakeholders and customers of the Laboratory's products and services, and its accomplishments and future challenges. Also incorporated in the Unit Performance Plan is EML's Communication Plan for FY 2002.

Objective 1: Extend Life, Improve Performance, and Maintain Safety of the Current Fleet Implementation Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robert Youngblood

2011-01-01

Nuclear power has reliably and economically contributed almost 20% of electrical generation in the United States over the past two decades. It remains the single largest contributor (more than 70%) of non-greenhouse-gas-emitting electric power generation in the United States. By the year 2030, domestic demand for electrical energy is expected to grow to levels of 16 to 36% higher than 2007 levels. At the same time, most currently operating nuclear power plants will begin reaching the end of their 60 year operating licenses. Figure E 1 shows projected nuclear energy contribution to the domestic generating capacity. If current operating nuclear power plants do not operate beyond 60 years, the total fraction of generated electrical energy from nuclear power will begin to decline—even with the expected addition of new nuclear generating capacity. The oldest commercial plants in the United States reached their 40th anniversary in 2009. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap has organized its activities in accordance with four objectives that ensure nuclear energy remains a compelling and viable energy option for the United States. The objectives are as follows: (1) develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of the current reactors; (2) develop improvements in the affordability of new reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the Administration’s energy security and climate change goals; (3) develop sustainable nuclear fuel cycles; and (4) understand and minimize risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program is the primary programmatic activity that addresses Objective 1. This document describes how Objective 1 and the LWRS Program will be implemented. The existing U.S. nuclear fleet has a remarkable safety and performance record and today accounts for 70% of the low greenhouse

Objective 1: Extend Life, Improve Performance, and Maintain Safety of the Current Fleet Implementation Plan

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Robert Youngblood

2011-02-01

Nuclear power has reliably and economically contributed almost 20% of electrical generation in the United States over the past two decades. It remains the single largest contributor (more than 70%) of non-greenhouse-gas-emitting electric power generation in the United States. By the year 2030, domestic demand for electrical energy is expected to grow to levels of 16 to 36% higher than 2007 levels. At the same time, most currently operating nuclear power plants will begin reaching the end of their 60 year operating licenses. Figure E 1 shows projected nuclear energy contribution to the domestic generating capacity. If current operating nuclear power plants do not operate beyond 60 years, the total fraction of generated electrical energy from nuclear power will begin to decline—even with the expected addition of new nuclear generating capacity. The oldest commercial plants in the United States reached their 40th anniversary in 2009. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Research and Development (R&D) Roadmap has organized its activities in accordance with four objectives that ensure nuclear energy remains a compelling and viable energy option for the United States. The objectives are as follows: (1) develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of the current reactors; (2) develop improvements in the affordability of new reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the Administration’s energy security and climate change goals; (3) develop sustainable nuclear fuel cycles; and (4) understand and minimize risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program is the primary programmatic activity that addresses Objective 1. This document describes how Objective 1 and the LWRS Program will be implemented. The existing U.S. nuclear fleet has a remarkable safety and performance record and today accounts for 70% of the low greenhouse

Objective 1: Extend Life, Improve Performance, and Maintain Safety of the Current Fleet; Implementation Plan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youngblood, Robert

2011-01-01

Nuclear power has reliably and economically contributed almost 20% of electrical generation in the United States over the past two decades. It remains the single largest contributor (more than 70%) of non-greenhouse-gas-emitting electric power generation in the United States. By the year 2030, domestic demand for electrical energy is expected to grow to levels of 16 to 36% higher than 2007 levels. At the same time, most currently operating nuclear power plants will begin reaching the end of their 60 year operating licenses. Figure E 1 shows projected nuclear energy contribution to the domestic generating capacity. If current operating nuclear power plants do not operate beyond 60 years, the total fraction of generated electrical energy from nuclear power will begin to decline - even with the expected addition of new nuclear generating capacity. The oldest commercial plants in the United States reached their 40th anniversary in 2009. The U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy's Research and Development (R and D) Roadmap has organized its activities in accordance with four objectives that ensure nuclear energy remains a compelling and viable energy option for the United States. The objectives are as follows: (1) develop technologies and other solutions that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of the current reactors; (2) develop improvements in the affordability of new reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the Administration's energy security and climate change goals; (3) develop sustainable nuclear fuel cycles; and (4) understand and minimize risks of nuclear proliferation and terrorism. The Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program is the primary programmatic activity that addresses Objective 1. This document describes how Objective 1 and the LWRS Program will be implemented. The existing U.S. nuclear fleet has a remarkable safety and performance record and today accounts for 70% of the low greenhouse

Evaluating Multiple Object Tracking Performance: The CLEAR MOT Metrics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bernardin Keni

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Simultaneous tracking of multiple persons in real-world environments is an active research field and several approaches have been proposed, based on a variety of features and algorithms. Recently, there has been a growing interest in organizing systematic evaluations to compare the various techniques. Unfortunately, the lack of common metrics for measuring the performance of multiple object trackers still makes it hard to compare their results. In this work, we introduce two intuitive and general metrics to allow for objective comparison of tracker characteristics, focusing on their precision in estimating object locations, their accuracy in recognizing object configurations and their ability to consistently label objects over time. These metrics have been extensively used in two large-scale international evaluations, the 2006 and 2007 CLEAR evaluations, to measure and compare the performance of multiple object trackers for a wide variety of tracking tasks. Selected performance results are presented and the advantages and drawbacks of the presented metrics are discussed based on the experience gained during the evaluations.

What Is the Unit of Visual Attention? Object for Selection, but Boolean Map for Access

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Liqiang

2010-01-01

In the past 20 years, numerous theories and findings have suggested that the unit of visual attention is the object. In this study, I first clarify 2 different meanings of unit of visual attention, namely the unit of access in the sense of measurement and the unit of selection in the sense of division. In accordance with this distinction, I argue…

Joints and Strings: Body and Object in Performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Esa Kirkkopelto

2016-07-01

Full Text Available This article concerns the ontological status of the performing body. What if it were not considered derivative in relation to any kind of discursive construction or any kind of pre-existent materiality or force? What if it were taken as a starting point of our attempts to understand the linguistic and material aspects of our bodily co-existence? If so, our ideas of what a body can do while performing, and what it consists of, have to change radically. The anatomy of the performing body is studied through a series of scenic experiments and practical examples, and the argumentation rests on the evidence thus provided. On the philosophical level the discussion focuses on ’object-oriented ontology’ and its representatives. The indications are that our understanding of objects, objectivity and things in general is based on our understanding of bodies as linguistic entities. Becoming a performing body means becoming a linguistic body, and vice versa. This does not take us back to ‘transcendentalism’ or ‘correlationism’, however. The equality of all things, claimed by ‘ooo’ proponents, can only be achieved via the medium of the performing body as an equalizing instance.

The Performance of an Object-Oriented, Parallel Operating System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David R. Kohr, Jr.

1994-01-01

Full Text Available The nascent and rapidly evolving state of parallel systems often leaves parallel application developers at the mercy of inefficient, inflexible operating system software. Given the relatively primitive state of parallel systems software, maximizing the performance of parallel applications not only requires judicious tuning of the application software, but occasionally, the replacement of specific system software modules with others that can more readily respond to the imposed pattern of resource demands. To assess the feasibility of application and performance tuning via malleable system software and to understand the performance penalties for detailed operating system performance data capture, we describe a set of performance instrumentation techniques for parallel, object-oriented operating systems and a set of performance experiments with Choices, an experimental, object-oriented operating system designed for use with parallel sys- tems. These performance experiments show that (a the performance overhead for operating system data capture is modest, (b the penalty for malleable, object-oriented operating systems is negligible, but (c techniques are needed to strictly enforce adherence of implementation to design if operating system modules are to be replaced.

Decreased attention to object size information in scale errors performers.

Science.gov (United States)

Grzyb, Beata J; Cangelosi, Angelo; Cattani, Allegra; Floccia, Caroline

2017-05-01

Young children sometimes make serious attempts to perform impossible actions on miniature objects as if they were full-size objects. The existing explanations of these curious action errors assume (but never explicitly tested) children's decreased attention to object size information. This study investigated the attention to object size information in scale errors performers. Two groups of children aged 18-25 months (N=52) and 48-60 months (N=23) were tested in two consecutive tasks: an action task that replicated the original scale errors elicitation situation, and a looking task that involved watching on a computer screen actions performed with adequate to inadequate size object. Our key finding - that children performing scale errors in the action task subsequently pay less attention to size changes than non-scale errors performers in the looking task - suggests that the origins of scale errors in childhood operate already at the perceptual level, and not at the action level. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Performing Materiality: Rethinking the Subject-Object Relationship as a Site of Exchange in Performance Practice

OpenAIRE

Hussein, Nesreen

2011-01-01

This thesis reconsiders the relationship between the human subject and the physical object in performance practice, which has been commonly perceived within hierarchical systems of instrumentalisation. The thesis demonstrates that in processes of performance making and reception, the role of physical objects goes beyond mimesis and direct representation. Physical objects and materials have the capacity to take active parts in a complex and multilayered performance dynamic, articulating ways o...

Knowledge transfer objects and innovation performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sajadirad, Solmaz; Lassen, Astrid Heidemann

2016-01-01

Local knowledge of globally distributed subsidiaries may be a valuable source of innovation for headquarters. However, acquiring local knowledge of subsidiaries and transforming it into innovation performance remains a challenge for many multinational companies. In this paper, based on analysis...... of eleven multinational companies present in Danish industry, we characterize different approaches to the use of knowledge transfer objects (static vs. dynamic), and discuss the respective effect on innovation performance. A conceptual framework is proposed to classify such different approaches on the basis...

Multi-Objective Optimization of Start-up Strategy for Pumped Storage Units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jinjiao Hou

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a multi-objective optimization method for the start-up strategy of pumped storage units (PSU for the first time. In the multi-objective optimization method, the speed rise time and the overshoot during the process of the start-up are taken as the objectives. A precise simulation platform is built for simulating the transient process of start-up, and for calculating the objectives based on the process. The Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm (MOPSO is adopted to optimize the widely applied start-up strategies based on one-stage direct guide vane control (DGVC, and two-stage DGVC. Based on the Pareto Front obtained, a multi-objective decision-making method based on the relative objective proximity is used to sort the solutions in the Pareto Front. Start-up strategy optimization for a PSU of a pumped storage power station in Jiangxi Province in China is conducted in experiments. The results show that: (1 compared with the single objective optimization, the proposed multi-objective optimization of start-up strategy not only greatly shortens the speed rise time and the speed overshoot, but also makes the speed curve quickly stabilize; (2 multi-objective optimization of strategy based on two-stage DGVC achieves better solution for a quick and smooth start-up of PSU than that of the strategy based on one-stage DGVC.

Collective Training and Fielding Opportunities for the Objective Force Maneuver Systems at the Unit of Action Level in a Unit Manning/Unit Replacement Personnel System

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Courts, Michael

2003-01-01

The introduction of Objective Force formations, beginning with the first Unit of Action, will fundamentally change existing organizational structures, training requirements and operational constructs for the U.S. Army...

Performance Evaluation of Java Based Object Relational Mapping Tools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shoaib Mahmood Bhatti

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Object persistency is the hot issue in the form of ORM (Object Relational Mapping tools in industry as developers use these tools during software development. This paper presents the performance evaluation of Java based ORM tools. For this purpose, Hibernate, Ebean and TopLinkhave been selected as the ORM tools which are popular and open source. Their performance has been measured from execution point of view. The results show that ORM tools are the good option for the developers considering the system throughput in shorter setbacks and they can be used efficiently and effectively for performing mapping of the objects into the relational dominated world of database, thus creating a hope for a better and well dominated future of this technology.

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...

Design and Implementation of High-Performance GIS Dynamic Objects Rendering Engine

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Y.; Wang, S.; Li, R.; Yun, W.; Song, G.

2017-12-01

Spatio-temporal dynamic visualization is more vivid than static visualization. It important to use dynamic visualization techniques to reveal the variation process and trend vividly and comprehensively for the geographical phenomenon. To deal with challenges caused by dynamic visualization of both 2D and 3D spatial dynamic targets, especially for different spatial data types require high-performance GIS dynamic objects rendering engine. The main approach for improving the rendering engine with vast dynamic targets relies on key technologies of high-performance GIS, including memory computing, parallel computing, GPU computing and high-performance algorisms. In this study, high-performance GIS dynamic objects rendering engine is designed and implemented for solving the problem based on hybrid accelerative techniques. The high-performance GIS rendering engine contains GPU computing, OpenGL technology, and high-performance algorism with the advantage of 64-bit memory computing. It processes 2D, 3D dynamic target data efficiently and runs smoothly with vast dynamic target data. The prototype system of high-performance GIS dynamic objects rendering engine is developed based SuperMap GIS iObjects. The experiments are designed for large-scale spatial data visualization, the results showed that the high-performance GIS dynamic objects rendering engine have the advantage of high performance. Rendering two-dimensional and three-dimensional dynamic objects achieve 20 times faster on GPU than on CPU.

Commercial and Advertising Art. Performance Objectives. Basic Course.

Science.gov (United States)

Atkinson, Floyd

Several intermediate performance objectives and corresponding criterion measures are listed for each of 12 terminal objectives for a basic commercial and advertising art course. The materials were developed for a two-semester (2 hours daily) course to enable tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade students to develop competencies in the care and use of…

Factors influencing medical students' self-assessment of examination performance accuracy: A United Arab Emirates study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaban, Sami; Aburawi, Elhadi H; Elzubeir, Khalifa; Elango, Sambandam; El-Zubeir, Margaret

2016-01-01

Assessment of one's academic capabilities is essential to being an effective, self-directed, life-long learner. The primary objective of this study was to analyze self-assessment accuracy of medical students attending the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, by examining their ability to assess their own performance on an MCQ examination. 1 st and 2 nd year medical students (n = 235) self-assessed pre and post-examination performance were compared with objectively measured scores (actual examination performance). Associations between accuracy of score prediction (pre and post assessment), and students' gender, year of education, perceived preparation, confidence and anxiety were also determined. Expected mark correlated significantly with objectively assessed marks (r = 0.407; P self-assessment accuracy. Findings reinforce existing evidence indicating that medical students are poor self-assessors. There are potentially multiple explanations for misjudgment of this multidimensional construct that require further investigation and change in learning cultures. The study offers clear targets for change aimed at optimizing self-assessment capabilities.

What are the underlying units of perceived animacy? Chasing detection is intrinsically object-based.

Science.gov (United States)

van Buren, Benjamin; Gao, Tao; Scholl, Brian J

2017-10-01

One of the most foundational questions that can be asked about any visual process is the nature of the underlying 'units' over which it operates (e.g., features, objects, or spatial regions). Here we address this question-for the first time, to our knowledge-in the context of the perception of animacy. Even simple geometric shapes appear animate when they move in certain ways. Do such percepts arise whenever any visual feature moves appropriately, or do they require that the relevant features first be individuated as discrete objects? Observers viewed displays in which one disc (the "wolf") chased another (the "sheep") among several moving distractor discs. Critically, two pairs of discs were also connected by visible lines. In the Unconnected condition, both lines connected pairs of distractors; but in the Connected condition, one connected the wolf to a distractor, and the other connected the sheep to a different distractor. Observers in the Connected condition were much less likely to describe such displays using mental state terms. Furthermore, signal detection analyses were used to explore the objective ability to discriminate chasing displays from inanimate control displays in which the wolf moved toward the sheep's mirror-image. Chasing detection was severely impaired on Connected trials: observers could readily detect an object chasing another object, but not a line-end chasing another line-end, a line-end chasing an object, or an object chasing a line-end. We conclude that the underlying units of perceived animacy are discrete visual objects.

Survey of regulatory agency review of generating unit performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roach, E.M. Jr.; Tarletz, D.B.

1985-01-01

Regulatory agencies across the country are being called upon increasingly to monitor the management of electric utilities. Such activity, which once was relatively rare, is now common. Most frequently this oversight centers around the operating performance of generating units, both nuclear and fossil. There are, perhaps, several reasons for this increased interest in the efficient operation of generating units: increased fuel costs and fuel cost differentials, increased lead times and costs for construction of new generating units, and increased dependence on existing units because of construction programs being revised to meet decreased load growth. The monitoring of generating units has taken the form of after the fact evaluation of performance on a case-by-case basis and the implementation of productivity incentive programs. Performance standards are used in these contexts both to measure the adequacy of unit performance and to implement incentives in the form of rewards or penalties. The standard used may be a subjective test of prudent performance or some numerical index of plant performance, e.g., equivalent availability, capacity factor or heat rate. Some of the activity by regulators is reviewed in applying subjective and numerical standards and the considerations involved in applying such standards are discussed

Human resource management and unit performance in knowledge-intensive work.

Science.gov (United States)

Kehoe, Rebecca R; Collins, Christopher J

2017-08-01

To clarify the potential value of a targeted system of human resource (HR) practices, we explore the unique effects of a relationship-oriented HR system and the more commonly studied high commitment HR system on unit performance in the context of knowledge-intensive work. We develop theoretical arguments suggesting that the high commitment HR system contributes to unit performance through its positive effects on employees' collective organizational commitment, general and firm-specific human capital, and access to knowledge. We argue that the relationship-oriented HR system contributes to unit performance through its positive effects on employees' collective access to knowledge by fostering a social context and interpersonal exchange conditions which support employees' ongoing access to knowledge flows within and outside their unit and broader organization. Based on unit-level data collected from a matched sample of employees and managers in 128 units in the science and engineering division of a large hydroelectric power organization, our results suggest that the targeted, relationship-oriented HR system is related to firm performance and may complement a broader, high commitment approach to managing knowledge workers. Specifically, the positive relationship between the high commitment HR system and unit performance is mediated by employees' collective organizational commitment, firm-specific human capital, and access to knowledge in other organizational units; whereas the positive relationship between the relationship-oriented HR system and unit performance is mediated by units' access to knowledge within the unit, in other units, and outside the organization. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Potential impact of DOE's performance objective for protection of inadvertent intruders on low-level waste disposals at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.

1992-01-01

The Department of Energy's Order 5820.2A, Chapter III, specifies performance objectives for disposal of low-level radioactive waste which include limits on effective dose equivalent for inadvertent intruders. This paper investigates the potential impact of the performance objective for protection of inadvertent intruders on the acceptability of waste disposals in Solid Waste Storage Area (SWSA) 6 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The analysis is based on radionuclide inventories and waste volumes for recent disposals in SWSA 6 and calculated doses to an inadvertent intruder per unit concentration of radionuclides in disposed waste for assumed exposure scenarios

Two-phase flow degradation on Fukushima-Daiichi Unit 2 RCIC turbine performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lopez, Hector; Erkan, Nejdet; Okamoto, Koji

2016-01-01

After the Fukushima accident, several investigation reports, including experiments and simulations have been done for each of the affected units to completely understand the accident progression and use their results to improve the knowledge of severe accident management and the severe codes performance. In Unit 2, the major uncertainties are related with the reactor core isolation cooling (RCIC) system performance during the accident progression especially focused in the RCIC turbine, which is assumed to work in two-phase flow. The main objective of this study is to analyze the RCIC turbine performance under two-phase flow scenarios under the assumption that the power produced by the turbine is lower than expected due to the liquid phase in the flow. A degradation coefficient quantifying the turbine power reduction is developed as a function of the flow quality by using the sonic speed reduction at critical flow conditions principle obtained by applying the non-homogeneous equilibrium model (NHEM). The degradation coefficient was applied to RELAP/ScdapSIM severe accident code showing a drastic reduction of the turbine-generated power during two-phase flow and obtaining a RCIC system behavior closer to the Tokyo electric power company (TEPCO) investigation report conclusions. (author)

Joining Distributed Complex Objects: Definition and Performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Teeuw, W.B.; Teeuw, Wouter B.; Blanken, Henk

1992-01-01

The performance of a non-standard distributed database system is strongly ifluenced by complex objects. The effective exploitation of parallelism in querying them and a suitable structure to store them are required in order to obtain acceptable response times in these database environments where

Decreased attention to object size information in scale errors performers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grzyb, B.J.; Cangelosi, A.; Cattani, A.; Floccia, C.

2017-01-01

Young children sometimes make serious attempts to perform impossible actions on miniature objects as if they were full-size objects. The existing explanations of these curious action errors assume (but never explicitly tested) children’s decreased attention to object size information. This study

Quantum non-objectivity from performativity of quantum phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khrennikov, Andrei; Schumann, Andrew

2014-01-01

We analyze the logical foundations of quantum mechanics (QM) by stressing non-objectivity of quantum observables, which is a consequence of the absence of logical atoms in QM. We argue that the matter of quantum non-objectivity is that, on the one hand, the formalism of QM constructed as a mathematical theory is self-consistent, but, on the other hand, quantum phenomena as results of experimenters’ performances are not self-consistent. This self-inconsistency is an effect of the language of QM differing greatly from the language of human performances. The former is the language of a mathematical theory that uses some Aristotelian and Russellian assumptions (e.g., the assumption that there are logical atoms). The latter language consists of performative propositions that are self-inconsistent only from the viewpoint of conventional mathematical theory, but they satisfy another logic that is non-Aristotelian. Hence, the representation of quantum reality in linguistic terms may be different: the difference between a mathematical theory and a logic of performative propositions. To solve quantum self-inconsistency, we apply the formalism of non-classical self-referent logics. (paper)

Performance evaluation software moving object detection and tracking in videos

CERN Document Server

Karasulu, Bahadir

2013-01-01

Performance Evaluation Software: Moving Object Detection and Tracking in Videos introduces a software approach for the real-time evaluation and performance comparison of the methods specializing in moving object detection and/or tracking (D&T) in video processing. Digital video content analysis is an important item for multimedia content-based indexing (MCBI), content-based video retrieval (CBVR) and visual surveillance systems. There are some frequently-used generic algorithms for video object D&T in the literature, such as Background Subtraction (BS), Continuously Adaptive Mean-shift (CMS),

High Performance Object-Oriented Scientific Programming in Fortran 90

Science.gov (United States)

Norton, Charles D.; Decyk, Viktor K.; Szymanski, Boleslaw K.

1997-01-01

We illustrate how Fortran 90 supports object-oriented concepts by example of plasma particle computations on the IBM SP. Our experience shows that Fortran 90 and object-oriented methodology give high performance while providing a bridge from Fortran 77 legacy codes to modern programming principles. All of our object-oriented Fortran 90 codes execute more quickly thatn the equeivalent C++ versions, yet the abstraction modelling capabilities used for scentific programming are comparably powereful.

Implementation of a mandatory checklist of protocols and objectives improves compliance with a wide range of evidence-based intensive care unit practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Byrnes, Matthew C; Schuerer, Douglas J E; Schallom, Marilyn E; Sona, Carrie S; Mazuski, John E; Taylor, Beth E; McKenzie, Wendi; Thomas, James M; Emerson, Jeffrey S; Nemeth, Jennifer L; Bailey, Ruth A; Boyle, Walter A; Buchman, Timothy G; Coopersmith, Craig M

2009-10-01

To determine a) if a checklist covering a diverse group of intensive care unit protocols and objectives would improve clinician consideration of these domains and b) if improved consideration would change practice patterns. Pre- and post observational study. A 24-bed surgical/burn/trauma intensive care unit in a teaching hospital. A total of 1399 patients admitted between June 2006 and May 2007. The first component of the study evaluated whether mandating verbal review of a checklist covering 14 intensive care unit best practices altered verbal consideration of these domains. Evaluation was performed using real-time bedside audits on morning rounds. The second component evaluated whether the checklist altered implementation of these domains by changing practice patterns. Evaluation was performed by analyzing data from the Project IMPACT database after patients left the intensive care unit. Verbal consideration of evaluable domains improved from 90.9% (530/583) to 99.7% (669/671, p < .0001) after verbal review of the checklist was mandated. Bedside consideration improved on the use of deep venous thrombosis prophylaxis (p < .05), stress ulcer prophylaxis (p < .01), oral care for ventilated patients (p < 0.01), electrolyte repletion (p < .01), initiation of physical therapy (p < .05), and documentation of restraint orders (p < .0001). Mandatory verbal review of the checklist resulted in a greater than two-fold increase in transferring patients out of the intensive care unit on telemetry (16% vs. 35%, p < .0001) and initiation of physical therapy (28% vs. 42%, p < .0001) compared with baseline practice. A mandatory verbal review of a checklist covering a wide range of objectives and goals at each patient's bedside is an effective method to improve both consideration and implementation of intensive care unit best practices. A bedside checklist is a simple, cost-effective method to prevent errors of omission in basic domains of intensive care unit management that might

Discrete Optimization of Internal Part Structure via SLM Unit Structure-Performance Database

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Li Tang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The structural optimization of the internal structure of parts based on three-dimensional (3D printing has been recognized as being important in the field of mechanical design. The purpose of this paper is to present a creation of a unit structure-performance database based on the selective laser melting (SLM, which contains various structural units with different functions and records their structure and performance characteristics so that we can optimize the internal structure of parts directly, according to the database. The method of creating the unit structure-performance database was introduced in this paper and several structural units of the unit structure-performance database were introduced. The bow structure unit was used to show how to create the structure-performance database of the unit as an example. Some samples of the bow structure unit were designed and manufactured by SLM. These samples were tested in the WDW-100 compression testing machine to obtain their performance characteristics. After this, the paper collected all data regarding unit structure parameters, weight, performance characteristics, and other data; and, established a complete set of data from the bow structure unit for the unit structure-performance database. Furthermore, an aircraft part was reconstructed conveniently to be more lightweight according to the unit structure-performance database. Its weight was reduced by 36.8% when compared with the original structure, while the strength far exceeded the requirements.

Implementing a Nurse Manager Profile to Improve Unit Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Krugman, Mary E; Sanders, Carolyn L

2016-06-01

Nurse managers face significant pressures in the rapidly changing healthcare environment. Staying current with multiple sources of data, including reports that detail institutional and unit performance outcomes, is particularly challenging. A Nurse Manager Customized Profile was developed at a western academic hospital to provide a 1-page visual of pertinent data to help managers and director supervisors focus coaching to improve unit performance. Use of the Decisional Involvement Scale provided new insights into measuring manager performance.

Optimal unit sizing for small-scale integrated energy systems using multi-objective interval optimization and evidential reasoning approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, F.; Wu, Q.H.; Jing, Z.X.; Chen, J.J.; Zhou, X.X.

2016-01-01

This paper proposes a comprehensive framework including a multi-objective interval optimization model and evidential reasoning (ER) approach to solve the unit sizing problem of small-scale integrated energy systems, with uncertain wind and solar energies integrated. In the multi-objective interval optimization model, interval variables are introduced to tackle the uncertainties of the optimization problem. Aiming at simultaneously considering the cost and risk of a business investment, the average and deviation of life cycle cost (LCC) of the integrated energy system are formulated. In order to solve the problem, a novel multi-objective optimization algorithm, MGSOACC (multi-objective group search optimizer with adaptive covariance matrix and chaotic search), is developed, employing adaptive covariance matrix to make the search strategy adaptive and applying chaotic search to maintain the diversity of group. Furthermore, ER approach is applied to deal with multiple interests of an investor at the business decision making stage and to determine the final unit sizing solution from the Pareto-optimal solutions. This paper reports on the simulation results obtained using a small-scale direct district heating system (DH) and a small-scale district heating and cooling system (DHC) optimized by the proposed framework. The results demonstrate the superiority of the multi-objective interval optimization model and ER approach in tackling the unit sizing problem of integrated energy systems considering the integration of uncertian wind and solar energies. - Highlights: • Cost and risk of investment in small-scale integrated energy systems are considered. • A multi-objective interval optimization model is presented. • A novel multi-objective optimization algorithm (MGSOACC) is proposed. • The evidential reasoning (ER) approach is used to obtain the final optimal solution. • The MGSOACC and ER can tackle the unit sizing problem efficiently.

Aqueous treatment of water-sensitive paper objects: capillary unit, blotter wash or paraprint wash?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schalkx, H.; Iedema, P.; Reissland, B.; van Velzen, B.

2011-01-01

Blotter washing andwashing with the capillary unit are both methods used for aqueoustreatment of water-sensitive paper objects. The challenge of thistreatment is to remove water-soluble products while keeping thewater-sensitive medium in its place. In this article the two methodsare compared, along

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)

Assessment of optical performance of three non-tracking, non-imaging, external compound parabolic concentrators designed for high temperature solar thermal collector units

OpenAIRE

Cisneros, Jesus

2010-01-01

The objective of this thesis is to perform a preliminary optical assessment of the external compound parabolic concentrator (XCPC) component in three concentrating solar thermal units. Each solar thermal unit consists an optical element (the non-imaging concentrating reflector) and a thermal element (the evacuated glass tube solar absorber). The three concentrating solar thermal units discussed in this work are DEWAR 58, a direct flow all-glass dewar, DEWAR 47 an indirect flow ...

Infant manual performance during reaching and grasping for objects moving in depth.

Science.gov (United States)

Domellöf, Erik; Barbu-Roth, Marianne; Rönnqvist, Louise; Jacquet, Anne-Yvonne; Fagard, Jacqueline

2015-01-01

Few studies have investigated manual performance in infants when reaching and grasping for objects moving in directions other than across the fronto-parallel plane. The present preliminary study explored object-oriented behavioral strategies and side preference in 8- and 10-month-old infants during reaching and grasping for objects approaching in depth from three positions (midline, and 27° diagonally from the left and right). Effects of task constraint by using objects of three different types and two sizes were further examined for behavioral strategies and hand opening prior to grasping. Additionally, assessments of hand preference by a dedicated handedness test were performed. Regardless of object starting position, the 8-month-old infants predominantly displayed right-handed reaches for objects approaching in depth. In contrast, the older infants showed more varied strategies and performed more ipsilateral reaches in correspondence with the side of the approaching object. Conversely, 10-month-old infants were more successful than the younger infants in grasping the objects, independent of object starting position. The findings regarding infant hand use strategies when reaching and grasping for objects moving in depth are similar to those from earlier studies using objects moving along a horizontal path. Still, initiation times of reaching onset were generally long in the present study, indicating that the object motion paths seemingly affected how the infants perceived the intrinsic properties and spatial locations of the objects, possibly with an effect on motor planning. Findings are further discussed in relation to future investigations of infant reaching and grasping for objects approaching in depth.

Hydrogen Fuel Cell Performance as Telecommunications Backup Power in the United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurtz, Jennifer [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Saur, Genevieve [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Sprik, Sam [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2015-03-01

Working in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and industry project partners, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) acts as the central data repository for the data collected from real-world operation of fuel cell backup power systems. With American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) co-funding awarded through DOE's Fuel Cell Technologies Office, more than 1,300 fuel cell units were deployed over a three-plus-year period in stationary, material handling equipment, auxiliary power, and backup power applications. This surpassed a Fuel Cell Technologies Office ARRA objective to spur commercialization of an early market technology by installing 1,000 fuel cell units across several different applications, including backup power. By December 2013, 852 backup power units out of 1,330 fuel cell units deployed were providing backup service, mainly for telecommunications towers. For 136 of the fuel cell backup units, project participants provided detailed operational data to the National Fuel Cell Technology Evaluation Center for analysis by NREL's technology validation team. NREL analyzed operational data collected from these government co-funded demonstration projects to characterize key fuel cell backup power performance metrics, including reliability and operation trends, and to highlight the business case for using fuel cells in these early market applications. NREL's analyses include these critical metrics, along with deployment, U.S. grid outage statistics, and infrastructure operation.

Evaluation of Subjective and Objective Performance Metrics for Haptically Controlled Robotic Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cong Dung Pham

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This paper studies in detail how different evaluation methods perform when it comes to describing the performance of haptically controlled mobile manipulators. Particularly, we investigate how well subjective metrics perform compared to objective metrics. To find the best metrics to describe the performance of a control scheme is challenging when human operators are involved; how the user perceives the performance of the controller does not necessarily correspond to the directly measurable metrics normally used in controller evaluation. It is therefore important to study whether there is any correspondence between how the user perceives the performance of a controller, and how it performs in terms of directly measurable metrics such as the time used to perform a task, number of errors, accuracy, and so on. To perform these tests we choose a system that consists of a mobile manipulator that is controlled by an operator through a haptic device. This is a good system for studying different performance metrics as the performance can be determined by subjective metrics based on feedback from the users, and also as objective and directly measurable metrics. The system consists of a robotic arm which provides for interaction and manipulation, which is mounted on a mobile base which extends the workspace of the arm. The operator thus needs to perform both interaction and locomotion using a single haptic device. While the position of the on-board camera is determined by the base motion, the principal control objective is the motion of the manipulator arm. This calls for intelligent control allocation between the base and the manipulator arm in order to obtain intuitive control of both the camera and the arm. We implement three different approaches to the control allocation problem, i.e., whether the vehicle or manipulator arm actuation is applied to generate the desired motion. The performance of the different control schemes is evaluated, and our

42 CFR 457.710 - State plan requirements: Strategic objectives and performance goals.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

.... The State's strategic objectives, performance goals and performance measures must include a common... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false State plan requirements: Strategic objectives and...) ALLOTMENTS AND GRANTS TO STATES Strategic Planning, Reporting, and Evaluation § 457.710 State plan...

How job demands, resources, and burnout predict objective performance: a constructive replication.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakker, Arnold B; Van Emmerik, Hetty; Van Riet, Pim

2008-07-01

The present study uses the Job Demands-Resources model (Bakker & Demerouti, 2007) to examine how job characteristics and burnout (exhaustion and cynicism) contribute to explaining variance in objective team performance. A central assumption in the model is that working characteristics evoke two psychologically different processes. In the first process, job demands lead to constant psychological overtaxing and in the long run to exhaustion. In the second process, a lack of job resources precludes actual goal accomplishment, leading to cynicism. In the present study these two processes were used to predict objective team performance. A total of 176 employees from a temporary employment agency completed questionnaires on job characteristics and burnout. These self-reports were linked to information from the company's management information system about teams' (N=71) objective sales performance (actual sales divided by the stated objectives) during the 3 months after the questionnaire data collection period. The results of structural equation modeling analyses did not support the hypothesis that exhaustion mediates the relationship between job demands and performance, but confirmed that cynicism mediates the relationship between job resources and performance suggesting that work conditions influence performance particularly through the attitudinal component of burnout.

Benchmarking in pathology: development of a benchmarking complexity unit and associated key performance indicators.

Science.gov (United States)

Neil, Amanda; Pfeffer, Sally; Burnett, Leslie

2013-01-01

This paper details the development of a new type of pathology laboratory productivity unit, the benchmarking complexity unit (BCU). The BCU provides a comparative index of laboratory efficiency, regardless of test mix. It also enables estimation of a measure of how much complex pathology a laboratory performs, and the identification of peer organisations for the purposes of comparison and benchmarking. The BCU is based on the theory that wage rates reflect productivity at the margin. A weighting factor for the ratio of medical to technical staff time was dynamically calculated based on actual participant site data. Given this weighting, a complexity value for each test, at each site, was calculated. The median complexity value (number of BCUs) for that test across all participating sites was taken as its complexity value for the Benchmarking in Pathology Program. The BCU allowed implementation of an unbiased comparison unit and test listing that was found to be a robust indicator of the relative complexity for each test. Employing the BCU data, a number of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) were developed, including three that address comparative organisational complexity, analytical depth and performance efficiency, respectively. Peer groups were also established using the BCU combined with simple organisational and environmental metrics. The BCU has enabled productivity statistics to be compared between organisations. The BCU corrects for differences in test mix and workload complexity of different organisations and also allows for objective stratification into peer groups.

Infant manual performance during reaching and grasping for objects moving in depth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Erik eDomellöf

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Few studies have observed investigated manual asymmetries performance in infants when reaching and grasping for objects moving in directions other than across the fronto-parallel plane. The present preliminary study explored manual object-oriented behavioral strategies and hand side preference in 8- and 10-month-old infants during reaching and grasping for objects approaching in depth from three positions (midline, and 27° diagonally from the left, and right, midline. Effects of task constraint by using objects of three different types and two sizes were further examined for behavioral strategies and . The study also involved measurements of hand position opening prior to grasping., and Additionally, assessments of general hand preference by a dedicated handedness test were performed. Regardless of object starting position, the 8-month-old infants predominantly displayed right-handed reaches for objects approaching in depth. In contrast, the older infants showed more varied strategies and performed more ipsilateral reaches in correspondence with the side of the approaching object. Conversely, 10-month-old infants were more successful than the younger infants in grasping the objects, independent of object starting position. The findings support the possibility of a shared underlying mechanism regarding for infant hand use strategies when reaching and grasping for horizontally objects moving in depth are similar to those from earlier studies using objects moving along a horizontal pathand vertically moving objects. Still, initiation times of reaching onset were generally long in the present study, indicating that the object motion paths seemingly affected how the infants perceived the intrinsic properties and spatial locations of the objects, possibly with an effect on motor planning. Findings are further discussed in relation to future investigations of infant reaching and grasping for objects approaching in depth.

ATLAS Physics Objects Status and Performance at 13 TeV

CERN Document Server

Riu, Imma; The ATLAS collaboration

2015-01-01

Important for physics analyses is the understanding and commissioning of physics objects. A first look at the 13 TeV data has proved a reasonably good Monte Carlo modelling of the objects and they have been used for first physics measurements and searches beyond the Standard Model. This talk is to be given at the Top Workshop and provides an overview of the status and performance of the physics objects with the early 13 TeV data taken in summer 2015.

Effects of Selected Object Characteristics on Object Permanence Test Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Lingle, Kathleen M.; Lingle, John H.

A study was conducted to investigate the degree to which both object familiarity and motivational factors influence infants' search behavior in an object permanence test. Infants' search behavior for an unfamiliar test object was compared with search behavior for (a) an experientially familiar object that each infant had played with daily for a…

Planning for people? An evaluation of objectives for managing visitors at wildlife refuges in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffrey J. Brooks; Robert Massengale

2011-01-01

This study evaluates the quality of planning objectives for visitor services as written in Comprehensive Conservation Plans for the National Wildlife Refuge System of the United States. Planners in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are predominantly writing public use objectives that address wildlife recreation and education. Results indicate that planners are writing...

Issues with performance measures for dynamic multi-objective optimisation

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Helbig, M

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Dynamic and Uncertain Environments (CIDUE), Mexico, 20-23 June 2013 Issues with Performance Measures for Dynamic Multi-objective Optimisation Mard´e Helbig CSIR: Meraka Institute Brummeria, South Africa...

Hybrid Force and Position Control Strategy of Robonaut Performing Object Transfer Task

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chen Gang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a coordinated hybrid force/position control strategy of robonaut performing object transfer operation. Firstly, the constraint relationships between robonaut and object are presented. Base on them, the unified dynamic model of the robonaut and object is established to design the hybrid force/position control method. The movement, the internal force and the external constraint force of the object are considered as the control targets of the control system. Finally, a MATLAB simulation of the robonaut performing object transfer task verifies the correctness and effectiveness of the proposed method. The results show that all the targets can be control accurately by using the method proposed in this paper. The presented control method can control both internal and external forces while maintaining control accuracy, which is a common control strategy.

Pre-conceptual-schema-based patterns for deriving key performance indicators from strategic objectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Mario Zapata Jaramillo

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Performance measurement is crucial for achieving business success. Moreover, such success is also related to the fulfillment of the organizational strategic objectives. Hence, an adequate determination of relevant performance indicators—or key performance indicators (KPIs—and their relationships to organizational objectives is needed. Even though several approaches for treating KPIs and objective-KPI relationships have been proposed, they exhibit some drawbacks associated with the lack of reusability and traceability. We attempt to fill this gap by proposing a set of patterns based on pre-conceptual schemas for supporting the systematic derivation of KPIs and their relationships to organizational objectives. In this way, the proposed patterns guarantee a reusable and traceable derivation process of a set of candidate KPIs from organizational strategic objectives. Lastly, we provide a lab study in order to illustrate the usefulness of this proposal.

The Use of Performance Based Funding in a Sport Organization: A Case Study of the United States Olympic Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2009-08-01

description and analysis of a single instance, phenomenon, or social unit (Merriam, 1998). Management by Objective (MBO). A control system designed to...theoretical principles of performance based funding instead of testing a hypothesis, my epistemology will be constructivist. Constructionism Maynard...operate. This constitutes a vital epistemological position that constructionism takes in relation to the interaction between the investigator and

Operating performance of LWR nuclear generating units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pia, S.

1984-01-01

This work aims at reviewing, on the basis of historical data, the operational problem areas which explain the degree of availability and productivity achieved up to now by nuclear power plants in commercial operation in the world. The operating performance data of nuclear power plants area analysed with respect to plant type, size and other significant reference parameters and they are evaluated also by comparison with fossil generating unit data. Major performance indices data are presented for both nuclear and fossil units type and distribution of outage causes. Unplanned full outages caused by nuclear power plant equipment and components failure are particulary emphasized. The trend for unplanned full outages due to the failure of components shows decreasing numerical values in 1981 with respect to the previous years. But this result should be weighed with the increasing plant unavailability hours needed for maintenance and repair action (chiefly preventive maintenance on critical components). This means that the number and downtime of forced outage must be drastically reduced for economic reasons (production losses and problems associated with the unavailable unit unplanned replacement) as well as for plant safe and reliable operation (sudden unavailability of key components and frequency of transients associated with plant shutdown and routine startup operation)

Development of Thermal Performance Analysis Computer Program on Turbine Cycle of Yoggwang 3,4 Units

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, S.Y.; Choi, K.H.; Jee, M.H.; Chung, S.I. [Korea Electric Power Research Institute, Taejon (Korea)

2002-07-01

The objective of the study ''Development of Thermal Performance Analysis Computer Program on Turbine Cycle of Yonggwang 3,4 Units'' is to utilize computerized program to the performance test of the turbine cycle or the analysis of the operational status of the thermal plants. In addition, the result can be applicable to the analysis of the thermal output at the abnormal status and be a powerful tool to find out the main problems for such cases. As a results, the output of this study can supply the way to confirm the technical capability to operate the plants efficiently and to obtain the economic gains remarkably. (author). 27 refs., 73 figs., 6 tabs.

48 CFR 9904.410 - Allocation of business unit general and administrative expenses to final cost objectives.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... unit general and administrative expenses to final cost objectives. 9904.410 Section 9904.410 Federal Acquisition Regulations System COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD, OFFICE OF FEDERAL PROCUREMENT POLICY, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET PROCUREMENT PRACTICES AND COST ACCOUNTING STANDARDS COST ACCOUNTING...

Assessing the Performance of Business Unit Managers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouwens, J.F.M.G.; van Lent, L.A.G.M.

2006-01-01

Using a sample of 140 managers, we investigate the use of various performance metrics in determining the periodic assessment, bonus decisions, and career paths of business unit managers.We show that the weight on accounting return measures is associated with the authority of these managers, and we

Chemical Technology Division Comprehensive Self-Assessment and Upgrade Program (CSAUP). Performance Objectives and Criteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-05-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has placed strong emphasis on a new way of doing business patterned on the lessons learned in the nuclear power industry after the accident at Three Mile Island Unit 2. The new way relies on strict adherence to policies and procedures, a greatly expanded training program, and much more rigor and formality in operations. Another key element is more visible oversight by upper management and auditability by DOR Although the Chemical Technology Division (Chem Tech) has functioned in a safe manner since its beginning, the policies and methods of the past are no longer appropriate. Therefore, in accordance with these directives, Chem Tech is improving its operational performance by making a transition to greater formality in the observance of policies and procedures and a more deliberate consideration of the interrelationships between organizations at ORNL. This transition to formality is vitally important because both our staff and our facilities are changing with time. For example, some of the inventors and developers of the processes and facilities in use are now ''passing the torch'' to the next generation of Chem Tech staff. Our faculties have also served us well for many years, but the newest of these are now over 20 years old. All have increasing needs of refurbishment and repair, and some of the older ones need to be replaced. The Comprehensive Self-Assessment and Upgrade Program (CSAUP) has been patterned on a similar activity performed at the High Flux Isotope Reactor. Using the Draft DOE Performance Objectives and Criteria for Technical Safety Appraisals (May 1987) as a starting point, it was determined that 14 functional areas for evaluation listed in the report were suitable for Chem Tech use. An additional 5 functional areas were added for completeness since Chem Tech has a broader set of missions than a reactor facility. The Performance Objectives and Criteria (POC) for each functional area in the DOE report were

Analysing the performance of dynamic multi-objective optimisation algorithms

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Helbig, M

2013-06-01

Full Text Available and the goal of the algorithm is to track a set of tradeoff solutions over time. Analysing the performance of a dynamic multi-objective optimisation algorithm (DMOA) is not a trivial task. For each environment (before a change occurs) the DMOA has to find a set...

Sludge Removal and Retrieval of Foreign Object in SG of Kori Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Wootae; Kim, Sangtae; Kim, Youngkug; Kang, Seokchul

2014-01-01

Sludge deposit was removed and foreign objects were inspected and retrieved on secondary side tube sheet of the SG during January 23 and February 22, April 15 and 27 in 2013. FOLAS-I lancing system, video probe and retrieval tools were used for lancing and foreign object removal respectively. Operators of the lancing system participated in mock-up training before doing the service to minimize operation time and radiation dose. Foreign objects were searched on top of 7 th TSP (tube support plate), on annulus and in tube bundle. Four objects were found and removed on annulus and in tube bundle. During the 21 st OH of Kori NPP unit 4, we removed 345.9 kilo gram of sludge and four foreign objects from three steam generators. Foreign objects which were removed from inside of SG showed us that relatively large object such as the hooked bolt might exists in steam generators. We can conclude that identifying and removing foreign object is very important to avoid possible tube failure. Removing circular metal of 152.4 gram also was successfully removed

A Cross-cultural Comparison of Objectivity in Childhood Games: Iran and the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Rastegarpour, Ali

2011-07-01

Games have been introduced as a means for studying cross-cultural differences and societies. This paper presents a case study in analogous games played by children in two different countries with two different cultures - Iran and the United States. Four examples are presented to demonstrate that games played by Iranian children are subject to less objectivity in their rules. Therefore, nonobjectivity may be a phenomenon that has roots in the society and the many differences between the two societies may very well be the results of this fundamental difference. If the presence of objectivity in childhood game rules could be, in actuality, indicative of objectivity in social and civil interactions in the everyday lives of the people, the direction of causality remains to be established. In other words, it remains unclear whether the games influence the culture or are influenced by the mandates of the society.

High Input Voltage, Silicon Carbide Power Processing Unit Performance Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Bozak, Karin E.; Pinero, Luis R.; Scheidegger, Robert J.; Aulisio, Michael V.; Gonzalez, Marcelo C.; Birchenough, Arthur G.

2015-01-01

A silicon carbide brassboard power processing unit has been developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio. The power processing unit operates from two sources: a nominal 300 Volt high voltage input bus and a nominal 28 Volt low voltage input bus. The design of the power processing unit includes four low voltage, low power auxiliary supplies, and two parallel 7.5 kilowatt (kW) discharge power supplies that are capable of providing up to 15 kilowatts of total power at 300 to 500 Volts (V) to the thruster. Additionally, the unit contains a housekeeping supply, high voltage input filter, low voltage input filter, and master control board, such that the complete brassboard unit is capable of operating a 12.5 kilowatt Hall effect thruster. The performance of the unit was characterized under both ambient and thermal vacuum test conditions, and the results demonstrate exceptional performance with full power efficiencies exceeding 97%. The unit was also tested with a 12.5kW Hall effect thruster to verify compatibility and output filter specifications. With space-qualified silicon carbide or similar high voltage, high efficiency power devices, this would provide a design solution to address the need for high power electric propulsion systems.

Performing an allreduce operation using shared memory

Science.gov (United States)

Archer, Charles J [Rochester, MN; Dozsa, Gabor [Ardsley, NY; Ratterman, Joseph D [Rochester, MN; Smith, Brian E [Rochester, MN

2012-04-17

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for performing an allreduce operation using shared memory that include: receiving, by at least one of a plurality of processing cores on a compute node, an instruction to perform an allreduce operation; establishing, by the core that received the instruction, a job status object for specifying a plurality of shared memory allreduce work units, the plurality of shared memory allreduce work units together performing the allreduce operation on the compute node; determining, by an available core on the compute node, a next shared memory allreduce work unit in the job status object; and performing, by that available core on the compute node, that next shared memory allreduce work unit.

Thermal performance of a PCM thermal storage unit

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Ming; Bruno, Frank; Saman, Wasim [Sustainable Energy Centre, Inst. for Sustainable Systems and Technologies, Univ. of South Australia, Mawson Lakes, Adelaide (Australia)

2008-07-01

The thermal performance of a PCM thermal storage unit (TSU) is studied numerically and experimentally. The TSU under analysis consists of several flat slabs of phase change material (PCM) with melting temperature of -26.7 C. Liquid heat transfer fluid (HTF) passes between the slabs to charge and discharge the storage unit. A one dimensional mathematical model was employed to analyze the transient thermal behavior of the storage unit during the melting and freezing processes. The model takes into consideration the temperature variations in the wall along the flow direction of the HTF. The paper compares the experimental and numerical simulation results in terms of HTF outlet temperatures during the melting period. (orig.)

A method for projecting full-scale performance of CO/sub 2/ flooding in the Willard Unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bilhartz, H.L.; Charlson, G.S.; Stalkup, F.I.; Miller, C.C.

1985-01-01

A non-producing CO/sub 2/ flood tertiary recovery test was recently completed in the Willard Unit of Wasson Field. Flood responses during waterflood and alternate injection of CO/sub 2/ and water were monitored at a logging observation well using compensated neutron and pulsed neutron logs. A pressure core was taken to measure residual oil saturations at the test conclusion. The overall objective of the testing was to obtain information for evaluating the potential for full-scale CO/sub 2/ flooding in the unit. Out method for making this evaluation involves: (1) defining CO/sub 2/ flood displacement efficiency and representing this efficiency in a miscible flood reservoir simulator; (2) defining a representative average reservoir description; and (3) projecting full-scale CO/sub 2/ flood performance with the simulator. The paper provides a status report on progress to assess CO/sub 2/ flooding potential for the Willard Unit in this manner

Engineering performance indicators in support of corporate goals and objectives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prawlocki, F.C.; Holland, M.B.

1992-01-01

In the late 1980s, a new factor was introduced into the equation of rate making: competition. Prior to this time, most utilities only had to prove to the state public service commission (PSC) that a rate increase was justified. Even this had become more difficult in recent years as PSCs implemented prudency audits as a means of determining the efficiency of utility management. Recently, however, the need for performance improvement has been initiated internally by utility management because of the advent of competition in the utility environment and state PSC inquiries. In 1991, TVA began to realign its traditional program of performance indicators to agree with industry standards and provide more extensive indicators of positive and negative trends in performance. The INPO Guideline 88-016, Guidelines for the Conduct of Design Engineering, was used as the basis for most indicators. In addition, indicators were added to highlight specific corporate objectives, problems, or regulatory commitments. The indicators are being initiated in three phases as efficient sources of performance data are identified. Once the current baseline was established, a review was made of the best utilities in the country based on the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission's systematic assessment of licensee's performance and INPO performance indicators to establish performance goals. As total quality management and cycle time reduction programs are implemented, all of the organization's annual goals and objectives are expected to more closely reflect the best of the industry

High-Performance Neural Networks for Visual Object Classification

OpenAIRE

Cireşan, Dan C.; Meier, Ueli; Masci, Jonathan; Gambardella, Luca M.; Schmidhuber, Jürgen

2011-01-01

We present a fast, fully parameterizable GPU implementation of Convolutional Neural Network variants. Our feature extractors are neither carefully designed nor pre-wired, but rather learned in a supervised way. Our deep hierarchical architectures achieve the best published results on benchmarks for object classification (NORB, CIFAR10) and handwritten digit recognition (MNIST), with error rates of 2.53%, 19.51%, 0.35%, respectively. Deep nets trained by simple back-propagation perform better ...

Subjective and objective quantification of physician's workload and performance during radiation therapy planning tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Mazur, Lukasz M; Mosaly, Prithima R; Hoyle, Lesley M; Jones, Ellen L; Marks, Lawrence B

2013-01-01

To quantify, and compare, workload for several common physician-based treatment planning tasks using objective and subjective measures of workload. To assess the relationship between workload and performance to define workload levels where performance could be expected to decline. Nine physicians performed the same 3 tasks on each of 2 cases ("easy" vs "hard"). Workload was assessed objectively throughout the tasks (via monitoring of pupil size and blink rate), and subjectively at the end of each case (via National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index; NASA-TLX). NASA-TLX assesses the 6 dimensions (mental, physical, and temporal demands, frustration, effort, and performance); scores > or ≈ 50 are associated with reduced performance in other industries. Performance was measured using participants' stated willingness to approve the treatment plan. Differences in subjective and objective workload between cases, tasks, and experience were assessed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The correlation between subjective and objective workload measures were assessed via the Pearson correlation test. The relationships between workload and performance measures were assessed using the t test. Eighteen case-wise and 54 task-wise assessments were obtained. Subjective NASA-TLX scores (P .1), were significantly lower for the easy vs hard case. Most correlations between the subjective and objective measures were not significant, except between average blink rate and NASA-TLX scores (r = -0.34, P = .02), for task-wise assessments. Performance appeared to decline at NASA-TLX scores of ≥55. The NASA-TLX may provide a reasonable method to quantify subjective workload for broad activities, and objective physiologic eye-based measures may be useful to monitor workload for more granular tasks within activities. The subjective and objective measures, as herein quantified, do not necessarily track each other, and more work is needed to assess their utilities. From a

Comparison of Turkey and United States in terms of teacher performance indicators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zühal Çubukçu

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Developing objective standards and indicators, and establishing the transparency of the evaluation process have significant importance in reducing negative teacher opinions and ensuring healthy functioning of the performance evaluation system. The purpose of this study is to compare teacher performance indicators in Turkey and United States. This study was conducted using document review, which is one of the qualitative research methods. In the study, document review was used as the data collection method. In the first stage, the official documents of the two countries were accessed via websites. The authenticity of the obtained documents was checked. Finally, the analysis was done with the classification form developed by the researchers. In the study, the analysis of the documents was done by descriptive analysis technique. General Proficiencies of Teaching Profession consist of 233 performance indicator and Core Teaching Standards consist of 74 performance indicators. The findings of the study were examined under five themes determined by considering the General Proficiencies of Teaching Profession and Core Teaching Standards: Student and learning, content knowledge, instructional practice, assessment and professional development. General Proficiencies of Teaching Profession lists the knowledge, skills, and behaviors expected from teachers as performance indicators. In Core Teaching Standards, the performance indicators provide suggestions and explanations for the development of teaching in accordance with the requirements of today's world. the preparation of performance indicators to provide teachers' development and the realistic use of these indicators in evaluating will help improve the quality of teacher performance evaluation.

Making things happen through challenging goals: leader proactivity, trust, and business-unit performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Crossley, Craig D; Cooper, Cecily D; Wernsing, Tara S

2013-05-01

Building on decades of research on the proactivity of individual performers, this study integrates research on goal setting and trust in leadership to examine manager proactivity and business unit sales performance in one of the largest sales organizations in the United States. Results of a moderated-mediation model suggest that proactive senior managers establish more challenging goals for their business units (N = 50), which in turn are associated with higher sales performance. We further found that employees' trust in the manager is a critical contingency variable that facilitates the relationship between challenging sales goals and subsequent sales performance. This research contributes to growing literatures on trust in leadership and proactivity by studying their joint effects at a district-unit level of analysis while identifying district managers' tendency to set challenging goals as a process variable that helps translate their proactivity into the collective performance of their units. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2013 APA, all rights reserved.

Analytical solutions for evaluating the thermal performances of wet air cooling coils under both unit and non-unit Lewis Factors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Liang; Chan, M.Y.; Deng, S.M.; Xu, X.G.

2010-01-01

Analytical solutions for evaluating the thermal performances of both chilled water wet cooling coils and direct expansion (DX) wet cooling coils, respectively, under both unit and non-unit Lewis Factors are developed and reported in this paper. The analytical solution was validated by comparing its predictions with those from numerically solving the fundamental governing equations of heat and mass transfer taking place in a wet cooling coil. With the analytical solutions, the distributions of air temperature and humidity ratio along air flow direction in a wet cooling coil can be predicted, and the differences in the thermal performances of the cooling coils under both unit and non-unit Lewis Factors can be identified. The analytical solutions, on one hand, can be a low-cost replacement to numerically solving the fundamental heat and mass transfer governing equations, and on the other hand, is able to deal with evaluating thermal performance for wet air cooling coils operated under both unit and non-unit Lewis Factors.

Benchmarking and performance enhancement framework for multi-staging object-oriented languages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed H. Yousef

2013-06-01

Full Text Available This paper focuses on verifying the readiness, feasibility, generality and usefulness of multi-staging programming in software applications. We present a benchmark designed to evaluate the performance gain of different multi-staging programming (MSP languages implementations of object oriented languages. The benchmarks in this suite cover different tests that range from classic simple examples (like matrix algebra to advanced examples (like encryption and image processing. The benchmark is applied to compare the performance gain of two different MSP implementations (Mint and Metaphor that are built on object oriented languages (Java and C# respectively. The results concerning the application of this benchmark on these languages are presented and analysed. The measurement technique used in benchmarking leads to the development of a language independent performance enhancement framework that allows the programmer to select which code segments need staging. The framework also enables the programmer to verify the effectiveness of staging on the application performance. The framework is applied to a real case study. The case study results showed the effectiveness of the framework to achieve significant performance enhancement.

Performance characterization of megavoltage computed tomography imaging on a helical tomotherapy unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meeks, Sanford L.; Harmon, Joseph F. Jr.; Langen, Katja M.; Willoughby, Twyla R.; Wagner, Thomas H.; Kupelian, Patrick A.

2005-01-01

Helical tomotherapy is an innovative means of delivering IGRT and IMRT using a device that combines features of a linear accelerator and a helical computed tomography (CT) scanner. The HI-ART II can generate CT images from the same megavoltage x-ray beam it uses for treatment. These megavoltage CT (MVCT) images offer verification of the patient position prior to and potentially during radiation therapy. Since the unit uses the actual treatment beam as the x-ray source for image acquisition, no surrogate telemetry systems are required to register image space to treatment space. The disadvantage to using the treatment beam for imaging, however, is that the physics of radiation interactions in the megavoltage energy range may force compromises between the dose delivered and the image quality in comparison to diagnostic CT scanners. The performance of the system is therefore characterized in terms of objective measures of noise, uniformity, contrast, and spatial resolution as a function of the dose delivered by the MVCT beam. The uniformity and spatial resolutions of MVCT images generated by the HI-ART II are comparable to that of diagnostic CT images. Furthermore, the MVCT scan contrast is linear with respect to the electron density of material imaged. MVCT images do not have the same performance characteristics as state-of-the art diagnostic CT scanners when one objectively examines noise and low-contrast resolution. These inferior results may be explained, at least partially, by the low doses delivered by our unit; the dose is 1.1 cGy in a 20 cm diameter cylindrical phantom. In spite of the poorer low-contrast resolution, these relatively low-dose MVCT scans provide sufficient contrast to delineate many soft-tissue structures. Hence, these images are useful not only for verifying the patient's position at the time of therapy, but they are also sufficient for delineating many anatomic structures. In conjunction with the ability to recalculate radiotherapy doses on

Evaluating Robotic Surgical Skills Performance Under Distractive Environment Using Objective and Subjective Measures.

Science.gov (United States)

Suh, Irene H; LaGrange, Chad A; Oleynikov, Dmitry; Siu, Ka-Chun

2016-02-01

Distractions are recognized as a significant factor affecting performance in safety critical domains. Although operating rooms are generally full of distractions, the effect of distractions on robot-assisted surgical (RAS) performance is unclear. Our aim was to investigate the effect of distractions on RAS performance using both objective and subjective measures. Fifteen participants performed a knot-tying task using the da Vinci Surgical System and were exposed to 3 distractions: (1) passive distraction entailed listening to noise with a constant heart rate, (2) active distraction included listening to noise and acknowledging a change of random heart rate from 60 to 120 bpm, and (3) interactive distraction consisted of answering math questions. The objective kinematics of the surgical instrument tips were used to evaluate performance. Electromyography (EMG) of the forearm and hand muscles of the participants were collected. The median EMG frequency (EMG(fmed)) and the EMG envelope (EMG(env)) were analyzed. NASA Task Load Index and Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery score were used to evaluate the subjective performance. One-way repeated analysis of variance was applied to examine the effects of distraction on skills performance. Spearman's correlations were conducted to compare objective and subjective measures. Significant distraction effect was found for all objective kinematics measures (P < .05). There were significant distraction effects for EMG measures (EMG(env), P < .004; EMG(fmed), P = .031). Significant distraction effects were also found for subjective measurements. Distraction impairs surgical skills performance and increases muscle work. Understanding how the surgeons cope with distractions is important in developing surgical education. © The Author(s) 2015.

Performance Evaluation of an Object Management Policy Approach for P2P Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dario Vieira

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The increasing popularity of network-based multimedia applications poses many challenges for content providers to supply efficient and scalable services. Peer-to-peer (P2P systems have been shown to be a promising approach to provide large-scale video services over the Internet since, by nature, these systems show high scalability and robustness. In this paper, we propose and analyze an object management policy approach for video web cache in a P2P context, taking advantage of object's metadata, for example, video popularity, and object's encoding techniques, for example, scalable video coding (SVC. We carry out trace-driven simulations so as to evaluate the performance of our approach and compare it against traditional object management policy approaches. In addition, we study as well the impact of churn on our approach and on other object management policies that implement different caching strategies. A YouTube video collection which records over 1.6 million video's log was used in our experimental studies. The experiment results have showed that our proposed approach can improve the performance of the cache substantially. Moreover, we have found that neither the simply enlargement of peers' storage capacity nor a zero replicating strategy is effective actions to improve performance of an object management policy.

Individual differences in object permanence performance at 8 months: locomotor experience and brain electrical activity.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, M A; Fox, N A

1997-12-01

This work was designed to investigate individual differences in hands-and-knees crawling and frontal brain electrical activity with respect to object permanence performance in 76 eight-month-old infants. Four groups of infants (one prelocomotor and 3 with varying lengths of hands-and-knees crawling experience) were tested on an object permanence scale in a research design similar to that used by Kermoian and Campos (1988). In addition, baseline EEG was recorded and used as an indicator of brain development, as in the Bell and Fox (1992) longitudinal study. Individual differences in frontal and occipital EEG power and in locomotor experience were associated with performance on the object permanence task. Infants successful at A-not-B exhibited greater frontal EEG power and greater occipital EEG power than unsuccessful infants. In contrast to Kermoian and Campos (1988), who noted that long-term crawling experience was associated with higher performance on an object permanence scale, infants in this study with any amount of hands and knees crawling experience performed at a higher level on the object permanence scale than prelocomotor infants. There was no interaction among brain electrical activity, locomotor experience, and object permanence performance. These data highlight the value of electrophysiological research and the need for a brain-behavior model of object permanence performance that incorporates both electrophysiological and behavioral factors.

Correlation of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Performance Across Multiple Measures of Quality of Care

Science.gov (United States)

Profit, J; Zupancic, JAF; Gould, JB; Pietz, K; Kowalkowski, MA; Draper, D; Hysong, SJ; Petersen, LA

2014-01-01

Objectives To examine whether high performance on one measure of quality is associated with high performance on others and to develop a data-driven explanatory model of neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) performance. Design We conducted a cross-sectional data analysis of a statewide perinatal care database. Risk-adjusted NICU ranks were computed for each of 8 measures of quality selected based on expert input. Correlations across measures were tested using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine whether underlying factors were driving the correlations. Setting Twenty-two regional NICUs in California. Patients In total, 5445 very low-birth-weight infants cared for between January 1, 2004, and December 31, 2007. Main Outcomes Measures Pneumothorax, growth velocity, health care–associated infection, antenatal corticosteroid use, hypothermia during the first hour of life, chronic lung disease, mortality in the NICU, and discharge on any human breast milk. Results The NICUs varied substantially in their clinical performance across measures of quality. Of 28 unit-level correlations only 6 were significant (P quality measures were strong (ρ > .5) for 1 pair, moderate (.3 quality in this sample. Pneumothorax, mortality in the NICU, and antenatal corticosteroid use loaded on factor 1; growth velocity and health care–associated infection loaded on factor 2; chronic lung disease loaded on factor 3; and discharge on any human breast milk loaded on factor 4. Conclusion In this sample, the ability of individual measures of quality to explain overall quality of neonatal intensive care was modest. PMID:23403539

On the Role of Physical Interaction on Performance of Object Manipulation by Dyads

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keivan Mojtahedi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Human physical interactions can be intrapersonal, e.g., manipulating an object bimanually, or interpersonal, e.g., transporting an object with another person. In both cases, one or two agents are required to coordinate their limbs to attain the task goal. We investigated the physical coordination of two hands during an object-balancing task performed either bimanually by one agent or jointly by two agents. The task consisted of a series of static (holding and dynamic (moving phases, initiated by auditory cues. We found that task performance of dyads was not affected by different pairings of dominant and non-dominant hands. However, the spatial configuration of the two agents (side-by-side vs. face-to-face appears to play an important role, such that dyads performed better side-by-side than face-to-face. Furthermore, we demonstrated that only individuals with worse solo performance can benefit from interpersonal coordination through physical couplings, whereas the better individuals do not. The present work extends ongoing investigations on human-human physical interactions by providing new insights about factors that influence dyadic performance. Our findings could potentially impact several areas, including robotic-assisted therapies, sensorimotor learning and human performance augmentation.

A Conceptual Model for Delineating Land Management Units (LMUs Using Geographical Object-Based Image Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Deniz Gerçek

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Land management and planning is crucial for present and future use of land and the sustainability of land resources. Physical, biological and cultural characteristics of land can be used to define Land Management Units (LMUs that aid in decision making for managing land and communicating information between different research and application domains. This study aims to describe the classification of ecologically relevant land units that are suitable for land management, planning and conservation purposes. Relying on the idea of strong correlation between landform and potential landcover, a conceptual model for creating Land Management Units (LMUs from topographic data and biophysical information is presented. The proposed method employs a multi-level object-based classification of Digital Terrain Models (DTMs to derive landform units. The sensitivity of landform units to changes in segmentation scale is examined, and the outcome of the landform classification is evaluated. Landform classes are then aggregated with landcover information to produce ecologically relevant landform/landcover assemblages. These conceptual units that constitute a framework of connected entities are finally enriched given available socio-economic information e.g., land use, ownership, protection status, etc. to generate LMUs. LMUs attached to a geographic database enable the retrieval of information at various levels to support decision making for land management at various scales. LMUs that are created present a basis for conservation and management in a biodiverse area in the Black Sea region of Turkey.

System for optical sorting of microscopic objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2014-01-01

The present invention relates to a system for optical sorting of microscopic objects and corresponding method. An optical detection system (52) is capable of determining the positions of said first and/or said second objects. One or more force transfer units (200, 205, 210, 215) are placed...... in a first reservoir, the one or more force units being suitable for optical momentum transfer. An electromagnetic radiation source (42) yields a radiation beam (31, 32) capable of optically displacing the force transfer units from one position to another within the first reservoir (1R). The force transfer...... units are displaced from positions away from the first objects to positions close to the first objects, and then displacing the first objects via a contact force (300) between the first objects and the force transfer units facilitates an optical sorting of the first objects and the second objects....

Assessment Of Nurses Performance During Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation In Intensive Care Unit And Cardiac Care Unit At The Alexandria Main University Hospital.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dr. Nagla Hamdi Kamal Khalil El- Meanawi

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cardiopulmonary resuscitation one of the most emergency management the nurse has a pivotal role and should be highly qualified in performing these procedures. The aim of the study is to assess performance of nurses during Cardio pulmonary resuscitation for patient with cardiac arrest In Intensive Care Unit and Cardiac Care Unit at the Alexandria main university hospital. To answer the question what are the most common area of satisfactory and area of neglection in nurses performance during Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation. The sample consists of 53 staff nurses working in Intensive care unit amp cardiac care unit at Alexandria main university hospital. The tools of data collection were structured of questionnaire sheet and observational cheek list. The results showed that unsatisfactory performance between nurses in both units. The study concluded that all nurses need to improve their performance during cardiopulmonary resuscitation for patient with cardiac arrest it is crucial for nursing staff to participate in CPR courses in order to refresh and update their theoretical knowledge and performance skills and consequently to improve the safety and effectiveness of care. The study recommended that continuous evaluation of nurses knowledge and performance is essential the optimal frequency with which CPR training should be implemented at least every 6 months in order to avoid deterioration in nurses CPR knowledge and skills.

Dimensionless Numerical Approaches for the Performance Prediction of Marine Waterjet Propulsion Units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Altosole

2012-01-01

Full Text Available One of the key issues at early design stage of a high-speed craft is the selection and the performance prediction of the propulsion system because at this stage only few information about the vessel are available. The objective of this work is precisely to provide the designer, in the case of waterjet propelled craft, with a simple and reliable calculation tool, able to predict the waterjet working points in design and off-design conditions, allowing to investigate several propulsive options during the ship design process. In the paper two original dimensionless numerical procedures, one referred to jet units for naval applications and the other more suitable for planing boats, are presented. The first procedure is based on a generalized performance map for mixed flow pumps, derived from the analysis of several waterjet pumps by applying similitude principles of the hydraulic machines. The second approach, validated by some comparisons with current waterjet installations, is based on a complete physical approach, from which a set of non-dimensional waterjet characteristics has been drawn by the authors. The presented application examples show the validity and the degree of accuracy of the proposed methodologies for the performance evaluation of waterjet propulsion systems.

Are subjective memory problems related to suggestibility, compliance, false memories, and objective memory performance?

Science.gov (United States)

Van Bergen, Saskia; Jelicic, Marko; Merckelbach, Harald

2009-01-01

The relationship between subjective memory beliefs and suggestibility, compliance, false memories, and objective memory performance was studied in a community sample of young and middle-aged people (N = 142). We hypothesized that people with subjective memory problems would exhibit higher suggestibility and compliance levels and would be more susceptible to false recollections than those who are optimistic about their memory. In addition, we expected a discrepancy between subjective memory judgments and objective memory performance. We found that subjective memory judgments correlated significantly with compliance, with more negative memory judgments accompanying higher levels of compliance. Contrary to our expectation, subjective memory problems did not correlate with suggestibility or false recollections. Furthermore, participants were accurate in estimating their objective memory performance.

A Component Analysis of the Impact of Evaluative and Objective Feedback on Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Douglas A.

2013-01-01

Despite the frequency with which performance feedback interventions are used in organizational behavior management, component analyses of such feedback are rare. It has been suggested that evaluation of performance and objective details about performance are two necessary components for performance feedback. The present study was designed to help…

Performing mathematics activities with non-standard units of measurement using robots controlled via speech-generating devices: three case studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Kim D; Cook, Albert M

2017-07-01

Purpose To examine how using a Lego robot controlled via a speech-generating device (SGD) can contribute to how students with physical and communication impairments perform hands-on and communicative mathematics measurement activities. This study was a follow-up to a previous study. Method Three students with cerebral palsy used the robot to measure objects using non-standard units, such as straws, and then compared and ordered the objects using the resulting measurement. Their performance was assessed, and the manipulation and communication events were observed. Teachers and education assistants were interviewed regarding robot use. Results Similar benefits to the previous study were found in this study. Gaps in student procedural knowledge were identified such as knowing to place measurement units tip-to-tip, and students' reporting revealed gaps in conceptual understanding. However, performance improved with repeated practice. Stakeholders identified that some robot tasks took too long or were too difficult to perform. Conclusions Having access to both their SGD and a robot gave the students multiple ways to show their understanding of the measurement concepts. Though they could participate actively in the new mathematics activities, robot use is most appropriate in short tasks requiring reasonable operational skill. Implications for Rehabilitation Lego robots controlled via speech-generating devices (SGDs) can help students to engage in the mathematics pedagogy of performing hands-on activities while communicating about concepts. Students can "show what they know" using the Lego robots, and report and reflect on concepts using the SGD. Level 1 and Level 2 mathematics measurement activities have been adapted to be accomplished by the Lego robot. Other activities can likely be accomplished with similar robot adaptations (e.g., gripper, pen). It is not recommended to use the robot to measure items that are long, or perform measurements that require high

Real-Time Projection-Based Augmented Reality System for Dynamic Objects in the Performing Arts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaewoon Lee

2015-02-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the case study of applying projection-based augmented reality, especially for dynamic objects in live performing shows, such as plays, dancing, or musicals. Our study aims to project imagery correctly inside the silhouettes of flexible objects, in other words, live actors or the surface of actor’s costumes; the silhouette transforms its own shape frequently. To realize this work, we implemented a special projection system based on the real-time masking technique, that is to say real-time projection-based augmented reality system for dynamic objects in performing arts. We installed the sets on a stage for live performance, and rehearsed particular scenes of a musical. In live performance, using projection-based augmented reality technology enhances technical and theatrical aspects which were not possible with existing video projection techniques. The projected images on the surfaces of actor’s costume could not only express the particular scene of a performance more effectively, but also lead the audience to an extraordinary visual experience.

Performance of diagnostic mammography differs in the United States and Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Allan; Geller, Berta M; Gard, Charlotte C

2010-01-01

in the United States and Denmark. The performance of 93,585 diagnostic mammograms from 180 facilities contributing data to the US Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium (BCSC) from 1999 to 2001 was compared to that of all 51,313 diagnostic mammograms performed at Danish clinics in 2000. We used the imaging...... workup's final assessment to determine sensitivity, specificity and an estimate of accuracy: area under the receiver-operating characteristics (ROCs) curve (AUC). Diagnostic mammography had slightly higher sensitivity in the United States (85%) than in Denmark (82%). In contrast, it had higher...... specificity in Denmark (99%) than in the United States (93%). The AUC was high in both countries: 0.91 in United States and 0.95 in Denmark. Denmark's higher accuracy may result from supplementary ultrasound examinations, which are provided to 74% of Danish women but only 37% to 52% of US women. In addition...

Multi-Objective Optimization for Energy Performance Improvement of Residential Buildings: A Comparative Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kangji Li

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Numerous conflicting criteria exist in building design optimization, such as energy consumption, greenhouse gas emission and indoor thermal performance. Different simulation-based optimization strategies and various optimization algorithms have been developed. A few of them are analyzed and compared in solving building design problems. This paper presents an efficient optimization framework to facilitate optimization designs with the aid of commercial simulation software and MATLAB. The performances of three optimization strategies, including the proposed approach, GenOpt method and artificial neural network (ANN method, are investigated using a case study of a simple building energy model. Results show that the proposed optimization framework has competitive performances compared with the GenOpt method. Further, in another practical case, four popular multi-objective algorithms, e.g., the non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm (NSGA-II, multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO, the multi-objective genetic algorithm (MOGA and multi-objective differential evolution (MODE, are realized using the propose optimization framework and compared with three criteria. Results indicate that MODE achieves close-to-optimal solutions with the best diversity and execution time. An uncompetitive result is achieved by the MOPSO in this case study.

PERFORMANCE OF ISLAMIC UNIT TRUSTS DURING THE 2007 GLOBAL FINANCIAL CRISIS: EVIDENCE FROM MALAYSIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Salina H. Kassim

2012-01-01

Full Text Available By focusing on the Malaysian Islamic unit trusts over the period of January 2000 to December 2009, this study attempts to analyse the performance of the Islamic unit trusts in various economic conditions; during a crisis period and non-crisis period. The adjusted Sharpe index, adjusted Jensen Alpha index, and Treynor index are adopted to compare the performance of the Islamic unit trusts against the market benchmark and risk-free return. In measuring risk and diversification, the study relies on the standard deviation and R2 coefficient of determination, respectively. The findings reveal that during the non-crisis period, the performance of the Islamic unit trusts is comparable to that of the market benchmark, while during the crisis period, the Islamic unit trusts perform better compared to the non-crisis period. These findings suggests that the Islamic unit trust funds can be an ideal hedging instrument during a down market and provide potential portfolio diversification benefits for the investors. Based on these findings, the investors could strategize and diversify their portfolio accordingly during different market conditions.

Relationship between self-reported cognitive difficulties, objective neuropsychological test performance and psychological distress in chronic pain.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, K S; Gibson, S J; Georgiou-Karistianis, N; Giummarra, M J

2018-03-01

Persons with chronic pain often report problems with cognitive abilities, such as memory or attention. There is limited understanding of whether objective performance is consistent with subjective reports, and how psychological factors contribute. We aimed to investigate these relationships in a group of patients expressing cognitive concerns, and evaluate the utility of self-report tools for pain management settings. Participants with chronic pain (n = 41) completed standardized neuropsychological tests, and self-report measures of cognitive functioning, pain, mood and sleep, as part of a broader study investigating cognitive performance in pain. Average neuropsychological test performance was subtly below normative means (within one standard deviation). Twenty-five percent of the sample scored substantially below age-adjusted norms on one or more objective tests. There were moderate-to-large associations between objective performance (e.g. Trail-Making B) and subjective cognitive complaints (e.g. Everyday Memory Questionnaire - Revised), controlling for age and education level. This was moderated by anxiety, such that subjective-objective relationships were particularly strong in those with higher anxiety. Poorer test performance was associated with higher pain intensity and catastrophizing. Subjective-objective cognition relationships remained after controlling for catastrophizing. Patients' self-reported cognitive concerns concurred with objectively measured performance, independent of age, education and catastrophizing. Moreover, those with severe anxiety were more accurate in predicting their cognitive performance. The findings highlight some interesting cognition-mood relationships, and suggest that easy-to-administer questionnaires, such as the Everyday Memory Questionnaire - Revised and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Adult Version, may be useful to capture cognitive concerns in clinical settings. Cognitive concerns in chronic pain

An Adaptable Robot Vision System Performing Manipulation Actions With Flexible Objects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bodenhagen, Leon; Fugl, Andreas R.; Jordt, Andreas

2014-01-01

system should be viewed as a library of new technologies that have been proven to work in close to industrial conditions. As a rather basic, but necessary part, we provide a technology for determining the shape of the object when passing on, e. g., a conveyor belt prior to being handled. The main......This paper describes an adaptable system which is able to perform manipulation operations (such as Peg-in-Hole or Laying-Down actions) with flexible objects. As such objects easily change their shape significantly during the execution of an action, traditional strategies, e. g., for solve path......, operating in real-time. Simulations have been used to bootstrap the learning of optimal actions, which are subsequently improved through real-world executions. To achieve reproducible results, we demonstrate this for casted silicone test objects of regular shape. Note to Practitioners-The aim of this work...

Managing XML Data to optimize Performance into Object-Relational Databases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iuliana BOTHA

2011-06-01

Full Text Available This paper propose some possibilities for manage XML data in order to optimize performance into object-relational databases. It is detailed the possibility of storing XML data into such databases, using for exemplification an Oracle database and there are tested some optimizing techniques of the queries over XMLType tables, like indexing and partitioning tables.

Constant Light Desynchronizes Olfactory versus Object and Visuospatial Recognition Memory Performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Shu K E; Hasan, Sibah; Choi, Harry M C; Brown, Laurence A; Jagannath, Aarti; Hughes, Steven; Hankins, Mark W; Foster, Russell G; Vyazovskiy, Vladyslav V; Bannerman, David M; Peirson, Stuart N

2017-03-29

Circadian rhythms optimize physiology and behavior to the varying demands of the 24 h day. The master circadian clock is located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus and it regulates circadian oscillators in tissues throughout the body to prevent internal desynchrony. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that, under standard 12 h:12 h light/dark (LD) cycles, object, visuospatial, and olfactory recognition performance in C57BL/6J mice is consistently better at midday relative to midnight. However, under repeated exposure to constant light ( r LL), recognition performance becomes desynchronized, with object and visuospatial performance better at subjective midday and olfactory performance better at subjective midnight. This desynchrony in behavioral performance is mirrored by changes in expression of the canonical clock genes Period1 and Period2 ( Per1 and Per2 ), as well as the immediate-early gene Fos in the SCN, dorsal hippocampus, and olfactory bulb. Under r LL, rhythmic Per1 and Fos expression is attenuated in the SCN. In contrast, hippocampal gene expression remains rhythmic, mirroring object and visuospatial performance. Strikingly, Per1 and Fos expression in the olfactory bulb is reversed, mirroring the inverted olfactory performance. Temporal desynchrony among these regions does not result in arrhythmicity because core body temperature and exploratory activity rhythms persist under r LL. Our data provide the first demonstration that abnormal lighting conditions can give rise to temporal desynchrony between autonomous circadian oscillators in different regions, with different consequences for performance across different sensory domains. Such a dispersed network of dissociable circadian oscillators may provide greater flexibility when faced with conflicting environmental signals. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus regulates physiology and behavior across the 24 h day by

Constant Light Desynchronizes Olfactory versus Object and Visuospatial Recognition Memory Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, Shu K.E.; Hasan, Sibah; Brown, Laurence A.; Jagannath, Aarti; Hankins, Mark W.; Foster, Russell G.; Vyazovskiy, Vladyslav V.

2017-01-01

Circadian rhythms optimize physiology and behavior to the varying demands of the 24 h day. The master circadian clock is located in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus and it regulates circadian oscillators in tissues throughout the body to prevent internal desynchrony. Here, we demonstrate for the first time that, under standard 12 h:12 h light/dark (LD) cycles, object, visuospatial, and olfactory recognition performance in C57BL/6J mice is consistently better at midday relative to midnight. However, under repeated exposure to constant light (rLL), recognition performance becomes desynchronized, with object and visuospatial performance better at subjective midday and olfactory performance better at subjective midnight. This desynchrony in behavioral performance is mirrored by changes in expression of the canonical clock genes Period1 and Period2 (Per1 and Per2), as well as the immediate-early gene Fos in the SCN, dorsal hippocampus, and olfactory bulb. Under rLL, rhythmic Per1 and Fos expression is attenuated in the SCN. In contrast, hippocampal gene expression remains rhythmic, mirroring object and visuospatial performance. Strikingly, Per1 and Fos expression in the olfactory bulb is reversed, mirroring the inverted olfactory performance. Temporal desynchrony among these regions does not result in arrhythmicity because core body temperature and exploratory activity rhythms persist under rLL. Our data provide the first demonstration that abnormal lighting conditions can give rise to temporal desynchrony between autonomous circadian oscillators in different regions, with different consequences for performance across different sensory domains. Such a dispersed network of dissociable circadian oscillators may provide greater flexibility when faced with conflicting environmental signals. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT A master circadian clock in the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) of the hypothalamus regulates physiology and behavior across the 24 h day by

Development of a system for automatic control and performance evaluation of shutoff units in HANARO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Y. H.; Joe, Y. G.; Choi, Y. S.; Woo, J. S.

2003-01-01

The function of the shutoff units is to rapidly insert the shutoff rod into the reactor core for safe shutdown of reactor. This paper describes the development of a system for automatic control and performance evaluation of shutoff units. The system automatically drives the shutoff unit with a specified operation cycle and records the performance of the drive mechanism in graphs and data. Also, it records the operating parameters of the shutoff unit and test facility. The characteristic of the developed system was evaluated to compare with that being use in the HANARO reactor. The system will be used for the performance and endurance tests in the test facility. Hereafter, the system will efficiently be used for the normal operation and the periodical drop performance tests of shutoff units in HANARO

Experimental studies on improvement of coefficient of performance of window air conditioning unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tharves Mohideen Sheik Ismail

2017-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the performance analysis of a window air conditioner unit incorporated with wick less loop heat pipes (WLHP. The WLHP are located on the evaporator side of the air conditioning unit. The working medium for the WLHP is R134a refrigerant gas, an alternate refrigerant. The supply and return humidity of room air, the heat removal rat, and the coefficient of performance of the unit are analyzed for various ambient and room temperatures before and after incorporation of WLHP. The performance curves are drawn by comparing the power consumption and humidity collection rates for various room and ambient temperatures. The results show that coefficient of performance of the unit is improved by 18% to 20% after incorporation of WLHP due to pre-cooling of return air by WLHP, which reduces the thermal load on compressor. Similarly, the energy consumption is reduced by 20% to 25% due to higher thermostat setting and the humidity collection is improved by 35% due to pre-cooling effect of WLHP. The results are tabulated and conclusion drawn is presented based on the performance.

Performance of Canadian commercial nuclear units and heavy water plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodhead, L.W.; Ingolfsrud, L.J.

The operating history of Canadian commercial CANDU type reactors, i.e. Pickering generating station-A, is described. Capacity factors and unit energy costs are analyzed in detail. Equipment performance highlights are given. The performance of the two Canadian heavy water plants is described and five more are under construction or planned. (E.C.B.)

A Performance Evaluation of Diagnostic X-ray Unit Depends on the Hospitals Size

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Ju Hun [Kaya University, Gimhae (Korea, Republic of); Im, In Chul [Gwangju Health College University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Dong, Kyung Rae [Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Se Sik [College of Health Science, Catholic University of Pusan, Busan (Korea, Republic of)

2009-03-15

The purpose of this study is to measure the tube voltage, the tube current/volume, exposure time and exposure dose of diagnostic X-ray unit in each doctor offices, hospitals and general hospitals for evaluating the performance of such device, to learn the method and technology of its measurement and to suggest its importance. Research subjects were total 30 X-ray units and divided into groups of 10 X-ray units each. The tube voltage, the tube current/volume, exposure time and exposure dose were measured using percentage average error, and then reproducibility of exposure dose was measured through calculating coefficient of variation. The results are like followings; The tube voltage correctness examination showed that incongruent devices among total 30 X-ray units were 5 devices (16.7%). The tube current correctness examination showed that incongruent X-ray units were 3 devices (10.0%). The tube current volume correctness examination showed that incongruent X-ray units were 4 devices (13.3%). Finally, according to exposure time correctness examination, incongruent X-ray units were 5 devices (16.7%) and according to reproducibility examination of exposure dose, incongruent X-ray units were 7 devices (23.3%). Above results showed serious problem in performance management based on management regulation of diagnostic X-ray unit; it means that regular checkout and safety management are required, and as doing so, patients will be able to receive good quality of medical service by the reduction of radiation exposure time, image quality administration, unnecessary retake and etc. Therefore, this study suggests that the performance of diagnostic X-ray units should be checked regularly

A Performance Evaluation of Diagnostic X-ray Unit Depends on the Hospitals Size

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Ju Hun; Im, In Chul; Dong, Kyung Rae; Kang, Se Sik

2009-01-01

The purpose of this study is to measure the tube voltage, the tube current/volume, exposure time and exposure dose of diagnostic X-ray unit in each doctor offices, hospitals and general hospitals for evaluating the performance of such device, to learn the method and technology of its measurement and to suggest its importance. Research subjects were total 30 X-ray units and divided into groups of 10 X-ray units each. The tube voltage, the tube current/volume, exposure time and exposure dose were measured using percentage average error, and then reproducibility of exposure dose was measured through calculating coefficient of variation. The results are like followings; The tube voltage correctness examination showed that incongruent devices among total 30 X-ray units were 5 devices (16.7%). The tube current correctness examination showed that incongruent X-ray units were 3 devices (10.0%). The tube current volume correctness examination showed that incongruent X-ray units were 4 devices (13.3%). Finally, according to exposure time correctness examination, incongruent X-ray units were 5 devices (16.7%) and according to reproducibility examination of exposure dose, incongruent X-ray units were 7 devices (23.3%). Above results showed serious problem in performance management based on management regulation of diagnostic X-ray unit; it means that regular checkout and safety management are required, and as doing so, patients will be able to receive good quality of medical service by the reduction of radiation exposure time, image quality administration, unnecessary retake and etc. Therefore, this study suggests that the performance of diagnostic X-ray units should be checked regularly

1.8 K Refrigeration Units for the LHC: Performance Assessment of Pre-series Units

CERN Document Server

Claudet, S; Millet, F; Tavian, L; 20th International Cryogenic Engineering Conference (ICEC20)

2005-01-01

The cooling capacity below 2 K for the superconducting magnets of the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), at CERN, will be provided by eight refrigeration units of 2400 W at 1.8 K, each of them coupled to a 4.5 K refrigerator. The two selected vendors have proposed cycles based on centrifugal cold compressors combined with volumetric screw compressors with sub-atmospheric suction, as previously identified by CERN as “reference cycle”. The supply of the series units was linked to successful testing and acceptance of the pre-series temporarily installed in a dedicated test station. The global capacity, the performance of cold compressors and some process specificities have been thoroughly tested and will be presented.

Community unit performance: factors associated with childhood diarrhea and appropriate treatment in Nyanza Province, Kenya

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshito Kawakatsu

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The government of Kenya launched its community health strategy in 2006 to improve certain aspects of its community health program. Under the strategy, community units (CUs were established as level one of the Kenyan health system. A core member at this level is the community health worker (CHW. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship among the performance of the CUs, the prevalence of childhood diarrhea and appropriate treatment for it by controlling individual and community-level factors. Methods The main dataset used in this study was the 2011 Nyanza Province county-based Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS. In addition, based on the list of community units in Nyanza Province, Kenya, we identified the area’s CUs and their performance. MICS data and data on CUs were merged using sub-location names. There were 17 individual and two community-level independent variables in this study. Bivariate analysis and a multilevel logistic regression were performed. Results Factors significantly associated with a lower prevalence of diarrhea among children under five were the child’s increasing age, middle-aged household heads, children who received more attention, water treatment and rural versus urban area residence, while male children and highly performing CUs were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of diarrhea. In addition, middle wealth index, severity of diarrhea and middle- and high-CU performance were significantly associated with appropriate treatment for childhood diarrhea. Conclusions Although this study found that children living in areas of high CU performance were more likely to have diarrhea, these areas would have been identified as being more at risk for diarrhea prevalence and other health concerns, prioritized for the establishment of a CU and allocated more resources to improve the performance of CUs. A higher CU performance was significantly associated with the appropriate

Community unit performance: factors associated with childhood diarrhea and appropriate treatment in Nyanza Province, Kenya.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawakatsu, Yoshito; Tanaka, Junichi; Ogawa, Kazuya; Ogendo, Kenneth; Honda, Sumihisa

2017-02-16

The government of Kenya launched its community health strategy in 2006 to improve certain aspects of its community health program. Under the strategy, community units (CUs) were established as level one of the Kenyan health system. A core member at this level is the community health worker (CHW). The objective of this study was to assess the relationship among the performance of the CUs, the prevalence of childhood diarrhea and appropriate treatment for it by controlling individual and community-level factors. The main dataset used in this study was the 2011 Nyanza Province county-based Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS). In addition, based on the list of community units in Nyanza Province, Kenya, we identified the area's CUs and their performance. MICS data and data on CUs were merged using sub-location names. There were 17 individual and two community-level independent variables in this study. Bivariate analysis and a multilevel logistic regression were performed. Factors significantly associated with a lower prevalence of diarrhea among children under five were the child's increasing age, middle-aged household heads, children who received more attention, water treatment and rural versus urban area residence, while male children and highly performing CUs were significantly associated with a higher prevalence of diarrhea. In addition, middle wealth index, severity of diarrhea and middle- and high-CU performance were significantly associated with appropriate treatment for childhood diarrhea. Although this study found that children living in areas of high CU performance were more likely to have diarrhea, these areas would have been identified as being more at risk for diarrhea prevalence and other health concerns, prioritized for the establishment of a CU and allocated more resources to improve the performance of CUs. A higher CU performance was significantly associated with the appropriate treatment. It was suggested that CHWs could have a positive effect on

Multi-objective differential evolution with adaptive Cauchy mutation for short-term multi-objective optimal hydro-thermal scheduling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qin Hui [College of Hydropower and Information Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Zhou Jianzhong, E-mail: jz.zhou@hust.edu.c [College of Hydropower and Information Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China); Lu Youlin; Wang Ying; Zhang Yongchuan [College of Hydropower and Information Engineering, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430074 (China)

2010-04-15

A new multi-objective optimization method based on differential evolution with adaptive Cauchy mutation (MODE-ACM) is presented to solve short-term multi-objective optimal hydro-thermal scheduling (MOOHS) problem. Besides fuel cost, the pollutant gas emission is also optimized as an objective. The water transport delay between connected reservoirs and the effect of valve-point loading of thermal units are also taken into account in the presented problem formulation. The proposed algorithm adopts an elitist archive to retain non-dominated solutions obtained during the evolutionary process. It modifies the DE's operators to make it suit for multi-objective optimization (MOO) problems and improve its performance. Furthermore, to avoid premature convergence, an adaptive Cauchy mutation is proposed to preserve the diversity of population. An effective constraints handling method is utilized to handle the complex equality and inequality constraints. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm is tested on a hydro-thermal system consisting of four cascaded hydro plants and three thermal units. The results obtained by MODE-ACM are compared with several previous studies. It is found that the results obtained by MODE-ACM are superior in terms of fuel cost as well as emission output, consuming a shorter time. Thus it can be a viable alternative to generate optimal trade-offs for short-term MOOHS problem.

Performance/Power Space Exploration for Binary64 Division Units

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nannarelli, Alberto

2016-01-01

The digit-recurrence division algorithm is used in several high-performance processors because it provides good tradeoffs in terms of latency, area and power dissipation. In this work we develop a minimally redundant radix-8 divider for binary64 (double-precision) aiming at obtaining better energy...... efficiency in the performance-per-watt space. The results show that the radix-8 divider, when compared to radix-4 and radix-16 units, requires less energy to complete a division for high clock rates....

Unit thermal performance of atmospheric spray cooling systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porter, R.W.; Jain, M.; Chaturvedi, S.K.

1980-01-01

Thermal performance of an open atmospheric spray pond or canal depends on the direct-contact evaporative cooling of an individual spray unit (spray nozzle or module) and the interference caused by local heating and humidification. Droplet parameters may be combined into a dimensionless group, number of transfer units (NTU) or equivalent, whereas large-scale air-vapor dynamics determine interference through the local wet-bulb temperature. Quantity NTU were implied from field experiments for a floating module used in steam-condenser spray canals. Previous data were available for a fixed-pipe nozzle assembly used in spray ponds. Quantity NTU were also predicted using the Ranz-Marshall correlations with the Sauter-mean diameter used as the characteristic length. Good agreement with experiments was shown for diameters of 1--1.1 cm (module) and 1.9 mm

An Approach to Object Recognition: Aligning Pictorial Descriptions.

Science.gov (United States)

1986-12-01

PERFORMING 0RGANIZATION NAMIE ANDORS IS551. PROGRAM ELEMENT. PROJECT. TASK Artificial Inteligence Laboratory AREKA A WORK UNIT NUMBERS ( 545 Technology... ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE LABORATORY A.I. Memo No. 931 December, 1986 AN APPROACH TO OBJECT RECOGNITION: ALIGNING PICTORIAL DESCRIPTIONS Shimon Ullman...within the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Support for the A.I. Laboratory’s artificial intelligence

Integrated Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A). Performance Verification Reports: Final Comprehensive Performance Test Report, P/N: 1356006-1, S.N: 202/A2

Science.gov (United States)

Platt, R.

1998-01-01

This is the Performance Verification Report. the process specification establishes the requirements for the comprehensive performance test (CPT) and limited performance test (LPT) of the earth observing system advanced microwave sounding unit-A2 (EOS/AMSU-A2), referred to as the unit. The unit is defined on drawing 1356006.

Self-perceived versus objectively measured competence in performing clinical practical procedures by final year medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Katowa-Mukwato, Patricia; Banda, Sekelani

2016-04-30

To determine and compare the self-perceived and objectively measured competence in performing 14 core-clinical practical procedures by Final Year Medical Students of the University of Zambia. The study included 56 out of 60 graduating University of Zambia Medical Students of the 2012/2013 academic year. Self-perceived competence: students rated their competence on 14 core- clinical practical procedures using a self-administered questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale. Objective competence: it was measured by Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) by faculty using predetermined rating scales. Rank order correlation test was performed for self-perceived and objectively measured competence. Two thirds 36 (66.7%) of the participants perceived themselves as moderately competent, 15 (27.8%) rated themselves as highly competent while 3 (5.6%) had low self-perception. With objective competence, the majority 52 (92.8%) were barely competent while 4 (7.2%) were absolutely competent. When overall self-perception was compared to objectively measured competence, there was a discordance which was demonstrated by a negative correlation (Spearman rho -.123). Significant numbers of students reported low self-competence in performing procedures such as endotracheal intubation, gastric lavage and cardiopulmonary resuscitation which most never performed during the clinical years of medical education. In addition, the negative correlation between self-perceived and objectively measured competence demonstrated the inability of students to assess and rate themselves objectively due to fear that others may know their weaknesses and realize that they are not as competent as expected at a specific level of training.

Daily dose and shielding optimization in work performance at 'Ukrytie' object

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Batij, V.G.; Derengovskij, V.V.; Egorov, V.V.; Kuz'menko, V.A.; Rud'ko, V.M.; Sizov, A.A.; Stoyanov, A.I.

2000-01-01

The procedure of daily dose and shielding optimization in work performance at 'Ukryttia' object is offered. The recommendations allowing reducing collective effective doze according to the optimization principle are submitted. The technique of shielding optimization is given at stabilization works realization. The optimum shielding calculation example for the strengthening support is given

Multi-objective optimization design and experimental investigation of centrifugal fan performance

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Lei; Wang, Songling; Hu, Chenxing; Zhang, Qian

2013-11-01

Current studies of fan performance optimization mainly focus on two aspects: one is to improve the blade profile, and another is only to consider the influence of single impeller structural parameter on fan performance. However, there are few studies on the comprehensive effect of the key parameters such as blade number, exit stagger angle of blade and the impeller outlet width on the fan performance. The G4-73 backward centrifugal fan widely used in power plants is selected as the research object. Based on orthogonal design and BP neural network, a model for predicting the centrifugal fan performance parameters is established, and the maximum relative errors of the total pressure and efficiency are 0.974% and 0.333%, respectively. Multi-objective optimization of total pressure and efficiency of the fan is conducted with genetic algorithm, and the optimum combination of impeller structural parameters is proposed. The optimized parameters of blade number, exit stagger angle of blade and the impeller outlet width are seperately 14, 43.9°, and 21 cm. The experiments on centrifugal fan performance and noise are conducted before and after the installation of the new impeller. The experimental results show that with the new impeller, the total pressure of fan increases significantly in total range of the flow rate, and the fan efficiency is improved when the relative flow is above 75%, also the high efficiency area is broadened. Additionally, in 65% -100% relative flow, the fan noise is reduced. Under the design operating condition, total pressure and efficiency of the fan are improved by 6.91% and 0.5%, respectively. This research sheds light on the considering of comprehensive effect of impeller structrual parameters on fan performance, and a new impeller can be designed to satisfy the engineering demand such as energy-saving, noise reduction or solving air pressure insufficiency for power plants.

Performance Recognition for Sulphur Flotation Process Based on Froth Texture Unit Distribution

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mingfang He

2013-01-01

Full Text Available As an important indicator of flotation performance, froth texture is believed to be related to operational condition in sulphur flotation process. A novel fault detection method based on froth texture unit distribution (TUD is proposed to recognize the fault condition of sulphur flotation in real time. The froth texture unit number is calculated based on texture spectrum, and the probability density function (PDF of froth texture unit number is defined as texture unit distribution, which can describe the actual textual feature more accurately than the grey level dependence matrix approach. As the type of the froth TUD is unknown, a nonparametric kernel estimation method based on the fixed kernel basis is proposed, which can overcome the difficulty when comparing different TUDs under various conditions is impossible using the traditional varying kernel basis. Through transforming nonparametric description into dynamic kernel weight vectors, a principle component analysis (PCA model is established to reduce the dimensionality of the vectors. Then a threshold criterion determined by the TQ statistic based on the PCA model is proposed to realize the performance recognition. The industrial application results show that the accurate performance recognition of froth flotation can be achieved by using the proposed method.

Physical modeling and high-performance GPU computing for characterization, interception, and disruption of hazardous near-Earth objects

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplinger, Brian Douglas

For the past few decades, both the scientific community and the general public have been becoming more aware that the Earth lives in a shooting gallery of small objects. We classify all of these asteroids and comets, known or unknown, that cross Earth's orbit as near-Earth objects (NEOs). A look at our geologic history tells us that NEOs have collided with Earth in the past, and we expect that they will continue to do so. With thousands of known NEOs crossing the orbit of Earth, there has been significant scientific interest in developing the capability to deflect an NEO from an impacting trajectory. This thesis applies the ideas of Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) theory to the NEO disruption problem. A simulation package was designed that allows efficacy simulation to be integrated into the mission planning and design process. This is done by applying ideas in high-performance computing (HPC) on the computer graphics processing unit (GPU). Rather than prove a concept through large standalone simulations on a supercomputer, a highly parallel structure allows for flexible, target dependent questions to be resolved. Built around nonclassified data and analysis, this computer package will allow academic institutions to better tackle the issue of NEO mitigation effectiveness.

High-performance object tracking and fixation with an online neural estimator.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumarawadu, Sisil; Watanabe, Keigo; Lee, Tsu-Tian

2007-02-01

Vision-based target tracking and fixation to keep objects that move in three dimensions in view is important for many tasks in several fields including intelligent transportation systems and robotics. Much of the visual control literature has focused on the kinematics of visual control and ignored a number of significant dynamic control issues that limit performance. In line with this, this paper presents a neural network (NN)-based binocular tracking scheme for high-performance target tracking and fixation with minimum sensory information. The procedure allows the designer to take into account the physical (Lagrangian dynamics) properties of the vision system in the control law. The design objective is to synthesize a binocular tracking controller that explicitly takes the systems dynamics into account, yet needs no knowledge of dynamic nonlinearities and joint velocity sensory information. The combined neurocontroller-observer scheme can guarantee the uniform ultimate bounds of the tracking, observer, and NN weight estimation errors under fairly general conditions on the controller-observer gains. The controller is tested and verified via simulation tests in the presence of severe target motion changes.

Are brand-equity measures associated with business-unit financial performance? : Empirical Evidence from the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verbeeten, F.H.M.; Vijn, P.

2010-01-01

We investigate the association between brand-equity measures and business-unit financial performance. Brand-equity measures may complement historic accounting information in explaining business-unit financial performance. Capitalizing on a unique data set, we find an association between some (yet

Are brand-equity measures associated with business-unit financial performance? Empirical evidence from the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verbeeten, Frank H M; Vijn, Pieter

2010-01-01

We investigate the association between brand-equity measures and business-unit financial performance. Brand-equity measures may complement historic accounting information in explaining business-unit financial performance. Capitalizing on a unique data set, we find an association between some (yet

Strategic adaptation to performance objectives in a dual-task setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, Christian P; Brumby, Duncan P

2010-11-01

How do people interleave attention when multitasking? One dominant account is that the completion of a subtask serves as a cue to switch tasks. But what happens if switching solely at subtask boundaries led to poor performance? We report a study in which participants manually dialed a UK-style telephone number while driving a simulated vehicle. If the driver were to exclusively return his or her attention to driving after completing a subtask (i.e., using the single break in the xxxxx-xxxxxx representational structure of the number), then we would expect to see a relatively poor driving performance. In contrast, our results show that drivers choose to return attention to steering control before the natural subtask boundary. A computational modeling analysis shows that drivers had to adopt this strategy to meet the required performance objective of maintaining an acceptable lateral position in the road while dialing. Taken together these results support the idea that people can strategically control the allocation of attention in multitask settings to meet specific performance criteria. Copyright © 2010 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Common input to motor units of intrinsic and extrinsic hand muscles during two-digit object hold.

Science.gov (United States)

Winges, Sara A; Kornatz, Kurt W; Santello, Marco

2008-03-01

Anatomical and physiological evidence suggests that common input to motor neurons of hand muscles is an important neural mechanism for hand control. To gain insight into the synaptic input underlying the coordination of hand muscles, significant effort has been devoted to describing the distribution of common input across motor units of extrinsic muscles. Much less is known, however, about the distribution of common input to motor units belonging to different intrinsic muscles and to intrinsic-extrinsic muscle pairs. To address this void in the literature, we quantified the incidence and strength of near-simultaneous discharges of motor units residing in either the same or different intrinsic hand muscles (m. first dorsal, FDI, and m. first palmar interosseus, FPI) during two-digit object hold. To extend the characterization of common input to pairs of extrinsic muscles (previous work) and pairs of intrinsic muscles (present work), we also recorded electromyographic (EMG) activity from an extrinsic thumb muscle (m. flexor pollicis longus, FPL). Motor-unit synchrony across FDI and FPI was weak (common input strength, CIS, mean +/- SE: 0.17 +/- 0.02). Similarly, motor units from extrinsic-intrinsic muscle pairs were characterized by weak synchrony (FPL-FDI: 0.25 +/- 0.02; FPL-FPI: 0.29 +/- 0.03) although stronger than FDI-FPI. Last, CIS from within FDI and FPI was more than three times stronger (0.70 +/- 0.06 and 0.66 +/- 0.06, respectively) than across these muscles. We discuss present and previous findings within the framework of muscle-pair specific distribution of common input to hand muscles based on their functional role in grasping.

Development of an object-oriented simulation code for repository performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsujimoto, Keiichi; Ahn, J.

1999-01-01

As understanding for mechanisms of radioactivity confinement by a deep geologic repository improves at the individual process level, it has become imperative to evaluate consequences of individual processes to the performance of the whole repository system. For this goal, the authors have developed a model for radionuclide transport in, and release from, the repository region by incorporating multiple-member decay chains and multiple waste canisters. A computer code has been developed with C++, an object-oriented language. By utilizing the feature that a geologic repository consists of thousands of objects of the same kind, such as the waste canister, the repository region is divided into multiple compartments and objects for simulation of radionuclide transport. Massive computational tasks are distributed over, and executed by, multiple networked workstations, with the help of parallel virtual machine (PVM) technology. Temporal change of the mass distribution of 28 radionuclides in the repository region for the time period of 100 million yr has been successfully obtained by the code

Quantifying performance on an outdoor agility drill using foot-mounted inertial measurement units.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonia M Zaferiou

Full Text Available Running agility is required for many sports and other physical tasks that demand rapid changes in body direction. Quantifying agility skill remains a challenge because measuring rapid changes of direction and quantifying agility skill from those measurements are difficult to do in ways that replicate real task/game play situations. The objectives of this study were to define and to measure agility performance for a (five-cone agility drill used within a military obstacle course using data harvested from two foot-mounted inertial measurement units (IMUs. Thirty-two recreational athletes ran an agility drill while wearing two IMUs secured to the tops of their athletic shoes. The recorded acceleration and angular rates yield estimates of the trajectories, velocities and accelerations of both feet as well as an estimate of the horizontal velocity of the body mass center. Four agility performance metrics were proposed and studied including: 1 agility drill time, 2 horizontal body speed, 3 foot trajectory turning radius, and 4 tangential body acceleration. Additionally, the average horizontal ground reaction during each footfall was estimated. We hypothesized that shorter agility drill performance time would be observed with small turning radii and large tangential acceleration ranges and body speeds. Kruskal-Wallis and mean rank post-hoc statistical analyses revealed that shorter agility drill performance times were observed with smaller turning radii and larger tangential acceleration ranges and body speeds, as hypothesized. Moreover, measurements revealed the strategies that distinguish high versus low performers. Relative to low performers, high performers used sharper turns, larger changes in body speed (larger tangential acceleration ranges, and shorter duration footfalls that generated larger horizontal ground reactions during the turn phases. Overall, this study advances the use of foot-mounted IMUs to quantify agility performance in

Site-Specific Analyses for Demonstrating Compliance with 10 CFR 61 Performance Objectives - 12179

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grossman, C.J.; Esh, D.W.; Yadav, P.; Carrera, A.G. [U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 11545 Rockville Pike, Rockville, MD 20852 (United States)

2012-07-01

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is proposing to amend its regulations at 10 CFR Part 61 to require low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities to conduct site-specific analyses to demonstrate compliance with the performance objectives in Subpart C. The amendments would require licensees to conduct site-specific analyses for protection of the public and inadvertent intruders as well as analyses for long-lived waste. The amendments would ensure protection of public health and safety, while providing flexibility to demonstrate compliance with the performance objectives, for current and potential future waste streams. NRC staff intends to submit proposed rule language and associated regulatory basis to the Commission for its approval in early 2012. The NRC staff also intends to develop associated guidance to accompany any proposed amendments. The guidance is intended to supplement existing low-level radioactive waste guidance on issues pertinent to conducting site-specific analyses to demonstrate compliance with the performance objectives. The guidance will facilitate implementation of the proposed amendments by licensees and assist competent regulatory authorities in reviewing the site-specific analyses. Specifically, the guidance provides staff recommendations on general considerations for the site-specific analyses, modeling issues for assessments to demonstrate compliance with the performance objectives including the performance assessment, intruder assessment, stability assessment, and analyses for long-lived waste. This paper describes the technical basis for changes to the rule language and the proposed guidance associated with implementation of the rule language. The NRC staff, per Commission direction, intends to propose amendments to 10 CFR Part 61 to require licensees to conduct site-specific analyses to demonstrate compliance with performance objectives for the protection of public health and the environment. The amendments would require a

Performance objectives for disposal of low-level radioactive wastes on the Oak Ridge Reservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.

1986-01-01

This paper presents a set of performance objectives for disposal of low-level radioactive wastes in a new facility on the Oak Ridge Reservation. The principal performance objectives include (1) a limit on annual committed effective dose equivalent averaged over a lifetime of 0.25 mSv (25 mrem) for any member of the general public beyond the boundary of the disposal facility, and (2) a limit on annual committed effective dose equivalent averaged over a lifetime of 1 mSv (100 mrem) and a limit on committed effective dose equivalent in any year of 5 mSv (500 mrem) for any individual who inadvertently intrudes onto the disposal site after loss of active institutional controls. The use of annual committed effective dose equivalents averaged over a lifetime departs from customary practice in environmental radiation standards in the U.S. of specifying limits on actual dose received in any year to whole body or the critical organ, but provides a set of performance objectives that are more closely related to the fundamental goal of limiting risk from chronic lifetime exposures. (Auth.)

Cloud object store for checkpoints of high performance computing applications using decoupling middleware

Science.gov (United States)

Bent, John M.; Faibish, Sorin; Grider, Gary

2016-04-19

Cloud object storage is enabled for checkpoints of high performance computing applications using a middleware process. A plurality of files, such as checkpoint files, generated by a plurality of processes in a parallel computing system are stored by obtaining said plurality of files from said parallel computing system; converting said plurality of files to objects using a log structured file system middleware process; and providing said objects for storage in a cloud object storage system. The plurality of processes may run, for example, on a plurality of compute nodes. The log structured file system middleware process may be embodied, for example, as a Parallel Log-Structured File System (PLFS). The log structured file system middleware process optionally executes on a burst buffer node.

Evaluation of High-Performance Rooftop HVAC Unit Naval Air Station Key West, Florida

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Howett, Daniel H. [ORNL; Desjarlais, Andre Omer [ORNL; Cox, Daryl [ORNL

2018-01-01

This report documents performance of a high performance rooftop HVAC unit (RTU) at Naval Air Station Key West, FL. This report was sponsored by the Federal Energy Management Program as part of the "High Performance RTU Campaign".

Everyday listening questionnaire: correlation between subjective hearing and objective performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Brendel, Martina; Frohne-Buechner, Carolin; Lesinski-Schiedat, Anke; Lenarz, Thomas; Buechner, Andreas

2014-01-01

Clinical experience has demonstrated that speech understanding by cochlear implant (CI) recipients has improved over recent years with the development of new technology. The Everyday Listening Questionnaire 2 (ELQ 2) was designed to collect information regarding the challenges faced by CI recipients in everyday listening. The aim of this study was to compare self-assessment of CI users using ELQ 2 with objective speech recognition measures and to compare results between users of older and newer coding strategies. During their regular clinical review appointments a group of representative adult CI recipients implanted with the Advanced Bionics implant system were asked to complete the questionnaire. The first 100 patients who agreed to participate in this survey were recruited independent of processor generation and speech coding strategy. Correlations between subjectively scored hearing performance in everyday listening situations and objectively measured speech perception abilities were examined relative to the speech coding strategies used. When subjects were grouped by strategy there were significant differences between users of older 'standard' strategies and users of the newer, currently available strategies (HiRes and HiRes 120), especially in the categories of telephone use and music perception. Significant correlations were found between certain subjective ratings and the objective speech perception data in noise. There is a good correlation between subjective and objective data. Users of more recent speech coding strategies tend to have fewer problems in difficult hearing situations.

Examining the relationships between span of control and manager job and unit performance outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Carol A; Elliott-Miller, Pat; Laschinger, Heather; Cuddihy, Michael; Meyer, Raquel M; Keatings, Margaret; Burnett, Camille; Szudy, Natalie

2015-03-01

Our aim was to examine the combination of frontline manager (FLM) personal characteristics and span of control (SOC) on their job and unit performance outcomes. Healthcare downsizing and reform have contributed to larger spans for FLMs in Canadian hospitals and increased concerns about manager workload. Despite a heightened awareness of SOC issues among decision makers, there is limited empirical evidence related to the effects of SOC on outcomes. A non-experimental predictive survey design was used to examine FLM SOC in 14 Canadian academic hospitals. Managers (n = 121) completed an online survey of work characteristics and The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) SOC tool. Unit turnover data were collected from organisational databases. The combination of SOC and core self-evaluation significantly predicted role overload, work control and job satisfaction, but only SOC predicted unit adverse outcomes and neither significantly predicted unit turnover. The findings contribute to an understanding of connections between the combination of SOC and core self-evaluation and manager job and unit performance outcomes. Organisational strategies to create manageable FLM SOC are essential to ensure exemplary job and unit outcomes. Core self-evaluation is a personality characteristic that may enhance manager performance in the face of high spans of control. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Irene Govender

2011-02-01

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

Performance Study of Objective Speech Quality Measurement for Modern Wireless-VoIP Communications

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chan Wai-Yip

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Wireless-VoIP communications introduce perceptual degradations that are not present with traditional VoIP communications. This paper investigates the effects of such degradations on the performance of three state-of-the-art standard objective quality measurement algorithms—PESQ, P.563, and an "extended" E-model. The comparative study suggests that measurement performance is significantly affected by acoustic background noise type and level as well as speech codec and packet loss concealment strategy. On our data, PESQ attains superior overall performance and P.563 and E-model attain comparable performance figures.

Hierarchical Object-Based Mapping of Riverscape Units and in-Stream Mesohabitats Using LiDAR and VHR Imagery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luca Demarchi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we present a new, semi-automated methodology for mapping hydromorphological indicators of rivers at a regional scale using multisource remote sensing (RS data. This novel approach is based on the integration of spectral and topographic information within a multilevel, geographic, object-based image analysis (GEOBIA. Different segmentation levels were generated based on the two sources of Remote Sensing (RS data, namely very-high spatial resolution, near-infrared imagery (VHR and high-resolution LiDAR topography. At each level, different input object features were tested with Machine Learning classifiers for mapping riverscape units and in-stream mesohabitats. The GEOBIA approach proved to be a powerful tool for analyzing the river system at different levels of detail and for coupling spectral and topographic datasets, allowing for the delineation of the natural fluvial corridor with its primary riverscape units (e.g., water channel, unvegetated sediment bars, riparian densely-vegetated units, etc. and in-stream mesohabitats with a high level of accuracy, respectively of K = 0.91 and K = 0.83. This method is flexible and can be adapted to different sources of data, with the potential to be implemented at regional scales in the future. The analyzed dataset, composed of VHR imagery and LiDAR data, is nowadays increasingly available at larger scales, notably through European Member States. At the same time, this methodology provides a tool for monitoring and characterizing the hydromorphological status of river systems continuously along the entire channel network and coherently through time, opening novel and significant perspectives to river science and management, notably for planning and targeting actions.

Knowledge ecologies, "supple" objects, and different priorities across women's and gender studies programs and departments in the United States, 1970-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Wood, Christine Virginia

2015-01-01

This article examines the evolving connections between local conditions and knowledge processes in women's and gender studies, a research field in the social sciences and humanities. Data are historical records from five early-adopting women's and gender studies units in the United States and interviews with affiliated professors. In their formative years, these programs were consistent in their intellectual content. Scholars across sites defined the purpose of women's studies similarly: to address the lack of research on women and social problems of sex inequality. Gradually, scholars incorporated a range of analytic categories into women's studies' agenda, including gender identities and masculinities, leading to diverse understandings and redefinitions of the central objects of analysis. Analytic shifts are reflected in differences in the institutional and intellectual composition of programs and departments. To explain how local departmental conditions affect the conception of core objects of study in gender research, the author builds on the literature on knowledge ecologies and introduces the concept of the "supple object." © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An Integrated Database of Unit Training Performance: Description an Lessons Learned

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Leibrecht, Bruce

1997-01-01

The Army Research Institute (ARI) has developed a prototype relational database for processing and archiving unit performance data from home station, training area, simulation based, and Combat Training Center training exercises...

48 CFR 225.802-70 - Contracts for performance outside the United States and Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... outside the United States and Canada. 225.802-70 Section 225.802-70 Federal Acquisition Regulations System... States and Canada. Follow the procedures at PGI 225.802-70 when placing a contract requiring performance outside the United States and Canada. Also see Subpart 225.74, Defense Contractors Outside the United...

The increase performance BMF-14 calcination unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Triyono

2013-01-01

The heating element of performance increase BMF-14 calcination unit has been installed. The activity includes: installation and function test heating element step by step. The main component includes: kanthal heating element type with size long 58,2 cm diameter 0,9 cm slot total 28, flexible cable resists heat 30 Amperes, band cable heat resists and flexible clamp. The heating elements installation includes from 3 groups and every groups have 4 heating elements to connectly series. Every group connecting to every phase RST and neutral for getting electric voltage 380 Volts follow contact relay 3 phases to controlling by digital temperature control. The resulting installation of heating element in the BMF-14 calcination unit showed that: BMF-14 calcination unit can be again of the setting temperature step by step. In the step I get optimal temperature 560 °C test time 1068 minutes with rate velocity heat 0 to 18,0 °C/minutes with current between 5,8 to 6,4 Amperes voltage 103 to 123 Volts (phase R and T). In the step II gets optimal temperature 600 °C test time 265 minutes getting rate velocity heat 0 to 40,3 °C/minutes with current 3,8 to 8,5 Amperes voltage 76 to 142 Volts (phase RST). In the step III gets optimal temperature 1000 °C test time 107 minutes getting rate velocity heat 0 to 53,5 °C/minutes with current 9,7 to 12,5 Amperes voltage 215 to 225 Volts (phase RST). (author)

Integrated Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A). Performance Verification Report: Initial Comprehensive Performance Test Report, P/N 1331200-2-IT, S/N 105/A2

Science.gov (United States)

Platt, R.

1999-01-01

This is the Performance Verification Report, Initial Comprehensive Performance Test Report, P/N 1331200-2-IT, S/N 105/A2, for the Integrated Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A). The specification establishes the requirements for the Comprehensive Performance Test (CPT) and Limited Performance Test (LPT) of the Advanced Microwave Sounding, Unit-A2 (AMSU-A2), referred to herein as the unit. The unit is defined on Drawing 1331200. 1.2 Test procedure sequence. The sequence in which the several phases of this test procedure shall take place is shown in Figure 1, but the sequence can be in any order.

Within-person relationship between self-efficacy and performance across trials. Effect of task objective and task type.

Science.gov (United States)

Hepler, Teri J; Ritchie, Jason; Hill, Christopher R

2017-07-05

Self-efficacy has been shown to be a consistent, positive predictor of between-persons performance in sport. However, there have been equivocal results regarding the influence of self-efficacy on a person's performance over time. This study investigated the influence of self-efficacy on motor skill performance across trials with respect to two different task objectives and task types. Participants (N=84) performed 4 blocks of 10 trials of a dart throwing (closed skill) and a hitting (open skill) task under 2 different task objectives: competitive and goal-striving. For the goal-striving condition, success was defined as reaching a pre-determined performance level. The competitive condition involved competing against an opponent. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the influence of past performance and self-efficacy on the within-person performance across multiple trials. Previous performance was negatively related with subsequent performance on all conditions. Self-efficacy was not a significant predictor of performance on any of the conditions. While task objective and task type did not moderate the efficacy-performance relationship in the current study, it is important to consider the role of other moderators in future research.

A multi-objective approach to the assignment of stock keeping units to unidirectional picking lines

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Le Roux, G. J.

2017-05-01

Full Text Available An order picking system in a distribution centre consisting of parallel unidirectional picking lines is considered. The objectives are to minimise the walking distance of the pickers, the largest volume of stock on a picking line over all picking lines, the number of small packages, and the total penalty incurred for late distributions. The problem is formulated as a multi-objective multiple knapsack problem that is not solvable in a realistic time. Population-based algorithms, including the artificial bee colony algorithm and the genetic algorithm, are also implemented. The results obtained from all algorithms indicate a substantial improvement on all objectives relative to historical assignments. The genetic algorithm delivers the best performance.

Calculation method for the seasonal performance of heat pump compact units and validation. Appendix

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wemhoener, C.; Dott, R.; Afjei, Th. [University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, Institute of Energy in Buildings, Muttenz (Switzerland); Huber, H.; Helfenfinger, D.; Keller, P.; Furter, R. [University of Applied Sciences Lucerne (HTA), Test center HLKS, Horw (Switzerland)

2007-02-15

This appendix to a comprehensive final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) presents the results of tests made on compact heat pump units that have been developed for the heating of low energy consumption houses built to MINERGIE or MINERGIE-P standards. The tests on these units, which combine the functions of space heating, domestic hot water preparation and ventilation in one unit are presented and discussed. Test conditions are described; these cover ventilation, acoustic, hygiene and safety aspects. Detailed results from the two test objects - buildings built to MINERGIE and MINERGIE-P low energy consumption standards - are presented and discussed. The calculation methods used are examined and discussed.

Memory Performance for Everyday Motivational and Neutral Objects Is Dissociable from Attention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Judith Schomaker

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Episodic memory is typically better for items coupled with monetary reward or punishment during encoding. It is yet unclear whether memory is also enhanced for everyday objects with appetitive or aversive values learned through a lifetime of experience, and to what extent episodic memory enhancement for motivational and neutral items is attributable to attention. In a first experiment, we investigated attention to everyday motivational objects using eye-tracking during free-viewing and subsequently tested episodic memory using a remember/know procedure. Attention was directed more to aversive stimuli, as evidenced by longer viewing durations, whereas recollection was higher for both appetitive and aversive objects. In the second experiment, we manipulated the visual contrast of neutral objects through changes of contrast to further dissociate attention and memory encoding. While objects presented with high visual contrast were looked at longer, recollection was best for objects presented in unmodified, medium contrast. Generalized logistic mixed models on recollection performance showed that attention as measured by eye movements did not enhance subsequent memory, while motivational value (Experiment 1 and visual contrast (Experiment 2 had quadratic effects in opposite directions. Our findings suggest that an enhancement of incidental memory encoding for appetitive items can occur without an increase in attention and, vice versa, that enhanced attention towards salient neutral objects is not necessarily associated with memory improvement. Together, our results provide evidence for a double dissociation of attention and memory effects under certain conditions.

Memory Performance for Everyday Motivational and Neutral Objects Is Dissociable from Attention

Science.gov (United States)

Schomaker, Judith; Wittmann, Bianca C.

2017-01-01

Episodic memory is typically better for items coupled with monetary reward or punishment during encoding. It is yet unclear whether memory is also enhanced for everyday objects with appetitive or aversive values learned through a lifetime of experience, and to what extent episodic memory enhancement for motivational and neutral items is attributable to attention. In a first experiment, we investigated attention to everyday motivational objects using eye-tracking during free-viewing and subsequently tested episodic memory using a remember/know procedure. Attention was directed more to aversive stimuli, as evidenced by longer viewing durations, whereas recollection was higher for both appetitive and aversive objects. In the second experiment, we manipulated the visual contrast of neutral objects through changes of contrast to further dissociate attention and memory encoding. While objects presented with high visual contrast were looked at longer, recollection was best for objects presented in unmodified, medium contrast. Generalized logistic mixed models on recollection performance showed that attention as measured by eye movements did not enhance subsequent memory, while motivational value (Experiment 1) and visual contrast (Experiment 2) had quadratic effects in opposite directions. Our findings suggest that an enhancement of incidental memory encoding for appetitive items can occur without an increase in attention and, vice versa, that enhanced attention towards salient neutral objects is not necessarily associated with memory improvement. Together, our results provide evidence for a double dissociation of attention and memory effects under certain conditions. PMID:28694774

Memory Performance for Everyday Motivational and Neutral Objects Is Dissociable from Attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Schomaker, Judith; Wittmann, Bianca C

2017-01-01

Episodic memory is typically better for items coupled with monetary reward or punishment during encoding. It is yet unclear whether memory is also enhanced for everyday objects with appetitive or aversive values learned through a lifetime of experience, and to what extent episodic memory enhancement for motivational and neutral items is attributable to attention. In a first experiment, we investigated attention to everyday motivational objects using eye-tracking during free-viewing and subsequently tested episodic memory using a remember/know procedure. Attention was directed more to aversive stimuli, as evidenced by longer viewing durations, whereas recollection was higher for both appetitive and aversive objects. In the second experiment, we manipulated the visual contrast of neutral objects through changes of contrast to further dissociate attention and memory encoding. While objects presented with high visual contrast were looked at longer, recollection was best for objects presented in unmodified, medium contrast. Generalized logistic mixed models on recollection performance showed that attention as measured by eye movements did not enhance subsequent memory, while motivational value (Experiment 1) and visual contrast (Experiment 2) had quadratic effects in opposite directions. Our findings suggest that an enhancement of incidental memory encoding for appetitive items can occur without an increase in attention and, vice versa, that enhanced attention towards salient neutral objects is not necessarily associated with memory improvement. Together, our results provide evidence for a double dissociation of attention and memory effects under certain conditions.

Performance estimation of an oil-free linear compressor unit for a new compact 2K Gifford-McMahon cryocooler

Science.gov (United States)

Hiratsuka, Y.; Bao, Q.; Y Xu, M.

2017-12-01

Since 2012, a new, compact Gifford-McMahon (GM) cryocooler for cooling superconducting single photon detectors (SSPD) has been developed and reported by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. (SHI). Also, it was reported that National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT) developed a multi-channel, conduction-cooled SSPD system. However, the size and power consumption reduction becomes indispensable to apply such a system to the optical communication of AdHoc for a mobile system installed in a vehicle. The objective is to reduce the total height of the expander by 33% relative to the existing RDK-101 GM expander and to reduce the total volume of the compressor unit by 50% relative to the existing CNA-11 compressor. In addition, considering the targeted cooling application, we set the design cooling capacity targets of the first and the second stages 1 W at 60 K and 20 mW at 2.3 K respectively. In 2016, Hiratsuka et al. reported that an oil-free compressor was developed for a 2K GM cryocooler. The cooling performance of a 2K GM expander driven by an experimental unit of the linear compressor was measured. No-load temperature less than 2.1 K and the cooling capacity of 20 mW at 2.3 K were successfully achieved with an electric input power of only 1.1 kW. After that, the compressor capsule and the heat exchanger, etc. were assembled into one enclosure as a compressor unit. The total volume of the compressor unit and electrical box was significantly reduced to about 38 L, which was close to the target of 35 L. Also, the sound noise, vibration characteristics, the effect of the compressor unit inclination and the ambient temperature on the cooling performance, were evaluated. The detailed experimental results are discussed in this paper.

A performance-oriented power transformer design methodology using multi-objective evolutionary optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Adly, Amr A; Abd-El-Hafiz, Salwa K

2015-05-01

Transformers are regarded as crucial components in power systems. Due to market globalization, power transformer manufacturers are facing an increasingly competitive environment that mandates the adoption of design strategies yielding better performance at lower costs. In this paper, a power transformer design methodology using multi-objective evolutionary optimization is proposed. Using this methodology, which is tailored to be target performance design-oriented, quick rough estimation of transformer design specifics may be inferred. Testing of the suggested approach revealed significant qualitative and quantitative match with measured design and performance values. Details of the proposed methodology as well as sample design results are reported in the paper.

First performance results of the ALICE TPC Readout Control Unit 2

OpenAIRE

Zhao, Chengxin; Alme, Johan; Alt, Torsten; Appelshäuser, Harald; Bratrud, Lars Karlot Stubberud; Castro, Andrew; Costa, Filippo; David, Ernö; Gunji, Tako; Kirsch, S; Kiss, Tivadar; Langøy, Rune; Lien, Jørgen; Lippmann, C; Oskarsson, Anders

2016-01-01

- This paper presents the first performance results of the ALICE TPC Readout Control Unit 2 (RCU2). With the upgraded hardware typology and the new readout scheme in FPGA design, the RCU2 is designed to achieve twice the readout speed of the present Readout Control Unit. Design choices such as using the flash-based Microsemi Smartfusion2 FPGA and applying mitigation techniques in interfaces and FPGA design ensure a high degree of radiation tolerance. This paper presents the system level ir...

Modernizing the Federal Government: Paying for Performance

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Montoya, Silvia; Graham, John D

2007-01-01

Enhancing the performance of the civil service has been a central objective of the United States since the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 authorized a performance-based component to federal salary structures...

The subjective experience of object recognition: comparing metacognition for object detection and object categorization.

Science.gov (United States)

Meuwese, Julia D I; van Loon, Anouk M; Lamme, Victor A F; Fahrenfort, Johannes J

2014-05-01

Perceptual decisions seem to be made automatically and almost instantly. Constructing a unitary subjective conscious experience takes more time. For example, when trying to avoid a collision with a car on a foggy road you brake or steer away in a reflex, before realizing you were in a near accident. This subjective aspect of object recognition has been given little attention. We used metacognition (assessed with confidence ratings) to measure subjective experience during object detection and object categorization for degraded and masked objects, while objective performance was matched. Metacognition was equal for degraded and masked objects, but categorization led to higher metacognition than did detection. This effect turned out to be driven by a difference in metacognition for correct rejection trials, which seemed to be caused by an asymmetry of the distractor stimulus: It does not contain object-related information in the detection task, whereas it does contain such information in the categorization task. Strikingly, this asymmetry selectively impacted metacognitive ability when objective performance was matched. This finding reveals a fundamental difference in how humans reflect versus act on information: When matching the amount of information required to perform two tasks at some objective level of accuracy (acting), metacognitive ability (reflecting) is still better in tasks that rely on positive evidence (categorization) than in tasks that rely more strongly on an absence of evidence (detection).

American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery estimation of metabolic and bariatric procedures performed in the United States in 2016.

Science.gov (United States)

English, Wayne J; DeMaria, Eric J; Brethauer, Stacy A; Mattar, Samer G; Rosenthal, Raul J; Morton, John M

2018-03-01

Bariatric surgery, despite being the most successful long-lasting treatment for morbid obesity, remains underused as only approximately 1% of all patients who qualify for surgery actually undergo surgery. To determine if patients in need are receiving appropriate therapy, the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery created a Numbers Taskforce to specify annual rate of use for obesity treatment interventions. The objective of this study was to determine metabolic and bariatric procedure trends since 2011 and to provide the best estimate of the number of procedures performed in the United States in 2016. United States. We reviewed data from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program, National Surgical Quality Improvement Program, Bariatric Outcomes Longitudinal Database, and Nationwide Inpatient Sample. In addition, data from industry and outpatient centers were used to estimate outpatient center activity. Data from 2016 were compared with the previous 5 years of data. Compared with 2015, the total number of metabolic and bariatric procedures performed in 2016 increased from approximately 196,000 to 216,000. The sleeve gastrectomy trend is increasing, and it continues to be the most common procedure. The gastric bypass and gastric band trends continued to decrease as seen in previous years. The percentage of revision procedures and biliopancreatic diversion with duodenal switch procedures increased slightly. Finally, intragastric balloons placement emerged as a significant contributor to the cumulative total number of procedures performed. There is increasing use of metabolic and bariatric procedures performed in the United States from 2011 to 2016, with a nearly 10% increase noted from 2015 to 2016. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Near-Earth Objects. Chapter 27

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Alan W.; Drube, Line; McFadden, Lucy A.; Binzel, Richard P.

2014-01-01

A near-Earth object (NEO) is an asteroid or comet orbiting the Sun with a perihelion distance of less than 1.3 Astronomical Units (AU) (1 AU, an astronomical unit, is the mean distance between the Earth and the Sun, around 150 million kilometers). If the orbit of an NEO can bring it to within 0.05 AU of the Earth's orbit, and it is larger than about 120 meters, it is termed a potentially hazardous object (PHO); an object of this size is likely to survive passage through the atmosphere and cause extensive damage on impact. (The acronyms NEA and PHO are used when referring specifically to asteroids.)

Objectives and functions of ionizing radiation metrology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rothe, H.

1981-01-01

Proceeding from the fundamental objectives of ionizing radiation metrology, the main tasks of metrological research and assurances of accurate measurements in dosimetry and activity determination are summarized. With a view to the technical performance of these tasks the state-of-the-art and the trends in reproduction and dissemination of dosimetric and activity units are outlined. Problems are derived that should be solved within the framework of the CMEA Standing Commissions on Standardization and on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy. (author)

Fabrication of MTF measurement system for a mobile phone lens using multi-square objects

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Sung Mok; Jo, Jae Heung; Lee, Hoi Youn; Yang, Ho Soon; Lee, Yun Woo; Lee, In Won

2007-12-01

The mobile phone market grows rapidly and the performance estimation about camera module is required. Accordingly, we fabricate the MTF measurement system for a mobile phone lens having extremely small diameter and large f-number. The objective lens with the magnification of X20 for MTF measurement for high resolution lens and a detector of CCD that is pixel size of 7.4 um are adapted to the system. Also, the CCD is translated by using a linear motor to reduce measurement errors. The measurement lens is placed at the most suitable imaging point by a precise auto-focusing motor. The measuring equipment which we developed for off-axis MTF measurement of a mobile phone lens used the multi-square objects. The square objects of measuring equipment are arranged a unit in the on-axis and total 12 units (0.3 field: 4 units, 0.5 field: 4 units, 0.7 field: 4 units) in the off-axis. When the measurement is started, the linear motors of signal detection part are transferred from on-axis to off-axis. And a detected signals from the each square objects are used for MTF measurement. System driver and MTF measure are using application program that developed us. This software can be measure the on-axis and the off-axis sequentially. In addition to that it did optimization of motor transfer for measurement time shortening.

New insight for activity intensity relativity, metabolic expenditure during object projection skill performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Sacko, Ryan S; McIver, Kerry; Brian, Ali; Stodden, David F

2018-04-02

This study examined the metabolic cost (METs) of performing object projection skills at three practice trial intervals (6, 12, and 30 seconds). Forty adults (female n = 20) aged 18-30 (M = 23.7 ± 2.9 years) completed three, nine-minute sessions of skill trials performed at 6, 12, and 30 second intervals. Participants performed kicking, throwing and striking trials in a blocked schedule with maximal effort. Average METs during each session were measured using a COSMED K4b2. A three (interval condition) X two (sex) ANOVA was conducted to examine differences in METs across interval conditions and by sex. Results indicated a main effect for interval condition (F(5,114) = 187.02, p < .001, η 2  = 0.76) with decreased interval times yielding significantly higher METs [30 sec = 3.45, 12 sec = 5.68, 6 sec = 8.21]. A main effect for sex (F(5, 114) = 35.39, p < .001, η 2  = 0.24) also was found with men demonstrating higher METs across all intervals. At a rate of only two trials/min, participants elicited moderate physical activity, with 12 and 6-second intervals exhibiting vigorous PA. Demonstrating MVPA during the performance of object projection skill performance has potential implications for PA interventions.

NSGA-II algorithm for multi-objective generation expansion planning problem

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murugan, P.; Kannan, S. [Electronics and Communication Engineering Department, Arulmigu Kalasalingam College of Engineering, Krishnankoil 626190, Tamilnadu (India); Baskar, S. [Electrical Engineering Department, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai 625015, Tamilnadu (India)

2009-04-15

This paper presents an application of Elitist Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm version II (NSGA-II), to multi-objective generation expansion planning (GEP) problem. The GEP problem is considered as a two-objective problem. The first objective is the minimization of investment cost and the second objective is the minimization of outage cost (or maximization of reliability). To improve the performance of NSGA-II, two modifications are proposed. One modification is incorporation of Virtual Mapping Procedure (VMP), and the other is introduction of controlled elitism in NSGA-II. A synthetic test system having 5 types of candidate units is considered here for GEP for a 6-year planning horizon. The effectiveness of the proposed modifications is illustrated in detail. (author)

Cooling tower performance improvements for a cycling PC-fired unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keckritz, M.; Thelen, A.

1997-01-01

The inevitable deregulation of the electric utility industry has caused many electric utility companies to look closely at their existing assets and predict what role these units will play in the future. Reducing a unit's production cost is the best way to prepare for the deregulated market but this benefit often comes with an associated capital expenditure. Spending capital dollars today can pose a quandary for an investor-owned utility committed to maintaining low consumer rates. The dilemma is: How does a utility improve its competitiveness position today while ensuring that the shareholders are getting a fair return on their investment when any fuel savings are passed through to the consumer? Illinois Power (IP) has been aggressively looking to improve their current competitive position while facing the current regulatory challenges. Studies have been commissioned to identify the most attractive cost reduction opportunities available. One study identified that improving the performance of the Unit 6 cooling tower at the Havana Station would be a very economically attractive option. This paper addresses the economics of refurbishing a cooling tower for a cycling pulverized-coal (PC) unit to provide a competitive advantage leading into the deregulated electricity market

Fast neuromimetic object recognition using FPGA outperforms GPU implementations.

Science.gov (United States)

Orchard, Garrick; Martin, Jacob G; Vogelstein, R Jacob; Etienne-Cummings, Ralph

2013-08-01

Recognition of objects in still images has traditionally been regarded as a difficult computational problem. Although modern automated methods for visual object recognition have achieved steadily increasing recognition accuracy, even the most advanced computational vision approaches are unable to obtain performance equal to that of humans. This has led to the creation of many biologically inspired models of visual object recognition, among them the hierarchical model and X (HMAX) model. HMAX is traditionally known to achieve high accuracy in visual object recognition tasks at the expense of significant computational complexity. Increasing complexity, in turn, increases computation time, reducing the number of images that can be processed per unit time. In this paper we describe how the computationally intensive and biologically inspired HMAX model for visual object recognition can be modified for implementation on a commercial field-programmable aate Array, specifically the Xilinx Virtex 6 ML605 evaluation board with XC6VLX240T FPGA. We show that with minor modifications to the traditional HMAX model we can perform recognition on images of size 128 × 128 pixels at a rate of 190 images per second with a less than 1% loss in recognition accuracy in both binary and multiclass visual object recognition tasks.

Computerized nursing process in the Intensive Care Unit: ergonomics and usability

OpenAIRE

Almeida,Sônia Regina Wagner de; Sasso,Grace Teresinha Marcon Dal; Barra,Daniela Couto Carvalho

2016-01-01

Abstract OBJECTIVE Analyzing the ergonomics and usability criteria of the Computerized Nursing Process based on the International Classification for Nursing Practice in the Intensive Care Unit according to International Organization for Standardization(ISO). METHOD A quantitative, quasi-experimental, before-and-after study with a sample of 16 participants performed in an Intensive Care Unit. Data collection was performed through the application of five simulated clinical cases and an evalua...

Performance and Environmental Test Results of the High Voltage Hall Accelerator Engineering Development Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Kamhawi, Hani; Haag, Thomas; Huang, Wensheng; Shastry, Rohit; Pinero, Luis; Peterson, Todd; Mathers, Alex

2012-01-01

NASA Science Mission Directorate's In-Space Propulsion Technology Program is sponsoring the development of a 3.5 kW-class engineering development unit Hall thruster for implementation in NASA science and exploration missions. NASA Glenn and Aerojet are developing a high fidelity high voltage Hall accelerator that can achieve specific impulse magnitudes greater than 2,700 seconds and xenon throughput capability in excess of 300 kilograms. Performance, plume mappings, thermal characterization, and vibration tests of the high voltage Hall accelerator engineering development unit have been performed. Performance test results indicated that at 3.9 kW the thruster achieved a total thrust efficiency and specific impulse of 58%, and 2,700 sec, respectively. Thermal characterization tests indicated that the thruster component temperatures were within the prescribed material maximum operating temperature limits during full power thruster operation. Finally, thruster vibration tests indicated that the thruster survived the 3-axes qualification full-level random vibration test series. Pre and post-vibration test performance mappings indicated almost identical thruster performance. Finally, an update on the development progress of a power processing unit and a xenon feed system is provided.

Design and Performance of Energy Conversion Units of Betavoltaic Isotopic Batteries

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Guanquan; Yang Yuqing; Zhang Huaming; Hu Rui; Wei Hongyuan; Xiong Xiaoling; Luo Shunzhong

2010-01-01

Based on the single crystal silicon semiconductor junction devices, the relationships between their configurable parameters and the electrical properties were discussed for the purpose of design of energy conversion units of betavoltaic isotopic batteries. Two kinds of silicon semiconductor junction devices as energy conversion units of betavoltaic batteries were designed and customized. The electrical output properties of the devices irradiated by 63 Ni source were measured. The results show that the new designed devices perform better than the existing commercial one in open-circuit voltage, output power and energy conversion efficiency. (authors)

Investigation on multi-objective performance optimization algorithm application of fan based on response surface method and entropy method

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Li; Wu, Kexin; Liu, Yang

2017-12-01

A multi-objective performance optimization method is proposed, and the problem that single structural parameters of small fan balance the optimization between the static characteristics and the aerodynamic noise is solved. In this method, three structural parameters are selected as the optimization variables. Besides, the static pressure efficiency and the aerodynamic noise of the fan are regarded as the multi-objective performance. Furthermore, the response surface method and the entropy method are used to establish the optimization function between the optimization variables and the multi-objective performances. Finally, the optimized model is found when the optimization function reaches its maximum value. Experimental data shows that the optimized model not only enhances the static characteristics of the fan but also obviously reduces the noise. The results of the study will provide some reference for the optimization of multi-objective performance of other types of rotating machinery.

SWIR, VIS and LWIR observer performance against handheld objects: a comparison

Science.gov (United States)

Adomeit, Uwe

2016-10-01

The short wave infrared spectral range caused interest to be used in day and night time military and security applications in the last years. This necessitates performance assessment of SWIR imaging equipment in comparison to the one operating in the visual (VIS) and thermal infrared (LWIR) spectral range. In the military context (nominal) range is the main performance criteria. Discriminating friend from foe is one of the main tasks in today's asymmetric scenarios and so personnel, human activities and handheld objects are used as targets to estimate ranges. The later was also used for an experiment at Fraunhofer IOSB to get a first impression how the SWIR performs compared to VIS and LWIR. A human consecutively carrying one of nine different civil or military objects was recorded from five different ranges in the three spectral ranges. For the visual spectral range a 3-chip color-camera was used, the SWIR range was covered by an InGaAs-camera and the LWIR by an uncooled bolometer. It was ascertained that the nominal spatial resolution of the three cameras was in the same magnitude in order to enable an unbiased assessment. Daytime conditions were selected for data acquisition to separate the observer performance from illumination conditions and to some extend also camera performance. From the recorded data, a perception experiment was prepared. It was conducted as a nine-alternative forced choice, unlimited observation time test with 15 observers participating. Before the experiment, the observers were trained on close range target data. Outcome of the experiment was the average probability of identification versus range between camera and target. The comparison of the range performance achieved in the three spectral bands gave a mixed result. On one hand a ranking VIS / SWIR / LWIR in decreasing order can be seen in the data, but on the other hand only the difference between VIS and the other bands is statistically significant. Additionally it was not possible

Exergoeconomic analysis and multi-objective optimization of an ejector refrigeration cycle powered by an internal combustion (HCCI) engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sadeghi, Mohsen; Mahmoudi, S.M.S.; Khoshbakhti Saray, R.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Ejector refrigeration systems powered by HCCI engine is proposed. • A new two-dimensional model is developed for the ejector. • Multi-objective optimization is performed for the proposed system. • Pareto frontier is plotted for multi-objective optimization. - Abstract: Ejector refrigeration systems powered by low-grade heat sources have been an attractive research subject for a lot of researchers. In the present work the waste heat from exhaust gases of a HCCI (homogeneous charge compression ignition) engine is utilized to drive the ejector refrigeration system. Considering the frictional effects on the ejector wall, a new two-dimensional model is developed for the ejector. Energy, exergy and exergoeconomic analysis performed for the proposed system using the MATLAB software. In addition, considering the exergy efficiency and the product unit cost of the system as objective functions, a multi-objective optimization is performed for the system to find the optimum design variables including the generator, condenser and evaporator temperatures. The product unit cost is minimized while the exergy efficiency is maximized using the genetic algorithm. The optimization results are obtained as a set of optimal points and the Pareto frontier is plotted for multi-objective optimization. The results of the optimization show that ejector refrigeration cycle is operating at optimum state based on exergy efficiency and product unit cost when generator, condenser and evaporator work at 94.54 °C, 33.44 °C and 0.03 °C, respectively

The Linkage Between Work Unit Performance Perceptions of U.S. Federal Employees and Their Job Satisfaction: An Expectancy Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soyoung PARK

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Public organizations are interested in how to improve their performance. Performance in a work unit can also influence employee job satisfaction due to positive expectations based on higher performance. Thus, our study attempts to investigate if organizational performance has an impact on employee motivation under the premise that employees who perform better in a work unit expect greater professional recognition and rewards. By using data from the 2013 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS, we find that employees who perceive higher levels of performance in a work unit have a higher level of job satisfaction. This paper further shows that performance perception based on rewards is also positively related to job satisfaction.However, underrepresented groups (female and non-white, older employees and mid-level (work experience from 6 to 14 years employees are less satisfied with higher work unit performance. Finally, employees in the distributive agency category are more satisfied with work unit performance while those in the regulatory agency category are less satisfied with work unit performance. In conclusion, organizations should recognize particular characteristics of employees to develop the policies related to performance management, and effectively utilize these policies in order to attract and retain proficient workers.

Ferromanganese Furnace Modelling Using Object-Oriented Principles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wasboe, S.O.

1996-12-31

This doctoral thesis defines an object-oriented framework for aiding unit process modelling and applies it to model high-carbon ferromanganese furnaces. A framework is proposed for aiding modelling of the internal topology and the phenomena taking place inside unit processes. Complex unit processes may consist of a number of zones where different phenomena take place. A topology is therefore defined for the unit process itself, which shows the relations between the zones. Inside each zone there is a set of chemical species and phenomena, such as reactions, phase transitions, heat transfer etc. A formalized graphical methodology is developed as a tool for modelling these zones and their interaction. The symbols defined in the graphical framework are associated with objects and classes. The rules for linking the objects are described using OMT (Object Modeling Technique) diagrams and formal language formulations. The basic classes that are defined are implemented using the C++ programming language. The ferromanganese process is a complex unit process. A general description of the process equipment is given, and a detailed discussion of the process itself and a system theoretical overview of it. The object-oriented framework is then used to develop a dynamic model based on mass and energy balances. The model is validated by measurements from an industrial furnace. 101 refs., 119 figs., 20 tabs.

75 FR 66419 - Culturally Significant Objects Imported for Exhibition Determinations: “Object of Devotion...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-28

... Determinations: ``Object of Devotion: Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture From the Victoria and Albert Museum... Devotion: Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture from the Victoria and Albert Museum,'' imported from abroad for temporary exhibition within the United States, are of cultural significance. The objects are...

Performance on a Stage IV Object-Permanence Task with Standard and Nonstandard Covers.

Science.gov (United States)

And Others; Rader, Nancy

1979-01-01

Examined the role of perceptual-motor development in a typical Stage IV task. The performance of ten infants was compared on a Stage IV object permanence task when a cloth cover was used and when a small card cover was used. (JMB)

Development of high-performance and low-noise axial-flow fan units in their local operating region

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heo, Seung; Ha, Min Ho; Cheong, Cheol Ung [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Tae Hoon [LG Electronics Inc., Changwon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-09-15

Aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performances of an axial-flow fan unit are improved by modifying its housing structure without changing the fan blade. The target axial-flow fan system is used to lower temperature of a compressor and a condenser in the machine room of a household refrigerator which has relatively high system resistance due to complex layout of structures inside it. First, the performance of the fan system is experimentally characterized by measuring its volume flow rate versus static pressure using a fan performance tester satisfying the AMCA (Air Movement and Control Association) regulation, AMCA 210-07. The detailed structure of flow driven by the fan is numerically investigated using a virtual fan performance tester based on computational fluid dynamics techniques. The prediction result reveals possible loss due to radial and tangential velocity components in the wake flow downstream of the fan. The length of the fan housing is chosen as a design parameter for improving the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic performances of the fan unit by reducing the identified radial and tangential velocity components. Three fan units with different housing lengths longer than the original are analyzed using the virtual fan performance tester. The results confirm the improved aerodynamic performance of the proposed three designs. The flow field driven by the proposed fan unit is closely examined to find the causes for the observed performance improvements, which ensures that the radial and tangential velocity components in the wake flow are reduced. Finally, the improved performance of the proposed fan systems is validated by comparing the P-Q and efficiency curves measured using the fan performance tester. The noise emission from the household refrigerator is also found to be lessened when the new fan units are installed.

Meteorite Unit Models for Structural Properties

Science.gov (United States)

Agrawal, Parul; Carlozzi, Alexander A.; Karajeh, Zaid S.; Bryson, Kathryn L.

2017-10-01

To assess the threat posed by an asteroid entering Earth’s atmosphere, one must predict if, when, and how it fragments during entry. A comprehensive understanding of the asteroid material properties is needed to achieve this objective. At present, the meteorite material found on earth are the only objects from an entering asteroid that can be used as representative material and be tested inside a laboratory. Due to complex composition, it is challenging and expensive to obtain reliable material properties by means of laboratory test for a family of meteorites. In order to circumvent this challenge, meteorite unit models are developed to determine the effective material properties including Young’s modulus, compressive and tensile strengths and Poisson’s ratio, that in turn would help deduce the properties of asteroids. The meteorite unit model is a representative volume that accounts for diverse minerals, porosity, cracks and matrix composition.The Young’s Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio in the meteorite units are calculated by performing several hundreds of Monte Carlo simulations by randomly distributing the various phases inside these units. Once these values are obtained, cracks are introduced in these units. The size, orientation and distribution of cracks are derived by CT-scans and visual scans of various meteorites. Subsequently, simulations are performed to attain stress-strain relations, strength and effective modulus values in the presence of these cracks. The meteorite unit models are presented for H, L and LL ordinary chondrites, as well as for terrestrial basalt. In the case of the latter, data from the simulations is compared with experimental data to validate the methodology. These meteorite unit models will be subsequently used in fragmentation modeling of full scale asteroids.

Software development for simplified performance tests and weekly performance check in Younggwang NPP Unit 3 and 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hur, K. Y.; Jang, S. H.; Lee, J. W.; Kim, J. T.; Park, J. C.

2002-01-01

This paper covers the current status of turbine cycle performance test in nuclear power plants and the software development which can solve some shortcomings related to performance tests. The software developed is for simplified performance tests and weekly performance checks in Yonggwang nuclear power plant unit 3 and 4. This software includes the requirements from the efficiency division for the consistency with actual performance analysis work and the usability of the collected performance test data. From the working survey, we identify the difference between the embedded performance analysis modules and the actual performance analysis work. This software helps operation or maintenance personnel to reduce work load, to support the trend analysis of essential parameters in a turbine cycle, and to utilize the correction curves for the decision-making in their work

A Multi-Objective Unit Commitment Model for Setting Carbon Tax to Reduce CO2 Emission: Thailand's Electricity Generation Case

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nuchjarin Intalar

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Carbon tax policy is a cost-effective instrument for emission reduction. However, setting the carbon tax is one of the challenging task for policy makers as it will lead to higher price of emission-intensive sources especially the utility price. In a large-scale power generation system, minimizing the operational cost and the environmental impact are conflicting objectives and it is difficult to find the compromise solution. This paper proposes a methodology of finding a feasible carbon tax rate on strategic level using the operational unit commitment model. We present a multi-objective mixed integer linear programming model to solve the unit commitment problem and consider the environmental impacts. The methodology of analyzing of the effect of carbon tax rates on the power generation, operating cost, and CO2 emission is also provided. The trade-off relationship between total operating cost and total CO2 emission is presented in the Pareto-optimal curve to analyze the feasible carbon tax rate that is influencing on electricity operating cost. The significant outcome of this paper is a modeling framework for the policy makers to determine the possible carbon tax that can be imposed on the electricity generation.

Hair cortisol predicts object permanence performance in infant rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta).

Science.gov (United States)

Dettmer, Amanda M; Novak, Matthew F S X; Novak, Melinda A; Meyer, Jerrold S; Suomi, Stephen J

2009-12-01

Although high circulating levels of glucocorticoids are associated with impaired cognitive performance in adults, less is known about this relationship in infancy. Furthermore, because studies have relied on acute cortisol measures in blood plasma or saliva, interpretation of the results may be difficult as acute measures may in part reflect emotional responses to testing procedures. In this study we examined whether hair cortisol, an integrated measure of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning, predicted performance of nursery-reared (NR) infant rhesus monkeys (n = 32) on Piagetian object permanence tasks. Testing of NR infants began at 19.8 +/- 2.2 (mean +/- SE) days of age and continued for the next several months. Hair cortisol concentrations from the 32 NR monkeys were compared to those of 20 mother-peer-reared (MPR) infants. Hair was shaved at Day 14, allowed to regrow, and obtained again at month 6, thus representing integrated cortisol over a 5.5-month period of time. NR and MPR infants did not differ in month 6 hair cortisol values (t((50)) = 0.02, p = 0.98). Linear regression revealed that hair cortisol predicted object permanence performance in the NR infants. Infants with higher hair cortisol reached criterion at later ages on the well (p < 0.01), screen (p < 0.05), and A-not-B (p < 0.05) tasks and required more test sessions to complete the well (p < 0.01) and screen tasks (p < 0.05). These data are the first to implicate hair cortisol as a reliable predictor of early cognitive performance in infant macaque monkeys.

Elaboration of leadership and culture in high-performing nursing units of hospitals as perceived by staff nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Casida, Jesus M; Crane, Patrick C; Walker, Tara L; Wargo, Lisa M

2012-01-01

The leadership-culture phenomenon, a known explanatory construct for organizational performance, is understudied in nursing. Building on our previous work, we further addressed this knowledge gap through explorations of demographics and hospital variables which may have a significant influence on staff nurses' (SNs) perceptions of their nurse managers' (NMs) leadership and nursing unit culture. Furthermore, we explored the extent to which the NMs' leadership predicted specific cultures which typify nursing unit effectiveness. Using dissertation data provided by278 SNs, we found that SNs educated at the baccalaureate level or higher had favorable perceptions of their nursing unit performance and viewed their NMs' leadership differently than the SNs with diploma or associate degrees. The frequent portrayals of transformational (TFL) leadership behaviors (e.g., visionary) by the NMs were paramount in shaping culture traits which exemplify high performance outcomes. TFL leaders were more likely to shape unit cultures which are flexible and adaptive to the environmental challenges within and outside the nursing unit. Thus, the type of NMs' leadership and unit culture may provide an added value in explaining the performance level in patient care units which consequently affects the overall hospital/organizational outcomes. Implications for research and leadership practices are presented.

Human V4 Activity Patterns Predict Behavioral Performance in Imagery of Object Color.

Science.gov (United States)

Bannert, Michael M; Bartels, Andreas

2018-04-11

Color is special among basic visual features in that it can form a defining part of objects that are engrained in our memory. Whereas most neuroimaging research on human color vision has focused on responses related to external stimulation, the present study investigated how sensory-driven color vision is linked to subjective color perception induced by object imagery. We recorded fMRI activity in male and female volunteers during viewing of abstract color stimuli that were red, green, or yellow in half of the runs. In the other half we asked them to produce mental images of colored, meaningful objects (such as tomato, grapes, banana) corresponding to the same three color categories. Although physically presented color could be decoded from all retinotopically mapped visual areas, only hV4 allowed predicting colors of imagined objects when classifiers were trained on responses to physical colors. Importantly, only neural signal in hV4 was predictive of behavioral performance in the color judgment task on a trial-by-trial basis. The commonality between neural representations of sensory-driven and imagined object color and the behavioral link to neural representations in hV4 identifies area hV4 as a perceptual hub linking externally triggered color vision with color in self-generated object imagery. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Humans experience color not only when visually exploring the outside world, but also in the absence of visual input, for example when remembering, dreaming, and during imagery. It is not known where neural codes for sensory-driven and internally generated hue converge. In the current study we evoked matching subjective color percepts, one driven by physically presented color stimuli, the other by internally generated color imagery. This allowed us to identify area hV4 as the only site where neural codes of corresponding subjective color perception converged regardless of its origin. Color codes in hV4 also predicted behavioral performance in an

Performance of indigenously fabricated pyramid type solar desalination unit at Nawabshah

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Memon, A.H.; Rajpar, A.H.; Memon, N.A.

2010-01-01

The performance of locally fabricated pyramid type solar desalination unit was studied and compared with the conventional basin type solar still. Both stills were initially filled with same quantity of brackish water. Their performance was studied in terms of the quality of water produced, quantity of water desalinated per hour and total quantity of water desalinated per day during the time under study. The experiments were conducted and various parameters were recorded from 9-15 hours daily. These results showed that pyramid solar still produced 20% higher desalinated water as compared to the conventional double slope basin type solar still. This study showed that the productivity rate of soar still is dependent upon geometrical configuration of solar still. It was observed that the units can highly reduce the salinity, TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) and EC (Electrical Conductivity) of the saline ground water providing the availability of safe drinking water. (author)

Nonnegative Matrix Factorizations Performing Object Detection and Localization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Casalino

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We study the problem of detecting and localizing objects in still, gray-scale images making use of the part-based representation provided by nonnegative matrix factorizations. Nonnegative matrix factorization represents an emerging example of subspace methods, which is able to extract interpretable parts from a set of template image objects and then to additively use them for describing individual objects. In this paper, we present a prototype system based on some nonnegative factorization algorithms, which differ in the additional properties added to the nonnegative representation of data, in order to investigate if any additional constraint produces better results in general object detection via nonnegative matrix factorizations.

Evaluation of seasonal exergy efficiency of air handing unit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kęstutis Genys

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the air handling unit seasonal exergy efficiency. TRNSYS simulation tool is used to evaluate it. The object of research is air treatment device used to treat an air for the ventilation of laboratory. The mathematical model of air handling unit using TRNSYS simulation tool was developed when the technical parameters of air handling unit and energy exchange in it were analysed. The developed model according to the made observations during the warm and cold periods was tested and validation of elements was performed. The simulation of air handling unit operation after the verification of reliability and permitted tolerances was performed. The control mechanisim which allows simulating the operation of air handling unit during cold and warm periods of the year was made. The mathematical algorithm for calculation of air handling unit exergy efficiency coefficient applying the principles of exergy analysis was developed. The seasonal exergy efficiency of air handling unit equal to 3.94 percent during the simulation was obtained.

Cloud object store for archive storage of high performance computing data using decoupling middleware

Science.gov (United States)

Bent, John M.; Faibish, Sorin; Grider, Gary

2015-06-30

Cloud object storage is enabled for archived data, such as checkpoints and results, of high performance computing applications using a middleware process. A plurality of archived files, such as checkpoint files and results, generated by a plurality of processes in a parallel computing system are stored by obtaining the plurality of archived files from the parallel computing system; converting the plurality of archived files to objects using a log structured file system middleware process; and providing the objects for storage in a cloud object storage system. The plurality of processes may run, for example, on a plurality of compute nodes. The log structured file system middleware process may be embodied, for example, as a Parallel Log-Structured File System (PLFS). The log structured file system middleware process optionally executes on a burst buffer node.

Effect of geometric parameters of liquid-gas separator units on phase separation performance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mo, Songping; Chen, Xueqing; Chen, Ying [Guangdong University of Technology, Seoul (China); Yang, Zhen [Tsinghua University, Beijing (China)

2015-07-15

Five liquid-gas separator units were designed and constructed based on a new concept of a validated high-performance condenser. Each separator unit consists of two united T-junctions and an apertured baffle. The separator units have different header diameters or different baffles with different diameters of the liquid-gas separation hole. The phase separation characteristics of the units were investigated at inlet air superficial velocities from 1.0m/s to 33.0m/s and water superficial velocities from 0.0015 m/s to 0..50 m/s. The experimental results showed that the liquid height, liquid flow rate through the separation hole, and liquid separation efficiency increased with increased header diameter and decreased diameter of the separation hole. The geometric structures of the separator units affected the phase separation characteristics by influencing the liquid height in the header and the liquid flow rate through the separation hole.

Performance objectives for disposal of low-level radioactive wastes on the Oak Ridge Reservation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kocher, D.C.

1987-07-01

This report presents a set of performance objectives for disposal of low-level radioactive wastes in a new facility on the Oak Ridge Reservation. The principal performance objectives include a limit on annual committed effective dose equivalent averaged over a lifetime of 0.25 mSv (25 mrem) for any member of the public beyond the boundary of the disposal facility, and a limit on annual committed effective dose equivalent averaged over a lifetime of 1 mSv (0.1 rem) and a limit on committed effective dose equivalent in any year of 5 mSv (0.5 rem) for any individual who inadvertently intrudes onto the disposal site after loss of active institutional controls. In addition, releases of radioactivity beyond the site boundary shall not result in annual dose equivalents to any number of the public from all sources of exposure that exceed limits established by Federal regulatory authorities and shall be kept as low as reasonably achievable. This report reviews generally applicable radiation protection standards for the public and environmental radiation standards for specific practices that have been developed by national and international authorities and discusses the use of limits on risk rather than dose as performance objectives and consideration of chemical toxicity rather than radiation dose in establishing limits on intakes of uranium. 63 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs.

Performance objectives for disposal of low-level radioactive wastes on the Oak Ridge Reservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.

1987-07-01

This report presents a set of performance objectives for disposal of low-level radioactive wastes in a new facility on the Oak Ridge Reservation. The principal performance objectives include a limit on annual committed effective dose equivalent averaged over a lifetime of 0.25 mSv (25 mrem) for any member of the public beyond the boundary of the disposal facility, and a limit on annual committed effective dose equivalent averaged over a lifetime of 1 mSv (0.1 rem) and a limit on committed effective dose equivalent in any year of 5 mSv (0.5 rem) for any individual who inadvertently intrudes onto the disposal site after loss of active institutional controls. In addition, releases of radioactivity beyond the site boundary shall not result in annual dose equivalents to any number of the public from all sources of exposure that exceed limits established by Federal regulatory authorities and shall be kept as low as reasonably achievable. This report reviews generally applicable radiation protection standards for the public and environmental radiation standards for specific practices that have been developed by national and international authorities and discusses the use of limits on risk rather than dose as performance objectives and consideration of chemical toxicity rather than radiation dose in establishing limits on intakes of uranium. 63 refs., 7 figs., 2 tabs

Objectively measured and self-reported leisure-time sedentary behavior and academic performance in youth: The UP&DOWN Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Esteban-Cornejo, Irene; Martinez-Gomez, David; Sallis, James F; Cabanas-Sánchez, Verónica; Fernández-Santos, Jorge; Castro-Piñero, Jose; Veiga, Oscar L

2015-08-01

To examine the associations of (i) objectively measured and self-reported sedentary behavior during leisure time with academic performance and (ii) patterns of sedentary behavior with academic performance. This study was conducted with 1146 youth aged 12.5±2.5years in Spain during 2011-2012. Leisure-time sedentary behavior during out-of-school hours was assessed by accelerometry and self-report. Academic performance was assessed through school grades. Objectively measured sedentary leisure-time was not significantly associated with academic performance. Time spent in Internet surfing, listening to music, and sitting without doing anything were negatively associated with all academic performance indicators (β ranging from -0.066 to -0.144; all pacademic indicators (β ranging from -0.085 to -0.148; all pacademic indicators (β ranging from 0.063 to 0.105; all pleisure-time, but not objectively measured sedentary leisure time, may influence academic performance. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of knowledge of APOE genotype on subjective and objective memory performance in healthy older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Lineweaver, Tara T; Bondi, Mark W; Galasko, Douglas; Salmon, David P

2014-02-01

The knowledge that one carries the apolipoprotein E (APOE) ε4 allele risk factor for Alzheimer's disease was recently found to have little short-term psychological risk. The authors investigated the impact of knowledge of carrying the risk allele on subjective ratings of memory and objective memory test performance of older adults. Using a nested case-control design, the authors administered objective verbal and visual memory tests and self-rating scales of memory function to 144 cognitively normal older adults (ages 52-89) with known APOE genotype who knew (ε4+, N=25; ε4-, N=49) or did not know (ε4+, N=25; ε4-, N=45) their genotype and genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease prior to neuropsychological evaluation. Significant genotype-by-disclosure interaction effects were observed on several memory rating scales and tests of immediate and delayed verbal recall. Older adults who knew their ε4+ genotype judged their memory more harshly and performed worse on an objective verbal memory test than did ε4+ adults who did not know. In contrast, older adults who knew their ε4- genotype judged their memory more positively than did ε4- adults who did not know, but these groups did not differ in objective memory test performance. Informing older adults that they have an APOE genotype associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer's disease can have adverse consequences on their perception of their memory abilities and their performance on objective memory tests. The patient's knowledge of his or her genotype and risk of Alzheimer's disease should be considered when evaluating cognition in the elderly.

Retrospective Cues Based on Object Features Improve Visual Working Memory Performance in Older Adults

OpenAIRE

Gilchrist, Amanda L.; Duarte, Audrey; Verhaeghen, Paul

2015-01-01

Research with younger adults has shown that retrospective cues can be used to orient top-down attention toward relevant items in working memory. We examined whether older adults could take advantage of these cues to improve memory performance. Younger and older adults were presented with visual arrays of five colored shapes; during maintenance, participants were either presented with an informative cue based on an object feature (here, object shape or color) that would be probed, or with an u...

Immersion, Embodiment, and Imagination: Moving Beyond an Aesthetic of Objectivity in Research-Informed Performance in Health

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julia Gray

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Growing numbers of qualitative health researchers of diverse disciplinary backgrounds are experimenting with various forms of performance (e.g., film, live theater, dance as innovative approaches to engage broader communities in complex and critical ways with research. Despite this emerging alliance between performance and research, much of research-informed performance work is informed by an "aesthetic of objectivity," which assumes a linear trajectory between research findings and performance, and minimizes the relevance of aesthetic interpretation, which we argue is fundamental to achieving critical research-informed performative work. To move beyond this aesthetic of objectivity, we will explore our development of a research-informed film, "Fit for Dialysis." We argue that embracing the role of aesthetics, imagination, and embodiment more fully is essential to achieving the full interactive, educational, and emancipatory potential of the alliance between performance and research. URN: http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:0114-fqs1502290

Removal of Secondary Side Deposit and Foreign Objects in SG of Yonggwang Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jeong, Wootae [KHNP-CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Yun, Sangjung; Choi, Yongseok; Kim, Taehwa; Seo, Hongchang [Byucksan Digital Valley II, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

Mock-up test and training before the service were made to minimize operation time and radiation dose. 8 bag filters and 49 cartridge filters were consumed for filtering of soft and hard sludge in SG A, B, and C. Total 21.05 kilograms of sludge was removed. Five foreign objects were found and removed in tube bundle of SG A, in annulus and tube bundle of SG B, and in tube bundle of SG C. During the 20{sup th} OH of Yonggwang NPP unit 2, we removed 21.05 kilograms of sludge and five foreign objects from three steam generators. Gradual increase in weight of sludge removed is assumed to show us that more sludge is created as operation time of steam generator increases. Low level chemical cleaning at 19{sup th} OH removed 517 kilograms of sludge which was dominant of all the sludge removal weight. We could assume, from this fact, that high level chemical cleaning could remove significant amount of sludge compared to mechanical lancing method. Five foreign objects which were removed from inside of SG showed us that more thorough inside cleaning and inspection is necessary during fabrication of steam generator.

New reference object for metrological performance testing of industrial CT systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Müller, Pavel; Hiller, Jochen; Cantatore, Angela

2012-01-01

This paper presents a new reference object, so called “CT ball plate”, used for metrological performance testing of industrial CT systems, and discusses both the calibration procedure using a tactile coordinate measuring machine and the first results carried out using an industrial CT scanner....... This artefact can be used to determine several characteristics of the CT system like, probing errors of spheres, length measuring errors between sphere centers, measurement errors in the whole CT volume and effects in connection with image artefacts....

Object recognition with hierarchical discriminant saliency networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Sunhyoung; Vasconcelos, Nuno

2014-01-01

The benefits of integrating attention and object recognition are investigated. While attention is frequently modeled as a pre-processor for recognition, we investigate the hypothesis that attention is an intrinsic component of recognition and vice-versa. This hypothesis is tested with a recognition model, the hierarchical discriminant saliency network (HDSN), whose layers are top-down saliency detectors, tuned for a visual class according to the principles of discriminant saliency. As a model of neural computation, the HDSN has two possible implementations. In a biologically plausible implementation, all layers comply with the standard neurophysiological model of visual cortex, with sub-layers of simple and complex units that implement a combination of filtering, divisive normalization, pooling, and non-linearities. In a convolutional neural network implementation, all layers are convolutional and implement a combination of filtering, rectification, and pooling. The rectification is performed with a parametric extension of the now popular rectified linear units (ReLUs), whose parameters can be tuned for the detection of target object classes. This enables a number of functional enhancements over neural network models that lack a connection to saliency, including optimal feature denoising mechanisms for recognition, modulation of saliency responses by the discriminant power of the underlying features, and the ability to detect both feature presence and absence. In either implementation, each layer has a precise statistical interpretation, and all parameters are tuned by statistical learning. Each saliency detection layer learns more discriminant saliency templates than its predecessors and higher layers have larger pooling fields. This enables the HDSN to simultaneously achieve high selectivity to target object classes and invariance. The performance of the network in saliency and object recognition tasks is compared to those of models from the biological and

Correlation of United States Medical Licensing Examination and Internal Medicine In-Training Examination Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Perez, Jose A., Jr.; Greer, Sharon

2009-01-01

The Internal Medicine In-Training Examination (ITE) is administered during residency training in the United States as a self-assessment and program assessment tool. Performance on this exam correlates with outcome on the American Board of Internal Medicine Certifying examination. Internal Medicine Program Directors use the United States Medical…

Adapting Objective Structured Clinical Examinations to Assess Social Work Students' Performance and Reflections

Science.gov (United States)

Bogo, Marion; Regehr, Cheryl; Logie, Carmen; Katz, Ellen; Mylopoulos, Maria; Regehr, Glenn

2011-01-01

The development of standardized, valid, and reliable methods for assessment of students' practice competence continues to be a challenge for social work educators. In this study, the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE), originally used in medicine to assess performance through simulated interviews, was adapted for social work to…

Proposal of sampling protocols to verify possible performance objectives for Campylobacter species control in Italian broiler batches

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerardo Manfreda

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Campylobacteriosis represents the most important food-borne illness in the EU. Broilers, as well as poultry meat, spread the majority of strains responsible for human cases. The main aims of this study were to suggest an approach for the definition of performance objectives (POs based on prevalence and concentration of Campylobacter species (spp. in broiler carcasses; moreover, sampling plans to determine the acceptability of broiler batches at the slaughterhouses in relation to such POs were formulated. The dataset used in this study was the one regarding Italy composed during the European Food Safety Authority baseline survey which was performed in the EU in 2008. A total of 393 carcasses obtained from 393 different batches collected from 48 Italian slaughterhouses were included in the analysis. Uncertainty in prevalence and concentration of Campylobacter spp. on carcasses was quantified assuming a beta and log normal distribution. Statistical analysis and distribution fitting were performed in ModelRisk v4.3 (Monte Carlo simulation with 10,000 iterations. By taking the 50th percentile of prevalence distribution as safety limit, sampling plans were subsequently calculated basing on the binomial approach. Final values of number of samples were equal to 4 or 5 to test with qualitative analysis. Considering a limit of quantification of 10 colony forming units/g, a higher number of samples (i.e. 10-13 would be necessary to test using enumeration. An increase of the sensibility of the analytical technique should be necessary to achieve realistic and useful sampling plans based on concentration data.

Space Object Collision Probability via Monte Carlo on the Graphics Processing Unit

Science.gov (United States)

Vittaldev, Vivek; Russell, Ryan P.

2017-09-01

Fast and accurate collision probability computations are essential for protecting space assets. Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is the most accurate but computationally intensive method. A Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) is used to parallelize the computation and reduce the overall runtime. Using MC techniques to compute the collision probability is common in literature as the benchmark. An optimized implementation on the GPU, however, is a challenging problem and is the main focus of the current work. The MC simulation takes samples from the uncertainty distributions of the Resident Space Objects (RSOs) at any time during a time window of interest and outputs the separations at closest approach. Therefore, any uncertainty propagation method may be used and the collision probability is automatically computed as a function of RSO collision radii. Integration using a fixed time step and a quartic interpolation after every Runge Kutta step ensures that no close approaches are missed. Two orders of magnitude speedups over a serial CPU implementation are shown, and speedups improve moderately with higher fidelity dynamics. The tool makes the MC approach tractable on a single workstation, and can be used as a final product, or for verifying surrogate and analytical collision probability methods.

Position Affects Performance in Multiple-Object Tracking in Rugby Union Players

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrés Martín

2017-09-01

Full Text Available We report an experiment that examines the performance of rugby union players and a control group composed of graduate student with no sport experience, in a multiple-object tracking task. It compares the ability of 86 high level rugby union players grouped as Backs and Forwards and the control group, to track a subset of randomly moving targets amongst the same number of distractors. Several difficulties were included in the experimental design in order to evaluate possible interactions between the relevant variables. Results show that the performance of the Backs is better than that of the other groups, but the occurrence of interactions precludes an isolated groups analysis. We interpret the results within the framework of visual attention and discuss both, the implications of our results and the practical consequences.

High Performance Residential Housing Units at U.S. Coast Guard Base Kodiak: Preprint

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Romero, R.; Hickey, J.

2013-10-01

The United States Coast Guard (USCG) constructs residential housing throughout the country using a basic template that must meet the minimum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver criteria or better for the units. In Kodiak, Alaska, USCG is procuring between 24 and 100 residential multi-family housing units. Priorities for the Kodiak project were to reduce overall energyconsumption by at least 20% over existing units, improve envelope construction, and evaluate space heating options. USCG is challenged with maintaining similar existing units that have complicated residential diesel boilers. Additionally, fuel and material costs are high in Kodiak. While USCG has worked to optimize the performance of the housing units with principles of improved buildingenvelope, the engineers realize there are still opportunities for improvement, especially within the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system and different envelope measures. USCG staff also desires to balance higher upfront project costs for significantly reduced life-cycle costs of the residential units that have an expected lifetime of 50 or more years. To answer thesequestions, this analysis used the residential modeling tool BEoptE+ to examine potential energy- saving opportunities for the climate. The results suggest criteria for achieving optimized housing performance at the lowest cost. USCG will integrate the criteria into their procurement process. To achieve greater than 50% energy savings, USCG will need to specify full 2x 6 wood stud R-21 insulationwith two 2 inches of exterior foam, R-38 ceiling insulation or even wall insulation in the crawl space, and R-49 fiberglass batts in a the vented attic. The air barrier should be improved to ensure a tight envelope with minimal infiltration to the goal of 2.0 ACH50. With the implementation of an air source heat pump for space heating requirements, the combination of HVAC and envelope savings inthe residential unit can save

The object of the unitization agreement under the Brazilian legal system; O objeto do acordo de unitizacao no sistema juridico brasileiro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pereira, Tatiana Zuma [PETROBRAS, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The concept of unitization was incorporated in the Brazilian law through the article 27 of Law n. 9.478/97 (Petroleum Act). There is unitization when a deposit of oil or natural gas extends by two or more contiguous blocks, whose rights of exploration and production belong to different concessionaires and in which case such concessionaires may conclude an Agreement for Individualization of Production (hereinafter referred to Unitization Agreement). This study intends to examine the object of the unitization agreement and to define the limits of the area on which the concessionaires of the neighbouring areas should exercise the production joint operations. Therefore, it was studied the concepts of Block (Petroleum Act, article 6, XIII), Field (Petroleum Act, article 6, XIV), and Reservoir (Petroleum Act, article 6, X and XI), and the articles 26 and 27 of the Petroleum Act were interpreted systematically. The Comparative Law has also been examined and used as a basis for the conclusions presented in this study. (author)

A multi-objective location routing problem using imperialist competitive algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir Mohammad Golmohammadi

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, most manufacturing units try to locate their requirements and the depot vehicle routing in order to transport the goods at optimum cost. Needless to mention that the locations of the required warehouses influence on the performance of vehicle routing. In this paper, a mathematical programming model to optimize the storage location and vehicle routing are presented. The first objective function of the model minimizes the total cost associated with the transportation and storage, and the second objective function minimizes the difference distance traveled by vehicles. The study uses Imperialist Competitive Algorithm (ICA to solve the resulted problems in different sizes. The preliminary results have indicated that the proposed study has performed better than NSGA-II and PAES methods in terms of Quality metric and Spacing metric.

Modified-hybrid optical neural network filter for multiple object recognition within cluttered scenes

Science.gov (United States)

Kypraios, Ioannis; Young, Rupert C. D.; Chatwin, Chris R.

2009-08-01

Motivated by the non-linear interpolation and generalization abilities of the hybrid optical neural network filter between the reference and non-reference images of the true-class object we designed the modifiedhybrid optical neural network filter. We applied an optical mask to the hybrid optical neural network's filter input. The mask was built with the constant weight connections of a randomly chosen image included in the training set. The resulted design of the modified-hybrid optical neural network filter is optimized for performing best in cluttered scenes of the true-class object. Due to the shift invariance properties inherited by its correlator unit the filter can accommodate multiple objects of the same class to be detected within an input cluttered image. Additionally, the architecture of the neural network unit of the general hybrid optical neural network filter allows the recognition of multiple objects of different classes within the input cluttered image by modifying the output layer of the unit. We test the modified-hybrid optical neural network filter for multiple objects of the same and of different classes' recognition within cluttered input images and video sequences of cluttered scenes. The filter is shown to exhibit with a single pass over the input data simultaneously out-of-plane rotation, shift invariance and good clutter tolerance. It is able to successfully detect and classify correctly the true-class objects within background clutter for which there has been no previous training.

KINERJA UNIT DALAM MENDUKUNG PENGEMBANGAN FAKULTAS ILMU ADMINISTRASI UNIVERSITAS LANCANG KUNING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Prihati Prihati

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Performance Faculty of Administrative Sciences can be seen from the performance of employees. This study focuses on the performance of existing units in the Faculty of Administration in carrying out its main duties and functions in order to support the strengthening of Faculty's performance. But in reality the performance of existing units in the faculty of administration of the University of Lancang Kuning showed less satisfactory work. Indicators that are visible include unstructured unit work programs, inadequate facilities and infrastructure, limited budget support and weak leadership which are a constraint in motivating employees to do their job well. The objective of the study was to explain the performance of faculty units and their inhibiting factors. The research method uses qualitative with emphasis on the concept of performance measurement. The techniques used in data collection are observation, interview and documentation study. The results showed that the performance of the faculty unit has not run well, this is obtained from the measurement of performance indicators that include job performance, expertise, behavior and leadership. As for the inhibiting factors of faculty unit performance is the limited support of facilities, infrastructure and funding. Besides, the reward and punishment system has not been done to the employee job resulting in the employee's motivation in working to be reduced, besides it is necessary to be given guidance and training for the work unit to understand the duty and function properly.

Orbiting objective lens telescope system and method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crooks, J.W. Jr.

1984-01-01

A large objective lens is placed in a highly eccentric orbit about the earth. The orbit and orientation of the lens are carefully chosen so that it focuses light or other radiation from a preselected astronomical object into an image which slowly moves across the surface of the earth. A row of optical sensing units is located on the surface of the earth so that the image focused by the orbiting objective lens will travel substantially perpendicularly across the row during an observation. Output data generated from the sensing units may be multiplexed and fed to a real time processor which produces display signals. Each of the sensing units provides one scan line of the image being observed. The display signals are fed to a suitable display device which produces a picture of the preselected astronomical object. The objective lens may comprise a large flexible Fresnel zone plate or a flexible convex lens carried by a bicycle wheel-type supporting structure. The lens and supporting structure may be unfolded from compact cargo configurations and rotated after being placed into orbit

40 CFR Table 11 to Subpart Uuu of... - Requirements for Performance Tests for Organic HAP Emissions From Catalytic Cracking Units Not...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Refineries: Catalytic Cracking Units, Catalytic Reforming Units, and Sulfur Recovery Units Pt. 63, Subpt. UUU... Organic HAP Emissions From Catalytic Cracking Units Not Subject to New Source Performance Standard (NSPS... From Catalytic Cracking Units Not Subject to New Source Performance Standard (NSPS) for Carbon Monoxide...

Global precedence effects account for individual differences in both face and object recognition performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerlach, Christian; Starrfelt, Randi

2018-03-20

There has been an increase in studies adopting an individual difference approach to examine visual cognition and in particular in studies trying to relate face recognition performance with measures of holistic processing (the face composite effect and the part-whole effect). In the present study we examine whether global precedence effects, measured by means of non-face stimuli in Navon's paradigm, can also account for individual differences in face recognition and, if so, whether the effect is of similar magnitude for faces and objects. We find evidence that global precedence effects facilitate both face and object recognition, and to a similar extent. Our results suggest that both face and object recognition are characterized by a coarse-to-fine temporal dynamic, where global shape information is derived prior to local shape information, and that the efficiency of face and object recognition is related to the magnitude of the global precedence effect.

High performance distributed objects in large hadron collider experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutleber, J.

1999-11-01

This dissertation demonstrates how object-oriented technology can support the development of software that has to meet the requirements of high performance distributed data acquisition systems. The environment for this work is a system under planning for the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment at CERN that shall start its operation in the year 2005. The long operational phase of the experiment together with a tight and puzzling interaction with custom devices make the quest for an evolvable architecture that exhibits a high level of abstraction the driving issue. The question arises if an existing approach already fits our needs. The presented work casts light on these problems and as a result comprises the following novel contributions: - Application of object technology at hardware/software boundary. Software components at this level must be characterised by high efficiency and extensibility at the same time. - Identification of limitations when deploying commercial-off-the-shelf middleware for distributed object-oriented computing. - Capturing of software component properties in an efficiency model for ease of comparison and improvement. - Proof of feasibility that the encountered deficiencies in middleware can be avoided and that with the use of software components the imposed requirements can be met. - Design and implementation of an on-line software control system that allows to take into account the ever evolving requirements by avoiding hardwired policies. We conclude that state-of-the-art middleware cannot meet the required efficiency of the planned data acquisition system. Although new tool generations already provide a certain degree of configurability, the obligation to follow standards specifications does not allow the necessary optimisations. We identified the major limiting factors and argue that a custom solution following a component model with narrow interfaces can satisfy our requirements. This approach has been adopted for the current design

Integrated Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A). Performance Verification Report: Final Comprehensive Performance Test Report, P/N 1331720-2TST, S/N 105/A1

Science.gov (United States)

Platt, R.

1999-01-01

This is the Performance Verification Report, Final Comprehensive Performance Test (CPT) Report, for the Integrated Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A). This specification establishes the requirements for the CPT and Limited Performance Test (LPT) of the AMSU-1A, referred to here in as the unit. The sequence in which the several phases of this test procedure shall take place is shown.

Personal dosimetry performance testing in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, Christopher G.

2008-01-01

The basis for personal dosimetry performance testing in the United States is ANSI/HPS N13.11. Now in it's fourth edition, this standard has been in place since 1983. Testing under this standard is administered by the National Voluntary Laboratory Accreditation Program (NVLAP), and accreditation of dosimetry processors under this program is required by U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) also maintains a testing program for its laboratories and contractors, administered by the Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP). One of the goals of this current revision was the modification of ANSI/HPS N13.11 to allow acceptance by both testing programs in order to bring harmonization to U.S. personal dosemeter performance testing. The testing philosophy of ANSI/HPS N13.11 has always combined elements of type testing and routine performance testing and is thus different from the testing philosophy used in the rest of the world. In this paper, the history of performance testing in the U.S. is briefly reviewed. Also described is the revision that produced the fourth edition of this standard, which has taken place over the last three years (2005-2008) by a working group representing national standards laboratories, government laboratories, the military, dosimetry vendors, universities and the nuclear power industry. (author)

Dependence of behavioral performance on material category in an object grasping task with monkeys.

Science.gov (United States)

Yokoi, Isao; Tachibana, Atsumichi; Minamimoto, Takafumi; Goda, Naokazu; Komatsu, Hidehiko

2018-05-02

Material perception is an essential part of our cognitive function that enables us to properly interact with our complex daily environment. One important aspect of material perception is its multimodal nature. When we see an object, we generally recognize its haptic properties as well as its visual properties. Consequently, one must examine behavior using real objects that are perceived both visually and haptically to fully understand the characteristics of material perception. As a first step, we examined whether there is any difference in the behavioral responses to different materials in monkeys trained to perform an object grasping task in which they saw and grasped rod-shaped real objects made of various materials. We found that the monkeys' behavior in the grasping task, measured based on the success rate and the pulling force, differed depending on the material category. Monkeys easily and correctly grasped objects of some materials, such as metal and glass, but failed to grasp objects of other materials. In particular, monkeys avoided grasping fur-covered objects. The differences in the behavioral responses to the material categories cannot be explained solely based on the degree of familiarity with the different materials. These results shed light on the organization of multimodal representation of materials, where their biological significance is an important factor. In addition, a monkey that avoided touching real fur-covered objects readily touched images of the same objects presented on a CRT display. This suggests employing real objects is important when studying behaviors related to material perception.

From static to dynamic use of knowledge transfer objects and its effect on innovation performance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sajadirad, Solmaz; Lassen, Astrid Heidemann; Wæhrens, Brian Vejrum

2016-01-01

Many different tools (objects) are applied by companies to transfer knowledge to globally distributed subsidiaries. Nevertheless, tapping into the local knowledge of subsidiaries and transforming this into innovation capabilities remains a challenge for many multinational companies. In this paper......, we aim to discuss how different approach to the use of knowledge transfer objects can affect companies’ abilities to obtain the subsidiaries’ knowledge and utilize it to different degrees of innovation performance. For this purpose, we adopted a multiple case study approach consisting of ten...... multinational companies located in Denmark. Based on literature review and empirical evidence, we discuss that inter-firm objects can be considered as boundary objects if they support specific circumstances, i.e., interactions and negotiations, collaboration, shared understanding and identity...

Microsoft Kinect-based Continuous Performance Test: An Objective Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado-Gomez, David; Peñuelas-Calvo, Inmaculada; Masó-Besga, Antonio Eduardo; Vallejo-Oñate, Silvia; Baltasar Tello, Itziar; Arrua Duarte, Elsa; Vera Varela, María Constanza; Carballo, Juan; Baca-García, Enrique

2017-03-20

One of the major challenges in mental medical care is finding out new instruments for an accurate and objective evaluation of the attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Early ADHD identification, severity assessment, and prompt treatment are essential to avoid the negative effects associated with this mental condition. The aim of our study was to develop a novel ADHD assessment instrument based on Microsoft Kinect, which identifies ADHD cardinal symptoms in order to provide a more accurate evaluation. A group of 30 children, aged 8-12 years (10.3 [SD 1.4]; male 70% [21/30]), who were referred to the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit of the Department of Psychiatry at Fundación Jiménez Díaz Hospital (Madrid, Spain), were included in this study. Children were required to meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria of ADHD diagnosis. One of the parents or guardians of the children filled the Spanish version of the Strengths and Weaknesses of ADHD Symptoms and Normal Behavior (SWAN) rating scale used in clinical practice. Each child conducted a Kinect-based continuous performance test (CPT) in which the reaction time (RT), the commission errors, and the time required to complete the reaction (CT) were calculated. The correlations of the 3 predictors, obtained using Kinect methodology, with respect to the scores of the SWAN scale were calculated. The RT achieved a correlation of -.11, -.29, and -.37 with respect to the inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity factors of the SWAN scale. The correlations of the commission error with respect to these 3 factors were -.03, .01, and .24, respectively. Our findings show a relation between the Microsoft Kinect-based version of the CPT and ADHD symptomatology assessed through parental report. Results point out the importance of future research on the development of objective measures for the diagnosis of ADHD among children and adolescents. ©David Delgado-Gomez, Inmaculada

A multi-objective optimization for brush monofilament tufting process design

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Salmasnia

2018-01-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses the optimization of monofilament tufting process as the most important and the main stage of toothbrush production in sanitary industries. In order to minimize both process time and depreciation costs, and ultimately increase the production efficiency in such an industrial unit, we propose a metaheuristic based optimization approach to solve it. The Traveling Salesman Problem (TSP is used to formulate the proposed problem. Then by using multi-objective evolutionary algorithms, NSGA-II and MOPSO, we seek to obtain the best solution and objective functions described above. Extensive computational experiments on three different kinds of toothbrush handles are performed and the results demonstrate the applicability and appropriate performance of algorithms. The comparison metrics like spacing, number of Pareto solutions, time, mean distance from the ideal solution and diversity are used to evaluate the quality of solutions. Moreover a sensitivity analysis is done for investigation of the performance in various setting of parameters.

Building and Programming a Smart Robotic System for Distinguishing Objects Based on their Shape and Colour

Science.gov (United States)

Sharari, T. M.

2015-03-01

This paper presents a robotic system designed for holding and placing objects based on their colour and shape. The presented robot is given a complete set of instructions of positions and orientation angles for each manipulation motion. The main feature in this paper is that the developed robot used a combination of vision and motion systems for holding and placing the work-objects, mounted on the flat work-plane, based on their shapes and colors. This combination improves the flexibility of manipulation which may help eliminate the use of some expensive manipulation tasks in a variety of industrial applications. The robotic system presented in this paper is designed as an educational robot that possesses the ability for holding-and-placing operations with limited load. To process the various instructions for holding and placing the work objects, a main control unit - Manipulation Control Unit (MCU) is used as well as a slave unit that performed the actual instructions from the MCU.

United States and European students’ social-networking site activities and academic performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karpinski, Aryn; Kirschner, Paul A.; Shreffler, Anthony; Albert, Patricia; Tomko, Carrie

2018-01-01

Different cultures communicate differently. Research is beginning to examine the differences in culture related to social-networking site (SNS) use. Differences in specific SNS activities related to academic performance among United States (US; n = 446) and European (n = 394) university students

Assessment of performance and utility of mortality prediction models in a single Indian mixed tertiary intensive care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Sathe, Prachee M; Bapat, Sharda N

2014-01-01

To assess the performance and utility of two mortality prediction models viz. Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Simplified Acute Physiology Score II (SAPS II) in a single Indian mixed tertiary intensive care unit (ICU). Secondary objectives were bench-marking and setting a base line for research. In this observational cohort, data needed for calculation of both scores were prospectively collected for all consecutive admissions to 28-bedded ICU in the year 2011. After excluding readmissions, discharges within 24 h and age <18 years, the records of 1543 patients were analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Both models overpredicted mortality in this cohort [standardized mortality ratio (SMR) 0.88 ± 0.05 and 0.95 ± 0.06 using APACHE II and SAPS II respectively]. Patterns of predicted mortality had strong association with true mortality (R (2) = 0.98 for APACHE II and R (2) = 0.99 for SAPS II). Both models performed poorly in formal Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit testing (Chi-square = 12.8 (P = 0.03) for APACHE II, Chi-square = 26.6 (P = 0.001) for SAPS II) but showed good discrimination (area under receiver operating characteristic curve 0.86 ± 0.013 SE (P < 0.001) and 0.83 ± 0.013 SE (P < 0.001) for APACHE II and SAPS II, respectively). There were wide variations in SMRs calculated for subgroups based on International Classification of Disease, 10(th) edition (standard deviation ± 0.27 for APACHE II and 0.30 for SAPS II). Lack of fit of data to the models and wide variation in SMRs in subgroups put a limitation on utility of these models as tools for assessing quality of care and comparing performances of different units without customization. Considering comparable performance and simplicity of use, efforts should be made to adapt SAPS II.

The ChemCam Instrument Suite on the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) Rover: Science Objectives and Mast Unit Description

Science.gov (United States)

Maurice, S.; Wiens, R.C.; Saccoccio, M.; Barraclough, B.; Gasnault, O.; Forni, O.; Mangold, N.; Baratoux, D.; Bender, S.; Berger, G.; Bernardin, J.; Berthé, M.; Bridges, N.; Blaney, D.; Bouyé, M.; Caïs, P.; Clark, B.; Clegg, S.; Cousin, A.; Cremers, D.; Cros, A.; DeFlores, L.; Derycke, C.; Dingler, B.; Dromart, G.; Dubois, B.; Dupieux, M.; Durand, E.; d'Uston, L.; Fabre, C.; Faure, B.; Gaboriaud, A.; Gharsa, T.; Herkenhoff, K.; Kan, E.; Kirkland, L.; Kouach, D.; Lacour, J.-L.; Langevin, Y.; Lasue, J.; Le Mouélic, S.; Lescure, M.; Lewin, E.; Limonadi, D.; Manhès, G.; Mauchien, P.; McKay, C.; Meslin, P.-Y.; Michel, Y.; Miller, E.; Newsom, Horton E.; Orttner, G.; Paillet, A.; Parès, L.; Parot, Y.; Pérez, R.; Pinet, P.; Poitrasson, F.; Quertier, B.; Sallé, B.; Sotin, Christophe; Sautter, V.; Séran, H.; Simmonds, J.J.; Sirven, J.-B.; Stiglich, R.; Striebig, N.; Thocaven, J.-J.; Toplis, M.J.; Vaniman, D.

2012-01-01

ChemCam is a remote sensing instrument suite on board the "Curiosity" rover (NASA) that uses Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) to provide the elemental composition of soils and rocks at the surface of Mars from a distance of 1.3 to 7 m, and a telescopic imager to return high resolution context and micro-images at distances greater than 1.16 m. We describe five analytical capabilities: rock classification, quantitative composition, depth profiling, context imaging, and passive spectroscopy. They serve as a toolbox to address most of the science questions at Gale crater. ChemCam consists of a Mast-Unit (laser, telescope, camera, and electronics) and a Body-Unit (spectrometers, digital processing unit, and optical demultiplexer), which are connected by an optical fiber and an electrical interface. We then report on the development, integration, and testing of the Mast-Unit, and summarize some key characteristics of ChemCam. This confirmed that nominal or better than nominal performances were achieved for critical parameters, in particular power density (>1 GW/cm2). The analysis spot diameter varies from 350 μm at 2 m to 550 μm at 7 m distance. For remote imaging, the camera field of view is 20 mrad for 1024×1024 pixels. Field tests demonstrated that the resolution (˜90 μrad) made it possible to identify laser shots on a wide variety of images. This is sufficient for visualizing laser shot pits and textures of rocks and soils. An auto-exposure capability optimizes the dynamical range of the images. Dedicated hardware and software focus the telescope, with precision that is appropriate for the LIBS and imaging depths-of-field. The light emitted by the plasma is collected and sent to the Body-Unit via a 6 m optical fiber. The companion to this paper (Wiens et al. this issue) reports on the development of the Body-Unit, on the analysis of the emitted light, and on the good match between instrument performance and science specifications.

Status of activities: Low-level radioactive waste management in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ozaki, C.B.; Shilkett, R.C.; Kirkpatrick, T.D.

1989-01-01

A primary objective of low-level radioactive waste management in the United States is to protect the health and safety of the public and the quality of the environment. In support of this objective is the development of waste treatment and disposal technologies designed to provide stabilization and long-term institutional control of low-level radioactive wastes. Presented herein is a technical review of specific low-level radioactive waste management activities in the United States. Waste treatment and disposal technologies are discussed along with the performance objectives of the technologies aimed at protecting the health and safety of the public and the quality of the environment. 13 refs., 4 figs

Testing object Interactions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Grüner, Andreas

2010-01-01

In this thesis we provide a unit testing approach for multi-purposes object-oriented programming languages in the style of Java and C#. Our approach includes the definition of a test specification language which results from extending the programming language with new designated specification

Executive Functions in Older Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorder : Objective Performance and Subjective Complaints

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Davids, Roeliena C. D.; Groen, Yvonne; Berg, Ina J.; Tucha, Oliver M.; van Balkom, Ingrid D. C.

Although deficits in Executive Functioning (EF) are reported frequently in young individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD), they remain relatively unexplored later in life (> 50 years). We studied objective performance on EF measures (Tower of London, Zoo map, phonetic/semantic fluency) as

Cultural distance, innovation and export performance : An examination of perceived and objective cultural distance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Azar, Goudarz; Drogendijk, Rian

2016-01-01

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the relationship between cultural distance (both perceived and objective), innovation and firm export performance. Design/methodology/approach – Hypotheses were tested here by structural equation modeling using data from 186 export ventures into 23 international

A new multi-objective reserve constrained combined heat and power dynamic economic emission dispatch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niknam, Taher; Azizipanah-Abarghooee, Rasoul; Roosta, Alireza; Amiri, Babak

2012-01-01

Combined heat and power units are playing an ever increasing role in conventional power stations due to advantages such as reduced emissions and operational cost savings. This paper investigates a more practical formulation of the complex non-convex, non-smooth and non-linear multi-objective dynamic economic emission dispatch that incorporates combined heat and power units. Integrating these types of units, and their power ramp constraints, require an efficient tool to cope with the joint characteristics of power and heat. Unlike previous approaches, the spinning reserve requirements of this system are clearly formulated in the problem. In this way, a new multi-objective optimisation based on an enhanced firefly algorithm is proposed to achieve a set of non-dominated (Pareto-optimal) solutions. A new tuning parameter based on a chaotic mechanism and novel self adaptive probabilistic mutation strategies are used to improve the overall performance of the algorithm. The numerical results demonstrate how the proposed framework was applied in real time studies. -- Highlights: ► Investigate a practical formulation of the DEED (Dynamic Economic Emission Dispatch). ► Consider combined heat and power units. ► Consider power ramp constraints. ► Consider the system spinning reserve requirements. ► Present a new multi-objective optimization firefly.

Real-world objects are more memorable than photographs of objects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacqueline C Snow

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Research studies in psychology typically use two-dimensional (2D images of objects as proxies for real-world three-dimensional (3D stimuli. There are, however, a number of important differences between real objects and images that could influence cognition and behavior. Although human memory has been studied extensively, only a handful of studies have used real objects in the context of memory and virtually none have directly compared memory for real objects versus their 2D counterparts. Here we examined whether or not episodic memory is influenced by the format in which objects are displayed. We conducted two experiments asking participants to freely recall, and to recognize, a set of 44 common household objects. Critically, the exemplars were displayed to observers in one of three viewing conditions: real-world objects, colored photographs, or black and white line drawings. Stimuli were closely matched across conditions for size, orientation, and illumination. Surprisingly, recall and recognition performance was significantly better for real objects compared to colored photographs or line drawings (for which memory performance was equivalent. We replicated this pattern in a second experiment comparing memory for real objects versus color photos, when the stimuli were matched for viewing angle across conditions. Again, recall and recognition performance was significantly better for the real objects than matched color photos of the same items. Taken together, our data suggest that real objects are more memorable than pictorial stimuli. Our results highlight the importance of studying real-world object cognition and raise the potential for applied use in developing effective strategies for education, marketing, and further research on object-related cognition.

Engine Tune-Up Service. Unit 4: Secondary Circuit. Posttests. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Morse, David T.

This book of posttests is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 4, Secondary Circuit, available separately as CE 031 214. Focus of the posttests is testing and servicing the secondary ignition circuit. One multiple choice posttest is provided that covers the seven performance objectives contained in the unit. (No…

Engine Tune-Up Service. Unit 3: Primary Circuit. Posttests. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Morse, David T.

This book of posttests is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 3, Primary Circuit, available separately as CE 031 211. Focus of the posttests is setting the primary ignition circuit. One multiple choice posttest is provided, covering the eight performance objectives contained in the unit. (No answer key is…

Engine Tune-Up Service. Unit 1: Battery and Cranking System. Review Exercise Book. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodson-Roberts, Ludy; And Others

This book of pretests and review exercises is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 1, Battery and Cranking System. Focus of the exercises and pretests is testing the battery and cranking system. Pretests and performance checklists are provided for each of the four performance objectives contained in the unit.…

The role of leader behaviors in hospital-based emergency departments' unit performance and employee work satisfaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Blossom Yen-Ju; Hsu, Chung-Ping C; Juan, Chi-Wen; Lin, Cheng-Chieh; Lin, Hung-Jung; Chen, Jih-Chang

2011-01-01

The role of the leader of a medical unit has evolved over time to expand from simply a medical role to a more managerial one. This study aimed to explore how the behavior of a hospital-based emergency department's (ED's) leader might be related to ED unit performance and ED employees' work satisfaction. One hundred and twelve hospital-based EDs in Taiwan were studied: 10 in medical centers, 32 in regional hospitals, and 70 in district hospitals. Three instruments were designed to assess leader behaviors, unit performance and employee satisfaction in these hospital-based EDs. A mail survey revealed that task-oriented leader behavior was positively related to ED unit performance. Both task- and employee-oriented leader behaviors were found to be positively related to ED nurses' work satisfaction. However, leader behaviors were not shown to be related to ED physicians' work satisfaction at a statistically significant level. Some ED organizational characteristics, however, namely departmentalization and hospital accreditation level, were found to be related to ED physicians' work satisfaction. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Bindings in working memory: The role of object-based attention.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Zaifeng; Wu, Fan; Qiu, Fangfang; He, Kaifeng; Yang, Yue; Shen, Mowei

2017-02-01

Over the past decade, it has been debated whether retaining bindings in working memory (WM) requires more attention than retaining constituent features, focusing on domain-general attention and space-based attention. Recently, we proposed that retaining bindings in WM needs more object-based attention than retaining constituent features (Shen, Huang, & Gao, 2015, Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, doi: 10.1037/xhp0000018 ). However, only unitized visual bindings were examined; to establish the role of object-based attention in retaining bindings in WM, more emperical evidence is required. We tested 4 new bindings that had been suggested requiring no more attention than the constituent features in the WM maintenance phase: The two constituent features of binding were stored in different WM modules (cross-module binding, Experiment 1), from auditory and visual modalities (cross-modal binding, Experiment 2), or temporally (cross-time binding, Experiments 3) or spatially (cross-space binding, Experiments 4-6) separated. In the critical condition, we added a secondary object feature-report task during the delay interval of the change-detection task, such that the secondary task competed for object-based attention with the to-be-memorized stimuli. If more object-based attention is required for retaining bindings than for retaining constituent features, the secondary task should impair the binding performance to a larger degree relative to the performance of constituent features. Indeed, Experiments 1-6 consistently revealed a significantly larger impairment for bindings than for the constituent features, suggesting that object-based attention plays a pivotal role in retaining bindings in WM.

High-Performance Pseudo-Random Number Generation on Graphics Processing Units

OpenAIRE

Nandapalan, Nimalan; Brent, Richard P.; Murray, Lawrence M.; Rendell, Alistair

2011-01-01

This work considers the deployment of pseudo-random number generators (PRNGs) on graphics processing units (GPUs), developing an approach based on the xorgens generator to rapidly produce pseudo-random numbers of high statistical quality. The chosen algorithm has configurable state size and period, making it ideal for tuning to the GPU architecture. We present a comparison of both speed and statistical quality with other common parallel, GPU-based PRNGs, demonstrating favourable performance o...

Thermal performance analysis of a phase change thermal storage unit for space heating

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Halawa, E.; Saman, W. [Institute for Sustainable Systems and Technologies School of Advanced Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering, University of South Australia, Mawson Lakes SA 5095 (Australia)

2011-01-15

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive numerical study on the thermal performance of an air based phase change thermal storage unit (TSU) for space heating. The unit is designed for integration into space heating and cooling systems. The unit consists of a number of one dimensional phase change material (PCM) slabs contained in a rectangular duct where air passes between the slabs. The numerical analysis was based on an experimentally validated model. A parametric study has been carried out including the study on the effects of charge and discharge temperature differences, air mass flow rate, slab thicknesses, air gaps and slab dimensions on the air outlet temperatures and heat transfer rates of the thermal storage unit. The paper introduces and discusses quantities called charge and discharge temperature differences which play an important role in the melting and freezing processes. (author)

Navon's classical paradigm concerning local and global processing relates systematically to visual object classification performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerlach, Christian; Poirel, Nicolas

2018-01-10

Forty years ago David Navon tried to tackle a central problem in psychology concerning the time course of perceptual processing: Do we first see the details (local level) followed by the overall outlay (global level) or is it rather the other way around? He did this by developing a now classical paradigm involving the presentation of compound stimuli; large letters composed of smaller letters. Despite the usefulness of this paradigm it remains uncertain whether effects found with compound stimuli relate directly to visual object recognition. It does so because compound stimuli are not actual objects but rather formations of elements and because the elements that form the global shape of compound stimuli are not features of the global shape but rather objects in their own right. To examine the relationship between performance on Navon's paradigm and visual object processing we derived two indexes from Navon's paradigm that reflect different aspects of the relationship between global and local processing. We find that individual differences on these indexes can explain a considerable amount of variance in two standard object classification paradigms; object decision and superordinate categorization, suggesting that Navon's paradigm does relate to visual object processing.

Engine Tune-up Service. Unit 2: Charging System. Posttests. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Roger L.; Bacon, E. Miles

This book of posttests is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 2, Charging System, available separately as CE 031 208. Focus of the posttest is on the testing of the charging system. One multiple choice posttest is provided, that covers the three performance objectives contained in the unit. (No answer key is…

[Surface Cleaning and Disinfection in the Hospital. Improvement by Objective Monitoring and Intervention].

Science.gov (United States)

Woltering, R; Hoffmann, G; Isermann, J; Heudorf, U

2016-11-01

Background and Objective: An assessment of cleaning and disinfection in hospitals by the use of objective surveillance and review of mandatory corrective measures was undertaken. Methods: A prospective examination of the cleaning and disinfection of surfaces scheduled for daily cleaning in 5 general care hospitals by use of an ultraviolet fluorescence targeting method (UVM) was performed, followed by structured educational and procedural interventions. The survey was conducted in hospital wards, operating theatres and intensive care units. Cleaning performance was measured by complete removal of UVM. Training courses and reinforced self-monitoring were implemented after the first evaluation. 6 months later, we repeated the assessment for confirmation of success. Results: The average cleaning performance was 34% (31/90) at base-line with significant differences between the 5 hospitals (11-67%). The best results were achieved in intensive care units (61%) and operating theatres (58%), the worst results in hospital wards (22%). The intervention significantly improved cleaning performance up to an average of 69% (65/94; +34.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 21.2-48.3; pcleaning and disinfection of surfaces by fluorescence targeting is appropriate for evaluating hygiene regulations. An intervention can lead to a significant improvement of cleaning performance. As part of a strategy to improve infection control in hospitals, fluorescence targeting enables a simple inexpensive and effective surveillance of the cleaning performance and corrective measures. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Electric Motors. An Instructional Unit for High School Teachers of Vocational Agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Dalton, Delmer; Carpenter, Bruce

Designed as a 3-week course of study in the agricultural mechanics curriculum to be taught at the junior or senior high school level, this unit on electric motors is divided into 11 major performance objectives. Each objective is subdivided into the areas of content, suggested teaching and learning activities, resources, and evaluation. Topics for…

Performance evaluation of objective quality metrics for HDR image compression

Science.gov (United States)

Valenzise, Giuseppe; De Simone, Francesca; Lauga, Paul; Dufaux, Frederic

2014-09-01

Due to the much larger luminance and contrast characteristics of high dynamic range (HDR) images, well-known objective quality metrics, widely used for the assessment of low dynamic range (LDR) content, cannot be directly applied to HDR images in order to predict their perceptual fidelity. To overcome this limitation, advanced fidelity metrics, such as the HDR-VDP, have been proposed to accurately predict visually significant differences. However, their complex calibration may make them difficult to use in practice. A simpler approach consists in computing arithmetic or structural fidelity metrics, such as PSNR and SSIM, on perceptually encoded luminance values but the performance of quality prediction in this case has not been clearly studied. In this paper, we aim at providing a better comprehension of the limits and the potentialities of this approach, by means of a subjective study. We compare the performance of HDR-VDP to that of PSNR and SSIM computed on perceptually encoded luminance values, when considering compressed HDR images. Our results show that these simpler metrics can be effectively employed to assess image fidelity for applications such as HDR image compression.

Accountability in public health units: using a modified nominal group technique to develop a balanced scorecard for performance measurement.

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Victoria A; Hunter, Duncan; Shortt, Samuel E D

2003-01-01

Little attention has been paid to the need for accountability instruments applicable across all health units in the public health system. One tool, the balanced scorecard was created for industry and has been successfully adapted for use in Ontario hospitals. It consists of 4 quadrants: financial performance, outcomes, customer satisfaction and organizational development. The aim of the present study was to determine if a modified nominal group technique could be used to reach consensus among public health unit staff and public health specialists in Ontario about the components of a balanced scorecard for public health units. A modified nominal group technique consensus method was used with the public health unit staff in 6 Eastern Ontario health units (n=65) and public health specialists (n=18). 73.8% of the public health unit personnel from all six health units in the eastern Ontario region participated in the survey of potential indicators. A total of 74 indicators were identified in each of the 4 quadrants: program performance (n=44); financial performance (n=11); public perceptions (n=11); and organizational performance (n=8). The modified nominal group technique was a successful method of incorporating the views of public health personnel and specialists in the development of a balanced scorecard for public health.

Effect of Cooling Units on the Performance of an Automotive Exhaust-Based Thermoelectric Generator

Science.gov (United States)

Su, C. Q.; Zhu, D. C.; Deng, Y. D.; Wang, Y. P.; Liu, X.

2017-05-01

Currently, automotive exhaust-based thermoelectric generators (AETEGs) are a hot topic in energy recovery. In order to investigate the influence of coolant flow rate, coolant flow direction and cooling unit arrangement in the AETEG, a thermoelectric generator (TEG) model and a related test bench are constructed. Water cooling is adopted in this study. Due to the non-uniformity of the surface temperature of the heat source, the coolant flow direction would affect the output performance of the TEG. Changing the volumetric flow rate of coolant can increase the output power of multi-modules connected in series or/and parallel as it can improve the temperature uniformity of the cooling unit. Since the temperature uniformity of the cooling unit has a strong influence on the output power, two cooling units are connected in series or parallel to research the effect of cooling unit arrangements on the maximum output power of the TEG. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that the net output power is generally higher with cooling units connected in parallel than cooling units connected in series in the cooling system with two cooling units.

Regulatory audit to the Argentine teletherapy units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kay, J.M.

1995-01-01

As a consequence of an erroneous calibration of the ionization chamber dosimeter of a new licensed 6 Mev electron lineal accelerator that caused accidental overexposures in the first patients under treatment, the Regulatory Board decided to perform an audit to every teletherapy unit (accelerator and telegammatherapy units) in Argentina. The audit was carried out at the en of 1994 in 27 accelerators and 107 telegammatherapy units. The objectives of the audit were the control of the mechanical and optical aspects of the each accelerator and telegammatherapy unit and the control of the calibration of their radiation beams. The last action was undertaken to detect as soon as possible, any eventual accidental overexposure or underexposure of patients under treatment. The audit was conducted by the author and performed for a team of 22 inspectors who worked in groups of 2 to 3 people and completed the inspection of the teletherapy units of the whole country in 3 months. As a result of the audit, the Regulatory Board had in a short period a clear panorama of the performance of each teletherapy unit of the country and also confirmed that no accidental situation had happened. The audit revealed the necessity of imposing urgent regulatory requirements not related to the calibration of the radiation beam in 5% of the cases, as well as non-urgent requirements of different importance in approximately other 60% of the cases. (author)

Real-time performance assessment and adaptive control for a water chiller unit in an HVAC system

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Jianbo; Li, Yang; Chen, Jianhao

2018-02-01

The paper proposes an adaptive control method for a water chiller unit in a HVAC system. Based on the minimum variance evaluation, the adaptive control method was used to realize better control of the water chiller unit. To verify the performance of the adaptive control method, the proposed method was compared with an a conventional PID controller, the simulation results showed that adaptive control method had superior control performance to that of the conventional PID controller.

Pattern recognition in cyclic and discrete skills performance from inertial measurement units

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seifert, Ludovic; L'Hermette, Maxime; Komar, John; Orth, Dominic; Mell, Florian; Merriaux, Pierre; Grenet, Pierre; Caritu, Yanis; Hérault, Romain; Dovgalecs, Vladislavs; Davids, Keith

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to compare and validate an Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) relative to an optic system, and to propose methods for pattern recognition to capture behavioural dynamics during sport performance. IMU validation was conducted by comparing the motions of the two arms of a

Objective techniques for psychological assessment, phase 2. [techniques for measuring human performance during space flight stress

Science.gov (United States)

Wortz, E. C.; Saur, A. J.; Nowlis, D. P.; Kendall, M. P.

1974-01-01

Results are presented of an initial experiment in a research program designed to develop objective techniques for psychological assessment of individuals and groups participating in long-duration space flights. Specifically examined is the rationale for utilizing measures of attention as an objective assessment technique. Subjects participating in the experiment performed various tasks (eg, playing matrix games which appeared on a display screen along with auditory stimuli). The psychophysiological reactions of the subjects were measured and are given. Previous research of various performance and psychophysiological methods of measuring attention is also discussed. The experiment design (independent and dependent variables) and apparatus (computers and display devices) are described and shown. Conclusions and recommendations are presented.

Night Vision Goggles Objectives Lens Focusing Methodology

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Pinkus, Alan; Task, H. L

2000-01-01

...: interpupillary distance, tilt, eye relief, height, eyepiece and objective lens focus. Currently, aircrew use a Hoffman 20/20 test unit to pre-focus their NVG objective lenses at optical infinity before boarding their aircraft...

Impact of memory bottleneck on the performance of graphics processing units

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Dong Oh; Choi, Hong Jun; Kim, Jong Myon; Kim, Cheol Hong

2015-12-01

Recent graphics processing units (GPUs) can process general-purpose applications as well as graphics applications with the help of various user-friendly application programming interfaces (APIs) supported by GPU vendors. Unfortunately, utilizing the hardware resource in the GPU efficiently is a challenging problem, since the GPU architecture is totally different to the traditional CPU architecture. To solve this problem, many studies have focused on the techniques for improving the system performance using GPUs. In this work, we analyze the GPU performance varying GPU parameters such as the number of cores and clock frequency. According to our simulations, the GPU performance can be improved by 125.8% and 16.2% on average as the number of cores and clock frequency increase, respectively. However, the performance is saturated when memory bottleneck problems incur due to huge data requests to the memory. The performance of GPUs can be improved as the memory bottleneck is reduced by changing GPU parameters dynamically.

Enhancement of object-permanence performance in the Down's syndrome infant.

Science.gov (United States)

Morss, J R

1984-01-01

Four infants with Down's syndrome (aged 19-33 months) were presented with a restructured version of an object-permanence task. Restructuring consisted of the embedding of single trials of the task within a sequence of simpler, related steps. Following failure on a standard presentation of the task, three Down's syndrome (DS) infants demonstrated success on trials embedded in the training sequence. Comparison was made with the performance of normal infants (aged 14-19 months) matched in terms of failure on the pre-test. Only two out of nine normal infants registered success on the embedded trials. Results are discussed in terms of the differences between the DS infant and the normal infant, and the former's reliance on the deliberate structuring of his learning environment by a parent or educator.

Performance objectives of the tank waste remediation system low-level waste disposal program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

Before low-level waste may be disposed of, a performance assessment must be written and then approved by the U.S. Department of Energy. The performance assessment is to determine whether open-quotes reasonable assuranceclose quotes exists that the performance objectives of the disposal facility will be met. The DOE requirements for waste disposal require: the protection of public health and safety; and the protection of the environment. Although quantitative limits are sometimes stated (for example, the all exposure pathways exposure limit is 25 mrem/year), 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 Peer Review Panel which DOE has established to review performance assessments, interacting with program management to establish their needs, and interacting with the public (i.e., the Hanford Advisory Board members; as well as affected Indian tribes) to understand the values of residents in the Pacific Northwest

Object width modulates object-based attentional selection.

Science.gov (United States)

Nah, Joseph C; Neppi-Modona, Marco; Strother, Lars; Behrmann, Marlene; Shomstein, Sarah

2018-04-24

Visual input typically includes a myriad of objects, some of which are selected for further processing. While these objects vary in shape and size, most evidence supporting object-based guidance of attention is drawn from paradigms employing two identical objects. Importantly, object size is a readily perceived stimulus dimension, and whether it modulates the distribution of attention remains an open question. Across four experiments, the size of the objects in the display was manipulated in a modified version of the two-rectangle paradigm. In Experiment 1, two identical parallel rectangles of two sizes (thin or thick) were presented. Experiments 2-4 employed identical trapezoids (each having a thin and thick end), inverted in orientation. In the experiments, one end of an object was cued and participants performed either a T/L discrimination or a simple target-detection task. Combined results show that, in addition to the standard object-based attentional advantage, there was a further attentional benefit for processing information contained in the thick versus thin end of objects. Additionally, eye-tracking measures demonstrated increased saccade precision towards thick object ends, suggesting that Fitts's Law may play a role in object-based attentional shifts. Taken together, these results suggest that object-based attentional selection is modulated by object width.

ANALISIS TINGKAT KEMATANGAN (MATURITY LEVELS UNIT LAYANAN PENGADAAN KABUPATEN BADUNG

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I Gde Uma Darmapramita

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The implementation of government procurement of goods and service is governed by presidential regulation number 70 year of 2012.  According to that, in Badung Regency implemented centralized in Procurement Service Unit of Badung Regency. As the one of Indonesia procurement unit pilot, Procurement Service Unit of Badung Regency has given the opportunity to perform a self assessment of its  maturity levels as government unit. The objective of this research is to find factors that influence Procuremet Service Unit of Badung Regency maturity levels, and also to find out in what level is Procurement Service Unit of Badung Regency stand. Data collection for this research have done by  using questionnaire that involve 50 respondents who understand very well about the duties and function of Procurement Service Unit of Badung Regency to perform a government procurement of good and services. The data analysis have been performed by use of factor analysis and supported by SPSS program. The result shows there are 3 factors that influent the Procurement Service Unit of Badung Regency maturity levels, which are : the synergy and organization culture, resources and risk management and organization’s performance development.  Whereas the maturity levels of Procurement Service Unit of Badung Regency is stand at compliance. Based to the factors that formed, the highly commitment and strong leadership of Badung Regency leader are very decisive to push ahead the enhancement  and  the development of Procurement Service Unit of Badung Regency.  First thing can be done is to establish an independent Procurement Service Unit therewith its Procurement Unit Development road maps that can be tiered and sustainable plan, monitor and evaluate

Tracking multiple objects is limited only by object spacing, not by speed, time, or capacity.

Science.gov (United States)

Franconeri, S L; Jonathan, S V; Scimeca, J M

2010-07-01

In dealing with a dynamic world, people have the ability to maintain selective attention on a subset of moving objects in the environment. Performance in such multiple-object tracking is limited by three primary factors-the number of objects that one can track, the speed at which one can track them, and how close together they can be. We argue that this last limit, of object spacing, is the root cause of all performance constraints in multiple-object tracking. In two experiments, we found that as long as the distribution of object spacing is held constant, tracking performance is unaffected by large changes in object speed and tracking time. These results suggest that barring object-spacing constraints, people could reliably track an unlimited number of objects as fast as they could track a single object.

Potential impact of DOE's performance objective for protection of inadvertent intruders on low-level waste disposals at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kocher, D.C.

1993-01-01

Performance objectives for disposal of low-level radioactive waste at Department of Energy (DOE) sites include limits on radiation dose to inadvertent intruders. This paper investigates the potential impact of DOE's performance objective for protection of inadvertent intruders on the acceptability of low-level waste disposals at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The analysis is based on waste volumes and radionuclide inventories for recent disposals and estimated doses to an inadvertent intruder for assumed exposure scenarios. The analysis indicates that more than 99% of the total volume of waste in recent disposals meets the performance objective for inadvertent intruders, and the volume of waste found to be unacceptable for disposal is only about 16 m 3 . Therefore, DOE's performance objective for protection of inadvertent intruders probably will not have unreasonably adverse impacts on acceptable waste disposals at ORNL

Decoding visual object categories from temporal correlations of ECoG signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Majima, Kei; Matsuo, Takeshi; Kawasaki, Keisuke; Kawai, Kensuke; Saito, Nobuhito; Hasegawa, Isao; Kamitani, Yukiyasu

2014-04-15

How visual object categories are represented in the brain is one of the key questions in neuroscience. Studies on low-level visual features have shown that relative timings or phases of neural activity between multiple brain locations encode information. However, whether such temporal patterns of neural activity are used in the representation of visual objects is unknown. Here, we examined whether and how visual object categories could be predicted (or decoded) from temporal patterns of electrocorticographic (ECoG) signals from the temporal cortex in five patients with epilepsy. We used temporal correlations between electrodes as input features, and compared the decoding performance with features defined by spectral power and phase from individual electrodes. While using power or phase alone, the decoding accuracy was significantly better than chance, correlations alone or those combined with power outperformed other features. Decoding performance with correlations was degraded by shuffling the order of trials of the same category in each electrode, indicating that the relative time series between electrodes in each trial is critical. Analysis using a sliding time window revealed that decoding performance with correlations began to rise earlier than that with power. This earlier increase in performance was replicated by a model using phase differences to encode categories. These results suggest that activity patterns arising from interactions between multiple neuronal units carry additional information on visual object categories. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The use of a displacement device negatively affects the performance of dogs (Canis familiaris) in visible object displacement tasks.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Corsin A; Riemer, Stefanie; Range, Friederike; Huber, Ludwig

2014-08-01

Visible and invisible displacement tasks have been used widely for comparative studies of animals' understanding of object permanence, with evidence accumulating that some species can solve invisible displacement tasks and, thus, reach Piagetian stage 6 of object permanence. In contrast, dogs appear to rely on associative cues, such as the location of the displacement device, during invisible displacement tasks. It remains unclear, however, whether dogs, and other species that failed in invisible displacement tasks, do so because of their inability to form a mental representation of the target object, or simply because of the involvement of a more salient but potentially misleading associative cue, the displacement device. Here we show that the use of a displacement device impairs the performance of dogs also in visible displacement tasks: their search accuracy was significantly lower when a visible displacement was performed with a displacement device, and only two of initially 42 dogs passed the sham-baiting control conditions. The negative influence of the displacement device in visible displacement tasks may be explained by strong associative cues overriding explicit information about the target object's location, reminiscent of an overshadowing effect, and/or object individuation errors as the target object is placed within the displacement device and moves along a spatiotemporally identical trajectory. Our data suggest that a comprehensive appraisal of a species' performance in object permanence tasks should include visible displacement tasks with the same displacement device used in invisible displacements, which typically has not been done in the past.

Subjective Sleepiness and Sleep Quality in Adolescents are Related to Objective and Subjective Measures of School Performance.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boschloo, A.; Krabbendam, L.; Dekker, S.; Lee, N.; Groot, R. de; Jolles, J.

2013-01-01

This study investigated the relation between sleep and school performance in a large sample of 561 adolescents aged 11-18 years. Three subjective measures of sleep were used: sleepiness, sleep quality, and sleep duration. They were compared to three measures of school performance: objective school

Persistent spatial information in the FEF during object-based short-term memory does not contribute to task performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, Kelsey L; Noudoost, Behrad; Moore, Tirin

2014-06-01

We previously reported the existence of a persistent spatial signal in the FEF during object-based STM. This persistent activity reflected the location at which the sample appeared, irrespective of the location of upcoming targets. We hypothesized that such a spatial signal could be used to maintain or enhance object-selective memory activity elsewhere in cortex, analogous to the role of a spatial signal during attention. Here, we inactivated a portion of the FEF with GABAa agonist muscimol to test whether the observed activity contributes to object memory performance. We found that, although RTs were slowed for saccades into the inactivated portion of retinotopic space, performance for samples appearing in that region was unimpaired. This contrasts with the devastating effects of the same FEF inactivation on purely spatial working memory, as assessed with the memory-guided saccade task. Thus, in a task in which a significant fraction of FEF neurons displayed persistent, sample location-based activity, disrupting this activity had no impact on task performance.

A Multi-objective PMU Placement Method Considering Observability and Measurement Redundancy using ABC Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

KULANTHAISAMY, A.

2014-05-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a Multi- objective Optimal Placement of Phasor Measurement Units (MOPP method in large electric transmission systems. It is proposed for minimizing the number of Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs for complete system observability and maximizing the measurement redundancy of the system, simultaneously. The measurement redundancy means that number of times a bus is able to monitor more than once by PMUs set. A higher level of measurement redundancy can maximize the total system observability and it is desirable for a reliable power system state estimation. Therefore, simultaneous optimization of the two conflicting objectives are performed using a binary coded Artificial Bee Colony (ABC algorithm. The complete observability of the power system is first prepared and then, single line loss contingency condition is considered to the main model. The efficiency of the proposed method is validated on IEEE 14, 30, 57 and 118 bus test systems. The valuable approach of ABC algorithm is demonstrated in finding the optimal number of PMUs and their locations by comparing the performance with earlier works.

Analysis of the behaviour of the Kozloduy NPP Unit 3 under severe accident conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velev, V.; Saraeva, V.

2004-01-01

The objective of the analysis is to study the behaviour of the Kozloduy NPP Unit 3 under severe accident conditions. The analysis is performed using computer code MELCOR 1.8.4. This report includes a brief description of Unit 3 active core as well as description and comparison of the key events

Automatic and objective assessment of alternating tapping performance in Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Memedi, Mevludin; Khan, Taha; Grenholm, Peter; Nyholm, Dag; Westin, Jerker

2013-12-09

This paper presents the development and evaluation of a method for enabling quantitative and automatic scoring of alternating tapping performance of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Ten healthy elderly subjects and 95 patients in different clinical stages of PD have utilized a touch-pad handheld computer to perform alternate tapping tests in their home environments. First, a neurologist used a web-based system to visually assess impairments in four tapping dimensions ('speed', 'accuracy', 'fatigue' and 'arrhythmia') and a global tapping severity (GTS). Second, tapping signals were processed with time series analysis and statistical methods to derive 24 quantitative parameters. Third, principal component analysis was used to reduce the dimensions of these parameters and to obtain scores for the four dimensions. Finally, a logistic regression classifier was trained using a 10-fold stratified cross-validation to map the reduced parameters to the corresponding visually assessed GTS scores. Results showed that the computed scores correlated well to visually assessed scores and were significantly different across Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale scores of upper limb motor performance. In addition, they had good internal consistency, had good ability to discriminate between healthy elderly and patients in different disease stages, had good sensitivity to treatment interventions and could reflect the natural disease progression over time. In conclusion, the automatic method can be useful to objectively assess the tapping performance of PD patients and can be included in telemedicine tools for remote monitoring of tapping.

Challenges encountered by critical care unit managers in the large intensive care units

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mokgadi C. Matlakala

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Nurses in intensive care units (ICUs are exposed regularly to huge demands interms of fulfilling the many roles that are placed upon them. Unit managers, in particular, are responsible for the efficient management of the units and have the responsibilities of planning, organising, leading and controlling the daily activities in order to facilitate the achievement of the unit objectives. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore and present the challenges encountered by ICU managers in the management of large ICUs. Method: A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study was conducted at five hospital ICUs in Gauteng province, South Africa. Data were collected through individual interviews from purposively-selected critical care unit managers, then analysed using the matic coding. Results: Five themes emerged from the data: challenges related to the layout and structure of the unit, human resources provision and staffing, provision of material resources, stressors in the unit and visitors in the ICU. Conclusion: Unit managers in large ICUs face multifaceted challenges which include the demand for efficient and sufficient specialised nurses; lack of or inadequate equipment that goes along with technology in ICU and supplies; and stressors in the ICU that limit the efficiency to plan, organise, lead and control the daily activities in the unit. The challenges identified call for multiple strategies to assist in the efficient management of large ICUs.

Assess and Predict Automatic Generation Control Performances for Thermal Power Generation Units Based on Modeling Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Yan; Yang, Zijiang; Gao, Song; Liu, Jinbiao

2018-02-01

Automatic generation control(AGC) is a key technology to maintain real time power generation and load balance, and to ensure the quality of power supply. Power grids require each power generation unit to have a satisfactory AGC performance, being specified in two detailed rules. The two rules provide a set of indices to measure the AGC performance of power generation unit. However, the commonly-used method to calculate these indices is based on particular data samples from AGC responses and will lead to incorrect results in practice. This paper proposes a new method to estimate the AGC performance indices via system identification techniques. In addition, a nonlinear regression model between performance indices and load command is built in order to predict the AGC performance indices. The effectiveness of the proposed method is validated through industrial case studies.

Self-perceived versus objectively measured competence in performing clinical practical procedures by final year medical students

OpenAIRE

Katowa-Mukwato, Patricia; Banda, Sekelani

2016-01-01

Objectives To determine and compare the self-perceived and objectively measured competence in performing 14 core-clinical practical procedures by Final Year Medical Students of the University of Zambia. Methods The study included 56 out of 60 graduating University of Zambia Medical Students of the 2012/2013 academic year. Self-perceived competence: students rated their competence on 14 core- clinical practical procedures using a self-administered questionnaire on a 5-point Likert scale. Objec...

Inhibitory Control, but Not Prolonged Object-Related Experience Appears to Affect Physical Problem-Solving Performance of Pet Dogs

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Corsin A.; Riemer, Stefanie; Virányi, Zsófia; Huber, Ludwig; Range, Friederike

2016-01-01

Human infants develop an understanding of their physical environment through playful interactions with objects. Similar processes may influence also the performance of non-human animals in physical problem-solving tasks, but to date there is little empirical data to evaluate this hypothesis. In addition or alternatively to prior experiences, inhibitory control has been suggested as a factor underlying the considerable individual differences in performance reported for many species. Here we report a study in which we manipulated the extent of object-related experience for a cohort of dogs (Canis familiaris) of the breed Border Collie over a period of 18 months, and assessed their level of inhibitory control, prior to testing them in a series of four physical problem-solving tasks. We found no evidence that differences in object-related experience explain variability in performance in these tasks. It thus appears that dogs do not transfer knowledge about physical rules from one physical problem-solving task to another, but rather approach each task as a novel problem. Our results, however, suggest that individual performance in these tasks is influenced in a complex way by the subject’s level of inhibitory control. Depending on the task, inhibitory control had a positive or a negative effect on performance and different aspects of inhibitory control turned out to be the best predictors of individual performance in the different tasks. Therefore, studying the interplay between inhibitory control and problem-solving performance will make an important contribution to our understanding of individual and species differences in physical problem-solving performance. PMID:26863141

Inhibitory Control, but Not Prolonged Object-Related Experience Appears to Affect Physical Problem-Solving Performance of Pet Dogs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corsin A Müller

Full Text Available Human infants develop an understanding of their physical environment through playful interactions with objects. Similar processes may influence also the performance of non-human animals in physical problem-solving tasks, but to date there is little empirical data to evaluate this hypothesis. In addition or alternatively to prior experiences, inhibitory control has been suggested as a factor underlying the considerable individual differences in performance reported for many species. Here we report a study in which we manipulated the extent of object-related experience for a cohort of dogs (Canis familiaris of the breed Border Collie over a period of 18 months, and assessed their level of inhibitory control, prior to testing them in a series of four physical problem-solving tasks. We found no evidence that differences in object-related experience explain variability in performance in these tasks. It thus appears that dogs do not transfer knowledge about physical rules from one physical problem-solving task to another, but rather approach each task as a novel problem. Our results, however, suggest that individual performance in these tasks is influenced in a complex way by the subject's level of inhibitory control. Depending on the task, inhibitory control had a positive or a negative effect on performance and different aspects of inhibitory control turned out to be the best predictors of individual performance in the different tasks. Therefore, studying the interplay between inhibitory control and problem-solving performance will make an important contribution to our understanding of individual and species differences in physical problem-solving performance.

Inhibitory Control, but Not Prolonged Object-Related Experience Appears to Affect Physical Problem-Solving Performance of Pet Dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Corsin A; Riemer, Stefanie; Virányi, Zsófia; Huber, Ludwig; Range, Friederike

2016-01-01

Human infants develop an understanding of their physical environment through playful interactions with objects. Similar processes may influence also the performance of non-human animals in physical problem-solving tasks, but to date there is little empirical data to evaluate this hypothesis. In addition or alternatively to prior experiences, inhibitory control has been suggested as a factor underlying the considerable individual differences in performance reported for many species. Here we report a study in which we manipulated the extent of object-related experience for a cohort of dogs (Canis familiaris) of the breed Border Collie over a period of 18 months, and assessed their level of inhibitory control, prior to testing them in a series of four physical problem-solving tasks. We found no evidence that differences in object-related experience explain variability in performance in these tasks. It thus appears that dogs do not transfer knowledge about physical rules from one physical problem-solving task to another, but rather approach each task as a novel problem. Our results, however, suggest that individual performance in these tasks is influenced in a complex way by the subject's level of inhibitory control. Depending on the task, inhibitory control had a positive or a negative effect on performance and different aspects of inhibitory control turned out to be the best predictors of individual performance in the different tasks. Therefore, studying the interplay between inhibitory control and problem-solving performance will make an important contribution to our understanding of individual and species differences in physical problem-solving performance.

Subjective sleepiness and sleep quality in adolescents are related to objective and subjective measures of school performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boschloo, Annemarie; Krabbendam, Lydia; Dekker, Sanne; Lee, Nikki; De Groot, Renate; Jolles, Jelle

2016-01-01

This study investigated the relation between sleep and school performance in a large sample of 561 adolescents aged 11–18 years. Three subjective measures of sleep were used: sleepiness, sleep quality, and sleep duration. They were compared to three measures of school performance: objective school

Subjective sleepiness and sleep quality in adolescents are related to objective and subjective measures of school performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boschloo, Annemarie; Krabbendam, Lydia; Dekker, Sanne; Lee, Nikki; De Groot, Renate; Jolles, Jelle

2018-01-01

This study investigated the relation between sleep and school performance in a large sam- ple of 561 adolescents aged 11–18 years. Three subjective measures of sleep were used: sleepiness, sleep quality, and sleep duration. They were compared to three measures of school performance: objective school

An Ergonomic Evaluation of the Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) Space Suit Hard Upper Torso (HUT) Size Effect on Metabolic, Mobility, and Strength Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Christopher; Harvill, Lauren; England, Scott; Young, Karen; Norcross, Jason; Rajulu, Sudhakar

2014-01-01

The objective of this project was to assess the performance differences between a nominally sized Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suit and a nominal +1 (plus) sized EMU. Method: This study evaluated suit size conditions by using metabolic cost, arm mobility, and arm strength as performance metrics. Results: Differences between the suit sizes were found only in shoulder extension strength being 15.8% greater for the plus size. Discussion: While this study was able to identify motions and activities that were considered to be practically or statistically different, it does not signify that use of a plus sized suit should be prohibited. Further testing would be required that either pertained to a particular mission critical task or better simulates a microgravity environment that the EMU suit was designed to work in.

40 CFR 60.1025 - Do subpart E new source performance standards also apply to my municipal waste combustion unit?

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... standards also apply to my municipal waste combustion unit? 60.1025 Section 60.1025 Protection of... NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Small Municipal Waste Combustion Units for Which... municipal waste combustion unit? If this subpart AAAA applies to your municipal waste combustion unit, then...

Temelin 1000 MW Units active testing stage - commissioning experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ubra, O.; Riha, V.

2003-01-01

There were three basic stages of the NPP Temelin Units active testing stage- The zero and low power testing, The power ascension testing and Plant Performance Test. The main objective of the start- up process stages and the testing procedures including some operational experience are described in the paper. (author)

Pattern of surgical procedures performed in the orthopaedic units of a tertiary hospital in South West Nigeria

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thomas O Adekoya-Cole

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH is one of the foremost teaching institutions in Nigeria. It is a recognized training institution for residency training in Nigeria. However, a thorough evaluation of the procedures being undertaken by the orthopaedic teams in this centre and the impact on the type of training being passed on to the resident doctors in training is the focus of this paper. Objectives: To determine the pattern of procedures performed by the orthopaedic units of the Department of Surgery, LUTH with a view to import the findings in re-organizing its structure based on service requirement, manpower allocation and to make recommendation. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed data including age, sex, procedures and leading surgeons retrieved from all our operating theatres over a period from 1st January 2010 to 31st December 2011. The data retrieved was analyzed. Results: A total 741 procedures were performed over the 2 year period. More male patients (58.5% had procedures performed on them than the female patients. The mean age of patients treated was 37.2±15.5 years. Trauma related procedures accounted for 68.8% of the total procedures. Open reduction and internal fixation surgical operations were the most common trauma related procedure while ablative surgical operations following Diabetic Mellitus foot syndrome were the most common non-trauma related procedure performed. Conclusion: Trauma related surgery remains the most common procedures in our teaching hospital. Efforts should be made to increase the number of elective operations like Arthroplasties, Arthroscopic operations and Spinal axis correction operations being performed.

Objectively measured physical activity has a negative but weak association with academic performance in children and adolescents.

Science.gov (United States)

Esteban-Cornejo, Irene; Tejero-González, Carlos M; Martinez-Gomez, David; Cabanas-Sánchez, Verónica; Fernández-Santos, Jorge R; Conde-Caveda, Julio; Sallis, James F; Veiga, Oscar L

2014-11-01

There is an emerging body of evidence on the potential effects of regular physical activity on academic performance. The aim of this study was to add to the debate, by examining the association between objectively measured physical activity and academic performance in a relatively large sample of children and adolescents. The Spanish UP & DOWN study is a 3-year longitudinal study designed to assess the impact, overtime, of physical activity and sedentary behaviours on health indicators. This present analysis was conducted with 1778 children and adolescents aged 6-18 years. Physical activity was objectively measured by accelerometry. Academic performance was assessed using school grades. Physical activity was inversely associated with all academic performance indicators after adjustment for potential confounders, including neonatal variables, fatness and fitness (all p academic performance between the lowest and the second quartile of physical activity, compared to the highest quartile, with very small effect size (d academic performance during both childhood and adolescence, but this association was negative and very weak. Longitudinal and intervention studies are necessary to further our understanding. ©2014 Foundation Acta Paediatrica. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Improving human object recognition performance using video enhancement techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Whitman, Lucy S.; Lewis, Colin; Oakley, John P.

2004-12-01

Atmospheric scattering causes significant degradation in the quality of video images, particularly when imaging over long distances. The principle problem is the reduction in contrast due to scattered light. It is known that when the scattering particles are not too large compared with the imaging wavelength (i.e. Mie scattering) then high spatial resolution information may be contained within a low-contrast image. Unfortunately this information is not easily perceived by a human observer, particularly when using a standard video monitor. A secondary problem is the difficulty of achieving a sharp focus since automatic focus techniques tend to fail in such conditions. Recently several commercial colour video processing systems have become available. These systems use various techniques to improve image quality in low contrast conditions whilst retaining colour content. These systems produce improvements in subjective image quality in some situations, particularly in conditions of haze and light fog. There is also some evidence that video enhancement leads to improved ATR performance when used as a pre-processing stage. Psychological literature indicates that low contrast levels generally lead to a reduction in the performance of human observers in carrying out simple visual tasks. The aim of this paper is to present the results of an empirical study on object recognition in adverse viewing conditions. The chosen visual task was vehicle number plate recognition at long ranges (500 m and beyond). Two different commercial video enhancement systems are evaluated using the same protocol. The results show an increase in effective range with some differences between the different enhancement systems.

Effects of basic clinical skills training on objective structured clinical examination performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Jünger, Jana; Schäfer, Sybille; Roth, Christiane; Schellberg, Dieter; Friedman Ben-David, Miriam; Nikendei, Christoph

2005-10-01

The aim of curriculum reform in medical education is to improve students' clinical and communication skills. However, there are contradicting results regarding the effectiveness of such reforms. A study of internal medicine students was carried out using a static group design. The experimental group consisted of 77 students participating in 7 sessions of communication training, 7 sessions of skills-laboratory training and 7 sessions of bedside-teaching, each lasting 1.5 hours. The control group of 66 students from the traditional curriculum participated in equally as many sessions but was offered only bedside teaching. Students' cognitive and practical skills performance was assessed using Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) testing and an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), delivered by examiners blind to group membership. The experimental group performed significantly better on the OSCE than did the control group (P < 0.01), whereas the groups did not differ on the MCQ test (P < 0.15). This indicates that specific training in communication and basic clinical skills enabled students to perform better in an OSCE, whereas its effects on knowledge did not differ from those of the traditional curriculum. Curriculum reform promoting communication and basic clinical skills are effective and lead to an improved performance in history taking and physical examination skills.

Survey of metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacteriaceae colonizing patients in European ICUs and rehabilitation units, 2008-11

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Papagiannitsis, C. C.; Izdebski, R.; Baraniak, A.; Fiett, J.; Herda, M.; Hrabak, J.; Derde, L. P. G.; Bonten, M. J. M.; Carmeli, Y.; Goossens, H.; Hryniewicz, W.; Brun-Buisson, C.; Gniadkowski, M.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to perform a multinational survey of patients' colonization by metallo-beta-lactamase (MBL)-producing Enterobacteriaceae, including their molecular characterization. Methods: Patients in 18 hospital units across Europe and Israel (n = 17945) were screened

76 FR 62074 - Proposed Revision of Performance Standards for State Medicaid Fraud Control Units

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-06

... familiar with, and adhere to, policies and procedures. In meeting this standard, the following performance... funding permits. E. Through cross-training or by other means, Unit staff receive training on the role and...

Outsourcing and its impact on operational objectives and performance: a study of Iranian telecommunication industries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amir Reza Khaki

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Through outsourcing, a company can expand and develop its sources and capacities by accessing to higher quality services and better functionality. This paper deals with the perception of the managers of the telecommunication industry sector on the effects of outsourcing on operational strategy and especially on the issues associated with cost reduction, developed quality, flexibility and better service. Because of the importance of the strategic feature of outsourcing, we examined its effects on the organizational function of the telecommunication industries. This study shows that managers believe that outsourcing has a great impact not only on the cost reduction but also on other goals of operational strategies, which makes outsourcing become inherently more strategic. In addition, it seems that outsourcing influences function noticeably. In the present research, the relationships between propensity to outsourcing and operational objectives and organizational performance in telecommunication industries are assessed. The aim of this research is to examine the propensity to outsourcing and its impacts on operational objectives including cost reduction, improved quality, flexibility and better service and organizational performance, which includes financial performance and non-financial performance. In the research, data are collected through field research and questionnaires. The questionnaires are distributed among the board of directors, quality managers, operational administrators, and lower managers and then the feedbacks are analyzed using SPSS and Minitab software based on deductive and descriptive statistics.

Dynamic performances of wet turbine and steam-separator-superheater and their mathematical simulation as objects of temperature control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Golovach, E.A.

1985-01-01

A mathematical model of a turbine and steam-separator-superheater (SSS) as applied to solution of the tasks of steam temperature regulaton after SSS has been developed. SSS as objects of steam temperature control are considerably less inertial, than intermediate superheaters (IS) of power units in thermal power plants, since for typical SSS and IS considered the duration of transition process according to steam temperature after SSS is 5-10 times loweA than for IS

Java Test Driver Generation from Object-Oriented Interaction Traces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

M.M. Bonsangue (Marcello); F.S. de Boer (Frank); A. Gruener; M. Steffen

2009-01-01

htmlabstractIn the context of test-driven development for object-oriented programs, mock objects are increasingly used for unit testing. Several Java mock object frameworks exist, which all have in common that mock objects, realizing the test environment, are directly specied at the Java program

Engine Tune-Up Service. Unit 1: Battery and Cranking System. Posttests. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Goodson-Roberts, Ludy; And Others

This book of posttests is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 1, Battery and Cranking System. Focus of the posttests is the testing of the battery and cranking system. Four multiple choice posttests are provided, one for each of the performance objectives contained in the unit. (No answer keys are provided.)…

Infrared system for monitoring movement of objects

Science.gov (United States)

Valentine, Kenneth H.; Falter, Diedre D.; Falter, Kelly G.

1991-01-01

A system for monitoring moving objects, such as the flight of honeybees and other insects, using a pulsed laser light source. This system has a self-powered micro-miniaturized transmitting unit powered, in the preferred embodiment, with an array solar cells. This transmitting unit is attached to the object to be monitored. These solar cells provide current to a storage energy capacitor to produce, for example, five volts for the operation of the transmitter. In the simplest embodiment, the voltage on the capacitor operates a pulse generator to provide a pulsed energizing signal to one or more very small laser diodes. The pulsed light is then received at a receiving base station using substantially standard means which converts the light to an electrical signal for processing in a microprocessor to create the information as to the movement of the object. In the case of a unit for monitoring honeybees and other insects, the transmitting unit weighs less than 50 mg, and has a size no larger than 1.times.3.times.5 millimeters. Also, the preferred embodiment provides for the coding of the light to uniquely identify the particular transmitting unit that is being monitored. A "wake-up" circuit is provided in the preferred embodiment whereby there is no transmission until the voltage on the capacitor has exceeded a pre-set threshold. Various other uses of the motion-detection system are described.

MINAC radiography performed on susquehanna Steam Electric Station Unit 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bognet, J.C.

1986-01-01

Ten welds were volumetrically examined with a manual and automated ultrasonic (UT) system during a Susquehanna Steam Electric Station (SES) Unit 1 preservice inspection. The automated system had been recently developed and several problems were encountered in this first field application. The ten welds examined had a Sweepolet-to-Risor weld configuration, which further complicated the examination effort. This weld configuration has corrosion-resistant cladding applied to the outside and inside circumference and, as a result of an installation/removal/reinstallation sequence during plant construction, is often referred to as the double weld. After several attempts to obtain interpretable UT data failed (e.g., repeatable data), the examination effort was terminated. PP and L opted to pursue using the Miniature Linear Accelerator (MINAC) to perform radiographic examination. The results were referenced in the Susquehanna SES Unit 1 outage summary report and submitted to the NRC. The total effort was viewed as a complete success with no impact to the overall outage duration. All welds previously attempted by automated and manual UT were successfully examined using the MINAC

Multiple Object Permanence Tracking: Maintenance, Retrieval and Transformation of Dynamic Object Representations

OpenAIRE

Saiki, Jun

2008-01-01

Multiple object permanence tracking (MOPT) task revealed that our ability of maintaining and transforming multiple representations of complex feature-bound objects is limited to handle only 1-2 objects. Often reported capacity of 3-5 objects likely reflects memory for partial representations of objects and simple cases such as just color and their locations. Also, performance in multiple object tracking (MOT) task is likely mediated by spatiotemporal indices, not by feature-bound object repre...

Development of Wolsong Unit 2 Containment Analysis Model

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoon, Choi [Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co., Ltd., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Jin, Ko Bong; Chan, Park Young [Hanbat National Univ., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

To be prepared for the full scope safety analysis of Wolsong unit 2 with modified fuel, input decks for the various objectives, which can be read by GOTHIC 7.2b(QA), are developed and tested for the steady state simulation. A detailed nodalization of 39 control volumes and 92 flow paths is constructed to determine the differential pressure across internal walls or hydrogen concentration and distribution inside containment. A lumped model with 15 control volumes and 74 flow paths has also been developed to reduce the computer run time for the assessments in which the analysis results are not sensitive to detailed thermal hydraulic distribution inside containment such as peak pressure, pressure dependent signal and radionuclide release. The input data files provide simplified representations of the geometric layout of the containment building (volumes, dimensions, flow paths, doors, panels, etc.) and the performance characteristics of the various containment subsystems. The parameter values are based on best estimate or design values for that parameter. The analysis values are determined by conservatism depending on the analysis objective and may be different for various analysis objectives. Basic input decks of Wolsong unit 2 were developed for the various analysis purposes with GOTHIC 7.2b(QA). Depend on the analysis objective, two types of models are prepared. Detailed model models each confined room in the containment as a separate node. All of the geometric data are based on the drawings of Wolsong unit 2. Developed containment models are simulating the steady state well to the designated initial condition. These base models will be used for Wolsong unit 2 in case of safety analysis of full scope is needed.

Comparison of the performance of intraoral X-ray sensors using objective image quality assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Hellén-Halme, Kristina; Johansson, Curt; Nilsson, Mats

2016-05-01

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of 10 individual sensors of the same make, using objective measures of key image quality parameters. A further aim was to compare 8 brands of sensors. Ten new sensors of 8 different models from 6 manufacturers (i.e., 80 sensors) were included in the study. All sensors were exposed in a standardized way using an X-ray tube voltage of 60 kVp and different exposure times. Sensor response, noise, low-contrast resolution, spatial resolution and uniformity were measured. Individual differences between sensors of the same brand were surprisingly large in some cases. There were clear differences in the characteristics of the different brands of sensors. The largest variations were found for individual sensor response for some of the brands studied. Also, noise level and low contrast resolution showed large variations between brands. Sensors, even of the same brand, vary significantly in their quality. It is thus valuable to establish action levels for the acceptance of newly delivered sensors and to use objective image quality control for commissioning purposes and periodic checks to ensure high performance of individual digital sensors. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Personal dosimetry performance testing in the United States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soares, C.G.

2005-01-01

Full text: The basis for personal dosimetry performance testing in the United States is ANSI/HPS N13.11 (2002). Now in its third edition, this standard has been in place since 1983. Testing under this standard is administered by the National Voluntary Accreditation Program (NVLAP), and accreditation of dosimetry processors under this program is required by US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations. The US Department of Energy (DOE) also maintains a testing program for its laboratories and contractors, administered by the Department of Energy Laboratory Accreditation Program (DOELAP). A focus in recent years has been the modification of ANSI/HPS N13.11 to allow acceptance by both testing programs in order to bring harmonization to US personal dosimeter processing testing. The testing philosophy of ANSI N13.11 has always combined elements of type testing and routine performance testing and is thus different from the testing philosophy used in the rest of the world. This unique philosophy is explored in detail in this presentation, along with trends in the development of the document to its present state. In addition, a look will be taken at what the future holds for the next revision of the document, scheduled to begin in 2005. (author)

Illuminating Everyday Performances of Privilege and Oppression

Science.gov (United States)

Heuman, Amy N.

2018-01-01

Courses: Intercultural Communication, Interracial Communication, Gender and Communication, Introduction to Communication Course (within a unit on culture), and any courses encouraging critical analyses of power. Objectives: This activity will: illuminate the ways in which everyday performances of privilege and resulting oppressions connect with…

Deep neural networks rival the representation of primate IT cortex for core visual object recognition.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charles F Cadieu

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The primate visual system achieves remarkable visual object recognition performance even in brief presentations, and under changes to object exemplar, geometric transformations, and background variation (a.k.a. core visual object recognition. This remarkable performance is mediated by the representation formed in inferior temporal (IT cortex. In parallel, recent advances in machine learning have led to ever higher performing models of object recognition using artificial deep neural networks (DNNs. It remains unclear, however, whether the representational performance of DNNs rivals that of the brain. To accurately produce such a comparison, a major difficulty has been a unifying metric that accounts for experimental limitations, such as the amount of noise, the number of neural recording sites, and the number of trials, and computational limitations, such as the complexity of the decoding classifier and the number of classifier training examples. In this work, we perform a direct comparison that corrects for these experimental limitations and computational considerations. As part of our methodology, we propose an extension of "kernel analysis" that measures the generalization accuracy as a function of representational complexity. Our evaluations show that, unlike previous bio-inspired models, the latest DNNs rival the representational performance of IT cortex on this visual object recognition task. Furthermore, we show that models that perform well on measures of representational performance also perform well on measures of representational similarity to IT, and on measures of predicting individual IT multi-unit responses. Whether these DNNs rely on computational mechanisms similar to the primate visual system is yet to be determined, but, unlike all previous bio-inspired models, that possibility cannot be ruled out merely on representational performance grounds.

EURISOL-DS multi-MW target unit: Neutronics performance and shielding assessment, dose rate and material activation calculations for the MAFF configuration

CERN Document Server

Romanets, Y; Kadi, Y; Luis, R; Goncalves, I F; Tecchio, L; Kharoua, C; Vaz, P; Ene, D; David, J C; Rocca, R; Negoita, F

2010-01-01

One of the objectives of the EURISOL (EURopean Isotope Separation On-Line Radioactive Ion Beam) Design Study consisted of providing a safe and reliable facility layout and design for the following operational parameters and characteristics: (a) a 4 MW proton beam of 1 GeV energy impinging on a mercury target (the converter); (b) high neutron fluxes (similar to 3 x 10(16) neutrons/s) generated by spallation reactions of the protons impinging in the converter and (c) fission rate on fissile U-235 targets in excess of 10(15) fissions/s. In this work, the state-of-the-art Monte Carlo codes MCNPX (Pelowitz, 2005) and FLUKA (Vlachoudis, 2009; Ferrari et al., 2008) were used to characterize the neutronics performance and to perform the shielding assessment (Herrera-Martinez and Kadi, 2006; Cornell, 2003) of the EURISOLTarget Unit and to provide estimations of dose rate and activation of different components, in view of the radiation safety assessment of the facility. Dosimetry and activation calculations were perfor...

Home Health Agency Performance in the United States: 2011-15.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yun; Spatz, Erica S; Tariq, Maliha; Angraal, Suveen; Krumholz, Harlan M

2017-12-01

To evaluate home health agency quality performance. Observational study. Home health agencies. All Medicare-certified agencies with at least 6 months of data from 2011 to 2015. Twenty-two quality indicators, five patient survey indicators, and their composite scores. The study included 11,462 Medicare-certified home health agencies that served 92.4% of all ZIP codes nationwide, accounting for 315.2 million people. The mean composite scores were 409.1 ± 22.7 out of 500 with the patient survey indicators and 492.3 ± 21.7 out of 600 without the patient survey indicators. Home health agency performance on 27 quality indicators varied, with the coefficients of dispersion ranging from 4.9 to 62.8. Categorization of agencies into performance quartiles revealed that 3,179 (27.7%) were in the low-performing group (below 25th percentile) at least one time during the period from 2011-12 to 2014-15 and that 493 were in the low-performing group throughout the study period. Geographic variation in agency performance was observed. Agencies with longer Medicare-certified years were more likely to have high-performing scores; agencies providing partial services, with proprietary ownership, and those with long travel distances to reach patients had lower performance. Agencies serving low-income counties and counties with lower proportions of women and senior residences and greater proportions of Hispanic residents were more likely to attain lower performance scores. Home health agency performance on several quality indicators varied, and many agencies were persistently in the lowest quartile of performance. Still, there is a need to improve the quality of care of all agencies. Many parts of the United States, particularly lower-income areas and areas with more Hispanic residents, are more likely to receive lower quality home health care. © 2017, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2017, The American Geriatrics Society.

[Development of nursing key performance indicators for an intensive care unit by using a balanced scorecard].

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Yun Jeong; Lim, Ji Young; Lee, Young Whee; Kim, Hwa Soon

2008-10-01

The purpose of this study was to develop visions of nursing service, nursing strategies and key performance indicators (KPIs) for an intensive care unit (ICU) based on a Balanced Scorecard (BSC). This study was undertaken by using methodological research. The development process consisted of four phases; the first phase was to develop the vision of nursing in ICUs. The second phase was to develop strategies according to 4 perspectives of a BSC. The third phase was to develop KPIs according to the 4 perspectives of BSC and the final phase was to combine the nursing visions, strategies and KPIs of ICUs. Two main visions of nursing service for ICUs were established. These were 'realization of harmonized professional nursing with human respect' and 'recovery of health through specialized nursing' respectively. In order to reach the aim of developing nursing visions, thirteen practical strategies and nineteen KPIs were developed by four perspectives of the BSC. The results will be used as objective fundamental data to attain business outcomes for the achievement of nursing visions and strategies of ICUs.

Location performance objectives for the NNWSI area-to-location screening activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sinnock, S.; Fernandez, J.A.

1984-01-01

Fifty-four objectives were identified to guide the screening of the Nevada Research and Development Area of the Nevada Test Site for relatively favorable locations for the disposal of nuclear waste in a mined geologic repository. The objectives were organized as a hierarchy composed of 4 upper-level, 12 middle-level, and 38 lower-level objectives. The four upper-level objectives account for broad national goals to contain and isolate nuclear waste in an environmentally sound and economically acceptable manner. The middle-level objectives correspond to topical categories that logically relate the upper-level objectives to site-specific concerns such as seismicity, sensitive species, and flooding hazards (represented by the lower-level objectives). The relative merits of alternative locations were compared by an application of decision analysis based on standard utility theory. The relative favorabilities of pertinent physical conditions at each alternative location were weighted in relation to the importance of objectives, and summed to produce maps indicating the most and the least favorable locations. Descriptions of the objectives were organized by the hierarchical format; they detail the applicability of each objective to geologic repository siting, previously published siting criteria corresponding to each objective, and the rationale for the weight assigned to each objective, and the pertinent attributes for evaluating locations with respect to each objective. 51 references, 47 figures, 4 tables.

Location performance objectives for the NNWSI area-to-location screening activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sinnock, S.; Fernandez, J.A.

1984-01-01

Fifty-four objectives were identified to guide the screening of the Nevada Research and Development Area of the Nevada Test Site for relatively favorable locations for the disposal of nuclear waste in a mined geologic repository. The objectives were organized as a hierarchy composed of 4 upper-level, 12 middle-level, and 38 lower-level objectives. The four upper-level objectives account for broad national goals to contain and isolate nuclear waste in an environmentally sound and economically acceptable manner. The middle-level objectives correspond to topical categories that logically relate the upper-level objectives to site-specific concerns such as seismicity, sensitive species, and flooding hazards (represented by the lower-level objectives). The relative merits of alternative locations were compared by an application of decision analysis based on standard utility theory. The relative favorabilities of pertinent physical conditions at each alternative location were weighted in relation to the importance of objectives, and summed to produce maps indicating the most and the least favorable locations. Descriptions of the objectives were organized by the hierarchical format; they detail the applicability of each objective to geologic repository siting, previously published siting criteria corresponding to each objective, and the rationale for the weight assigned to each objective, and the pertinent attributes for evaluating locations with respect to each objective. 51 references, 47 figures, 4 tables

Phenobarbital in intensive care unit pediatric population: predictive performances of population pharmacokinetic model.

Science.gov (United States)

Marsot, Amélie; Michel, Fabrice; Chasseloup, Estelle; Paut, Olivier; Guilhaumou, Romain; Blin, Olivier

2017-10-01

An external evaluation of phenobarbital population pharmacokinetic model described by Marsot et al. was performed in pediatric intensive care unit. Model evaluation is an important issue for dose adjustment. This external evaluation should allow confirming the proposed dosage adaptation and extending these recommendations to the entire intensive care pediatric population. External evaluation of phenobarbital published population pharmacokinetic model of Marsot et al. was realized in a new retrospective dataset of 35 patients hospitalized in a pediatric intensive care unit. The published population pharmacokinetic model was implemented in nonmem 7.3. Predictive performance was assessed by quantifying bias and inaccuracy of model prediction. Normalized prediction distribution errors (NPDE) and visual predictive check (VPC) were also evaluated. A total of 35 infants were studied with a mean age of 33.5 weeks (range: 12 days-16 years) and a mean weight of 12.6 kg (range: 2.7-70.0 kg). The model predicted the observed phenobarbital concentrations with a reasonable bias and inaccuracy. The median prediction error was 3.03% (95% CI: -8.52 to 58.12%), and the median absolute prediction error was 26.20% (95% CI: 13.07-75.59%). No trends in NPDE and VPC were observed. The model previously proposed by Marsot et al. in neonates hospitalized in intensive care unit was externally validated for IV infusion administration. The model-based dosing regimen was extended in all pediatric intensive care unit to optimize treatment. Due to inter- and intravariability in pharmacokinetic model, this dosing regimen should be combined with therapeutic drug monitoring. © 2017 Société Française de Pharmacologie et de Thérapeutique.

Confronting Decision Cliffs: Diagnostic Assessment of Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms' Performance for Addressing Uncertain Environmental Thresholds

Science.gov (United States)

Ward, V. L.; Singh, R.; Reed, P. M.; Keller, K.

2014-12-01

As water resources problems typically involve several stakeholders with conflicting objectives, multi-objective evolutionary algorithms (MOEAs) are now key tools for understanding management tradeoffs. Given the growing complexity of water planning problems, it is important to establish if an algorithm can consistently perform well on a given class of problems. This knowledge allows the decision analyst to focus on eliciting and evaluating appropriate problem formulations. This study proposes a multi-objective adaptation of the classic environmental economics "Lake Problem" as a computationally simple but mathematically challenging MOEA benchmarking problem. The lake problem abstracts a fictional town on a lake which hopes to maximize its economic benefit without degrading the lake's water quality to a eutrophic (polluted) state through excessive phosphorus loading. The problem poses the challenge of maintaining economic activity while confronting the uncertainty of potentially crossing a nonlinear and potentially irreversible pollution threshold beyond which the lake is eutrophic. Objectives for optimization are maximizing economic benefit from lake pollution, maximizing water quality, maximizing the reliability of remaining below the environmental threshold, and minimizing the probability that the town will have to drastically change pollution policies in any given year. The multi-objective formulation incorporates uncertainty with a stochastic phosphorus inflow abstracting non-point source pollution. We performed comprehensive diagnostics using 6 algorithms: Borg, MOEAD, eMOEA, eNSGAII, GDE3, and NSGAII to ascertain their controllability, reliability, efficiency, and effectiveness. The lake problem abstracts elements of many current water resources and climate related management applications where there is the potential for crossing irreversible, nonlinear thresholds. We show that many modern MOEAs can fail on this test problem, indicating its suitability as a

Performance objectives and criteria for conducting DOE environmental audits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1994-01-01

This document contains the Performance Objectives and Criteria (POC) that have been developed for environmental audits and assessments conducted by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health. The Environmental POC can serve multiple purposes. Primarily, they are to serve as guidelines for the technical specialists conducted the audits and assessments, and for the team management. The POC can also serve as supporting documents for training of technical discipline specialists and Team Leaders and as bases for DOE programs and field offices and contractors conducting audit or assessment activities or improving environmental protection programs. It must be recognized that not all of the POC will necessarily apply to all DOE facilities. The users of this document must rely upon their knowledge of the facility and their professional judgment, or the judgment of qualified environmental professionals to determine the applicability of each POC. The POC cover eleven technical disciplines: air; surface water and drinking water quality; groundwater; waste management; toxic and chemical materials; radiation; quality assurance; inactive waste sites and releases; ecological and cultural resources; the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); and environmental management systems.

Performance objectives and criteria for conducting DOE environmental audits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

This document contains the Performance Objectives and Criteria (POC) that have been developed for environmental audits and assessments conducted by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety and Health. The Environmental POC can serve multiple purposes. Primarily, they are to serve as guidelines for the technical specialists conducted the audits and assessments, and for the team management. The POC can also serve as supporting documents for training of technical discipline specialists and Team Leaders and as bases for DOE programs and field offices and contractors conducting audit or assessment activities or improving environmental protection programs. It must be recognized that not all of the POC will necessarily apply to all DOE facilities. The users of this document must rely upon their knowledge of the facility and their professional judgment, or the judgment of qualified environmental professionals to determine the applicability of each POC. The POC cover eleven technical disciplines: air; surface water and drinking water quality; groundwater; waste management; toxic and chemical materials; radiation; quality assurance; inactive waste sites and releases; ecological and cultural resources; the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); and environmental management systems

Multiobjective Optimization of a Counterrotating Type Pump-Turbine Unit Operated at Turbine Mode

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jin-Hyuk Kim

2014-05-01

Full Text Available A multiobjective optimization for improving the turbine output and efficiency of a counterrotating type pump-turbine unit operated at turbine mode was carried out in this work. The blade geometry of both the runners was optimized using a hybrid multiobjective evolutionary algorithm coupled with a surrogate model. Three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with the shear stress transport turbulence model were discretized by finite volume approximations and solved on hexahedral grids to analyze the flow in the pump-turbine unit. As major hydrodynamic performance parameters, the turbine output and efficiency were selected as objective functions with two design variables related to the hub profiles of both the runner blades. These objectives were numerically assessed at twelve design points selected by Latin hypercube sampling in the design space. Response surface approximation models for the objectives were constructed based on the objective function values at the design points. A fast nondominated sorting genetic algorithm for the local search coupled with the response surface approximation models was applied to determine the global Pareto-optimal solutions. The trade-off between the two objectives was determined and described with respect to the Pareto-optimal solutions. The results of this work showed that the turbine outputs and efficiencies of optimized pump-turbine units were simultaneously improved in comparison to the reference unit.

Stability of Armour Units in Oscillatory Flow

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burcharth, Hans F.; Thompson, A. C.

Despite numerous breakwater model tests very little is known today about the various phenomena and parameters that determine the hydraulic stability characteristics of different types of armour. This is because separation of parameters is extremely difficult in traditional tests.With the object...... of separating some of the factors a deterministic test, in which horizontal beds of armour units were exposed to oscillatory flow, was performed in a pulsating water tunnel....

From manager's emotional intelligence to objective store performance: Through store cohesiveness and sales-directed employee behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wilderom, Celeste P.M.; Hur, YounHee; Wiersma, Uco J.; van den Berg, Peter T.; Lee, Jaehoon

2015-01-01

The relationships among manager's emotional intelligence, store cohesiveness, sales-directed employee behavior, and objective store performance were investigated. Non-managerial sales employees of a large retail electronics chain in South Korea (N = 1611) rated the emotional intelligence of their

CFD investigations of data centers’ thermal performance for different configurations of CRACs units and aisles separation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.A. Nada

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The thermal performance of data centers is numerically studied for different configurations of computer room air conditioning (CRAC units and physical separations of cold and hot aisles. Temperature distribution, air flow characteristics and thermal management of data centers racks array are predicted and evaluated for the different arrangements. Measureable performance indices: supply/return heat index (SHI/RHI, return temperature index (RTI and return cooling index (RCI are used to measure the thermal management effectiveness of data center racks. The results showed that: (i hot air recirculation, cold air bypass and the measurable performance indices of the racks strongly depend on the racks location in the racks array, (ii the CRACs units layout affects the thermal managements of the racks array especially the sides and middle racks in the array, and (iii using cold aisle containments enhances the thermal performance of the data center.

Multiple mini-interview as a predictor of performance in the objective structured clinical examination among Physician Associates in the United Kingdom: a cohort study

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Narendra; Bhardwaj, Shailaja; Rahman, Eqram

2018-01-01

Introduction Patient satisfaction and health care outcomes are directly linked to useful communication skills. Therefore, excellent interpersonal skills are imperative for health care professionals. Multiple mini-interview (MMI) is designed as a selection tool to assess the communication skills of applicants in medical schools during the admission process. However, objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) assesses students’ communication and clinical skills at the end of their academic terms. Recently, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, UK, adopted MMI in the selection process for the first cohort of MSc Physician Associate trainees for the academic year 2015–2016. This study aimed to determine the likelihood of MMI as a predictor of future performance of communication skills in the OSCE. Materials and methods The anonymous data of the average scores of communication skills attained in MMI and OSCE at the end of year 1 were collected for 30 students from the Physician Associate program team. Subsequently, Pearson’s correlation was computed to determine the relationship between the average scores of communication skills attained in MMI, and OSCE during trimester 2 and trimester 3 by the Physician Associate trainees. Results The study showed positive correlation between the scores of communication skills attained in MMI and OSCE during trimester 2 (r=0.956, n=30, p<0.001) and trimester 3 (r=0.966, n=30, p<0.001). Conclusion The study provides empirical evidence for the validity of MMI as a predictor of future performance of Physician Associate trainees’ communication skills during subsequent OSCEs. PMID:29695944

Annex 2: performance audit tool PAT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kaldorf, S.; Gruber, P.

2000-10-15

This annex to the report takes a look at experience gained with one of two expert systems used for error-detection and diagnosis in existing buildings. The Performance Audit Tool PAT is based on an expert system for the detection and diagnosis of under-performance. Its aim is to assist the system's operator. It was developed as a stand-alone system which periodically runs a remote detection and diagnosis check. The various types of under-performance that the system can detect are discussed. The first objective of this study was to present the structure of the tool and describe its application to two types of system: a central air-handling unit and individual zones. The second objective was to discuss experience gained with this type of tool.

40 CFR 63.9620 - On which units and by what date must I conduct performance tests or other initial compliance...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... units and by what date must I conduct performance tests or other initial compliance demonstrations? (a... similar emission units together and conduct an initial compliance test on one representative emission unit... meet the criteria in paragraph (f) of this section. If you decide to test representative emission units...

General object recognition is specific: Evidence from novel and familiar objects.

Science.gov (United States)

Richler, Jennifer J; Wilmer, Jeremy B; Gauthier, Isabel

2017-09-01

In tests of object recognition, individual differences typically correlate modestly but nontrivially across familiar categories (e.g. cars, faces, shoes, birds, mushrooms). In theory, these correlations could reflect either global, non-specific mechanisms, such as general intelligence (IQ), or more specific mechanisms. Here, we introduce two separate methods for effectively capturing category-general performance variation, one that uses novel objects and one that uses familiar objects. In each case, we show that category-general performance variance is unrelated to IQ, thereby implicating more specific mechanisms. The first approach examines three newly developed novel object memory tests (NOMTs). We predicted that NOMTs would exhibit more shared, category-general variance than familiar object memory tests (FOMTs) because novel objects, unlike familiar objects, lack category-specific environmental influences (e.g. exposure to car magazines or botany classes). This prediction held, and remarkably, virtually none of the substantial shared variance among NOMTs was explained by IQ. Also, while NOMTs correlated nontrivially with two FOMTs (faces, cars), these correlations were smaller than among NOMTs and no larger than between the face and car tests themselves, suggesting that the category-general variance captured by NOMTs is specific not only relative to IQ, but also, to some degree, relative to both face and car recognition. The second approach averaged performance across multiple FOMTs, which we predicted would increase category-general variance by averaging out category-specific factors. This prediction held, and as with NOMTs, virtually none of the shared variance among FOMTs was explained by IQ. Overall, these results support the existence of object recognition mechanisms that, though category-general, are specific relative to IQ and substantially separable from face and car recognition. They also add sensitive, well-normed NOMTs to the tools available to study

Automatic video segmentation employing object/camera modeling techniques

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Farin, D.S.

2005-01-01

Practically established video compression and storage techniques still process video sequences as rectangular images without further semantic structure. However, humans watching a video sequence immediately recognize acting objects as semantic units. This semantic object separation is currently not

Environmental performance reviews: United States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2006-01-15

This book presents OECD assessments and recommendations regarding the United States' effort to manage its environment including air, water nature, and biodiversity to do this in a sustainable manner; and to do this in co-operation with its global neighbours. In particular, it assesses progress made since 1996, when OECD's previous review on the US was done. 40 figs., 21 tabs.

Vogtle Unit 1 readiness review: Assessment of Georgia Power Company readiness review pilot program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lewis, G.

1987-09-01

Georgia Power Company (GPC) performed a readiness review at Vogtle Unit 1 as a pilot program. The pilot program was a new and innovative approach for the systematic and disciplined review, with senior management involvement, of GPC's implementation of design, construction, and operational readiness processes. The program's principal objective was to increase the level of assurance that quality programs at Vogtle Unit 1 have been accomplished in accordance with regulatory requirements. This report assesses the effectiveness of the GPC's readiness review pilot program (RRPP) at Vogtle Unit 1. It includes (1) an overview of what was experienced during the program's implementation, (2) an assessment of how well program objectives were met, and (3) lessons learned on the future use of the readiness review concept. Overall, GPC and the NRC staff believe that the RRPP at Vogtle Unit 1 was a success and that the program provided significant added assurance that Vogtle Unit 1 licensing commitments and NRC regulations have been adequately implemented. Although altering the NRC licensing review process for the few plants still in the construction pipeline may not be appropriate, licensees may benefit significantly by performing readiness reviews on their own initiative as GPC did for Vogtle. (7 refs.)

The use of Leeds Test Objects in the assessment of the performance of radiological imaging systems: an introduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cowen, A.R.

1986-01-01

Over the preceding decade the Leeds Radiological Imaging Group have developed a range of test objects with which to assess the performance of radiological imaging systems. The types of imaging equipment which can be assessed include X-ray image intensifier television systems, small-format 100mm/105mm fluorography systems and radiographic screen-film combinations. We have recently extended our interest to the evaluation of digital radiological imaging equipment including digital subtraction fluorography and digital (greyscale) radiographic imaging systems. These test objects were initially developed for the purpose of evaluating imaging performance under laboratory conditions but they have also proved useful under field (clinical) conditions. (author)

The association between self-perceived proficiency of personal protective equipment and objective performance: An observational study during a bioterrorism simulation drill.

Science.gov (United States)

Fogel, Itay; David, Osant; Balik, Chaya H; Eisenkraft, Arik; Poles, Lion; Shental, Omri; Kassirer, Michael; Brosh-Nissimov, Tal

2017-11-01

The recent Ebola virus disease outbreak emphasized the potential misuse of personal protective equipment (PPE) by health care workers (HCWs) during such an event. We aimed to compare self-perceived proficiency of PPE use and objective performance, and identify predictors of low compliance and PPE misuse. An observational study combined with subjective questionnaires were carried out during a bioterror simulation drill. Forty-two observers evaluated performance under PPE. Mistakes were recorded and graded using a structured observational format and were correlated with the subjective questionnaires and with demographic parameters. One hundred seventy-eight HCWs from community clinics and hospitals were included. The mean self-perceived proficiency was high (6.1 out of 7), mean level of comfort was moderate (4.0 out of 7), and mean objective performance was intermediate (9.5 out of 13). There was no correlation between comfort and objective performance scores. Self-perceived proficiency was in correlation with donning and continuous performance with PPE but not with doffing. Clinic personnel performed better than personnel in hospitals (40.3% vs 67.8% with 3 or more mistakes, respectively; P = .001). Demographic characteristics had no correlation with objective or self-perceived performance. Self-perceived proficiency is a poor predictor of appropriate PPE use. The results suggest poor awareness of the possibility of PPE misuse. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of a unit cell model for interim performance assessment of vitrified low level waste disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kline, N.W.

1995-09-01

The unit cell modeling approach has been developed and used in analysis of some design options for a vitrified low level waste disposal facility. The unit cell modeling approach is likely to be useful in interim performance assessment for the facility. The present unit cell model will probably need to be refitted in terms of some model parameters for the latter purpose. Two present disposal facility concepts differ in the length of a capillary barrier proposed to limit effective recharge through the top of the facility. Results of the study summarized herein suggest design of a capillary barrier which can reduce a recharge rate of 0.1 cm/yr by one or two orders of magnitude seems feasible for both concepts. A benchmark comparison of the unit cell model against a full facility model shows comparable predictive accuracy in less than one percent of the computer time. Results suggest that model parameters include capillary barrier performance, inter-canister spacing, rate of moisture withdrawal due to glass corrosion, contaminant inventory, and the well interceptor factor. It is also important that variations of waste form hydraulic parameters suggest that transport through the waste form is dominated by diffusion

Stochastic hydrogeologic units and hydrogeologic properties development for total-system performance assessments. Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schenker, A.R.; Guerin, D.C.; Robey, T.H.; Rautman, C.A.; Barnard, R.W.

1995-09-01

A stochastic representation of the lithologic units and associated hydrogeologic parameters of the potential high-level nuclear waste repository are developed for use in performance-assessment calculations, including the Total-System Performance Assessment for Yucca Mountain-SNL Second Iteration (TSPA-1993). A simplified lithologic model has been developed based on the physical characteristics of the welded and nonwelded units at Yucca Mountain. Ten hydrogeologic units are developed from site-specific data (lithologic and geophysical logs and core photographs) obtained from the unsaturated and saturated zones. The three-dimensional geostatistical model of the ten hydrogeologic units is based on indicator-coding techniques and improves on the two-dimensional model developed for TSPA91. The hydrogeologic properties (statistics and probability distribution functions) are developed from the results of laboratory tests and in-situ aquifer tests or are derived through fundamental relationships. Hydrogeologic properties for matrix properties, bulk conductivities, and fractures are developed from existing site specific data. Extensive data are available for matrix porosity, bulk density, and matrix saturated conductivity. For other hydrogeologic properties, the data are minimal or nonexistent. Parameters for the properties are developed as beta probability distribution functions. For the model units without enough data for analysis, parameters are developed as analogs to existing units. A relational, analytic approach coupled with bulk conductivity parameters is used to develop fracture parameters based on the smooth-wall-parallel-plate theory. An analytic method is introduced for scaling small-core matrix properties to the hydrogeologic unit scales

Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco Bay area : developing regional objectives and performance measures to improve system operations

Science.gov (United States)

2009-04-01

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) uses an objectives-driven, performance-based approach in its transportation planning for the San Francisco Bay Area. This approach focuses attention on transportation investments of highest priority. T...

Objective function for the environmental assessment of waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toy, A.J.; Boegel, J.; Cohen, J.J.

1976-01-01

Various waste management systems were examined in order to determine what the environmental impacts might be and to rank the relative importance of those impacts. This examination determined that radiation dose to man was the most significant, and probably overriding, impact. This report describes methods of providing an objective function for dose to man. The search for an objective function began with a reading of Federal Regulations and the output of various standard setting councils and committees. Ample guidance was found on maximum allowable doses to individuals but no guidance on dose to large populations or criteria by which systems could be compared or optimized. Several other ways were postulated by which waste management systems could be evaluated besides maximum allowable dose to individuals. 0.1 man-rem per MW(e)-year was selected as the measure of system performance. This unit compares a rational estimate of population dose commitment with the concurrent benefit

Large-area landslide susceptibility with optimized slope-units

Science.gov (United States)

Alvioli, Massimiliano; Marchesini, Ivan; Reichenbach, Paola; Rossi, Mauro; Ardizzone, Francesca; Fiorucci, Federica; Guzzetti, Fausto

2017-04-01

A Slope-Unit (SU) is a type of morphological terrain unit bounded by drainage and divide lines that maximize the within-unit homogeneity and the between-unit heterogeneity across distinct physical and geographical boundaries [1]. Compared to other terrain subdivisions, SU are morphological terrain unit well related to the natural (i.e., geological, geomorphological, hydrological) processes that shape and characterize natural slopes. This makes SU easily recognizable in the field or in topographic base maps, and well suited for environmental and geomorphological analysis, in particular for landslide susceptibility (LS) modelling. An optimal subdivision of an area into a set of SU depends on multiple factors: size and complexity of the study area, quality and resolution of the available terrain elevation data, purpose of the terrain subdivision, scale and resolution of the phenomena for which SU are delineated. We use the recently developed r.slopeunits software [2,3] for the automatic, parametric delineation of SU within the open source GRASS GIS based on terrain elevation data and a small number of user-defined parameters. The software provides subdivisions consisting of SU with different shapes and sizes, as a function of the input parameters. In this work, we describe a procedure for the optimal selection of the user parameters through the production of a large number of realizations of the LS model. We tested the software and the optimization procedure in a 2,000 km2 area in Umbria, Central Italy. For LS zonation we adopt a logistic regression model implemented in an well-known software [4,5], using about 50 independent variables. To select the optimal SU partition for LS zonation, we want to define a metric which is able to quantify simultaneously: (i) slope-unit internal homogeneity (ii) slope-unit external heterogeneity (iii) landslide susceptibility model performance. To this end, we define a comprehensive objective function S, as the product of three

Structural Performance of the Second Oldest Glued-Laminated Structure in the United States

Science.gov (United States)

Douglas R. Rammer; Jorge de Melo Moura; Robert J. Ross

2014-01-01

The second glued-laminated structure built in the United States was constructed at the USDA Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) in 1934 to demonstrate the performance of wooden arch buildings. After 75 years of use the structure was decommissioned in 2010. Shortly after construction, researchers structurally evaluated the glued-laminated arch structure for uniform loading...

Performance analysis of phase-change material storage unit for both heating and cooling of buildings

Science.gov (United States)

Waqas, Adeel; Ali, Majid; Ud Din, Zia

2017-04-01

Utilisation of solar energy and the night ambient (cool) temperatures are the passive ways of heating and cooling of buildings. Intermittent and time-dependent nature of these sources makes thermal energy storage vital for efficient and continuous operation of these heating and cooling techniques. Latent heat thermal energy storage by phase-change materials (PCMs) is preferred over other storage techniques due to its high-energy storage density and isothermal storage process. The current study was aimed to evaluate the performance of the air-based PCM storage unit utilising solar energy and cool ambient night temperatures for comfort heating and cooling of a building in dry-cold and dry-hot climates. The performance of the studied PCM storage unit was maximised when the melting point of the PCM was ∼29°C in summer and 21°C during winter season. The appropriate melting point was ∼27.5°C for all-the-year-round performance. At lower melting points than 27.5°C, declination in the cooling capacity of the storage unit was more profound as compared to the improvement in the heating capacity. Also, it was concluded that the melting point of the PCM that provided maximum cooling during summer season could be used for winter heating also but not vice versa.

Computerized nursing process in the Intensive Care Unit: ergonomics and usability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sônia Regina Wagner de Almeida

Full Text Available Abstract OBJECTIVE Analyzing the ergonomics and usability criteria of the Computerized Nursing Process based on the International Classification for Nursing Practice in the Intensive Care Unit according to International Organization for Standardization(ISO. METHOD A quantitative, quasi-experimental, before-and-after study with a sample of 16 participants performed in an Intensive Care Unit. Data collection was performed through the application of five simulated clinical cases and an evaluation instrument. Data analysis was performed by descriptive and inferential statistics. RESULTS The organization, content and technical criteria were considered "excellent", and the interface criteria were considered "very good", obtaining means of 4.54, 4.60, 4.64 and 4.39, respectively. The analyzed standards obtained means above 4.0, being considered "very good" by the participants. CONCLUSION The Computerized Nursing Processmet ergonomic and usability standards according to the standards set by ISO. This technology supports nurses' clinical decision-making by providing complete and up-to-date content for Nursing practice in the Intensive Care Unit.

Does real-time objective feedback and competition improve performance and quality in manikin CPR training--a prospective observational study from several European EMS.

Science.gov (United States)

Smart, J R; Kranz, K; Carmona, F; Lindner, T W; Newton, A

2015-10-15

Previous studies have reported that the quality of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is important for patient survival. Real time objective feedback during manikin training has been shown to improve CPR performance. Objective measurement could facilitate competition and help motivate participants to improve their CPR performance. The aims of this study were to investigate whether real time objective feedback on manikins helps improve CPR performance and whether competition between separate European Emergency Medical Services (EMS) and between participants at each EMS helps motivation to train. Ten European EMS took part in the study and was carried out in two stages. At Stage 1, each EMS provided 20 pre-hospital professionals. A questionnaire was completed and standardised assessment scenarios were performed for adult and infant out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). CPR performance was objectively measured and recorded but no feedback given. Between Stage 1 and 2, each EMS was given access to manikins for 6 months and instructed on how to use with objective real-time CPR feedback available. Stage 2 was undertaken and was a repeat of Stage 1 with a questionnaire with additional questions relating to usefulness of feedback and the competition nature of the study (using a 10 point Likert score). The EMS that improved the most from Stage 1 to Stage 2 was declared the winner. An independent samples Student t-test was used to analyse the objective CPR metrics with the significance level taken as p Competition between EMS organisations recorded a mean score of 5.8 and competition between participants recorded a mean score of 6.0. The results suggest that the use of real time objective feedback can significantly help improve CPR performance. Competition, especially between participants, appeared to encourage staff to practice and this study suggests that competition might have a useful role to help motivate staff to perform CPR training.

Heat transfer and thermal storage performance of an open thermosyphon type thermal storage unit with tubular phase change material canisters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Ping-Yang; Hu, Bo-Wen; Liu, Zhen-Hua

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A novel open heat pipe thermal storage unit is design to improve its performance. • Mechanism of its operation is phase-change heat transfer. • Tubular canisters with phase change material were placed in thermal storage unit. • Experiment and analysis are carried out to investigate its operation properties. - Abstract: A novel open thermosyphon-type thermal storage unit is presented to improve design and performance of heat pipe type thermal storage unit. In the present study, tubular canisters filled with a solid–liquid phase change material are vertically placed in the middle of the thermal storage unit. The phase change material melts at 100 °C. Water is presented as the phase-change heat transfer medium of the thermal storage unit. The tubular canister is wrapped tightly with a layer of stainless steel mesh to increase the surface wettability. The heat transfer mechanism of charging/discharging is similar to that of the thermosyphon. Heat transfer between the heat resource or cold resource and the phase change material in this device occurs in the form of a cyclic phase change of the heat-transfer medium, which occurs on the surface of the copper tubes and has an extremely high heat-transfer coefficient. A series of experiments and theoretical analyses are carried out to investigate the properties of the thermal storage unit, including power distribution, start-up performance, and temperature difference between the phase change material and the surrounding vapor. The results show that the whole system has excellent heat-storage/heat-release performance

Object-Spatial Visualization and Verbal Cognitive Styles, and Their Relation to Cognitive Abilities and Mathematical Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Haciomeroglu, Erhan Selcuk

2016-01-01

The present study investigated the object-spatial visualization and verbal cognitive styles among high school students and related differences in spatial ability, verbal-logical reasoning ability, and mathematical performance of those students. Data were collected from 348 students enrolled in Advanced Placement calculus courses at six high…

Associative recognition and the hippocampus: differential effects of hippocampal lesions on object-place, object-context and object-place-context memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Langston, Rosamund F; Wood, Emma R

2010-10-01

The hippocampus is thought to be required for the associative recognition of objects together with the spatial or temporal contexts in which they occur. However, recent data showing that rats with fornix lesions perform as well as controls in an object-place task, while being impaired on an object-place-context task (Eacott and Norman (2004) J Neurosci 24:1948-1953), suggest that not all forms of context-dependent associative recognition depend on the integrity of the hippocampus. To examine the role of the hippocampus in context-dependent recognition directly, the present study tested the effects of large, selective, bilateral hippocampus lesions in rats on performance of a series of spontaneous recognition memory tasks: object recognition, object-place recognition, object-context recognition and object-place-context recognition. Consistent with the effects of fornix lesions, animals with hippocampus lesions were impaired only on the object-place-context task. These data confirm that not all forms of context-dependent associative recognition are mediated by the hippocampus. Subsequent experiments suggested that the object-place task does not require an allocentric representation of space, which could account for the lack of impairment following hippocampus lesions. Importantly, as the object-place-context task has similar spatial requirements, the selective deficit in object-place-context recognition suggests that this task requires hippocampus-dependent neural processes distinct from those required for allocentric spatial memory, or for object memory, object-place memory or object-context memory. Two possibilities are that object, place, and context information converge only in the hippocampus, or that recognition of integrated object-place-context information requires a hippocampus-dependent mode of retrieval, such as recollection. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A PERFORMANCE MODELING AND DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR A FEED WATER UNIT OF A THERMAL POWER PLANT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Gupta

2012-01-01

Full Text Available

ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The present paper discusses the performance modeling and decision support system for a feed water unit of a thermal power plant using the concept of performance analysis and modeling. A feed water unit ensures a proper supply of water for the sound functioning of a thermal power plant. The decision support system for a feed water unit has been developed with the help of performance modeling using a probabilistic approach. After drawing a transition diagram, differential equations are generated. After that, steady state probabilities are determined. Some decision matrices are also developed, which provide various performance levels for different combinations of failure and repair rates of all subsystems. Based upon various availability values obtained in decision matrices and plots of failure rates / repair rates of various subsystems, the performance of each subsystem is analyzed, and maintenance decisions are made for all subsystems.

AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Vertoningsanalise en –modellering word gedoen vir die toevoerwatersisteem van ‘n termiese kragstasie. Toevoerwater is ‘n belangrike factor vir die doeltreffende bedryf van ‘n kragstasie. Die vertoningsanalise en –model is probalisties van aard. ‘n Toestandoorgangsdiagram en bypassende differensiaalvergelykings word gebruik, gevolg deur bepaling van die bestandige sisteemtoestand. Bykomende aandag word gegee aan relevante subsisteme. Die vertoning van subsisteme word gebasseer op verskeie beskikbaarheidswaardes om sodoende instandhouding to optimiseer.

Using Lean principles to manage throughput on an inpatient rehabilitation unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiodo, Anthony; Wilke, Ruste; Bakshi, Rishi; Craig, Anita; Duwe, Doug; Hurvitz, Edward

2012-11-01

Performance improvement is a mainstay of operations management and maintenance of certification. In this study at a University Hospital inpatient rehabilitation unit, Lean management techniques were used to manage throughput of patients into and out of the inpatient rehabilitation unit. At the start of this process, the average admission time to the rehabilitation unit was 5:00 p.m., with a median time of 3:30 p.m., and no patients received therapy on the day of admission. Within 8 mos, the mean admission time was 1:22 p.m., 50% of the patients were on the rehabilitation unit by 1:00 p.m., and more than 70% of all patients received therapy on the day of admission. Negative variance from this performance was evaluated, the identification of inefficient discharges holding up admissions as a problem was identified, and a Lean workshop was initiated. Once this problem was tackled, the prime objective of 70% of patients receiving therapy on the date of admission was consistently met. Lean management tools are effective in improving throughput on an inpatient rehabilitation unit.

Engine Tune-up Service. Unit 2: Charging System. Review Exercise Book. Automotive Mechanics Curriculum.

Science.gov (United States)

Richardson, Roger L.; Bacon, E. Miles

This book of pretests and review exercises is designed to accompany the Engine Tune-Up Service Student Guide for Unit 2, Charging System, available separately as CE 031 208. Focus of the exercises and pretests is testing the charging system. Pretests and performance checklists are provided for each of the three performance objectives contained in…

Nuclear power plant performance statistics. Comparison with fossil-fired units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tabet, C.; Laue, H.J.; Qureshi, A.; Skjoeldebrand, R.; White, D.

1983-01-01

The joint UNIPEDE/World Energy Conference Committee on Availability of Thermal Generating Plants has a mandate to study the availability of thermal plants and the different factors that influence it. This has led to the collection and publication at the Congress of the World Energy Conference (WEC) every third year of availability and unavailability factors to be used in systems reliability studies and operations and maintenance planning. For nuclear power plants the joint UNIPEDE/WEC Committee relies on the IAEA to provide availability and unavailability data. The IAEA has published an annual report with operating data from nuclear plants in its Member States since 1971, covering in addition back data from the early 1960s. These reports have developed over the years and in the early 1970s the format was brought into close conformity with that used by UNIPEDE and WEC to report performance of fossil-fired generating plants. Since 1974 an annual analytical summary report has been prepared. In 1981 all information on operating experience with nuclear power plants was placed in a computer file for easier reference. The computerized Power Reactor Information System (PRIS) ensures that data are easily retrievable and at its present level it remains compatible with various national systems. The objectives for the IAEA data collection and evaluation have developed significantly since 1970. At first, the IAEA primarily wanted to enable the individual power plant operator to compare the performance of his own plant with that of others of the same type; when enough data had been collected, they provided the basis for assessment of the fundamental performance parameters used in economic project studies; now, the data base merits being used in setting availability objectives for power plant operations. (author)

Traceable working standards with SI units of radiance for characterizing the measurement performance of investigational clinical NIRF imaging devices

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Banghe; Rasmussen, John C.; Litorja, Maritoni; Sevick-Muraca, Eva M.

2017-03-01

All medical devices for Food and Drug market approval require specifications of performance based upon International System of Units (SI) or units derived from SI for reasons of traceability. Recently, near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging devices of a variety of designs have emerged on the market and in investigational clinical studies. Yet the design of devices used in the clinical studies vary widely, suggesting variable device performance. Device performance depends upon optimal excitation of NIRF imaging agents, rejection of backscattered excitation and ambient light, and selective collection of fluorescence emanating from the fluorophore. There remains no traceable working standards with SI units of radiance to enable prediction that a given molecular imaging agent can be detected in humans by a given NIRF imaging device. Furthermore, as technologies evolve and as NIRF imaging device components change, there remains no standardized means to track device improvements over time and establish clinical performance without involving clinical trials, often costly. In this study, we deployed a methodology to calibrate luminescent radiance of a stable, solid phantom in SI units of mW/cm2/sr for characterizing the measurement performance of ICCD and IsCMOS camera based NIRF imaging devices, such as signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast. The methodology allowed determination of superior SNR of the ICCD over the IsCMOS system; comparable contrast of ICCD and IsCMOS depending upon binning strategies.

The FMEA Analysis for Fuel Handling System at Cernavoda Unit 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jin Hee; Kim, Tae Woon; Rhee, Bo Wook; Yoon, Chul; Kim, Hyeong Tae; Cho, In Gil; Kim, Seong Ho

2006-01-01

A Nuclear Safety Evaluation was performed by an independent assessor at the request of the regulatory authority CNCAN (Comisia Nationala pentru Controlul Activitatilor Nucleare. National Committee for Nuclear Activities Control in Romania) to provide an independent overview of all the nuclear safety aspects of Cernavoda Unit 2 under construction and an expert opinion whether the completed Cernavoda Unit-2 Nuclear Power Plant would satisfy current Western European nuclear safety objectives and practices. A report was produced (Cernavoda 2 Nuclear Safety Expert Project, 'Task 10 . Safety Evaluation Report', A.F.Parsons, NNC Limited, December 2001) and contains recommendations either mandatory or advisory. The FMEA study, one of the mandatory recommendations, is performing now for fuel handling system and radioactive waste handling system for Cernavoda unit 2 in Romania sponsored by KHNP. In this paper, only the FMEA study for fuel handling system is presented

Symbol error rate performance evaluation of the LM37 multimegabit telemetry modulator-demodulator unit

Science.gov (United States)

Malek, H.

1981-01-01

The LM37 multimegabit telemetry modulator-demodulator unit was tested for evaluation of its symbol error rate (SER) performance. Using an automated test setup, the SER tests were carried out at various symbol rates and signal-to-noise ratios (SNR), ranging from +10 to -10 dB. With the aid of a specially designed error detector and a stabilized signal and noise summation unit, measurement of the SER at low SNR was possible. The results of the tests show that at symbol rates below 20 megasymbols per second (MS)s) and input SNR above -6 dB, the SER performance of the modem is within the specified 0.65 to 1.5 dB of the theoretical error curve. At symbol rates above 20 MS/s, the specification is met at SNR's down to -2 dB. The results of the SER tests are presented with the description of the test setup and the measurement procedure.

Performance evaluation of an open-cathode PEM fuel cell stack under ambient conditions: Case study of United Arab Emirates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Zeyoudi, Hend; Sasmito, Agus P.; Shamim, Tariq

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Performance evaluation of open-cathode PEM fuel cell stacks with forced air-convection. • Stack performance can vary up to 40% from winter to summer. • Hot and arid condition leads to membrane drying and performance deterioration. • Anode humidification improves the stack performance up to 40% during summer. - Abstract: The open-cathode polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell stack has been a promising candidate as a sustainable energy conversion system for replacing fossil fuel-based energy conversion devices in portable and automotive applications. As the ambient air is directly used to provide both oxidant and cooling, the complex cooling loop can be avoided which reduces the complexity and cost. However, the stack performance is highly affected by ambient conditions, i.e., ambient temperature and humidity. In this study, the effect of monthly ambient air conditions (temperature and humidity) is evaluated with respect to the stack’s power production performance as well as thermal, water and gas management by employing a validated three-dimensional open-cathode PEM fuel cell stack model. The annual climate data from the hot and arid environment of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) are used as a case study. The objective is to develop a better fundamental understanding of the interactions of physical phenomena in a fuel cell stack, which can assist in improving the performance and operation of an open-cathode PEM fuel cell-powered vehicle. The results indicate that the stack performance can vary significantly (up to 40%) from winter to summer, especially at high operating currents, with significant changes in the stack temperature and the water content at the membrane. Moreover, the anode humidification results in a significant improvement in the stack performance (up to 40%) in hot and dry conditions. However, a careful balance has to be struck between the humidifier parasitic load and the stack power.

Safety objectives for 2014

CERN Multimedia

HSE Unit

2014-01-01

This is the third year in which the CERN Management has presented annual safety objectives for the Organization, the “HSE Objectives”.   The HSE objectives for 2014, which were announced by the Director-General at his traditional New Year’s address to the staff and were presented at the first Enlarged Directorate meeting of the year, have been drawn up and agreed in close collaboration between the DSOs, the HSE Unit and the DG himself. From safety in the workplace to radiation and environmental protection, the document emphasises that “Safety is a priority for CERN” and that safety policy is a key element in how the Organization is run. And, like all policies, it generates objectives that “serve as a general framework for action”. The HSE objectives are broken down into the following fields: occupational health and safety on sites and in the workplace, radiation protection, radiation safety, environmental protection, emerge...

Performance of a system with full- and pilot-scale sludge drying reed bed units treating septic tank sludge in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Calderón-Vallejo, Luisa Fernanda; Andrade, Cynthia Franco; Manjate, Elias Sete; Madera-Parra, Carlos Arturo; von Sperling, Marcos

2015-01-01

This study investigated the performance of sludge drying reed beds (SDRB) at full- and pilot-scale treating sludge from septic tanks in the city of Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The treatment units, planted with Cynodon spp., were based on an adaptation of the first-stage of the French vertical-flow constructed wetland, originally developed for treating sewage. Two different operational phases were investigated; in the first one, the full-scale unit was used together with six pilot-scale columns in order to test different feeding strategies. For the second phase, only the full-scale unit was used, including a recirculation of the filtered effluent (percolate) to one of the units of the French vertical wetland. Sludge application was done once a week emptying a full truck, during 25 weeks. The sludge was predominantly diluted, leading to low solids loading rates (median values of 18 kgTS m(-2) year(-1)). Chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency in the full-scale unit was reasonable (median of 71%), but the total solids removal was only moderate (median of 44%) in the full-scale unit without recirculation. Recirculation did not bring substantial improvements in the overall performance. The other loading conditions implemented in the pilot columns also did not show statistically different performances.

Automatic and Objective Assessment of Alternating Tapping Performance in Parkinson’s Disease

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mevludin Memedi

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents the development and evaluation of a method for enabling quantitative and automatic scoring of alternating tapping performance of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD. Ten healthy elderly subjects and 95 patients in different clinical stages of PD have utilized a touch-pad handheld computer to perform alternate tapping tests in their home environments. First, a neurologist used a web-based system to visually assess impairments in four tapping dimensions (‘speed’, ‘accuracy’, ‘fatigue’ and ‘arrhythmia’ and a global tapping severity (GTS. Second, tapping signals were processed with time series analysis and statistical methods to derive 24 quantitative parameters. Third, principal component analysis was used to reduce the dimensions of these parameters and to obtain scores for the four dimensions. Finally, a logistic regression classifier was trained using a 10-fold stratified cross-validation to map the reduced parameters to the corresponding visually assessed GTS scores. Results showed that the computed scores correlated well to visually assessed scores and were significantly different across Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale scores of upper limb motor performance. In addition, they had good internal consistency, had good ability to discriminate between healthy elderly and patients in different disease stages, had good sensitivity to treatment interventions and could reflect the natural disease progression over time. In conclusion, the automatic method can be useful to objectively assess the tapping performance of PD patients and can be included in telemedicine tools for remote monitoring of tapping.

The United States Department of Energy process for performance assessment for disposal of low-level radioactive waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, D.E.; Owens, K.W.; Wilhite, E.L.; Duggan, G.J.

1993-02-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) manages disposal of low-level radioactive waste through the requirements of DOE Order 5820.2A on Radioactive Waste Management. The order specifies long-term performance objectives for permanent disposal, requires a performance assessment to determine compliance with those objectives, and establishes a Peer Review Panel to review those assessments for technical quality and completeness. A Performance Assessment Task Team has been established to provide guidance and recommend policy for implementation and interpretation of the requirements to those preparing the assessments. This paper describes the requirements, the Peer Review Panel, the Performance Assessment Task Team, and their activities to date

Hydrologic Model Development and Calibration: Contrasting a Single- and Multi-Objective Approach for Comparing Model Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Asadzadeh, M.; Maclean, A.; Tolson, B. A.; Burn, D. H.

2009-05-01

Hydrologic model calibration aims to find a set of parameters that adequately simulates observations of watershed behavior, such as streamflow, or a state variable, such as snow water equivalent (SWE). There are different metrics for evaluating calibration effectiveness that involve quantifying prediction errors, such as the Nash-Sutcliffe (NS) coefficient and bias evaluated for the entire calibration period, on a seasonal basis, for low flows, or for high flows. Many of these metrics are conflicting such that the set of parameters that maximizes the high flow NS differs from the set of parameters that maximizes the low flow NS. Conflicting objectives are very likely when different calibration objectives are based on different fluxes and/or state variables (e.g., NS based on streamflow versus SWE). One of the most popular ways to balance different metrics is to aggregate them based on their importance and find the set of parameters that optimizes a weighted sum of the efficiency metrics. Comparing alternative hydrologic models (e.g., assessing model improvement when a process or more detail is added to the model) based on the aggregated objective might be misleading since it represents one point on the tradeoff of desired error metrics. To derive a more comprehensive model comparison, we solved a bi-objective calibration problem to estimate the tradeoff between two error metrics for each model. Although this approach is computationally more expensive than the aggregation approach, it results in a better understanding of the effectiveness of selected models at each level of every error metric and therefore provides a better rationale for judging relative model quality. The two alternative models used in this study are two MESH hydrologic models (version 1.2) of the Wolf Creek Research basin that differ in their watershed spatial discretization (a single Grouped Response Unit, GRU, versus multiple GRUs). The MESH model, currently under development by Environment

Quantifying risk and benchmarking performance in the adult intensive care unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Higgins, Thomas L

2007-01-01

Morbidity, mortality, and length-of-stay outcomes in patients receiving critical care are difficult to interpret unless they are risk-stratified for diagnosis, presenting severity of illness, and other patient characteristics. Acuity adjustment systems for adults include the Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE), the Mortality Probability Model (MPM), and the Simplified Acute Physiology Score (SAPS). All have recently been updated and recalibrated to reflect contemporary results. Specialized scores are also available for patient subpopulations where general acuity scores have drawbacks. Demand for outcomes data is likely to grow with pay-for-performance initiatives as well as for routine clinical, prognostic, administrative, and research applications. It is important for clinicians to understand how these scores are derived and how they are properly applied to quantify patient severity of illness and benchmark intensive care unit performance.

Characterization of natural organic colorants in historical and art objects by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Pauk, Volodymyr; Barták, Petr; Lemr, Karel

2014-12-01

High-performance liquid chromatography plays an important role in analysis of historical organic colorants. A number of papers have been published in this field over the last 30 years. Classification of the most commonly used natural dyes and an overview of high-performance liquid chromatography methods with main focus on recent works (2008 to the beginning of 2014) are provided. The review deals with an entire analytical protocol covering sample preparation, chromatographic separation, and suitable detection (UV/visible and fluorescent spectroscopy and mass spectrometric techniques). High-performance liquid chromatography has been successfully used in the complete characterization of some organic dyestuffs present in historical and art objects. The possibilities and difficulties for identification of natural sources of historical colorants are also discussed. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

THE EFFICIENCY OF GAS-PUMPING UNITS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. I. Kupreev

2016-01-01

Full Text Available . The reliability of the gas transmission network of the JSC “Gazprom Transgaz Belarus” depends on the efficiency of gas compressor units. Pipeline transport takes the first place among all the other ways to deliver gas because it ensures a uniform and uninterrupted supply of gas at minimum costs. The main objects of main gas pipelines include process areas, including several compressor stations and sections of the pipeline between them. Currently, a significant part of the main equipment of the gas industry is approaching its deadline of operation, which causes decrease in energy efficiency and reliability of the transmission system. At compressor plants of the JSC “Gazprom Transgaz Belarus” there are more than 4000 gas compressor units in operation including about 80% ones with gas turbine drives. It is clear that the drives of these units take a significant proportion of the pumped gas. For many years the company invests and actively participates in the creation of modern gas-pumping units practicing the wide use of conversion potential of the CIS countries. In recent years, a comprehensive approach to the assessment of the reliability and efficiency of objects of gas pipelines on the basis of mathematical modeling is actively applied. Together with the development of computer supervisory and control this opens up opportunities to improve energy efficiency in pipeline transport of gas on the basis of mathematical models and processes. The real effect obtaining is based on the actual performance of the equipment that needs to be monitored over time and to clarify.

From manager’s emotional intelligence to objective store performance : Through store cohesiveness and sales-directed employee behavior

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wilderom, C.P.M.; Hur, Y.; Wiersma, U.J.; van den Berg, Petrus; Lee, J.

2015-01-01

The relationships among manager's emotional intelligence, store cohesiveness, sales-directed employee behavior, and objective store performance were investigated. Non-managerial sales employees of a large retail electronics chain in South Korea (N = 1611) rated the emotional intelligence of their

Equipment performance and radiation protection status in X-ray fluoroscopy units in Sudan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmed, N. A.; Nayl, A. I.; Suliman, I. I.

2012-01-01

The number of fluoroscopy and fluoroscopically guided procedures has been substantially growing in developing countries at the same time advanced and sophisticated equipment are used in some hospitals. However, radiation protection requirements are not necessarily well adopted. In this study nine fluoroscopy X-ray units in Sudan were examined for compliance with international standards. The tests included: beam quality, entrance surface air kerma, image quality and radiation field measurements. Staff radiation protection tools such as lead aprons and eye glasses were also visually examined to find out whether international recommendations were fulfilled and to determine the level of staff awareness. The measured peak tube voltage deviation exceeded the recommended tolerance level in 30 % of the measurements. The results of patient doses measurements exceeded the recommended reference dose levels in 43 % of the measurements; however image quality and radiation field generally fulfilled the requirements for most units. The study revealed that a considerable number of fluoroscopy units were not performing according to the international standards and highlights the need of optimisation of radiation protection. (authors)

Subjective cognitive concerns are associated with objective memory performance in Caucasian but not African-American persons.

Science.gov (United States)

Jackson, Jonathan D; Rentz, Dorene M; Aghjayan, Sarah L; Buckley, Rachel F; Meneide, Tamy-Fee; Sperling, Reisa A; Amariglio, Rebecca E

2017-11-01

subjective cognitive concerns (SCC) have been proposed as a means of identifying individuals at risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD). However, the utility of SCCs has not been well-explored for African-Americans, who are twice as likely to develop AD dementia as Caucasians. We investigated whether race affects the association between SCCs and objective memory performance. we used a composite of three SCC questionnaires, and three challenging episodic memory tests. We studied 289 (61% female; African-American n = 47) clinically normal older individuals. Two hierarchical linear regressions assessed the modifying role of race on the association between SCC and objective memory performance. The first regression was conducted on the full sample, while the second matched the racial groups on age, estimated verbal IQ and socioeconomic status. in the full sample, both groups reported similar levels of SCCs, P = 0.10, although African-Americans performed worse on the memory tasks, P memory among Caucasians, r = -0.401, the correlation was not found among African-Americans, r = -0.052. results suggest that the dissociation between SCCs and memory performance in African-Americans may indicate qualitative differences in how diverse groups endorse cognitive concerns, even after considering socioeconomic and educational factors. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Geriatrics Society.All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

The operating performance tests of power unit A1 in HPP 'Zvornik' in load-frequency control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanojčić Vladimir

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The turbine-governing system characteristics derived from testing hydropower unit A1 in HPP 'Zvornik' are presented. These tests give insights into the setup state and parameters of the governing system, as well as the qualitative analysis of load-frequency control response of the case study power unit within the power system of Serbia. Verification of relevant turbine-governing parameters was performed by direct application of appropriate standards and policies. The presented results can be used as a basis for the derivation of a turbine governor mathematical model and for a complete mathematical model of a hydropower unit as an element embedded in the power system.

Quality assessment in in vivo NMR spectroscopy: V. Multicentre evaluation of prototype test objects and protocols for performance assessment in small bore MRS equipment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Howe, F.A.; Canese, R; Podo, F

1995-01-01

This paper reports the results of multicentre studies aimed at designing, constructing, and evaluating prototype test objects for performance assessment in small-bore MRS systems, by utilizing the test protocols already proposed by the EEC COMAC-BME Concerted Action for clinical MRS equipment...... using ISIS as volume localization sequence in 31P MRS. The results suggested the interest of adopting some of these prototypes for improving the comparison of spectroscopy data obtained from different sites, for providing useful means of quality assurance in experimental MRS, and facilitating....... Three classes of test objects were considered: (1) a multicompartment test object for 31P MRS measurements performed with slice-selective sequences; (2) a two-compartment test object for volume-selection 1H MRS; and (3) two-compartment test objects for assessing the performance of experimental systems...

Carbazole based electrochromic polymers with benzoazole units: Effect of heteroatom variation on electrochromic performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C. Doyranli

2016-09-01

Full Text Available A series of carbazole-based polymers were synthesized via Suzuki polymerization between N-(2-ethylhexylcarbazole-3,6-bis(ethyleneboronate (Cbz and dibromobenzazole unit. Three different polymers, PCBN, PCBS and PCBSe were obtained from 4,7-dibromo-2-hexyl-2H-benzotriazole (BN, 4,7-dibromo-2,1,3-benzothiadiazole- (BS and 4,7-dibromo-2,1,3-benzoselenadiazole (BSe, respectively. It is observed that, the variation of heteroatoms (N,S and Se on the benzazole unit have most important effect on electro-optic properties of the PCBX polymers. Neutral state color of the polymer films and their electrochromic performances are also influenced. Among the synthesized polymers, the PCBS bearing 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole as acceptor units has a broad absorption and 50% of ΔT in the near-IR regime at the oxidized state. This property of PCBS is a great advantage for near-IR electrochromic applications.

Safety Evaluation Report on Tennessee Valley Authority: Browns Ferry Nuclear Performance Plan: Browns Ferry Unit 2 restart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-04-01

This safety evaluation report (SER) on the information submitted by the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) in its Nuclear Performance Plan, through Revision 2, for the Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Station and in supporting documents has been prepared by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission staff. The plan addresses the plant-specific concerns requiring resolution before startup of Unit 2. The staff will inspect implementation of those programs. Where systems are common to Units 1 and 2 or to Units 2 and 3, the staff safety evaluations of those systems are included herein. 3 refs

Application of objective clinical human reliability analysis (OCHRA) in assessment of technical performance in laparoscopic rectal cancer surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, J D; Miskovic, D; Allison, A S; Conti, J A; Ockrim, J; Cooper, E J; Hanna, G B; Francis, N K

2016-06-01

Laparoscopic rectal resection is technically challenging, with outcomes dependent upon technical performance. No robust objective assessment tool exists for laparoscopic rectal resection surgery. This study aimed to investigate the application of the objective clinical human reliability analysis (OCHRA) technique for assessing technical performance of laparoscopic rectal surgery and explore the validity and reliability of this technique. Laparoscopic rectal cancer resection operations were described in the format of a hierarchical task analysis. Potential technical errors were defined. The OCHRA technique was used to identify technical errors enacted in videos of twenty consecutive laparoscopic rectal cancer resection operations from a single site. The procedural task, spatial location, and circumstances of all identified errors were logged. Clinical validity was assessed through correlation with clinical outcomes; reliability was assessed by test-retest. A total of 335 execution errors identified, with a median 15 per operation. More errors were observed during pelvic tasks compared with abdominal tasks (p technical performance of laparoscopic rectal surgery.

An optimized junctionless GAA MOSFET design based on multi-objective computation for high-performance ultra-low power devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bendib, T.; Djeffal, F.; Meguellati, M.

2014-01-01

An analytical investigation has been proposed to study the subthreshold behavior of junctionless gates all around (JLGAA) MOSFET for nanoscale CMOS analog applications. Based on 2-D analytical analysis, a new subthreshold swing model for short-channel JLGAA MOSFETs is developed. The analysis has been used to calculate the subthreshold swing and to compare the performance of the investigated design and conventional GAA MOSFET, where the comparison of device architectures shows that the JLGAA MOSFET exhibits a superior performance with respect to the conventional inversion-mode GAA MOSFET in terms of the fabrication process and electrical behavior in the subthreshold domain. The analytical models have been validated by 2-D numerical simulations. The proposed analytical models are used to formulate the objectives functions. The overall objective function is formulated by means of a weighted sum approach to search the optimal electrical and dimensional device parameters in order to obtain the better scaling capability and the electrical performance of the device for ultra-low power applications. (semiconductor devices)

Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU)

Science.gov (United States)

Bauman, William; Crawford, Winifred; Barrett, Joe; Watson, Leela; Wheeler, Mark

2010-01-01

This report summarizes the Applied Meteorology Unit (AMU) activities for the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2010 (October - December 2009). A detailed project schedule is included in the Appendix. Included tasks are: (1) Peak Wind Tool for User Launch Commit Criteria (LCC), (2) Objective Lightning Probability Tool, Phase III, (3) Peak Wind Tool for General Forecasting, Phase II, (4) Upgrade Summer Severe Weather Tool in Meteorological Interactive Data Display System (MIDDS), (5) Advanced Regional Prediction System (ARPS) Data Analysis System (ADAS) Update and Maintainability, (5) Verify 12-km resolution North American Model (MesoNAM) Performance, and (5) Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) Graphical User Interface.

Analytical techniques applied to study cultural heritage objects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rizzutto, M.A.; Curado, J.F.; Bernardes, S.; Campos, P.H.O.V.; Kajiya, E.A.M.; Silva, T.F.; Rodrigues, C.L.; Moro, M.; Tabacniks, M.; Added, N., E-mail: rizzutto@if.usp.br [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Instituto de Fisica

2015-07-01

The scientific study of artistic and cultural heritage objects have been routinely performed in Europe and the United States for decades. In Brazil this research area is growing, mainly through the use of physical and chemical characterization methods. Since 2003 the Group of Applied Physics with Particle Accelerators of the Physics Institute of the University of Sao Paulo (GFAA-IF) has been working with various methodologies for material characterization and analysis of cultural objects. Initially using ion beam analysis performed with Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE), Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) and recently Ion Beam Induced Luminescence (IBIL), for the determination of the elements and chemical compounds in the surface layers. These techniques are widely used in the Laboratory of Materials Analysis with Ion Beams (LAMFI-USP). Recently, the GFAA expanded the studies to other possibilities of analysis enabled by imaging techniques that coupled with elemental and compositional characterization provide a better understanding on the materials and techniques used in the creative process in the manufacture of objects. The imaging analysis, mainly used to examine and document artistic and cultural heritage objects, are performed through images with visible light, infrared reflectography (IR), fluorescence with ultraviolet radiation (UV), tangential light and digital radiography. Expanding more the possibilities of analysis, new capabilities were added using portable equipment such as Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) and Raman Spectroscopy that can be used for analysis 'in situ' at the museums. The results of these analyzes are providing valuable information on the manufacturing process and have provided new information on objects of different University of Sao Paulo museums. Improving the arsenal of cultural heritage analysis it was recently constructed an 3D robotic stage for the precise positioning of samples in the external beam setup

Analytical techniques applied to study cultural heritage objects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rizzutto, M.A.; Curado, J.F.; Bernardes, S.; Campos, P.H.O.V.; Kajiya, E.A.M.; Silva, T.F.; Rodrigues, C.L.; Moro, M.; Tabacniks, M.; Added, N.

2015-01-01

The scientific study of artistic and cultural heritage objects have been routinely performed in Europe and the United States for decades. In Brazil this research area is growing, mainly through the use of physical and chemical characterization methods. Since 2003 the Group of Applied Physics with Particle Accelerators of the Physics Institute of the University of Sao Paulo (GFAA-IF) has been working with various methodologies for material characterization and analysis of cultural objects. Initially using ion beam analysis performed with Particle Induced X-Ray Emission (PIXE), Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) and recently Ion Beam Induced Luminescence (IBIL), for the determination of the elements and chemical compounds in the surface layers. These techniques are widely used in the Laboratory of Materials Analysis with Ion Beams (LAMFI-USP). Recently, the GFAA expanded the studies to other possibilities of analysis enabled by imaging techniques that coupled with elemental and compositional characterization provide a better understanding on the materials and techniques used in the creative process in the manufacture of objects. The imaging analysis, mainly used to examine and document artistic and cultural heritage objects, are performed through images with visible light, infrared reflectography (IR), fluorescence with ultraviolet radiation (UV), tangential light and digital radiography. Expanding more the possibilities of analysis, new capabilities were added using portable equipment such as Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (ED-XRF) and Raman Spectroscopy that can be used for analysis 'in situ' at the museums. The results of these analyzes are providing valuable information on the manufacturing process and have provided new information on objects of different University of Sao Paulo museums. Improving the arsenal of cultural heritage analysis it was recently constructed an 3D robotic stage for the precise positioning of samples in the external beam setup

NIF Laser Line Replaceable Units (LRUs)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, D W

2003-01-01

The National Ignition Facility (NIF) is designed with its high value optical systems in cassettes called Line Replaceable Units (LRUs). Virtually all of the NIF's active components are assembled in one of the ∼4000 electrical and optical LRUs that serve between two and eight of NIF's 192 laser beam lines. Many of these LRUs are optomechanical assemblies that are roughly the size of a telephone booth. The primary design challenges for this hardware include meeting stringent mechanical precision, stability and cleanliness requirements. Pre-production units of each LRU type have been fielded on the first bundle of NIF and used to demonstrate that NIF meets its performance objectives. This presentation provides an overview of the NIF LRUs, their design and production plans for building out the remaining NIF bundles

The OCO-3 Mission: Science Objectives and Instrument Performance

Science.gov (United States)

Eldering, A.; Basilio, R. R.; Bennett, M. W.

2017-12-01

The Orbiting Carbon Observatory 3 (OCO-3) will continue global CO2 and solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF) using the flight spare instrument from OCO-2. The instrument is currently being tested, and will be packaged for installation on the International Space Station (ISS) (launch readiness in early 2018.) This talk will focus on the science objectives, updated simulations of the science data products, and the outcome of recent instrument performance tests. The low-inclination ISS orbit lets OCO-3 sample the tropics and sub-tropics across the full range of daylight hours with dense observations at northern and southern mid-latitudes (+/- 52º). The combination of these dense CO2 and SIF measurements provides continuity of data for global flux estimates as well as a unique opportunity to address key deficiencies in our understanding of the global carbon cycle. The instrument utilizes an agile, 2-axis pointing mechanism (PMA), providing the capability to look towards the bright reflection from the ocean and validation targets. The PMA also allows for a snapshot mapping mode to collect dense datasets over 100km by 100km areas. Measurements over urban centers could aid in making estimates of fossil fuel CO2 emissions. Similarly, the snapshot mapping mode can be used to sample regions of interest for the terrestrial carbon cycle. In addition, there is potential to utilize data from ISS instruments ECOSTRESS (ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station) and GEDI (Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation), which measure other key variables of the control of carbon uptake by plants, to complement OCO-3 data in science analysis. In 2017, the OCO-2 instrument was transformed into the ISS-ready OCO-3 payload. The transformed instrument was thoroughly tested and characterized. Key characteristics, such as instrument ILS, spectral resolution, and radiometric performance will be described. Analysis of direct sun measurements taken during testing

Downsizing?-?Intellectual Capital Performance Anorexia or Enhancement?

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, S. Mitchell

2004-01-01

The objective of this paper is to investigate if downsizing contributes to, or impedes, a firm's intellectual capital performance (ICE) based on a longitudinal analysis of 56 United States publicly listed companies that significantly downsized their workforce during the mid-1990s. Empirical analysis indicates that for the majority of firms, ICE…

Improving the performance of jaggery making unit using solar energy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lakshmi Pathi Jakkamputi

2016-09-01

Full Text Available The thermal performance of open earth pan furnace used conventionally for preparing jaggery (gur is very low. Dry bagasse is used as a fuel to produce heat in a combustion process in the open earth furnace. The energy loss due to inefficient combustion process, the energy loss through exhaust gases and other losses due to furnace wall, convection and radiation bring the thermal efficiency of open earth pan furnace to a low value. Certain quantity of energy produced in combustion process is used to sensibly heat the sugarcane juice to its evaporation temperature. Solar collectors can supply the sensible heat required to raise the sugarcane juice temperature up to its boiling point, thereby reducing the total quantity of heat required in preparing the jaggery. Solar drier can be used to supply hot air required for the combustion process to burn the bagasse in more efficient manner. This paper presents analytical calculations done to study the performance improvement of the jaggery making unit using solar collector and solar drier.

Economic, energy and GHG emissions performance evaluation of a WhisperGen Mk IV Stirling engine μ-CHP unit in a domestic dwelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conroy, G.; Duffy, A.; Ayompe, L.M.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The performance of a Stirling engine MK IV micro-CHP unit was evaluated in a domestic dwelling in Ireland. • The performance of the micro-CHP was compare to that of a condensing gas boiler. • The micro-CHP unit resulted in an annual cost saving of €180 compared to the condensing gas boiler. • Electricity imported from the grid decreased by 20.8% while CO 2 emissions decreased by 16.1%. • The micro-CHP unit used 2889 kW h of gas more than the condensing gas boiler during one year of operation. - Abstract: This paper presents an assessment of the energy, economic and greenhouse gas emissions performances of a WhisperGen Mk IV Stirling engine μ-CHP unit for use in a conventional house in the Republic of Ireland. The energy performance data used in this study was obtained from a field trial carried out in Belfast, Northern Ireland during the period June 2004–July 2005 by Northern Ireland Electricity and Phoenix Gas working in collaboration with Whispertech UK. A comparative performance analysis between the μ-CHP unit and a condensing gas boiler revealed that the μ-CHP unit resulted in an annual cost saving of €180 with an incremental simple payback period of 13.8 years when compared to a condensing gas boiler. Electricity imported from the grid decreased by 20.8% while CO 2 emissions decreased by 16.1%. The μ-CHP unit used 2889 kW h of gas more than the condensing gas boiler

Real-time object tracking system based on field-programmable gate array and convolution neural network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Congyi Lyu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Vision-based object tracking has lots of applications in robotics, like surveillance, navigation, motion capturing, and so on. However, the existing object tracking systems still suffer from the challenging problem of high computation consumption in the image processing algorithms. The problem can prevent current systems from being used in many robotic applications which have limitations of payload and power, for example, micro air vehicles. In these applications, the central processing unit- or graphics processing unit-based computers are not good choices due to the high weight and power consumption. To address the problem, this article proposed a real-time object tracking system based on field-programmable gate array, convolution neural network, and visual servo technology. The time-consuming image processing algorithms, such as distortion correction, color space convertor, and Sobel edge, Harris corner features detector, and convolution neural network were redesigned using the programmable gates in field-programmable gate array. Based on the field-programmable gate array-based image processing, an image-based visual servo controller was designed to drive a two degree of freedom manipulator to track the target in real time. Finally, experiments on the proposed system were performed to illustrate the effectiveness of the real-time object tracking system.

Performance of risk-adjusted control charts to monitor in-hospital mortality of intensive care unit patients: A simulation study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koetsier, Antonie; de Keizer, Nicolette F.; de Jonge, Evert; Cook, David A.; Peek, Niels

2012-01-01

Objectives: Increases in case-mix adjusted mortality may be indications of decreasing quality of care. Risk-adjusted control charts can be used for in-hospital mortality monitoring in intensive care units by issuing a warning signal when there are more deaths than expected. The aim of this study was

A core competency-based objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) can predict future resident performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallenstein, Joshua; Heron, Sheryl; Santen, Sally; Shayne, Philip; Ander, Douglas

2010-10-01

This study evaluated the ability of an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) administered in the first month of residency to predict future resident performance in the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) core competencies. Eighteen Postgraduate Year 1 (PGY-1) residents completed a five-station OSCE in the first month of postgraduate training. Performance was graded in each of the ACGME core competencies. At the end of 18 months of training, faculty evaluations of resident performance in the emergency department (ED) were used to calculate a cumulative clinical evaluation score for each core competency. The correlations between OSCE scores and clinical evaluation scores at 18 months were assessed on an overall level and in each core competency. There was a statistically significant correlation between overall OSCE scores and overall clinical evaluation scores (R = 0.48, p competencies of patient care (R = 0.49, p competencies. An early-residency OSCE has the ability to predict future postgraduate performance on a global level and in specific core competencies. Used appropriately, such information can be a valuable tool for program directors in monitoring residents' progress and providing more tailored guidance. © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Retrospective cues based on object features improve visual working memory performance in older adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Gilchrist, Amanda L; Duarte, Audrey; Verhaeghen, Paul

2016-01-01

Research with younger adults has shown that retrospective cues can be used to orient top-down attention toward relevant items in working memory. We examined whether older adults could take advantage of these cues to improve memory performance. Younger and older adults were presented with visual arrays of five colored shapes; during maintenance, participants were presented either with an informative cue based on an object feature (here, object shape or color) that would be probed, or with an uninformative, neutral cue. Although older adults were less accurate overall, both age groups benefited from the presentation of an informative, feature-based cue relative to a neutral cue. Surprisingly, we also observed differences in the effectiveness of shape versus color cues and their effects upon post-cue memory load. These results suggest that older adults can use top-down attention to remove irrelevant items from visual working memory, provided that task-relevant features function as cues.

Dose surveys in two digital mammography units using DICOM headers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsalafoutas, I.; Michalaki, C.; Papagiannopoulou, C.; Efstathopoulos, E.

2012-01-01

Background and objective: Digital mammography units store images in DICOM format. Thus, data regarding the acquisition parameters are available within DICOM headers, including among others, the anode/filter combination, tube potential and tube current exposure time product, compressed breast thickness, entrance surface air kerma (ESAK) and mean glandular dose (MGD). However, manual extraction of these data for the verification of the displayed values' accuracy and for dose survey purposes is time consuming. Our objective was to develop a method that enables the automation of such procedures. Materials and methods: Two hundred mammographic examinations (800 mammograms) performed in two digital units (GE, Essential) were recorded on CD-roms. Using appropriate software (DICOM Info Extractor) all dose related DICOM headers were extracted into a Microsoft Excel based spreadsheet, containing embedded algorithms for the calculation of ESAK and MGD according to Dance et al (Phys. Med. Biol. 45, 2000) methodology. Results: The ESAK and MGD values stored in the DICOM headers were compared with those calculated and in most cases were within ±10%. The basic difference among the two mammographic units is that, the older one calculates MGD assuming a breast composition 50% glandular-50% adipose tissue, while the newer one calculates the actual breast glandularity and stores this value in a DICOM header. The average MGD values were 1.21 mGy and 1.38 mGy, respectively. Conclusion: For the units studied, the ESAK and MGD values stored in DICOM headers are reliable. Utilizing tools for their automatic extraction provides an easy way to perform dose surveys. (authors)

Performance assessment and licensing issues for United States commercial near-surface low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birk, S. M.

1997-01-01

This paper covers the performance assessment and licensing issues, the performance the objectives, the performance assessment phases, the scenario selection, the mathematical modeling and computer programs, the final results of performance assessments submitted for license applications, the institutional control period, and the licensing issues. 38 refs

Challenges encountered by critical care unit managers in the large intensive care units.

Science.gov (United States)

Matlakala, Mokgadi C; Bezuidenhout, Martie C; Botha, Annali D H

2014-04-04

Nurses in intensive care units (ICUs) are exposed regularly to huge demands interms of fulfilling the many roles that are placed upon them. Unit managers, in particular, are responsible for the efficient management of the units and have the responsibilities of planning, organising, leading and controlling the daily activities in order to facilitate the achievement of the unit objectives. The objective of this study was to explore and present the challenges encountered by ICU managers in the management of large ICUs. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive study was conducted at five hospital ICUs in Gauteng province, South Africa. Data were collected through individual interviews from purposively-selected critical care unit managers, then analysed using the matic coding. Five themes emerged from the data: challenges related to the layout and structure of the unit, human resources provision and staffing, provision of material resources, stressors in the unit and visitors in the ICU. Unit managers in large ICUs face multifaceted challenges which include the demand for efficient and sufficient specialised nurses; lack of or inadequate equipment that goes along with technology in ICU and supplies; and stressors in the ICU that limit the efficiency to plan, organise, lead and control the daily activities in the unit. The challenges identified call for multiple strategies to assist in the efficient management of large ICUs.

Motor unit activity when young and old adults perform steady contractions while supporting an inertial load

Science.gov (United States)

Gould, Jeffrey R.; Enoka, Roger M.

2013-01-01

The purpose of the study was to compare the discharge characteristics of biceps brachii motor units of young and old adults when they performed steady, submaximal contractions while the arm supported different inertial loads. Young (28 ± 4 yr; n = 16) and old (75 ± 4 yr; n = 14) adults performed steady contractions with the elbow flexors at target forces set at either small (11.7 ± 4.4% maximum) or large (17.8 ± 6.5% maximum) differences below the recruitment threshold force of the motor unit (n = 40). The task was to maintain an elbow angle at 1.57 rad until the motor unit was recruited and discharged action potentials for ∼120 s. Time to recruitment was longer for the larger target force difference (187 ± 227 s vs. 23 ± 46 s, P recruited, motor units discharged action potentials either repetitively or intermittently, with a greater proportion of motor units exhibiting the repetitive pattern for old adults. Discharge rate at recruitment and during the steady contraction was similar for the two target force differences for old adults but was greater for the small target force difference for young adults. Discharge variability was similar at recruitment for the two age groups but less for the old adults during the steady contraction. The greatest difference between the present results and those reported previously when the arm pulled against a rigid restraint was that old adults modulated discharge rate less than young adults across the two contraction intensities for both load types. PMID:23221403

The role of color in the implicit memory performance of healthy older adults and individuals with Alzheimer's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Lloyd-Jones, Toby J

2005-01-01

Although the Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients in this study were severely impaired in recognition performance, their naming performance demonstrated normal priming across transformations in object color. This is evidence for preserved implicit shape-based memory performance in AD patients. For colored-object decision, healthy older adult control participants but not AD patients showed priming for new associations between previously encountered object shapes and colors. The author argues, on the basis of this colored object decision performance, that the deficits present in AD do not allow shape and color to be integrated to form a novel unitized representation that can be used to benefit cognitive performance. 2005 APA

100 Area source operable unit focused feasibility study report. Draft A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-09-01

In accordance with the Hanford Past-Practice Strategy (HPPS), a focused feasibility study (FFS) is performed for those waste sites which have been identified as candidates for interim remedial measures (IRM) based on information contained in applicable work plans and limited field investigations (LFI). The FFS process for the 100 Area source operable units will be conducted in two stages. This report, hereafter referred to as the Process Document, documents the first stage of the process. In this stage, IRM alternatives are developed and analyzed on the basis of waste site groups associated with the 100 Area source operable units. The second stage, site-specific evaluation of the IRM alternatives presented in this Process Document, is documented in a series of operable unit-specific reports. The objective of the FFS (this Process Document and subsequent operable unit-specific reports) is to provide decision makers with sufficient information to allow appropriate and timely selection of IRM for sites associated with the 100 Area source operable units. Accordingly, the following information is presented: a presentation of remedial action objectives; a description of 100 Area waste site groups and associated group profiles; a description of IRM alternatives; and detailed and comparative analyses of the IRM alternatives

A deterministic approach for performance assessment and optimization of power distribution units in Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Azadeh, A.; Ghaderi, S.F.; Omrani, H.

2009-01-01

This paper presents a deterministic approach for performance assessment and optimization of power distribution units in Iran. The deterministic approach is composed of data envelopment analysis (DEA), principal component analysis (PCA) and correlation techniques. Seventeen electricity distribution units have been considered for the purpose of this study. Previous studies have generally used input-output DEA models for benchmarking and evaluation of electricity distribution units. However, this study considers an integrated deterministic DEA-PCA approach since the DEA model should be verified and validated by a robust multivariate methodology such as PCA. Moreover, the DEA models are verified and validated by PCA, Spearman and Kendall's Tau correlation techniques, while previous studies do not have the verification and validation features. Also, both input- and output-oriented DEA models are used for sensitivity analysis of the input and output variables. Finally, this is the first study to present an integrated deterministic approach for assessment and optimization of power distributions in Iran

Quick setup of test unit for accelerator control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, W.; D'Ottavio, T.; Gassner, D.; Nemesure, S.; Morris, J.

2011-01-01

Testing a single hardware unit of an accelerator control system often requires the setup of a program with graphical user interface. Developing a dedicated application for a specific hardware unit test could be time consuming and the application may become obsolete after the unit tests. This paper documents a methodology for quick design and setup of an interface focused on performing unit tests of accelerator equipment with minimum programming work. The method has three components. The first is a generic accelerator device object (ADO) manager which can be used to setup, store, and log testing controls parameters for any unit testing system. The second involves the design of a TAPE (Tool for Automated Procedure Execution) sequence file that specifies and implements all te testing and control logic. The sting third is the design of a PET (parameter editing tool) page that provides the unit tester with all the necessary control parameters required for testing. This approach has been used for testing the horizontal plane of the Stochastic Cooling Motion Control System at RHIC.

Development of performance analysis support modules in Younggwang NPP unit 3 and 4

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heo, G. Y.; Lee, S. J.; Jang, S. H.; Choi, S. S.; Choi, Q. H.; Gee, M. H.; Heo, I.

2003-01-01

This paper covers the unmeasured parameter estimation module, the performance degradation estimation module, and the performance degradation diagnosis module that are the supporting modules of the thermal performance analysis program of Younggwang nuclear power plant unit 3 and 4, PERUPS (PERformance UPgrade System), which was developed by KHNP, KEPRI, Hoseo university, and ACT. The unmeasured parameter estimation module plays a role in the generation of estimated values for the parameters that are necessary but there are no sensors. The performance degradation estimation module shows the impact for electric gain and loss according to the parameters related to turbine cycle performance. The performance degradation diagnosis module provides the belief according degradation causes considering the measurement uncertainty, analysis uncertainty, and correlation among parameters. Reference data for the development of each module was prepared by a turbine cycle simulation tool, PEPSE. The unmeasured parameter estimation module and the performance degradation estimation module make the estimation correlations by the regression analysis using the reference data. In the performance degradation diagnosis module, Bayesian network is used for the modeling of uncertainty and knowledge-base. The validation of the developed modules was performed by the test data generated by PEPSE, and accomplished by the actual data again

Application of controllable unit approach (CUA) to performance-criterion-based nuclear material control and accounting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foster, K.W.; Rogers, D.R.

1979-01-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is considering the use of maximum-loss performance criteria as a means of controlling SNM in nuclear plants. The Controllable Unit Approach to material control and accounting (CUA) was developed by Mound to determine the feasibility of controlling a plant to a performance criterion. The concept was tested with the proposed Anderson, SC, mixed-oxide plant, and it was shown that CUA is indeed a feasible method for controlling a complex process to a performance criterion. The application of CUA to an actual low-enrichment plant to assist the NRC in establishing performance criteria for uranium processes is discussed. 5 refs

Gamifying Video Object Segmentation.

Science.gov (United States)

Spampinato, Concetto; Palazzo, Simone; Giordano, Daniela

2017-10-01

Video object segmentation can be considered as one of the most challenging computer vision problems. Indeed, so far, no existing solution is able to effectively deal with the peculiarities of real-world videos, especially in cases of articulated motion and object occlusions; limitations that appear more evident when we compare the performance of automated methods with the human one. However, manually segmenting objects in videos is largely impractical as it requires a lot of time and concentration. To address this problem, in this paper we propose an interactive video object segmentation method, which exploits, on one hand, the capability of humans to identify correctly objects in visual scenes, and on the other hand, the collective human brainpower to solve challenging and large-scale tasks. In particular, our method relies on a game with a purpose to collect human inputs on object locations, followed by an accurate segmentation phase achieved by optimizing an energy function encoding spatial and temporal constraints between object regions as well as human-provided location priors. Performance analysis carried out on complex video benchmarks, and exploiting data provided by over 60 users, demonstrated that our method shows a better trade-off between annotation times and segmentation accuracy than interactive video annotation and automated video object segmentation approaches.

Snakes: An Integrated Unit Plan.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Lisa

This document presents an integrated unit plan on snakes targeting second grade students. Objectives of the unit include developing concepts of living things, understanding the contribution and importance of snakes to the environment, and making connections between different disciplines. The unit integrates the topic of snakes into the areas of…

Improved operational performance through the use of business planning tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoelscher, H.L.

1996-01-01

Improved operational performance at Point Beach Nuclear Plant is based on a focused business plan. Quantitative goals that compare past performance with the performance of potential competitors are the basis of the business plan. This establishes goals for the nuclear power business unit which support corporate goals. Strategies and objectives are then developed to meet the established goals. To continue support for these strategies and objectives, individual performance plans are developed for all management personnel. These performance management plans identify individual contributor actions to support the goals, and also provide periodic feedback for changes to better prioritize individual actions. Performance criteria are also established to measure progress toward achieving the goals. The author also has a program to provide incentives for improved performance based upon success of the organization in achieving established goals

Automatic examination of nuclear reactor vessels with focused search units. Status and typical application to inspections performed in accordance with ASME code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verger, B.; Saglio, R.

1981-05-01

The use of focused search units in nuclear reactor vessel examinations has significantly increased the capability of flaw indication detection and characterization. These search units especially allow a more accurate sizing of indications and a more efficient follow up of their history. In this aspect, they are a unique tool in the area of safety and reliability of installations. It was this type of search unit which was adopted to perform the examinations required within the scope of inservice inspections of all P.W.R. reactors of the French nuclear program. This paper summarizes the results gathered through the 4l examinations performed over the last five years. A typical application of focused search units in automated inspections performed in accordance with ASME code requirements on P.W.R. nuclear reactor vessels is then described

The Auto Industry. Grade Nine. Resource Unit (Unit IV). Project Social Studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Project Social Studies Curriculum Center.

Unit four of this curriculum plan for ninth grade social studies outlines a study of the automobile industry in the United States. Objectives state the desired generalizations, skills, and attitudes to be developed. A condensed outline of course content precedes expanded guidelines for teaching procedures and suggested resource materials. A…

Performance of an automated electronic acute lung injury screening system in intensive care unit patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Koenig, Helen C; Finkel, Barbara B; Khalsa, Satjeet S; Lanken, Paul N; Prasad, Meeta; Urbani, Richard; Fuchs, Barry D

2011-01-01

Lung protective ventilation reduces mortality in patients with acute lung injury, but underrecognition of acute lung injury has limited its use. We recently validated an automated electronic acute lung injury surveillance system in patients with major trauma in a single intensive care unit. In this study, we assessed the system's performance as a prospective acute lung injury screening tool in a diverse population of intensive care unit patients. Patients were screened prospectively for acute lung injury over 21 wks by the automated system and by an experienced research coordinator who manually screened subjects for enrollment in Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Clinical Trials Network (ARDSNet) trials. Performance of the automated system was assessed by comparing its results with the manual screening process. Discordant results were adjudicated blindly by two physician reviewers. In addition, a sensitivity analysis using a range of assumptions was conducted to better estimate the system's performance. The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, an academic medical center and ARDSNet center (1994-2006). Intubated patients in medical and surgical intensive care units. None. Of 1270 patients screened, 84 were identified with acute lung injury (incidence of 6.6%). The automated screening system had a sensitivity of 97.6% (95% confidence interval, 96.8-98.4%) and a specificity of 97.6% (95% confidence interval, 96.8-98.4%). The manual screening algorithm had a sensitivity of 57.1% (95% confidence interval, 54.5-59.8%) and a specificity of 99.7% (95% confidence interval, 99.4-100%). Sensitivity analysis demonstrated a range for sensitivity of 75.0-97.6% of the automated system under varying assumptions. Under all assumptions, the automated system demonstrated higher sensitivity than and comparable specificity to the manual screening method. An automated electronic system identified patients with acute lung injury with high sensitivity and specificity in diverse

Probabilistic and deterministic risk assessment for extreme objects and ecologically hazardous systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu. V. Veryuzhsky

2003-06-01

Full Text Available The paper include mostly the results of works of the Research Institute for Mechanics of Quickproceeding Processes united in a general research direction - creation of the methodology for risk assessment and risk management for ecologically hazardous systems, consisting of the set of different technological analyzed objects. The elements of system can be characterized by high level of radiation, toxic, explosion, fire and other hazards. The probalistic and deterministic approach for risk assessment, based on mathematical methods of system analysis, non-liner dynamics and computer simulation, has been developed. Branching in problem definition, as well as diversity of factor and criteria for determination of system status, is also taken into account. The risks caused by both objective and subjective factors (including human factor are examined. In many performed studies, the leading structural element, dominating in determination of the system safety, is the structural part of an object. The methodology is implemented for the safety analysis (risk assessment for Chernobyl NPP Shelton Object and other industrial buildings

Performance test of the prototype-unit for J-PARC machine protection system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakaki, Hironao; Nakamura, Naoki; Takahashi, Hiroki; Yoshikawa, Hiroshi

2004-03-01

In High Intensity Proton Accelerator Project (J-PARC), the high-power proton beam is accelerated. If the beam in J-PARC is not stopped at a few micro seconds or less, the fatal thermal shock destruction is caused on the surface of accelerating structure, because of the high-power proton beam. To avoid the thermal shock damage, we designed the high-speed machine protection system. And, the prototype unit for the system was produced. This report shows the result of its performance test. (author)

Performance of four different rat strains in the autoshaping, two-object discrimination, and swim maze tests of learning and memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, J S; Jansen, J H; Linders, S; Princen, A; Broekkamp, C L

1995-04-01

The performance of four strains of rats commonly used in behavioural research was assessed in three different tests of learning and memory. The four strains included three outbred lines (Long-Evans, Sprague-Dawley, Wistar) and one inbred strain (S3). Learning and memory were tested using three different paradigms: autoshaping of a lever press, a two-object discrimination test, and performance in a two-island swim maze task. The pigmented strains showed better performance in the autoshaping procedure: the majority of the Long-Evans and the S3 rats acquired the response, and the majority of the Wistar and Sprague-Dawley failed to acquire the response in the set time. The albino strains were slightly better in the swim maze than the pigmented strains. There appeared to be a speed/accuracy trade-off in the strategy used to solve the task. This was also evident following treatment with the cholinergic-depleting agent hemicholinium-3. The performance of the Long-Evans rats was most affected by the treatment in terms of accuracy and the Wistar and Sprague-Dawleys in terms of speed. In the two-object discrimination test only the Long-Evans showed satisfactory performance and were able to discriminate a novel from a known object a short interval after initial exposure. These results show large task- and strain-dependent differences in performance in tests of learning and memory. Some of the performance variation may be due to emotional differences between the strains and may be alleviated by extra training. However, the response to pharmacological manipulation may require more careful evaluation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The effects of armodafinil on objective sleepiness and performance in a shift work disorder sample unselected for objective sleepiness.

Science.gov (United States)

Howard, Ryan; Roth, Thomas; Drake, Christopher L

2014-06-01

Armodafinil is a medication used to treat excessive sleepiness in individuals with shift work disorder (SWD). In the present study, we investigate whether armodafinil can normalize nocturnal sleepiness in a group of typical SWD patients. Participants were 12 night workers (aged 33.8 ± 8.57 years, 7 female subjects) with excessive sleepiness (≥10 on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale; mean, 14.8 ± 3.16), meeting the International Classification of Sleep Disorders, Second Edition criteria for SWD, with no other sleep or medical disorders verified by polysomnogram. The multiple sleep latency test (MSLT) was not used as an entry criteria. Armodafinil was administered at 10:30 pm in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover design with experimental nights separated by 1 week. Primary end point was the MSLT, with naps at 1:30, 3:30, 5:30, and 7:30 am. Other study measures included a sleepiness-alertness visual analog scale administered before each nap, and 2 computer-based performance tests evaluating attention and memory. Subjects with SWD had a mean MSLT of 5.3 ± 3.25 minutes, indicating a mean level of pathological sleepiness. Armodafinil significantly improved MSLT score to 11.1 ± 4.79 minutes (P = 0.006). Subjective levels of alertness on the visual analog scale also improved (P = 0.008). For performance, reaction time to central (P = 0.006) and peripheral (P = 0.003) stimuli and free recall memory (P = 0.05) were also improved. Armodafinil 150 mg administered at the beginning of a night shift normalizes nocturnal sleepiness in individuals with SWD unselected for objective sleepiness. Subjective measures of sleepiness and cognitive performance are also improved. This suggests that armodafinil can improve levels of nocturnal alertness to within normal daytime levels in the majority of patients with SWD.

Channels as Objects in Concurrent Object-Oriented Programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joana Campos

2011-10-01

Full Text Available There is often a sort of a protocol associated to each class, stating when and how certain methods should be called. Given that this protocol is, if at all, described in the documentation accompanying the class, current mainstream object-oriented languages cannot provide for the verification of client code adherence against the sought class behaviour. We have defined a class-based concurrent object-oriented language that formalises such protocols in the form of usage types. Usage types are attached to class definitions, allowing for the specification of (1 the available methods, (2 the tests clients must perform on the result of methods, and (3 the object status - linear or shared - all of which depend on the object's state. Our work extends the recent approach on modular session types by eliminating channel operations, and defining the method call as the single communication primitive in both sequential and concurrent settings. In contrast to previous works, we define a single category for objects, instead of distinct categories for linear and for shared objects, and let linear objects evolve into shared ones. We introduce a standard sync qualifier to prevent thread interference in certain operations on shared objects. We formalise the language syntax, the operational semantics, and a type system that enforces by static typing that methods are called only when available, and by a single client if so specified in the usage type. We illustrate the language via a complete example.

40 CFR 60.4114 - Objections concerning Hg designated representative.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Objections concerning Hg designated... Times for Coal-Fired Electric Steam Generating Units Hg Designated Representative for Hg Budget Sources § 60.4114 Objections concerning Hg designated representative. (a) Once a complete certificate of...

Objective-guided image annotation.

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, Qi; Tsang, Ivor Wai-Hung; Gao, Shenghua

2013-04-01

Automatic image annotation, which is usually formulated as a multi-label classification problem, is one of the major tools used to enhance the semantic understanding of web images. Many multimedia applications (e.g., tag-based image retrieval) can greatly benefit from image annotation. However, the insufficient performance of image annotation methods prevents these applications from being practical. On the other hand, specific measures are usually designed to evaluate how well one annotation method performs for a specific objective or application, but most image annotation methods do not consider optimization of these measures, so that they are inevitably trapped into suboptimal performance of these objective-specific measures. To address this issue, we first summarize a variety of objective-guided performance measures under a unified representation. Our analysis reveals that macro-averaging measures are very sensitive to infrequent keywords, and hamming measure is easily affected by skewed distributions. We then propose a unified multi-label learning framework, which directly optimizes a variety of objective-specific measures of multi-label learning tasks. Specifically, we first present a multilayer hierarchical structure of learning hypotheses for multi-label problems based on which a variety of loss functions with respect to objective-guided measures are defined. And then, we formulate these loss functions as relaxed surrogate functions and optimize them by structural SVMs. According to the analysis of various measures and the high time complexity of optimizing micro-averaging measures, in this paper, we focus on example-based measures that are tailor-made for image annotation tasks but are seldom explored in the literature. Experiments show consistency with the formal analysis on two widely used multi-label datasets, and demonstrate the superior performance of our proposed method over state-of-the-art baseline methods in terms of example-based measures on four

How learning might strengthen existing visual object representations in human object-selective cortex.

Science.gov (United States)

Brants, Marijke; Bulthé, Jessica; Daniels, Nicky; Wagemans, Johan; Op de Beeck, Hans P

2016-02-15

Visual object perception is an important function in primates which can be fine-tuned by experience, even in adults. Which factors determine the regions and the neurons that are modified by learning is still unclear. Recently, it was proposed that the exact cortical focus and distribution of learning effects might depend upon the pre-learning mapping of relevant functional properties and how this mapping determines the informativeness of neural units for the stimuli and the task to be learned. From this hypothesis we would expect that visual experience would strengthen the pre-learning distributed functional map of the relevant distinctive object properties. Here we present a first test of this prediction in twelve human subjects who were trained in object categorization and differentiation, preceded and followed by a functional magnetic resonance imaging session. Specifically, training increased the distributed multi-voxel pattern information for trained object distinctions in object-selective cortex, resulting in a generalization from pre-training multi-voxel activity patterns to after-training activity patterns. Simulations show that the increased selectivity combined with the inter-session generalization is consistent with a training-induced strengthening of a pre-existing selectivity map. No training-related neural changes were detected in other regions. In sum, training to categorize or individuate objects strengthened pre-existing representations in human object-selective cortex, providing a first indication that the neuroanatomical distribution of learning effects depends upon the pre-learning mapping of visual object properties. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Software for automated evaluation of technical and economic performance factors of nuclear power plant units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cvan, M.; Zadrazil, J.; Barnak, M.

1989-01-01

Computer codes TEP V2, TEP EDU and TEP V1 are used especially in real-time evaluation of technical and economic performance factors of the power unit. Their basic functions include filtration of credibility of input data obtained by measurement, simultaneous calculation of flows of various types of energy, calculation of technical and economic factors, listings and filing of the results. Code ZMEK is designed for executing changes in the calculation constants file for codes TEP V2 and TEP EDU. Code TEP DEN is used in processing the complete daily report on the technical and economic performance factors of the unit. Briefly described are the basic algorithms of credibility filtration for the measured quantities, the methodology of fundamental balances and the method of guaranteeing the continuity of measurement. Experiences are given with the use of the codes, and the trends are outlined of their future development. (J.B.). 5 refs

48 CFR 1816.402-270 - NASA technical performance incentives.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... under procedures other than FAR part 12 at the discretion of the procurement officer upon consideration of the guidelines in 1816.402. Performance incentives, which are objective and measure hardware... negative, and its associated unit of measurement should reflect the value to the Government of that level...

Developing Boiler Concepts as Integrated Units

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Kim; Condra, Thomas Joseph; Houbak, Niels

2004-01-01

- consisting of pressure part, burner and control system. The Technical University of Denmark, MEK - Energy Engineering Section [12] has participated in the modelling process. The project has included static and dynamic modelling of the boiler concept. For optimization of operation, verication of performance......With the objective to be able to optimize the design and operation of steam boiler concepts Aalborg Industries A/S [1] has together with Aalborg University, Institute of Energy Technology [9] carried out a development project paying special attention to the boiler concept as an integrated unit......, emissions and to obtain long time operation experiences with the boiler concept, a full scale prototype has been built and these tests have been accomplished on the prototype. By applying this integrated unit approach to the boiler concept development it has been possible to optimize the different building...

Thermal performance of a multiple PCM thermal storage unit for free cooling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosaffa, A.H.; Infante Ferreira, C.A.; Talati, F.; Rosen, M.A.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Numerical analysis on the performance of a thermal storages as free cooling system. ► Employing multiple PCMs to enhance heat transfer rate in thermal storages. ► Using an effective heat capacity method, the phase change parameters are determined. ► The effect of the slabs size and air channel thickness on COP is investigated. - Abstract: As demand for refrigeration and air conditioning increased during the last decade, the opportunities have expanded for using thermal energy storage (TES) systems in an economically advantageous manner in place of conventional cooling plants. Many cool storage systems use phase change materials (PCMs) and achieve peak load shifting in buildings. This work presents numerical investigations of the performance enhancement of a free cooling system using a TES unit employing multiple PCMs. The TES unit is composed of a number of rectangular channels for the flowing heat transfer fluid, separated by PCM slabs. Using the effective heat capacity method, the melting and solidification of the PCM is solved. The forced convective heat transfer inside the channels is analyzed by solving the energy equation, which is coupled with the heat conduction equation in the container wall. The effect of design parameters such as PCM slab length, thickness and fluid passage gap on the storage performance is also investigated using an energy based optimization. The results show that a system which can guarantee comfort conditions for the climate of Tabriz, Iran has an optimum COP of 7.0. This could be achieved by a combination of CaCl 2 ·6H 2 O with RT25 with the optimum air channel thickness of 3.2 mm, length of 1.3 m and PCM slab thickness of 10 mm

Object Persistence Enhances Spatial Navigation: A Case Study in Smartphone Vision Science.

Science.gov (United States)

Liverence, Brandon M; Scholl, Brian J

2015-07-01

Violations of spatiotemporal continuity disrupt performance in many tasks involving attention and working memory, but experiments on this topic have been limited to the study of moment-by-moment on-line perception, typically assessed by passive monitoring tasks. We tested whether persisting object representations also serve as underlying units of longer-term memory and active spatial navigation, using a novel paradigm inspired by the visual interfaces common to many smartphones. Participants used key presses to navigate through simple visual environments consisting of grids of icons (depicting real-world objects), only one of which was visible at a time through a static virtual window. Participants found target icons faster when navigation involved persistence cues (via sliding animations) than when persistence was disrupted (e.g., via temporally matched fading animations), with all transitions inspired by smartphone interfaces. Moreover, this difference occurred even after explicit memorization of the relevant information, which demonstrates that object persistence enhances spatial navigation in an automatic and irresistible fashion. © The Author(s) 2015.

Early Exercise in the Burn Intensive Care Unit Decreases Hospital Stay, Improves Mental Health, and Physical Performance

Science.gov (United States)

2017-10-01

Decreases Hospital Stay, Improves Mental Health , and Physical Performance 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) Oscar E. Suman, PhD...Multicenter Study of the Effect of In-Patient Exercise Training on Length of Hospitalization, Mental Health , and Physical Performance in Burned...Intensive Care Unit Decreases Hospital Stay, Improves Mental Health , and Physical Performance,” Proposal Log Number 13214039, Award Number W81XWH-14

Justification of the project a network of freight terminals unitized cargo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ilesaliev D.I.

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In this paper we consider the question of Uzbekistan in promoting the development of international transport in supply chains. The development of transport infrastructure to ensure timely delivery of goods is one of the main tasks in supply chain management. The aim is to study of the project network terminal unitized cargo Uzbekistan in supply chains. Methods the study is based on analysis of existing methods and techniques of Russian scientists in the field of place-ment of objects. The method of searching the most rational location of logistics facility in the supply chain. Also pre-justified the project network terminal unitized cargo in Uzbekistan. Given the state of the problems and prospects of transport logistics of Uzbekistan, the developed method can be used by experts when performing the supporting calcula-tions location of logistic objects.

Motor unit recruitment by size does not provide functional advantages for motor performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Dideriksen, Jakob L; Farina, Dario

2013-12-15

It is commonly assumed that the orderly recruitment of motor units by size provides a functional advantage for the performance of movements compared with a random recruitment order. On the other hand, the excitability of a motor neuron depends on its size and this is intrinsically linked to its innervation number. A range of innervation numbers among motor neurons corresponds to a range of sizes and thus to a range of excitabilities ordered by size. Therefore, if the excitation drive is similar among motor neurons, the recruitment by size is inevitably due to the intrinsic properties of motor neurons and may not have arisen to meet functional demands. In this view, we tested the assumption that orderly recruitment is necessarily beneficial by determining if this type of recruitment produces optimal motor output. Using evolutionary algorithms and without any a priori assumptions, the parameters of neuromuscular models were optimized with respect to several criteria for motor performance. Interestingly, the optimized model parameters matched well known neuromuscular properties, but none of the optimization criteria determined a consistent recruitment order by size unless this was imposed by an association between motor neuron size and excitability. Further, when the association between size and excitability was imposed, the resultant model of recruitment did not improve the motor performance with respect to the absence of orderly recruitment. A consistent observation was that optimal solutions for a variety of criteria of motor performance always required a broad range of innervation numbers in the population of motor neurons, skewed towards the small values. These results indicate that orderly recruitment of motor units in itself does not provide substantial functional advantages for motor control. Rather, the reason for its near-universal presence in human movements is that motor functions are optimized by a broad range of innervation numbers.

Evaluation of the performance of combined cooling, heating, and power systems with dual power generation units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knizley, Alta A.; Mago, Pedro J.; Smith, Amanda D.

2014-01-01

The benefits of using a combined cooling, heating, and power system with dual power generation units (D-CCHP) is examined in nine different U.S. locations. One power generation unit (PGU) is operated at base load while the other is operated following the electric load. The waste heat from both PGUs is used for heating and for cooling via an absorption chiller. The D-CCHP configuration is studied for a restaurant benchmark building, and its performance is quantified in terms of operational cost, primary energy consumption (PEC), and carbon dioxide emissions (CDE). Cost spark spread, PEC spark spread, and CDE spark spread are examined as performance indicators for the D-CCHP system. D-CCHP system performance correlates well with spark spreads, with higher spark spreads signifying greater savings through implementation of a D-CCHP system. A new parameter, thermal difference, is introduced to investigate the relative performance of a D-CCHP system compared to a dual PGU combined heat and power system (D-CHP). Thermal difference, together with spark spread, can explain the variation in savings of a D-CCHP system over a D-CHP system for each location. The effect of carbon credits on operational cost savings with respect to the reference case is shown for selected locations. - Highlights: • We investigate benefits from using combined cooling, heating, and power systems. • A dual power generation unit configuration is considered for CCHP and CHP. • Spark spreads for cost, energy, and emissions correlate with potential savings. • Thermal difference parameter helps to explain variations in potential savings. • Carbon credits may increase cost savings where emissions savings are possible

Calculation method for the seasonal performance of heat pump compact units and validation. Final report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wemhoener, C.; Dott, R.; Afjei, Th. [University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland, Institute of Energy in Buildings, Muttenz (Switzerland); Huber, H.; Helfenfinger, D.; Keller, P.; Furter, R. [University of Applied Sciences Lucerne (HTA), Test center HLKS, Horw (Switzerland)

2007-02-15

This comprehensive final report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at compact heat pump units that have been developed for the heating of low energy consumption houses built to MINERGIE or MINERGIE-P standards. These units, which combine the functions of space heating, domestic hot water preparation and ventilation in one unit are described. A testing procedure developed at the University of Applied Science in Lucerne, Switzerland, using a test rig for the measurement of the seasonal performance factor (SPF) is described. A calculation method based on temperature classes for the calculation of the SPF of combined heat pump systems for space heating and domestic hot water preparation that was developed by the Institute of Energy in Buildings at the University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland is examined. Two pilot plants allowing detailed field monitoring of two compact units are described. One pilot plant installed in a single-family house built to MINERGIE standard in Gelterkinden, Switzerland, provided data on a compact unit. These results of measurements made on this and a further installation in a MINERGIE-P ultra-low energy consumption house in Zeiningen, Switzerland, are presented and discussed. Calculation methods, including exergy considerations are reviewed and their validation is discussed.

An objective measure of physical function of elderly outpatients. The Physical Performance Test.

Science.gov (United States)

Reuben, D B; Siu, A L

1990-10-01

Direct observation of physical function has the advantage of providing an objective, quantifiable measure of functional capabilities. We have developed the Physical Performance Test (PPT), which assesses multiple domains of physical function using observed performance of tasks that simulate activities of daily living of various degrees of difficulty. Two versions are presented: a nine-item scale that includes writing a sentence, simulated eating, turning 360 degrees, putting on and removing a jacket, lifting a book and putting it on a shelf, picking up a penny from the floor, a 50-foot walk test, and climbing stairs (scored as two items); and a seven-item scale that does not include stairs. The PPT can be completed in less than 10 minutes and requires only a few simple props. We then tested the validity of PPT using 183 subjects (mean age, 79 years) in six settings including four clinical practices (one of Parkinson's disease patients), a board-and-care home, and a senior citizens' apartment. The PPT was reliable (Cronbach's alpha = 0.87 and 0.79, interrater reliability = 0.99 and 0.93 for the nine-item and seven-item tests, respectively) and demonstrated concurrent validity with self-reported measures of physical function. Scores on the PPT for both scales were highly correlated (.50 to .80) with modified Rosow-Breslau, Instrumental and Basic Activities of Daily Living scales, and Tinetti gait score. Scores on the PPT were more moderately correlated with self-reported health status, cognitive status, and mental health (.24 to .47), and negatively with age (-.24 and -.18). Thus, the PPT also demonstrated construct validity. The PPT is a promising objective measurement of physical function, but its clinical and research value for screening, monitoring, and prediction will have to be determined.

Combining satellite data and appropriate objective functions for improved spatial pattern performance of a distributed hydrologic model

Science.gov (United States)

Demirel, Mehmet C.; Mai, Juliane; Mendiguren, Gorka; Koch, Julian; Samaniego, Luis; Stisen, Simon

2018-02-01

Satellite-based earth observations offer great opportunities to improve spatial model predictions by means of spatial-pattern-oriented model evaluations. In this study, observed spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration (AET) are utilised for spatial model calibration tailored to target the pattern performance of the model. The proposed calibration framework combines temporally aggregated observed spatial patterns with a new spatial performance metric and a flexible spatial parameterisation scheme. The mesoscale hydrologic model (mHM) is used to simulate streamflow and AET and has been selected due to its soil parameter distribution approach based on pedo-transfer functions and the build in multi-scale parameter regionalisation. In addition two new spatial parameter distribution options have been incorporated in the model in order to increase the flexibility of root fraction coefficient and potential evapotranspiration correction parameterisations, based on soil type and vegetation density. These parameterisations are utilised as they are most relevant for simulated AET patterns from the hydrologic model. Due to the fundamental challenges encountered when evaluating spatial pattern performance using standard metrics, we developed a simple but highly discriminative spatial metric, i.e. one comprised of three easily interpretable components measuring co-location, variation and distribution of the spatial data. The study shows that with flexible spatial model parameterisation used in combination with the appropriate objective functions, the simulated spatial patterns of actual evapotranspiration become substantially more similar to the satellite-based estimates. Overall 26 parameters are identified for calibration through a sequential screening approach based on a combination of streamflow and spatial pattern metrics. The robustness of the calibrations is tested using an ensemble of nine calibrations based on different seed numbers using the shuffled complex

Student´s self-assessment of clinical competence and objective clinical performance in OSCE evaluation

OpenAIRE

Jünger, J; Schellberg, D; Nikendei, C

2006-01-01

[english] Overestimating one's clinical competence can be dangerous to patient's safety. Therefore the goal of this study was to identify students with high confidence in their own clinical competence but low performance in objective assessment. 171 students in the 14 week course in internal medicine completed the clinical skills-related self-assessment expectations (SE) and were tested in a 12 station OSCE. Both measures were obtained within three days. In total we identified 16% of students...

Performance assessment and licensing issues for United States commercial near-surface low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Birk, S.M.

1997-10-01

The final objective of performance assessment for a near-surface LLW disposal facility is to demonstrate that potential radiological impacts for each of the human exposure pathways will not violate applicable standards. This involves determining potential pathways and specific receptor locations for human exposure to radionuclides; developing appropriate scenarios for each of the institutional phases of a disposal facility; and maintaining quality assurance and control of all data, computer codes, and documentation. The results of a performance assessment should be used to demonstrate that the expected impacts are expected to be less than the applicable standards. The results should not be used to try to predict the actual impact. This is an important distinction that results from the uncertainties inherent in performance assessment calculations. The paper discusses performance objectives; performance assessment phases; scenario selection; mathematical modeling and computer programs; final results of performance assessments submitted for license application; institutional control period; licensing issues; and related research and development activities