WorldWideScience

Sample records for performance support tools

  1. Performance Support Tools for Space Medical Operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Byrne, Vicky E.; Schmidt, Josef; Barshi, Immanuel

    2009-01-01

    The early Constellation space missions are expected to have medical capabilities very similar to those currently on the Space Shuttle and International Space Station (ISS). For Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV) missions to ISS, medical equipment will be located on ISS, and carried into CEV in the event of an emergency. Flight Surgeons (FS) on the ground in Mission Control will be expected to direct the Crew Medical Officer (CMO) during medical situations. If there is a loss of signal and the crew is unable to communicate with the ground, a CMO would be expected to carry out medical procedures without the aid of a FS. In these situations, performance support tools can be used to reduce errors and time to perform emergency medical tasks. Human factors personnel at Johnson Space Center have recently investigated medical performance support tools for CMOs on-orbit, and FSs on the ground. This area of research involved the feasibility of Just-in-time (JIT) training techniques and concepts for real-time medical procedures. In Phase 1, preliminary feasibility data was gathered for two types of prototype display technologies: a hand-held PDA, and a Head Mounted Display (HMD). The PDA and HMD were compared while performing a simulated medical procedure using ISS flight-like medical equipment. Based on the outcome of Phase 1, including data on user preferences, further testing was completed using the PDA only. Phase 2 explored a wrist-mounted PDA, and compared it to a paper cue card. For each phase, time to complete procedures, errors, and user satisfaction were captured. Information needed by the FS during ISS mission support, especially for an emergency situation (e.g. fire onboard ISS), may be located in many different places around the FS s console. A performance support tool prototype is being developed to address this issue by bringing all of the relevant information together in one place. The tool is designed to include procedures and other information needed by a FS

  2. Performative Tools and Collaborative Learning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Minder, Bettina; Lassen, Astrid Heidemann

    of performative tools used in transdisciplinary events for collaborative learning. The results of this single case study add to extant knowledge- and learning literature by providing the reader with a rich description of characteristics and learning functions of performative tools in transdisciplinary events......The use of performative tools can support collaborative learning across knowledge domains (i.e. science and practice), because they create new spaces for dialog. However, so far innovation literature provides little answers to the important discussion of how to describe the effects and requirements...... and a description of how they interrelate with the specific setting of such an event. Furthermore, they complement previous findings by relating performative tools to collaborative learning for knowledge intensive ideas....

  3. Case and Administrative Support Tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Case and Administrative Support Tools (CAST) is the secure portion of the Office of General Counsel (OGC) Dashboard business process automation tool used to help reduce office administrative labor costs while increasing employee effectiveness. CAST supports business functions which rely on and store Privacy Act sensitive data (PII). Specific business processes included in CAST (and respective PII) are: -Civil Rights Cast Tracking (name, partial medical history, summary of case, and case correspondance). -Employment Law Case Tracking (name, summary of case). -Federal Tort Claims Act Incident Tracking (name, summary of incidents). -Ethics Program Support Tools and Tracking (name, partial financial history). -Summer Honors Application Tracking (name, home address, telephone number, employment history). -Workforce Flexibility Initiative Support Tools (name, alternative workplace phone number). -Resource and Personnel Management Support Tools (name, partial employment and financial history).

  4. Development and Exploration of a Regional Stormwater BMP Performance Database to Parameterize an Integrated Decision Support Tool (i-DST)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, C.; Li, Y.; Lopez, E.; Hogue, T. S.

    2017-12-01

    Decision support tools that quantitatively estimate the cost and performance of infrastructure alternatives are valuable for urban planners. Such a tool is needed to aid in planning stormwater projects to meet diverse goals such as the regulation of stormwater runoff and its pollutants, minimization of economic costs, and maximization of environmental and social benefits in the communities served by the infrastructure. This work gives a brief overview of an integrated decision support tool, called i-DST, that is currently being developed to serve this need. This presentation focuses on the development of a default database for the i-DST that parameterizes water quality treatment efficiency of stormwater best management practices (BMPs) by region. Parameterizing the i-DST by region will allow the tool to perform accurate simulations in all parts of the United States. A national dataset of BMP performance is analyzed to determine which of a series of candidate regionalizations explains the most variance in the national dataset. The data used in the regionalization analysis comes from the International Stormwater BMP Database and data gleaned from an ongoing systematic review of peer-reviewed and gray literature. In addition to identifying a regionalization scheme for water quality performance parameters in the i-DST, our review process will also provide example methods and protocols for systematic reviews in the field of Earth Science.

  5. Tool-supported Refactoring for JavaScript

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Feldthaus, Asger; Millstein, Todd; Møller, Anders

    2011-01-01

    Script because of its dynamic nature. We propose a framework for specifying and implementing JavaScript refactorings based on pointer analysis. We describe novel refactorings motivated by best practice recommendations for JavaScript programming, and demonstrate how they can be described concisely in terms...... of queries provided by our framework. Experiments performed with a prototype implementation on a suite of existing applications show that our approach is well-suited for developing practical refactoring tools for JavaScript.......Refactoring is a popular technique for improving the structure of existing programs while maintaining their behavior. For statically typed programming languages such as Java, a wide variety of refactorings have been described, and tool support for performing refactorings and ensuring...

  6. Design of a Cognitive Tool to Enhance Problemsolving Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Youngmin; Nelson, David

    2005-01-01

    The design of a cognitive tool to support problem-solving performance for external representation of knowledge is described. The limitations of conventional knowledge maps are analyzed in proposing the tool. The design principles and specifications are described. This tool is expected to enhance learners problem-solving performance by allowing…

  7. A Performance Support Tool for Cisco Training Program Managers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benson, Angela D.; Bothra, Jashoda; Sharma, Priya

    2004-01-01

    Performance support systems can play an important role in corporations by managing and allowing distribution of information more easily. These systems run the gamut from simple paper job aids to sophisticated computer- and web-based software applications that support the entire corporate supply chain. According to Gery (1991), a performance…

  8. Computer-based tools for decision support at the Hanford Site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doctor, P.G.; Mahaffey, J.A.; Cowley, P.J.; Freshley, M.D.; Hassig, N.L.; Brothers, J.W.; Glantz, C.S.; Strachan, D.M.

    1992-11-01

    To help integrate activities in the environmental restoration and waste management mission of the Hanford Site, the Hanford Integrated Planning Project (HIPP) was established and funded by the US Department of Energy. The project is divided into three key program elements, the first focusing on an explicit, defensible and comprehensive method for evaluating technical options. Based on the premise that computer technology can be used to support the decision-making process and facilitate integration among programs and activities, the Decision Support Tools Task was charged with assessing the status of computer technology for those purposes at the Site. The task addressed two types of tools: tools need to provide technical information and management support tools. Technical tools include performance and risk assessment models, information management systems, data and the computer infrastructure to supports models, data, and information management systems. Management decision support tools are used to synthesize information at a high' level to assist with making decisions. The major conclusions resulting from the assessment are that there is much technical information available, but it is not reaching the decision-makers in a form to be used. Many existing tools provide components that are needed to integrate site activities; however, some components are missing and, more importantly, the ''glue'' or connections to tie the components together to answer decision-makers questions is largely absent. Top priority should be given to decision support tools that support activities given in the TPA. Other decision tools are needed to facilitate and support the environmental restoration and waste management mission

  9. Computer-based tools for decision support at the Hanford Site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doctor, P.G.; Mahaffey, J.A.; Cowley, P.J.; Freshley, M.D.; Hassig, N.L.; Brothers, J.W.; Glantz, C.S.; Strachan, D.M.

    1992-11-01

    To help integrate activities in the environmental restoration and waste management mission of the Hanford Site, the Hanford Integrated Planning Project (HIPP) was established and funded by the US Department of Energy. The project is divided into three key program elements, the first focusing on an explicit, defensible and comprehensive method for evaluating technical options. Based on the premise that computer technology can be used to support the decision-making process and facilitate integration among programs and activities, the Decision Support Tools Task was charged with assessing the status of computer technology for those purposes at the Site. The task addressed two types of tools: tools need to provide technical information and management support tools. Technical tools include performance and risk assessment models, information management systems, data and the computer infrastructure to supports models, data, and information management systems. Management decision support tools are used to synthesize information at a high' level to assist with making decisions. The major conclusions resulting from the assessment are that there is much technical information available, but it is not reaching the decision-makers in a form to be used. Many existing tools provide components that are needed to integrate site activities; however, some components are missing and, more importantly, the glue'' or connections to tie the components together to answer decision-makers questions is largely absent. Top priority should be given to decision support tools that support activities given in the TPA. Other decision tools are needed to facilitate and support the environmental restoration and waste management mission.

  10. Computer-based tools for decision support at the Hanford Site

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Doctor, P.G.; Mahaffey, J.A.; Cowley, P.J.; Freshley, M.D.; Hassig, N.L.; Brothers, J.W.; Glantz, C.S.; Strachan, D.M.

    1992-11-01

    To help integrate activities in the environmental restoration and waste management mission of the Hanford Site, the Hanford Integrated Planning Project (HIPP) was established and funded by the US Department of Energy. The project is divided into three key program elements, the first focusing on an explicit, defensible and comprehensive method for evaluating technical options. Based on the premise that computer technology can be used to support the decision-making process and facilitate integration among programs and activities, the Decision Support Tools Task was charged with assessing the status of computer technology for those purposes at the Site. The task addressed two types of tools: tools need to provide technical information and management support tools. Technical tools include performance and risk assessment models, information management systems, data and the computer infrastructure to supports models, data, and information management systems. Management decision support tools are used to synthesize information at a high` level to assist with making decisions. The major conclusions resulting from the assessment are that there is much technical information available, but it is not reaching the decision-makers in a form to be used. Many existing tools provide components that are needed to integrate site activities; however, some components are missing and, more importantly, the ``glue`` or connections to tie the components together to answer decision-makers questions is largely absent. Top priority should be given to decision support tools that support activities given in the TPA. Other decision tools are needed to facilitate and support the environmental restoration and waste management mission.

  11. Software Tools to Support the Assessment of System Health

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melcher, Kevin J.

    2013-01-01

    This presentation provides an overview of three software tools that were developed by the NASA Glenn Research Center to support the assessment of system health: the Propulsion Diagnostic Method Evaluation Strategy (ProDIMES), the Systematic Sensor Selection Strategy (S4), and the Extended Testability Analysis (ETA) tool. Originally developed to support specific NASA projects in aeronautics and space, these software tools are currently available to U.S. citizens through the NASA Glenn Software Catalog. The ProDiMES software tool was developed to support a uniform comparison of propulsion gas path diagnostic methods. Methods published in the open literature are typically applied to dissimilar platforms with different levels of complexity. They often address different diagnostic problems and use inconsistent metrics for evaluating performance. As a result, it is difficult to perform a one ]to ]one comparison of the various diagnostic methods. ProDIMES solves this problem by serving as a theme problem to aid in propulsion gas path diagnostic technology development and evaluation. The overall goal is to provide a tool that will serve as an industry standard, and will truly facilitate the development and evaluation of significant Engine Health Management (EHM) capabilities. ProDiMES has been developed under a collaborative project of The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP) based on feedback provided by individuals within the aircraft engine health management community. The S4 software tool provides a framework that supports the optimal selection of sensors for health management assessments. S4 is structured to accommodate user ]defined applications, diagnostic systems, search techniques, and system requirements/constraints. One or more sensor suites that maximize this performance while meeting other user ]defined system requirements that are presumed to exist. S4 provides a systematic approach for evaluating combinations of sensors to determine the set or sets of

  12. Runtime Performance Monitoring Tool for RTEMS System Software

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cho, B.; Kim, S.; Park, H.; Kim, H.; Choi, J.; Chae, D.; Lee, J.

    2007-08-01

    RTEMS is a commercial-grade real-time operating system that supports multi-processor computers. However, there are not many development tools for RTEMS. In this paper, we report new RTEMS-based runtime performance monitoring tool. We have implemented a light weight runtime monitoring task with an extension to the RTEMS APIs. Using our tool, software developers can verify various performance- related parameters during runtime. Our tool can be used during software development phase and in-orbit operation as well. Our implemented target agent is light weight and has small overhead using SpaceWire interface. Efforts to reduce overhead and to add other monitoring parameters are currently under research.

  13. Evaluating meeting support tools

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Post, W.M.; Huis in't Veld, M.A.A.; Boogaard, S.A.A. van den

    2008-01-01

    Many attempts are underway for developing meeting support tools, but less attention is paid to the evaluation of meetingware. This article describes the development and testing of an instrument for evaluating meeting tools. First, we specified the object of evaluation - meetings - by means of a set

  14. Evaluating meeting support tools

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Post, W.M.; Huis in 't Veld, M. M.A.; Boogaard, S.A.A. van den

    2007-01-01

    Many attempts are underway for developing meeting support tools, but less attention is paid to the evaluation of meetingware. This article describes the development and testing of an instrument for evaluating meeting tools. First, we specified the object of evaluation -meetings- by means of a set of

  15. Case and Administrative Support Tools

    Data.gov (United States)

    U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Case and Administrative Support Tools (CAST) is the secure portion of the Office of General Counsel (OGC) Dashboard business process automation tool used to help...

  16. Standard guide for hot cell specialized support equipment and tools

    CERN Document Server

    American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

    2010-01-01

    1.1 Intent: 1.1.1 This guide presents practices and guidelines for the design and implementation of equipment and tools to assist assembly, disassembly, alignment, fastening, maintenance, or general handling of equipment in a hot cell. Operating in a remote hot cell environment significantly increases the difficulty and time required to perform a task compared to completing a similar task directly by hand. Successful specialized support equipment and tools minimize the required effort, reduce risks, and increase operating efficiencies. 1.2 Applicability: 1.2.1 This guide may apply to the design of specialized support equipment and tools anywhere it is remotely operated, maintained, and viewed through shielding windows or by other remote viewing systems. 1.2.2 Consideration should be given to the need for specialized support equipment and tools early in the design process. 1.2.3 The values stated in inch-pound units are to be regarded as standard. The values given in parentheses are mathematical conv...

  17. Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST) ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    EPA's Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST) version 2 is a decision support tool designed to facilitate integrated water management by communities at the small watershed scale. WMOST allows users to look across management options in stormwater (including green infrastructure), wastewater, drinking water, and land conservation programs to find the least cost solutions. The pdf version of these presentations accompany the recorded webinar with closed captions to be posted on the WMOST web page. The webinar was recorded at the time a training workshop took place for EPA's Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST, v2).

  18. Performance Assessment as a Diagnostic Tool for Science Teachers

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-04-01

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

  19. The role of knowledge management tools in supporting sustainable forest management

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vacik, H.; Torresan, C.; Hujala, T.; Khadka, C.; Reynolds, K.

    2013-07-01

    Aim of study: Knowledge Management (KM) tools facilitate the implementation of knowledge processes by identifying, creating, structuring, and sharing knowledge through use of information technology in order to improve decision-making. In this contribution, we review the way in which KM tools and techniques are used in forest management, and categorize a selected set of them according to their contribution to support decision makers in the phases of problem identification, problem modelling, and problem solving. Material and methods: Existing examples of cognitive mapping tools, web portals, work flow systems, best practices, and expert systems as well as intelligent agents are screened for their applicability and use in the context of decision support for sustainable forest management. Evidence from scientific literature and case studies is utilized to evaluate the contribution of the different KM tools to support problem identification, problem modelling, and problem solving. Main results: Intelligent agents, expert systems and cognitive maps support all phases of the forest planning process strongly. Web based tools have good potential to support participatory forest planning. Based on the needs of forest management decision support and the thus-far under utilized capabilities of KM tools it becomes evident that future decision analysis will have to consider the use of KM more intensively. Research highlights: As the problem-solving process is the vehicle for connecting both knowledge and decision making performance, the next generation of DSS will need to better encapsulate practices that enhance and promote knowledge management. Web based tools will substitute desktop applications by utilizing various model libraries on the internet. (Author)

  20. The role of knowledge management tools in supporting sustainable forest management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Vacik

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim of study: Knowledge Management (KM tools facilitate the implementation of knowledge processes by identifying, creating, structuring, and sharing knowledge through use of information technology in order to improve decision-making. In this contribution, we review the way in which KM tools and techniques are used in forest management, and categorize a selected set of them according to their contribution to support decision makers in the phases of problem identification, problem modelling, and problem solving.Material and Methods: Existing examples of cognitive mapping tools, web portals, workflow systems, best practices, and expert systems as well as intelligent agents are screened for their applicability and use in the context of decision support for sustainable forest management. Evidence from scientific literature and case studies is utilized to evaluate the contribution of the different KM tools to support problem identification, problem modelling, and problem solving.Main results: Intelligent agents, expert systems and cognitive maps support all phases of the forest planning process strongly. Web based tools have good potential to support participatory forest planning. Based on the needs of forest management decision support and the thus-far underutilized capabilities of KM tools it becomes evident that future decision analysis will have to consider the use of KM more intensively. Research highlights: As the problem-solving process is the vehicle for connecting both knowledge and decision making performance, the next generation of DSS will need to better encapsulate practices that enhance and promote knowledge management. Web based tools will substitute desktop applications by utilizing various model libraries on the internet.Keywords: best practices; cognitive mapping; expert systems; intelligent agents; web portals; workflow systems; Decision Support Systems. 

  1. Measuring and monitoring energy access: Decision-support tools for policymakers in Africa

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hailu, Yohannes G.

    2012-01-01

    A significant number of African States have adapted energy access targets. In evaluating progress towards these goals, measuring and monitoring energy access becomes relevant. This paper reviews energy access indicators and identifies their utility and challenges in their application. By focusing on Africa, a broader framework for energy access measurement and monitoring is discussed, along with implementation barriers and potential solutions. To demonstrate the utility of energy access decision-support tool in Africa, a scenario analysis in five regional energy pools is conducted using the Energy Spending Model tool. Institutionalizing monitoring and decision-support tools can provide valuable feedback to policymakers aiming to design and implement effective energy access programs serving a growing population in Africa. - Highlights: ► Most African countries have adapted energy access targets. ► To monitor and evaluate performance, monitoring and decision-support tools are required. ► Framework for tool development should consider data, cost, political and other factors. ► Implementation constraints include technical, data, resource and urban/rural issues. ► Electricity Spending Needs model is one decision support tool that ties access targets to investment needs. ► Monitoring tools provide crucial feedback on Africa's energy access progress.

  2. Processes, Performance Drivers and ICT Tools in Human Resources Management

    OpenAIRE

    Oškrdal Václav; Pavlíček Antonín; Jelínková Petra

    2011-01-01

    This article presents an insight to processes, performance drivers and ICT tools in human resources (HR) management area. On the basis of a modern approach to HR management, a set of business processes that are handled by today’s HR managers is defined. Consequently, the concept of ICT-supported performance drivers and their relevance in the area of HR management as well as the relationship between HR business processes, performance drivers and ICT tools are defined. The theoretical outcomes ...

  3. Implementing Lumberjacks and Black Swans Into Model-Based Tools to Support Human-Automation Interaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sebok, Angelia; Wickens, Christopher D

    2017-03-01

    The objectives were to (a) implement theoretical perspectives regarding human-automation interaction (HAI) into model-based tools to assist designers in developing systems that support effective performance and (b) conduct validations to assess the ability of the models to predict operator performance. Two key concepts in HAI, the lumberjack analogy and black swan events, have been studied extensively. The lumberjack analogy describes the effects of imperfect automation on operator performance. In routine operations, an increased degree of automation supports performance, but in failure conditions, increased automation results in more significantly impaired performance. Black swans are the rare and unexpected failures of imperfect automation. The lumberjack analogy and black swan concepts have been implemented into three model-based tools that predict operator performance in different systems. These tools include a flight management system, a remotely controlled robotic arm, and an environmental process control system. Each modeling effort included a corresponding validation. In one validation, the software tool was used to compare three flight management system designs, which were ranked in the same order as predicted by subject matter experts. The second validation compared model-predicted operator complacency with empirical performance in the same conditions. The third validation compared model-predicted and empirically determined time to detect and repair faults in four automation conditions. The three model-based tools offer useful ways to predict operator performance in complex systems. The three tools offer ways to predict the effects of different automation designs on operator performance.

  4. The Changing Role of Instructors in Distance Education: Impact on Tool Support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biedebach, Anke; Bomsdorf, Birgit; Schlageter, Gunter

    At the university of Hagen a lot of experience exists in performing Web-based teaching and in implementing tools supporting e-learning. To share this knowledge, (inexperienced) instructors more and more ask for tool-based assistance in designing and administrating e-learning courses. Considering experience from other universities, it becomes…

  5. Decision-support tools for climate change mitigation planning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Puig, Daniel; Aparcana Robles, Sandra Roxana

    . For example, in the case of life-cycle analysis, the evaluation criterion entails that the impacts of interest are examined across the entire life-cycle of the product under study, from extraction of raw materials, to product disposal. Effectively, then, the choice of decision-support tool directs......This document describes three decision-support tools that can aid the process of planning climate change mitigation actions. The phrase ‘decision-support tools’ refers to science-based analytical procedures that facilitate the evaluation of planning options (individually or compared to alternative...... options) against a particular evaluation criterion or set of criteria. Most often decision-support tools are applied with the help of purpose-designed software packages and drawing on specialised databases.The evaluation criteria alluded to above define and characterise each decision-support tool...

  6. Decision support systems in nuclear emergencies: harmonizing domestic and reference tools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vamanu, D.; Mateescu, Gh.; Berinde, A.; Slavnicu, D.; Acasandrei, V.; Slavnicu, E.

    2001-01-01

    The paper addresses the issue of securing the compatibility and inter-operability of computer packages designed to perform as decision support tools in the management of radiological emergencies, over the transition times towards the implementation and uniform acceptance and uniform acceptance of internationally-shared reference tools such as the European Union's RODOS (Real Time On-Line Decision Support System for Off-Site Nuclear Emergencies in Europe). One submits that a harmonization between the currently operational, domestic, and the reference tool can be contemplated, based on extensive code comparison and benchmarking. A case in point is presented, paralleling selected RODOS applications on simulated abnormal nuclear events, and the concurrent application of a resident software package, NOTEPAD, developed to emulate RODOS-wise function at IFIH-HH Bucharest. The reproducible similarity may make domestic decision support system (DSS) facilities useful as both practical tools and factors promoting the emergency preparedness awareness, during the interim time laps till the full development and deployment of RODOS as a reference DSS in Europe. (authors)

  7. Extending BPM Environments of Your Choice with Performance Related Decision Support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fritzsche, Mathias; Picht, Michael; Gilani, Wasif; Spence, Ivor; Brown, John; Kilpatrick, Peter

    What-if Simulations have been identified as one solution for business performance related decision support. Such support is especially useful in cases where it can be automatically generated out of Business Process Management (BPM) Environments from the existing business process models and performance parameters monitored from the executed business process instances. Currently, some of the available BPM Environments offer basic-level performance prediction capabilities. However, these functionalities are normally too limited to be generally useful for performance related decision support at business process level. In this paper, an approach is presented which allows the non-intrusive integration of sophisticated tooling for what-if simulations, analytic performance prediction tools, process optimizations or a combination of such solutions into already existing BPM environments. The approach abstracts from process modelling techniques which enable automatic decision support spanning processes across numerous BPM Environments. For instance, this enables end-to-end decision support for composite processes modelled with the Business Process Modelling Notation (BPMN) on top of existing Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) processes modelled with proprietary languages.

  8. Challenges in Getting Building Performance Monitoring Tools for Everyday Use: User Experiences with A New Tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heikki Ihasalo

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available There is a need for building performance monitoring because it is common that buildings do not perform as intended. A number of advanced tools for the purpose have been developed within the last tens of years. However, these tools have not been widely adopted in real use. A new tool presented here utilizes building automation data and transforms the data into a set of performance metrics, and is capable of visualizing building performance from energy, indoor conditions, and HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning system perspectives. The purpose of this paper is to study the users’ perceptions of the use of tool. The research method was semi-structured interviews. Although the users were satisfied with the solution in general, it was not taken into operative use. The main challenges with the use of the solution were related to accessibility, trust, and management practices. The interviewees were struggling to manage with numerous information systems and therefore had problems in finding the solution and authenticating to it. All the interviewees did not fully trust the solution, since they did not entirely understand what the performance metrics meant or because the solution had limitations in assessing building performance. Management practices are needed to support the performance measurement philosophy.

  9. OPTIMIZING USABILITY OF AN ECONOMIC DECISION SUPPORT TOOL: PROTOTYPE OF THE EQUIPT TOOL.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Kei Long; Hiligsmann, Mickaël; Präger, Maximilian; Jones, Teresa; Józwiak-Hagymásy, Judit; Muñoz, Celia; Lester-George, Adam; Pokhrel, Subhash; López-Nicolás, Ángel; Trapero-Bertran, Marta; Evers, Silvia M A A; de Vries, Hein

    2018-01-01

    Economic decision-support tools can provide valuable information for tobacco control stakeholders, but their usability may impact the adoption of such tools. This study aims to illustrate a mixed-method usability evaluation of an economic decision-support tool for tobacco control, using the EQUIPT ROI tool prototype as a case study. A cross-sectional mixed methods design was used, including a heuristic evaluation, a thinking aloud approach, and a questionnaire testing and exploring the usability of the Return of Investment tool. A total of sixty-six users evaluated the tool (thinking aloud) and completed the questionnaire. For the heuristic evaluation, four experts evaluated the interface. In total twenty-one percent of the respondents perceived good usability. A total of 118 usability problems were identified, from which twenty-six problems were categorized as most severe, indicating high priority to fix them before implementation. Combining user-based and expert-based evaluation methods is recommended as these were shown to identify unique usability problems. The evaluation provides input to optimize usability of a decision-support tool, and may serve as a vantage point for other developers to conduct usability evaluations to refine similar tools before wide-scale implementation. Such studies could reduce implementation gaps by optimizing usability, enhancing in turn the research impact of such interventions.

  10. Trajectory Calculation as Forecasting Support Tool for Dust Storms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sultan Al-Yahyai

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In arid and semiarid regions, dust storms are common during windy seasons. Strong wind can blow loose sand from the dry surface. The rising sand and dust is then transported to other places depending on the wind conditions (speed and direction at different levels of the atmosphere. Considering dust as a moving object in space and time, trajectory calculation then can be used to determine the path it will follow. Trajectory calculation is used as a forecast supporting tool for both operational and research activities. Predefined dust sources can be identified and the trajectories can be precalculated from the Numerical Weather Prediction (NWP forecast. In case of long distance transported dust, the tool should allow the operational forecaster to perform online trajectory calculation. This paper presents a case study for using trajectory calculation based on NWP models as a forecast supporting tool in Oman Meteorological Service during some dust storm events. Case study validation results showed a good agreement between the calculated trajectories and the real transport path of the dust storms and hence trajectory calculation can be used at operational centers for warning purposes.

  11. Examining Students' Use of Online Annotation Tools in Support of Argumentative Reading

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Jingyan; Deng, Liping

    2013-01-01

    This study examined how students in a Hong Kong high school used Diigo, an online annotation tool, to support their argumentative reading activities. Two year 10 classes, a high-performance class (HPC) and an ordinary-performance class (OPC), highlighted passages of text and wrote and attached sticky notes to them to clarify argumentation…

  12. A SOFTWARE TOOL TO COMPARE MEASURED AND SIMULATED BUILDING ENERGY PERFORMANCE DATA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maile, Tobias; Bazjanac, Vladimir; O' Donnell, James; Garr, Matthew

    2011-11-01

    Building energy performance is often inadequate when compared to design goals. To link design goals to actual operation one can compare measured with simulated energy performance data. Our previously developed comparison approach is the Energy Performance Comparison Methodology (EPCM), which enables the identification of performance problems based on a comparison of measured and simulated performance data. In context of this method, we developed a software tool that provides graphing and data processing capabilities of the two performance data sets. The software tool called SEE IT (Stanford Energy Efficiency Information Tool) eliminates the need for manual generation of data plots and data reformatting. SEE IT makes the generation of time series, scatter and carpet plots independent of the source of data (measured or simulated) and provides a valuable tool for comparing measurements with simulation results. SEE IT also allows assigning data points on a predefined building object hierarchy and supports different versions of simulated performance data. This paper briefly introduces the EPCM, describes the SEE IT tool and illustrates its use in the context of a building case study.

  13. 7th International Workshop on Parallel Tools for High Performance Computing

    CERN Document Server

    Gracia, José; Nagel, Wolfgang; Resch, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Current advances in High Performance Computing (HPC) increasingly impact efficient software development workflows. Programmers for HPC applications need to consider trends such as increased core counts, multiple levels of parallelism, reduced memory per core, and I/O system challenges in order to derive well performing and highly scalable codes. At the same time, the increasing complexity adds further sources of program defects. While novel programming paradigms and advanced system libraries provide solutions for some of these challenges, appropriate supporting tools are indispensable. Such tools aid application developers in debugging, performance analysis, or code optimization and therefore make a major contribution to the development of robust and efficient parallel software. This book introduces a selection of the tools presented and discussed at the 7th International Parallel Tools Workshop, held in Dresden, Germany, September 3-4, 2013.  

  14. A Performance Measurement Tool Leading Wastewater Treatment Plants toward Economic Efficiency and Sustainability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Guerrini

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Wastewater treatment is an important link in the water cycle that allows for water sanitation and reuse, facilitates energy generation, and allows for the recovery of products from waste. The scientific community has paid significant attention to wastewater treatment, especially from a technical point of view. Extensive literature is available on new technologies, processes, and materials to improve wastewater treatment. However, scant studies have been conducted in the management field focusing on the development of a performance measurement tool that supports plant managers. The current article addresses this literature gap, developing a reporting tool that integrates technical and cost measures and implements it in a large wastewater utility. The tool successfully identifies cause and effect linkages among key plant performance drivers and supports management in finding activities with poor performance and allows them to delay non-relevant measures of control.

  15. Decision support frameworks and tools for conservation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Mark W.; Cook, Carly N.; Pressey, Robert L.; Pullin, Andrew S.; Runge, Michael C.; Salafsky, Nick; Sutherland, William J.; Williamson, Matthew A.

    2018-01-01

    The practice of conservation occurs within complex socioecological systems fraught with challenges that require transparent, defensible, and often socially engaged project planning and management. Planning and decision support frameworks are designed to help conservation practitioners increase planning rigor, project accountability, stakeholder participation, transparency in decisions, and learning. We describe and contrast five common frameworks within the context of six fundamental questions (why, who, what, where, when, how) at each of three planning stages of adaptive management (project scoping, operational planning, learning). We demonstrate that decision support frameworks provide varied and extensive tools for conservation planning and management. However, using any framework in isolation risks diminishing potential benefits since no one framework covers the full spectrum of potential conservation planning and decision challenges. We describe two case studies that have effectively deployed tools from across conservation frameworks to improve conservation actions and outcomes. Attention to the critical questions for conservation project planning should allow practitioners to operate within any framework and adapt tools to suit their specific management context. We call on conservation researchers and practitioners to regularly use decision support tools as standard practice for framing both practice and research.

  16. Designing decision support tools for targeted N-regulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Andreas Aagaard; Piil, Kristoffer; Andersen, Peter Stubkjær

    2017-01-01

    data model for land use data – the dNmark landscape model. Based on input data which is corrected and edited by workshop participants, the tool estimates the effect of potential land use scenarios on nutrient emissions. The tool was tested in 5 scenario workshops in case areas in Denmark in 2016...... in Denmark to develop and improve a functioning decision support tool for landscape scale N-management. The aim of the study is to evaluate how a decision support tool can best be designed in order to enable landscape scale strategic N-management practices. Methods: A prototype GIS-tool for capturing......, storing, editing, displaying and modelling landscape scale farming practices and associated emission consequences was developed. The tool was designed to integrate locally held knowledge with national scale datasets in live scenario situations through the implementation of a flexible, uniform and editable...

  17. Processes, Performance Drivers and ICT Tools in Human Resources Management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oškrdal Václav

    2011-06-01

    Full Text Available This article presents an insight to processes, performance drivers and ICT tools in human resources (HR management area. On the basis of a modern approach to HR management, a set of business processes that are handled by today’s HR managers is defined. Consequently, the concept of ICT-supported performance drivers and their relevance in the area of HR management as well as the relationship between HR business processes, performance drivers and ICT tools are defined. The theoretical outcomes are further enhanced with results obtained from a survey among Czech companies. This article was written with kind courtesy of finances provided by VŠE IGA grant „IGA – 32/2010“.

  18. Supportive supervision and constructive relationships with healthcare workers support CHW performance: Use of a qualitative framework to evaluate CHW programming in Uganda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ludwick, Teralynn; Turyakira, Eleanor; Kyomuhangi, Teddy; Manalili, Kimberly; Robinson, Sheila; Brenner, Jennifer L

    2018-02-13

    While evidence supports community health worker (CHW) capacity to improve maternal and newborn health in less-resourced countries, key implementation gaps remain. Tools for assessing CHW performance and evidence on what programmatic components affect performance are lacking. This study developed and tested a qualitative evaluative framework and tool to assess CHW team performance in a district program in rural Uganda. A new assessment framework was developed to collect and analyze qualitative evidence based on CHW perspectives on seven program components associated with effectiveness (selection; training; community embeddedness; peer support; supportive supervision; relationship with other healthcare workers; retention and incentive structures). Focus groups were conducted with four high/medium-performing CHW teams and four low-performing CHW teams selected through random, stratified sampling. Content analysis involved organizing focus group transcripts according to the seven program effectiveness components, and assigning scores to each component per focus group. Four components, 'supportive supervision', 'good relationships with other healthcare workers', 'peer support', and 'retention and incentive structures' received the lowest overall scores. Variances in scores between 'high'/'medium'- and 'low'-performing CHW teams were largest for 'supportive supervision' and 'good relationships with other healthcare workers.' Our analysis suggests that in the Bushenyi intervention context, CHW team performance is highly correlated with the quality of supervision and relationships with other healthcare workers. CHWs identified key performance-related issues of absentee supervisors, referral system challenges, and lack of engagement/respect by health workers. Other less-correlated program components warrant further study and may have been impacted by relatively consistent program implementation within our limited study area. Applying process-oriented measurement tools are

  19. The acoustic performance of double-skin facades: A design support tool for architects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batungbakal, Aireen

    This study assesses and validates the influence of measuring sound in the urban environment and the influence of glass facade components in reducing sound transmission to the indoor environment. Among the most reported issues affecting workspaces, increased awareness to minimize noise led building designers to reconsider the design of building envelopes and its site environment. Outdoor sound conditions, such as traffic noise, challenge designers to accurately estimate the capability of glass facades in acquiring an appropriate indoor sound quality. Indicating the density of the urban environment, field-tests acquired existing sound levels in areas of high commercial development, employment, and traffic activity, establishing a baseline for sound levels common in urban work areas. Composed from the direct sound transmission loss of glass facades simulated through INSUL, a sound insulation software, data is utilized as an informative tool correlating the response of glass facade components towards existing outdoor sound levels of a project site in order to achieve desired indoor sound levels. This study progresses to link the disconnection in validating the acoustic performance of glass facades early in a project's design, from conditioned settings such as field-testing and simulations to project completion. Results obtained from the study's facade simulations and facade comparison supports that acoustic comfort is not limited to a singular solution, but multiple design options responsive to its environment.

  20. BASINs 4.0 Climate Assessment Tool (CAT): Supporting ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    EPA announced the availability of the report, BASINS 4.0 Climate Assessment Tool (CAT): Supporting Documentation and User's Manual. This report was prepared by the EPA's Global Change Research Program (GCRP), an assessment-oriented program, that sits within the Office of Research and Development, that focuses on assessing how potential changes in climate and other global environmental stressors may impact water quality, air quality, aquatic ecosystems, and human health in the United States. The Program’s focus on water quality is consistent with the Research Strategy of the U.S. Climate Change Research Program—the federal umbrella organization for climate change science in the U.S. government—and is responsive to U.S. EPA’s mission and responsibilities as defined by the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. A central goal of the EPA GCRP is to provide EPA program offices, Regions, and other stakeholders with tools and information for assessing and responding to any potential future impacts of climate change. In 2007, the EPA Global Change Research Program (GCRP), in partnership with the EPA Office of Water, supported development of a Climate Assessment Tool (CAT) for version 4 of EPA’s BASINS modeling system. This report provides supporting documentation and user support materials for the BASINS CAT tool. The purpose of this report is to provide in a single document a variety of documentation and user support materials supporting the use

  1. Enhancing Formal Modelling Tool Support with Increased Automation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lausdahl, Kenneth

    Progress report for the qualification exam report for PhD Student Kenneth Lausdahl. Initial work on enhancing tool support for the formal method VDM and the concept of unifying a abstract syntax tree with the ability for isolated extensions is described. The tool support includes a connection to ...... to UML and a test automation principle based on traces written as a kind of regular expressions....

  2. Harnessing Theories for Tool Support

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liu, Zhiming; Mencl, Vladimir; Ravn, Anders Peter

    2006-01-01

    quality of such add-ins is to base them on sound formal foundations. In order to know where such add-ins will fit, we investigate the use of an existing successful commercial tool and identify suitable places for adding formally supported checking, transformation and generation modules. The paper...

  3. Designing Tools for Supporting User Decision-Making in e-Commerce

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutcliffe, Alistair; Al-Qaed, Faisal

    The paper describes a set of tools designed to support a variety of user decision-making strategies. The tools are complemented by an online advisor so they can be adapted to different domains and users can be guided to adopt appropriate tools for different choices in e-commerce, e.g. purchasing high-value products, exploring product fit to users’ needs, or selecting products which satisfy requirements. The tools range from simple recommenders to decision support by interactive querying and comparison matrices. They were evaluated in a scenario-based experiment which varied the users’ task and motivation, with and without an advisor agent. The results show the tools and advisor were effective in supporting users and agreed with the predictions of ADM (adaptive decision making) theory, on which the design of the tools was based.

  4. Decision support tools to support the operations of traffic management centers (TMC)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-31

    The goal of this project is to develop decision support tools to support traffic management operations based on collected intelligent transportation system (ITS) data. The project developments are in accordance with the needs of traffic management ce...

  5. 9th International Workshop on Parallel Tools for High Performance Computing

    CERN Document Server

    Hilbrich, Tobias; Niethammer, Christoph; Gracia, José; Nagel, Wolfgang; Resch, Michael

    2016-01-01

    High Performance Computing (HPC) remains a driver that offers huge potentials and benefits for science and society. However, a profound understanding of the computational matters and specialized software is needed to arrive at effective and efficient simulations. Dedicated software tools are important parts of the HPC software landscape, and support application developers. Even though a tool is by definition not a part of an application, but rather a supplemental piece of software, it can make a fundamental difference during the development of an application. Such tools aid application developers in the context of debugging, performance analysis, and code optimization, and therefore make a major contribution to the development of robust and efficient parallel software. This book introduces a selection of the tools presented and discussed at the 9th International Parallel Tools Workshop held in Dresden, Germany, September 2-3, 2015, which offered an established forum for discussing the latest advances in paral...

  6. EnergiTools. A methodology for performance monitoring and diagnosis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ancion, P.; Bastien, R.; Ringdahl, K.

    2000-01-01

    EnergiTools is a performance monitoring and diagnostic tool that combines the power of on-line process data acquisition with advanced diagnosis methodologies. Analytical models based on thermodynamic principles are combined with neural networks to validate sensor data and to estimate missing or faulty measurements. Advanced diagnostic technologies are then applied to point out potential faults and areas to be investigated further. The diagnosis methodologies are based on Bayesian belief networks. Expert knowledge is captured in the form of the fault-symptom relationships and includes historical information as the likelihood of faults and symptoms. The methodology produces the likelihood of component failure root causes using the expert knowledge base. EnergiTools is used at Ringhals nuclear power plants. It has led to the diagnosis of various performance issues. Three case studies based on this plant data and model are presented and illustrate the diagnosis support methodologies implemented in EnergiTools . In the first case, the analytical data qualification technique points out several faulty measurements. The application of a neural network for the estimation of the nuclear reactor power by interpreting several plant indicators is then illustrated. The use of the Bayesian belief networks is finally described. (author)

  7. A Reference Architecture for Providing Tools as a Service to Support Global Software Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chauhan, Aufeef

    2014-01-01

    -computing paradigm for addressing above-mentioned issues by providing a framework to select appropriate tools as well as associated services and reference architecture of the cloud-enabled middleware platform that allows on demand provisioning of software engineering Tools as a Service (TaaS) with focus......Global Software Development (GSD) teams encounter challenges that are associated with distribution of software development activities across multiple geographic regions. The limited support for performing collaborative development and engineering activities and lack of sufficient support......-based solutions. The restricted ability of the organizations to have desired alignment of tools with software engineering and development processes results in administrative and managerial overhead that incur increased development cost and poor product quality. Moreover, stakeholders involved in the projects have...

  8. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Stormwater Decision Support Tools for Infrastructure Selection and the Barriers to Implementation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Spahr, K.; Hogue, T. S.

    2016-12-01

    Selecting the most appropriate green, gray, and / or hybrid system for stormwater treatment and conveyance can prove challenging to decision markers across all scales, from site managers to large municipalities. To help streamline the selection process, a multi-disciplinary team of academics and professionals is developing an industry standard for selecting and evaluating the most appropriate stormwater management technology for different regions. To make the tool more robust and comprehensive, life-cycle cost assessment and optimization modules will be included to evaluate non-monetized and ecosystem benefits of selected technologies. Initial work includes surveying advisory board members based in cities that use existing decision support tools in their infrastructure planning process. These surveys will qualify the decisions currently being made and identify challenges within the current planning process across a range of hydroclimatic regions and city size. Analysis of social and other non-technical barriers to adoption of the existing tools is also being performed, with identification of regional differences and institutional challenges. Surveys will also gage the regional appropriateness of certain stormwater technologies based off experiences in implementing stormwater treatment and conveyance plans. In additional to compiling qualitative data on existing decision support tools, a technical review of components of the decision support tool used will be performed. Gaps in each tool's analysis, like the lack of certain critical functionalities, will be identified and ease of use will be evaluated. Conclusions drawn from both the qualitative and quantitative analyses will be used to inform the development of the new decision support tool and its eventual dissemination.

  9. The use of ICT tools to support collaborative product development activities: evidences from Brazilian industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daisy Valle Enrique

    2018-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Paper aims This paper aims to understand the relationship between Information & Communication Technology (ICT, collaborative New Product Development (NPD and customer satisfaction (NPD performance. Originality We target the relationship between ICT, collaborative NPD and NPD performance. ICT is assessed as a set of specific tools adopted by the companies. Research method We test the mediating role of collaborative practices in the effect of ICT tools on customer satisfaction (as NPD performance by means of a survey of 105 Brazilian firms. Main findings Collaboration with customers and suppliers has an important role for customer satisfaction and the use of ICT has significant effect on NPD performance through the mediating role of collaborative practices. Implications for theory and practice Implementing only ICT tools is not enough to achieve higher level of success in NPD. Managers should first strength the relationship between stakeholders and then adopt ICT tools to support the cooperation.

  10. Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST) v3: Theoretical Documentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST) is a decision support tool that facilitates integrated water management at the local or small watershed scale. WMOST models the environmental effects and costs of management decisions in a watershed context, accounting fo...

  11. Supportive supervision and constructive relationships with healthcare workers support CHW performance: Use of a qualitative framework to evaluate CHW programming in Uganda

    OpenAIRE

    Ludwick, Teralynn; Turyakira, Eleanor; Kyomuhangi, Teddy; Manalili, Kimberly; Robinson, Sheila; Brenner, Jennifer L.

    2018-01-01

    Background While evidence supports community health worker (CHW) capacity to improve maternal and newborn health in less-resourced countries, key implementation gaps remain. Tools for assessing CHW performance and evidence on what programmatic components affect performance are lacking. This study developed and tested a qualitative evaluative framework and tool to assess CHW team performance in a district program in rural Uganda. Methods A new assessment framework was developed to collect and ...

  12. Prediction of Machine Tool Condition Using Support Vector Machine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Peigong; Meng Qingfeng; Zhao Jian; Li Junjie; Wang Xiufeng

    2011-01-01

    Condition monitoring and predicting of CNC machine tools are investigated in this paper. Considering the CNC machine tools are often small numbers of samples, a condition predicting method for CNC machine tools based on support vector machines (SVMs) is proposed, then one-step and multi-step condition prediction models are constructed. The support vector machines prediction models are used to predict the trends of working condition of a certain type of CNC worm wheel and gear grinding machine by applying sequence data of vibration signal, which is collected during machine processing. And the relationship between different eigenvalue in CNC vibration signal and machining quality is discussed. The test result shows that the trend of vibration signal Peak-to-peak value in surface normal direction is most relevant to the trend of surface roughness value. In trends prediction of working condition, support vector machine has higher prediction accuracy both in the short term ('One-step') and long term (multi-step) prediction compared to autoregressive (AR) model and the RBF neural network. Experimental results show that it is feasible to apply support vector machine to CNC machine tool condition prediction.

  13. The Aviation Performance Measuring System (APMS): An Integrated Suite of Tools for Measuring Performance and Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Statler, Irving C.; Connor, Mary M. (Technical Monitor)

    1998-01-01

    This is a report of work in progress. In it, I summarize the status of the research and development of the Aviation Performance Measuring System (APMS) for managing, processing, and analyzing digital flight-recorded data, The objectives of the NASA-FAA APMS research project are to establish a sound scientific and technological basis for flight-data analysis, to define an open and flexible architecture for flight-data analysis systems, and to articulate guidelines for a standardized database structure on which to continue to build future flight-data-analysis extensions. APMS offers to the air transport community an open, voluntary standard for flight-data-analysis software; a standard that will help to ensure suitable functionality and data interchangeability among competing software programs. APMS will develop and document the methodologies, algorithms, and procedures for data management and analyses to enable users to easily interpret the implications regarding safety and efficiency of operations. APMS does not entail the implementation of a nationwide flight-data-collection system. It is intended to provide technical tools to ease the large-scale implementation of flight-data analyses at both the air-carrier and the national-airspace levels in support of their Flight Operations and Quality Assurance (FOQA) Programs and Advanced Qualifications Programs (AQP). APMS cannot meet its objectives unless it develops tools that go substantially beyond the capabilities of the current commercially available software and supporting analytic methods that are mainly designed to count special events. These existing capabilities, while of proven value, were created primarily with the needs-of aircrews in mind. APMS tools must serve the needs of the government and air carriers, as well as aircrews, to fully support the FOQA and AQP programs. They must be able to derive knowledge not only through the analysis of single flights (special-event detection), but also through

  14. High Performance Grinding and Advanced Cutting Tools

    CERN Document Server

    Jackson, Mark J

    2013-01-01

    High Performance Grinding and Advanced Cutting Tools discusses the fundamentals and advances in high performance grinding processes, and provides a complete overview of newly-developing areas in the field. Topics covered are grinding tool formulation and structure, grinding wheel design and conditioning and applications using high performance grinding wheels. Also included are heat treatment strategies for grinding tools, using grinding tools for high speed applications, laser-based and diamond dressing techniques, high-efficiency deep grinding, VIPER grinding, and new grinding wheels.

  15. Tool-Supported User-Centred Prototyping of Mobile Applications

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Leichtenstern, Karin; André, Elisabeth; Rehm, Matthias

    2011-01-01

    the process both cost-effective and time-effective. In this paper we cover that problem and provide insights in so-called user-centered prototyping (UCP) tools which support the production of prototypes as well as their evaluation with end-users. In particular, we introduce our UCP tool called Mo...

  16. SUPPORTING LEARNING THROUGH EPISTEMIC SCAFFOLDS EMBEDDED IN A HIGHLIGHTER TOOL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan Erik Dahl

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available This article explores the use of epistemic scaffolds embedded in a digital highlighter tool that was used to support students’ readings and discussions of research articles. The use of annotation technologies in education is increasing, and annotations can play a wide variety of epistemic roles; e.g., they can facilitate a deeper level of engagement, support critical thinking, develop cognitive and metacognitive skills and introduce practices that can support knowledge building and independent learning. However, research has shown that the actual tool use often deviates from the underlying knowledge model in the tools. Hence, the situated and mediated nature of these tools is still poorly understood. Research also tends to study the tools as a passed on resource rather than being co-constructed between students and teachers. The researcher argues that approaching these resources as co-constructed can be more productive and can create new spaces for teacher–student dialogues, students’ agency and self-scaffolding.

  17. Supporting human performance in operations - principles for new nuclear build

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lane, L.; Davey, E.

    2006-01-01

    Operational experience worldwide continues to demonstrate that human performance is a key factor in the ongoing safety, production, and protection of investment in operation of nuclear plants for electricity generation. Human performance in support of plant operational objectives can be influenced by a range of factors, for example: organizational culture and expectations; role assignments, training, and individual and team behaviours; and the support offered by the workplace environment, tools, and task design. This paper outlines a perspective on some of the principles that should be considered for application in the design of new nuclear build to facilitate support for human performance in plant operations. The principles identified focus on but are not limited to the tasks of shift staff, and are derived from the observations and experience of the authors who are experienced with control room operations in current plants. (author)

  18. Supporting human performance in operations - principles for new nuclear build

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lane, L. [Ontario Power Generation, Darlington Nuclear Div., Bowmanville, Ontario (Canada); Davey, E. [Crew Systems Solutions, Deep River, Ontario (Canada)

    2006-07-01

    Operational experience worldwide continues to demonstrate that human performance is a key factor in the ongoing safety, production, and protection of investment in operation of nuclear plants for electricity generation. Human performance in support of plant operational objectives can be influenced by a range of factors, for example: organizational culture and expectations; role assignments, training, and individual and team behaviours; and the support offered by the workplace environment, tools, and task design. This paper outlines a perspective on some of the principles that should be considered for application in the design of new nuclear build to facilitate support for human performance in plant operations. The principles identified focus on but are not limited to the tasks of shift staff, and are derived from the observations and experience of the authors who are experienced with control room operations in current plants. (author)

  19. Decision support tools in conservation: a workshop to improve user-centred design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Rose

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available A workshop held at the University of Cambridge in May 2017 brought developers, researchers, knowledge brokers, and users together to discuss user-centred design of decision support tools. Decision support tools are designed to take users through logical decision steps towards an evidence-informed final decision. Although they may exist in different forms, including on paper, decision support tools are generally considered to be computer- (online, software or app-based. Studies have illustrated the potential value of decision support tools for conservation, and there are several papers describing the design of individual tools. Rather less attention, however, has been placed on the desirable characteristics for use, and even less on whether tools are actually being used in practice. This is concerning because if tools are not used by their intended end user, for example a policy-maker or practitioner, then its design will have wasted resources. Based on an analysis of papers on tool use in conservation, there is a lack of social science research on improving design, and relatively few examples where users have been incorporated into the design process. Evidence from other disciplines, particularly human-computer interaction research, illustrates that involving users throughout the design of decision support tools increases the relevance, usability, and impact of systems. User-centred design of tools is, however, seldom mentioned in the conservation literature. The workshop started the necessary process of bringing together developers and users to share knowledge about how to conduct good user-centred design of decision support tools. This will help to ensure that tools are usable and make an impact in conservation policy and practice.

  20. A review of features in Internet consumer health decision-support tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwitzer, Gary

    2002-01-01

    Over the past decade, health care consumers have begun to benefit from new Web-based communications tools to guide decision making on treatments and tests. Using today's online tools, consumers who have Internet connections can: watch and listen to videos of physicians; watch and hear the stories of other consumers who have faced the same decisions; join an online social support network; receive estimates of their own chances of experiencing various outcomes; and do it all at home. To review currently-available Internet consumer health decision-support tools. Five Web sites offering consumer health decision-support tools are analyzed for their use of 4 key Web-enabled features: the presentation of outcomes probability data tailored to the individual user; the use of videotaped patient interviews in the final product to convey the experiences of people who have faced similar diagnoses in the past; the ability to interact with others in a social support network; and the accessibility of the tool to any health care consumers with an Internet connection. None of the 5 Web sites delivers all 4 target features to all Web users. The reasons for these variations in the use of key Web functionality--features that make the Web distinctive--are not immediately clear. Consumers trying to make health care decisions may benefit from current Web-based decision-support tools. But, variations in Web developers' use of 4 key Web-enabled features leaves the online decision-support experience less than what it could be. Key research questions are identified that could help in the development of new hybrid patient decision-support tools.

  1. Development of a smart city planning support tool using the cooperative method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Takeshi Kobayashi

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available A reduction of environmental burdens is currently required. In particular, proposing a new approach for the construction of a smart city using renewable energy is important. The technological development of a smart city is founded building equipment and infrastructure. However, planning methods and their techniques using the collaboration approach with residents are only just developing. This study aimed to develop a support tool for the construction of a smart city using renewable energy while facilitating consensus-building efforts among residents using the method for a cooperative housing development. We organized the supporting methods for the construction of residential area using the cooperative method. Then, we developed supporting tools that interface the computer with these methods. We examined the support techniques for the construction of a residential area using renewable energy technology by analyzing Japanese cases of a smart city. Moreover, we developed a support tool for the construction of a smart city on a trial basis. We integrated the smart city construction tools and the cooperative housing construction support tool. This tool has a 3D modeling system that helps residents to easily understand the space image as a result of the examination. We also developed a professional supporting tool that residents can consider for cost-effectiveness in renewable energy and its environmental load reduction rate for the planning of a smart city.

  2. TOOL SUPPORT OF DECISION-MAKING AT SELECTION AND PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL TAKING INTO ACCOUNT MOTIVATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vadim Alexandrovich Lomazov

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of work consists in development of methods of information and algorithmic support of decision-making at an assessment and personnel selection taking into account motivation. The methods of a multicriteria assessment of alternatives and expert technologies are used as researching tools. The main result of the presented work is creation of the mathematical model that allows estimating a motivational orientation in the actions of the staff and job applicants. The scope of results of the work is the sphere of theoretical and applied questions of human resource management of the organizations.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.12731/2218-7405-2013-8-31

  3. A Tool Supporting Collaborative Data Analytics Workflow Design and Management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, J.; Bao, Q.; Lee, T. J.

    2016-12-01

    Collaborative experiment design could significantly enhance the sharing and adoption of the data analytics algorithms and models emerged in Earth science. Existing data-oriented workflow tools, however, are not suitable to support collaborative design of such a workflow, to name a few, to support real-time co-design; to track how a workflow evolves over time based on changing designs contributed by multiple Earth scientists; and to capture and retrieve collaboration knowledge on workflow design (discussions that lead to a design). To address the aforementioned challenges, we have designed and developed a technique supporting collaborative data-oriented workflow composition and management, as a key component toward supporting big data collaboration through the Internet. Reproducibility and scalability are two major targets demanding fundamental infrastructural support. One outcome of the project os a software tool, supporting an elastic number of groups of Earth scientists to collaboratively design and compose data analytics workflows through the Internet. Instead of recreating the wheel, we have extended an existing workflow tool VisTrails into an online collaborative environment as a proof of concept.

  4. Application of Education Information Management Support Tools in the Promotion of Teaching/Learning and Management of Students' Performance in Federal Universities in the South-South Zone of Nigeria

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oluwuo, S. O.; Enefaa, Bestman Briggs Anthonia

    2016-01-01

    The study investigated the application of education information management support tools in the promotion of teaching/learning and management of students' performance in federal universities in the South-South zone of Nigeria. Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The…

  5. A Business Analytics Software Tool for Monitoring and Predicting Radiology Throughput Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, Stephen; Cournane, Seán; Sheehy, Niall; Hederman, Lucy

    2016-12-01

    Business analytics (BA) is increasingly being utilised by radiology departments to analyse and present data. It encompasses statistical analysis, forecasting and predictive modelling and is used as an umbrella term for decision support and business intelligence systems. The primary aim of this study was to determine whether utilising BA technologies could contribute towards improved decision support and resource management within radiology departments. A set of information technology requirements were identified with key stakeholders, and a prototype BA software tool was designed, developed and implemented. A qualitative evaluation of the tool was carried out through a series of semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Feedback was collated, and emergent themes were identified. The results indicated that BA software applications can provide visibility of radiology performance data across all time horizons. The study demonstrated that the tool could potentially assist with improving operational efficiencies and management of radiology resources.

  6. Rapid prototyping in order to improve building performance simulation for detailed design support

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hopfe, C.J.; Hensen, J.L.M.; Stankov, P.

    2006-01-01

    Building performance simulation (BPS) is a powerful tool to support building and system designers in emulating how orientation, building type, HVAC system etc. interacts the overall building performance. Currently BPS is used only for code compliance in the detailed design, neither to make informed

  7. The GEDI Performance Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hancock, S.; Armston, J.; Tang, H.; Patterson, P. L.; Healey, S. P.; Marselis, S.; Duncanson, L.; Hofton, M. A.; Kellner, J. R.; Luthcke, S. B.; Sun, X.; Blair, J. B.; Dubayah, R.

    2017-12-01

    NASA's Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation will mount a multi-track, full-waveform lidar on the International Space Station (ISS) that is optimised for the measurement of forest canopy height and structure. GEDI will use ten laser tracks, two 10 mJ "power beams" and eight 5 mJ "coverage beams" to produce global (51.5oS to 51.5oN) maps of above ground biomass (AGB), canopy height, vegetation structure and other biophysical parameters. The mission has a requirement to generate a 1 km AGB map with 80% of pixels with ≤ 20% standard error or 20 Mg·ha-1, whichever is greater. To assess performance and compare to mission requirements, an end-to-end simulator has been developed. The simulator brings together tools to propagate the effects of measurement and sampling error on GEDI data products. The simulator allows us to evaluate the impact of instrument performance, ISS orbits, processing algorithms and losses of data that may occur due to clouds, snow, leaf-off conditions, and areas with an insufficient signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). By evaluating the consequences of operational decisions on GEDI data products, this tool provides a quantitative framework for decision-making and mission planning. Here we demonstrate the performance tool by using it to evaluate the trade-off between measurement and sampling error on the 1 km AGB data product. Results demonstrate that the use of coverage beams during the day (lowest GEDI SNR case) over very dense forests (>95% canopy cover) will result in some measurement bias. Omitting these low SNR cases increased the sampling error. Through this an SNR threshold for a given expected canopy cover can be set. The other applications of the performance tool are also discussed, such as assessing the impact of decisions made in the AGB modelling and signal processing stages on the accuracy of final data products.

  8. 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.

  9. Selection of a tool to support decision making for site selection for high level waste - 15010

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Madeira, J.G.; Alvim, A.C.M.; Martins, V.B.; Monteiro, N.A.

    2015-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to create a panel comparing some of the key decision-making support tools used in situations with the characteristics of the problem of selecting suitable areas for constructing a final deep geologic repository. The tools presented in this work are also well-known and with easy implementation. The decision making process in issues of this kind is, in general, complex due to its multi-criteria nature and the conflicting opinions of various of stakeholders. Thus a comprehensive study was performed with the literature on this subject, specifically documents of the International Atomic Energy Agency - IAEA, regarding the importance of the criteria involved in the decision making process. Therefore, we highlighted 6 judgments attributes for selecting an adequate support tool: -) transparency and reliability, -) subjectivity, -) updating and adapting, -) multi-criteria analysis, -) ease of deployment, and -) application time. We have selected the following key decision-making support tools: AHP, Delphi, Brainstorm, Nominal Group Technique, and AHP-Delphi. Finally, the AHP-Delphi method has demonstrated to be more appropriate for managing the inherent multiple attributes to the problem proposed

  10. Towards multidisciplinary support tools for innovation tasks

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wits, Wessel Willems; Bakker, H.M.; Chechurin, L.S.

    2012-01-01

    This paper highlights the imperative need for innovation and characterizes a promising support tool to stimulate this process. The importance of innovation for both a global economy and specifically for engineering education is discussed. Additionally, the urgency for multidisciplinary skills for

  11. Which species? A decision-support tool to guide plant selection in stormwater biofilters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Payne, Emily G. I.; Pham, Tracey; Deletic, Ana; Hatt, Belinda E.; Cook, Perran L. M.; Fletcher, Tim D.

    2018-03-01

    Plant species are diverse in form, function and environmental response. This provides enormous potential for designing nature-based stormwater treatment technologies, such as biofiltration systems. However, species can vary dramatically in their pollutant-removal performance, particularly for nitrogen removal. Currently, there is a lack of information on how to efficiently select from the vast palette of species. This study aimed to identify plant traits beneficial to performance and create a decision-support tool to screen species for further testing. A laboratory experiment using 220 biofilter columns paired plant morphological characteristics with nitrogen removal and water loss for 20 Australian native species and two lawn grasses. Testing was undertaken during wet and dry conditions, for two biofilter designs (saturated zone and free-draining). An extensive root system and high total biomass were critical to the effective removal of total nitrogen (TN) and nitrate (NO3-), driven by high nitrogen assimilation. The same characteristics were key to performance under dry conditions, and were associated with high water use for Australian native plants; linking assimilation and transpiration. The decision-support tool uses these scientific relationships and readily-available information to identify the morphology, natural distribution and stress tolerances likely to be good predictors of plant nitrogen and water uptake.

  12. Tool Supported Analysis of Web Services Protocols

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marques, Abinoam P.; Ravn, Anders Peter; Srba, Jiri

    2011-01-01

    We describe an abstract protocol model suitable for modelling of web services and other protocols communicating via unreliable, asynchronous communication channels. The model is supported by a tool chain where the first step translates tables with state/transition protocol descriptions, often used...... e.g. in the design of web services protocols, into an intermediate XML format. We further translate this format into a network of communicating state machines directly suitable for verification in the model checking tool UPPAAL. We introduce two types of communication media abstractions in order...

  13. Evaluating online diagnostic decision support tools for the clinical setting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pryor, Marie; White, David; Potter, Bronwyn; Traill, Roger

    2012-01-01

    Clinical decision support tools available at the point of care are an effective adjunct to support clinicians to make clinical decisions and improve patient outcomes. We developed a methodology and applied it to evaluate commercially available online clinical diagnostic decision support (DDS) tools for use at the point of care. We identified 11 commercially available DDS tools and assessed these against an evaluation instrument that included 6 categories; general information, content, quality control, search, clinical results and other features. We developed diagnostically challenging clinical case scenarios based on real patient experience that were commonly missed by junior medical staff. The evaluation was divided into 2 phases; an initial evaluation of all identified and accessible DDS tools conducted by the Clinical Information Access Portal (CIAP) team and a second phase that further assessed the top 3 tools identified in the initial evaluation phase. An evaluation panel consisting of senior and junior medical clinicians from NSW Health conducted the second phase. Of the eleven tools that were assessed against the evaluation instrument only 4 tools completely met the DDS definition that was adopted for this evaluation and were able to produce a differential diagnosis. From the initial phase of the evaluation 4 DDS tools scored 70% or more (maximum score 96%) for the content category, 8 tools scored 65% or more (maximum 100%) for the quality control category, 5 tools scored 65% or more (maximum 94%) for the search category, and 4 tools score 70% or more (maximum 81%) for the clinical results category. The second phase of the evaluation was focused on assessing diagnostic accuracy for the top 3 tools identified in the initial phase. Best Practice ranked highest overall against the 6 clinical case scenarios used. Overall the differentiating factor between the top 3 DDS tools was determined by diagnostic accuracy ranking, ease of use and the confidence and

  14. Clinical Decision Support Tools: The Evolution of a Revolution

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mould, D. R.; D'Haens, G.; Upton, R. N.

    2016-01-01

    Dashboard systems for clinical decision support integrate data from multiple sources. These systems, the newest in a long line of dose calculators and other decision support tools, utilize Bayesian approaches to fully individualize dosing using information gathered through therapeutic drug

  15. APMS: An Integrated Suite of Tools for Measuring Performance and Safety

    Science.gov (United States)

    Statler, Irving C.; Lynch, Robert E.; Connors, Mary M. (Technical Monitor)

    1997-01-01

    This is a report of work in progress. In it, I summarize the status of the research and development of the Aviation Performance Measuring System (APMS) for managing, processing, and analyzing digital flight-recorded data. The objectives of the NASA-FAA APMS research project are to establish a sound scientific and technological basis for flight-data analysis, to define an open and flexible architecture for flight-data-analysis systems, and to articulate guidelines for a standardized database structure on which to continue to build future flight-data-analysis extensions. APMS will offer to the air transport community an open, voluntary standard for flight-data-analysis software, a standard that will help to ensure suitable functionality, and data interchangeability, among competing software programs. APMS will develop and document the methodologies, algorithms, and procedures for data management and analyses to enable users to easily interpret the implications regarding safety and efficiency of operations. APMS does not entail the implementation of a nationwide flight-data-collection system. It is intended to provide technical tools to ease the large-scale implementation of flight-data analyses at both the air-carrier and the national-airspace levels in support of their Flight Operations and Quality Assurance (FOQA) Programs and Advanced Qualifications Programs (AQP). APMS cannot meet its objectives unless it develops tools that go substantially beyond the capabilities of the current commercially available software and supporting analytic methods that are mainly designed to count special events. These existing capabilities, while of proven value, were created primarily with the needs of air crews in mind. APMS tools must serve the needs of the government and air carriers, as well as air crews, to fully support the FOQA and AQP programs. They must be able to derive knowledge not only through the analysis of single flights (special-event detection), but through

  16. Towards life-cycle awareness in decision support tools for engineering design

    OpenAIRE

    Nergård, Henrik; Sandberg, Marcus; Larsson, Tobias

    2009-01-01

    In this paper a decision support tool with the focus on how to generate and visualize decision base coupled to the business agreement is outlined and discussed. Decision support tools for the early design phases are few and especially tools that visualize the readiness level of activities throughout the product life-cycle. Aiming for the sustainable society there is an indication that business-to-business manufacturers move toward providing a function rather than selling off the hardware and ...

  17. Creating proximity across distances – Management tools to support performance and employee well-being

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ipsen, Christine; Poulsen, Signe

    ), in satellite offices (intra-organizational work), or at the customers’ or clients’ locations (interorganizational work) (Verburg et al. 2013; Cropper et al. 2008). In inter-organizations, distance employees are employed by one company (the provider) but work at a different company (the customer) (Cropper et al...... either time or geography separate managers from their employees, it becomes more difficult to ensure both the employees psychosocial work environment and organizational performance. This paper explores distance managers’ preventive activities that ensure both employee well-being and performance across...... distances as part of their daily management. The study contributes to the discussion on management of prevention of work-related stress in the context of distance work. We applied a case study approach to explore the tools distance managers make use of to ensure employee wellbeing and organizational...

  18. Additional Support for the Information Systems Analyst Exam as a Valid Program Assessment Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carpenter, Donald A.; Snyder, Johnny; Slauson, Gayla Jo; Bridge, Morgan K.

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a statistical analysis to support the notion that the Information Systems Analyst (ISA) exam can be used as a program assessment tool in addition to measuring student performance. It compares ISA exam scores earned by students in one particular Computer Information Systems program with scores earned by the same students on the…

  19. A Digital Tool Supporting Goal-Oriented Teaching in Classrooms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Misfeldt, Morten; Bundsgaard, Jeppe; Slot, Marie Falkesgaard

    2015-01-01

    and objectives for their teaching; these form a challenge and a basis for developing a digital tool for mediating between curriculum and pedagogical practice. The motivation for revising the national curriculum and developing digital tools that support teaching is partly based on evidence that the previous...... national curriculum was not used to any particular extent by teachers (Danish Evaluation Institute 2012). Hence, the curriculum has been rebuilt based on recent trends in school development and curriculum research suggesting the importance of a competence framework, learning goals, and the aggregation...... of classroom data for efficient teaching (Earl and Fullan 2003). Learning goals are supposed to support the students’ pace and sense of progression, inform classroom decisions, structure teachers’ planning, and support the dialogue between teachers, students, and parents (Hattie 2009). Based on these concerns...

  20. A decision-support tool to predict spray deposition of insecticides in commercial potato fields and its implications for their performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nansen, Christian; Vaughn, Kathy; Xue, Yingen; Rush, Charlie; Workneh, Fekede; Goolsby, John; Troxclair, Noel; Anciso, Juan; Gregory, Ashley; Holman, Daniel; Hammond, Abby; Mirkov, Erik; Tantravahi, Pratyusha; Martini, Xavier

    2011-08-01

    Approximately US $1.3 billion is spent each year on insecticide applications in major row crops. Despite this significant economic importance, there are currently no widely established decision-support tools available to assess suitability of spray application conditions or of the predicted quality or performance of a given commercial insecticide applications. We conducted a field study, involving 14 commercial spray applications with either fixed wing airplane (N=8) or ground rig (N=6), and we used environmental variables as regression fits to obtained spray deposition (coverage in percentage). We showed that (1) ground rig applications provided higher spray deposition than aerial applications, (2) spray deposition was lowest in the bottom portion of the canopy, (3) increase in plant height reduced spray deposition, (4) wind speed increased spray deposition, and (5) higher ambient temperatures and dew point increased spray deposition. Potato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) (Hemiptera: Triozidae), mortality increased asymptotically to approximately 60% in response to abamectin spray depositions exceeding around 20%, whereas mortality of psyllid adults reached an asymptotic response approximately 40% when lambda-cyhalothrin/thiamethoxam spray deposition exceeded 30%. A spray deposition support tool was developed (http://pilcc.tamu.edu/) that may be used to make decisions regarding (1) when is the best time of day to conduct spray applications and (2) selecting which insecticide to spray based on expected spray deposition. The main conclusion from this analysis is that optimization of insecticide spray deposition should be considered a fundamental pillar of successful integrated pest management programs to increase efficiency of sprays (and therefore reduce production costs) and to reduce risk of resistance development in target pest populations.

  1. Web-Based Tools for Data Visualization and Decision Support for South Asia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jones, N.; Nelson, J.; Pulla, S. T.; Ames, D. P.; Souffront, M.; David, C. H.; Zaitchik, B. F.; Gatlin, P. N.; Matin, M. A.

    2017-12-01

    The objective of the NASA SERVIR project is to assist developing countries in using information provided by Earth observing satellites to assess and manage climate risks, land use, and water resources. We present a collection of web apps that integrate earth observations and in situ data to facilitate deployment of data and water resources models as decision-making tools in support of this effort. The interactive nature of web apps makes this an excellent medium for creating decision support tools that harness cutting edge modeling techniques. Thin client apps hosted in a cloud portal eliminates the need for the decision makers to procure and maintain the high performance hardware required by the models, deal with issues related to software installation and platform incompatibilities, or monitor and install software updates, a problem that is exacerbated for many of the regional SERVIR hubs where both financial and technical capacity may be limited. All that is needed to use the system is an Internet connection and a web browser. We take advantage of these technologies to develop tools which can be centrally maintained but openly accessible. Advanced mapping and visualization make results intuitive and information derived actionable. We also take advantage of the emerging standards for sharing water information across the web using the OGC and WMO approved WaterML standards. This makes our tools interoperable and extensible via application programming interfaces (APIs) so that tools and data from other projects can both consume and share the tools developed in our project. Our approach enables the integration of multiple types of data and models, thus facilitating collaboration between science teams in SERVIR. The apps developed thus far by our team process time-varying netCDF files from Earth observations and large-scale computer simulations and allow visualization and exploration via raster animation and extraction of time series at selected points and/or regions.

  2. The SEA of the Future: Leveraging Performance Management to Support School Improvement. Volume 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, Betheny, Ed.; Jochim, Ashley, Ed.

    2013-01-01

    "The SEA of the Future" is an education publication series examining how state education agencies can shift from a compliance to a performance-oriented organization through strategic planning and performance management tools to meet growing demands to support education reform while improving productivity. This inaugural edition of…

  3. Comparing the performance of three digital forensic tools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brian Cusack

    Full Text Available Software used for digital forensic investigations requires to be verified against reliability and validity criteria. In this paper, three well known tools are tested against the mandatory features of digital forensic tools published by the National Institute of Standards (NIST. It was found that a variation in performance existed between the tools, with all having measureable areas of non performance. The findings have an impact on the professional use of the tools and illustrate the need for benchmarking and testing of the tools before use.

  4. A free software tool for the development of decision support systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    COLONESE, G

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available This article describes PostGeoOlap, a free software open source tool for decision support that integrates OLAP (On-Line Analytical Processing and GIS (Geographical Information Systems. Besides describing the tool, we show how it can be used to achieve effective and low cost decision support that is adequate for small and medium companies and for small public offices.

  5. Multimedia Superabrasive, Laser Cladding, and Waterjet Technology Performance Support System

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bohley, M.C.; Ciccateri, T.J.

    1998-01-01

    The objective of this project was to create a system that delivered the appropriate information to the machine tool user just when needed and in the most appropriate form. The expertise of FM and T in the areas of instructional system design and multimedia creation was employed. Huffman brought together their subject matter experts from engineering, manufacturing, technical writing, and technical support. AlliedSignal FM and T worked together with Huffman as a design team to determine what tasks must be accomplished throughout the machine tool production phases, who performs those tasks, what skills are utilized, and what information is required to support the tasks. This project resulted in the identification of information flow throughout the life cycle of the machine tool products. Specialized tools required for assembly and calibration procedures were identified and their images captured, digitized, and stored for easy retrieval within the PSS. Subject matter experts were interviewed to determine which tasks require highly specialized knowledge and skills. These tasks were then performed on actual machines and the technicians' actions captured on video tape. The resulting video segments were edited, digitized, and integrated into the information system portion of the PSS where they are available for viewing alongside procedural information presented on the computer display screen of the machine tool controller. Information from Troubleshooting experts were interviewed regarding the symptoms and root causes of system malfunctions. This knowledge was captured and fault trees were developed. These trees were then incorporated into an expert system as a rule base. The troubleshooting portion of the PSS presents simple questions to the machine operator in order to determine the likely cause of malfunctions and then recommended corrective actions. Newly created and existing reference information was both created and re-purposed from other existing formats, then

  6. Artificial intelligence tools decision support systems in condition monitoring and diagnosis

    CERN Document Server

    Galar Pascual, Diego

    2015-01-01

    Artificial Intelligence Tools: Decision Support Systems in Condition Monitoring and Diagnosis discusses various white- and black-box approaches to fault diagnosis in condition monitoring (CM). This indispensable resource: Addresses nearest-neighbor-based, clustering-based, statistical, and information theory-based techniques Considers the merits of each technique as well as the issues associated with real-life application Covers classification methods, from neural networks to Bayesian and support vector machines Proposes fuzzy logic to explain the uncertainties associated with diagnostic processes Provides data sets, sample signals, and MATLAB® code for algorithm testing Artificial Intelligence Tools: Decision Support Systems in Condition Monitoring and Diagnosis delivers a thorough evaluation of the latest AI tools for CM, describing the most common fault diagnosis techniques used and the data acquired when these techniques are applied.

  7. Decision support tools : midterm review report Knowledge for Climate Theme 8

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ierland, van E.C.

    2012-01-01

    The KfC program Decision Support Tools aims at improving tools for design and evaluation of adaptation strategies with a special focus on spatial planning and cross cutting issues. The program focuses on three core elements 1. tools for formulation of the adaptation task, based on climate scenarios

  8. Latest Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) services and innovative tools supporting the space weather research and operational communities.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mendoza, A. M. M.; Rastaetter, L.; Kuznetsova, M. M.; Mays, M. L.; Chulaki, A.; Shim, J. S.; MacNeice, P. J.; Taktakishvili, A.; Collado-Vega, Y. M.; Weigand, C.; Zheng, Y.; Mullinix, R.; Patel, K.; Pembroke, A. D.; Pulkkinen, A. A.; Boblitt, J. M.; Bakshi, S. S.; Tsui, T.

    2017-12-01

    The Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), with the fundamental goal of aiding the transition of modern space science models into space weather forecasting while supporting space science research, has been serving as an integral hub for over 15 years, providing invaluable resources to both space weather scientific and operational communities. CCMC has developed and provided innovative web-based point of access tools varying from: Runs-On-Request System - providing unprecedented global access to the largest collection of state-of-the-art solar and space physics models, Integrated Space Weather Analysis (iSWA) - a powerful dissemination system for space weather information, Advanced Online Visualization and Analysis tools for more accurate interpretation of model results, Standard Data formats for Simulation Data downloads, and Mobile apps to view space weather data anywhere to the scientific community. In addition to supporting research and performing model evaluations, CCMC also supports space science education by hosting summer students through local universities. In this poster, we will showcase CCMC's latest innovative tools and services, and CCMC's tools that revolutionized the way we do research and improve our operational space weather capabilities. CCMC's free tools and resources are all publicly available online (http://ccmc.gsfc.nasa.gov).

  9. Evaluating the Utility of Web-Based Consumer Support Tools Using Rough Sets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maciag, Timothy; Hepting, Daryl H.; Slezak, Dominik; Hilderman, Robert J.

    On the Web, many popular e-commerce sites provide consumers with decision support tools to assist them in their commerce-related decision-making. Many consumers will rank the utility of these tools quite highly. Data obtained from web usage mining analyses, which may provide knowledge about a user's online experiences, could help indicate the utility of these tools. This type of analysis could provide insight into whether provided tools are adequately assisting consumers in conducting their online shopping activities or if new or additional enhancements need consideration. Although some research in this regard has been described in previous literature, there is still much that can be done. The authors of this paper hypothesize that a measurement of consumer decision accuracy, i.e. a measurement preferences, could help indicate the utility of these tools. This paper describes a procedure developed towards this goal using elements of rough set theory. The authors evaluated the procedure using two support tools, one based on a tool developed by the US-EPA and the other developed by one of the authors called cogito. Results from the evaluation did provide interesting insights on the utility of both support tools. Although it was shown that the cogito tool obtained slightly higher decision accuracy, both tools could be improved from additional enhancements. Details of the procedure developed and results obtained from the evaluation will be provided. Opportunities for future work are also discussed.

  10. Dynamic Performance Tuning Supported by Program Specification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduardo César

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Performance analysis and tuning of parallel/distributed applications are very difficult tasks for non-expert programmers. It is necessary to provide tools that automatically carry out these tasks. These can be static tools that carry out the analysis on a post-mortem phase or can tune the application on the fly. Both kind of tools have their target applications. Static automatic analysis tools are suitable for stable application while dynamic tuning tools are more appropriate to applications with dynamic behaviour. In this paper, we describe KappaPi as an example of a static automatic performance analysis tool, and also a general environment based on parallel patterns for developing and dynamically tuning parallel/distributed applications.

  11. Capturing Communication Supporting Classrooms: The Development of a Tool and Feasibility Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dockrell, Julie E.; Bakopoulou, Ioanna; Law, James; Spencer, Sarah; Lindsay, Geoff

    2015-01-01

    There is an increasing emphasis on supporting the oral language needs of children in the classroom. A variety of different measures have been developed to assist this process but few have been derived systematically from the available research evidence. A Communication Supporting Classrooms Observation Tool (CsC Observation Tool) for children aged…

  12. Performability Modelling Tools, Evaluation Techniques and Applications

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Haverkort, Boudewijn R.H.M.

    1990-01-01

    This thesis deals with three aspects of quantitative evaluation of fault-tolerant and distributed computer and communication systems: performability evaluation techniques, performability modelling tools, and performability modelling applications. Performability modelling is a relatively new

  13. New decision support tool for acute lymphoblastic leukemia classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Madhukar, Monica; Agaian, Sos; Chronopoulos, Anthony T.

    2012-03-01

    In this paper, we build up a new decision support tool to improve treatment intensity choice in childhood ALL. The developed system includes different methods to accurately measure furthermore cell properties in microscope blood film images. The blood images are exposed to series of pre-processing steps which include color correlation, and contrast enhancement. By performing K-means clustering on the resultant images, the nuclei of the cells under consideration are obtained. Shape features and texture features are then extracted for classification. The system is further tested on the classification of spectra measured from the cell nuclei in blood samples in order to distinguish normal cells from those affected by Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. The results show that the proposed system robustly segments and classifies acute lymphoblastic leukemia based on complete microscopic blood images.

  14. Developing Tool Support for Problem Diagrams with CPN and VDM++

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tjell, Simon; Lassen, Kristian Bisgaard

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, we describe ongoing work on the development of tool support for formal description of domains found in Problem Diagrams. The purpose of the tool is to handle the generation of a CPN model based on a collection of Problem Diagrams. The Problem Diagrams are used for representing the ...

  15. EnergiTools(R) - a power plant performance monitoring and diagnosis tool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ancion, P.V.; Bastien, R.; Ringdahl, K.

    2000-01-01

    Westinghouse EnergiTools(R) is a performance diagnostic tool for power generation plants that combines the power of on-line process data acquisition with advanced diagnostics methodologies. The system uses analytical models based on thermodynamic principles combined with knowledge of component diagnostic experts. An issue in modeling expert knowledge is to have a framework that can represent and process uncertainty in complex systems. In such experiments, it is nearly impossible to build deterministic models for the effects of faults on symptoms. A methodology based on causal probabilistic graphs, more specifically on Bayesian belief networks, has been implemented in EnergiTools(R) to capture the fault-symptom relationships. The methodology estimates the likelihood of the various component failures using the fault-symptom relationships. The system also has the ability to use neural networks for processes that are difficult to model analytically. An application is the estimation of the reactor power in nuclear power plant by interpreting several plant indicators. EnergiTools(R) is used for the on-line performance monitoring and diagnostics at Vattenfall Ringhals nuclear power plants in Sweden. It has led to the diagnosis of various performance issues with plant components. Two case studies are presented. In the first case, an overestimate of the thermal power due to a faulty instrument was found, which led to a plant operation below its optimal power. The paper shows how the problem was discovered, using the analytical thermodynamic calculations. The second case shows an application of EnergiTools(R) for the diagnostic of a condenser failure using causal probabilistic graphs

  16. Effect of micro-scale texturing on the cutting tool performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasumathy, D.; Meena, Anil

    2018-05-01

    The present study is mainly focused on the cutting performance of the micro-scale textured carbide tools while turning AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel under dry cutting environment. The texture on the rake face of the carbide tools was fabricated by laser machining. The cutting performance of the textured tools was further compared with conventional tools in terms of cutting forces, tool wear, machined surface quality and chip curl radius. SEM and EDS analyses have been also performed to better understand the tool surface characteristics. Results show that the grooves help in breaking the tool-chip contact leading to a lesser tool-chip contact area which results in reduced iron (Fe) adhesion to the tool.

  17. Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST) v2: User Manual and Case Studies

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST) is a decision support tool that evaluates the relative cost-effectiveness of management practices at the local or watershed scale. WMOST models the environmental effects and costs of management decisions in a watershed c...

  18. On developing a prospecting tool for wind industry and policy decision support

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McKeown, Charles; Adelaja, Adesoji; Calnin, Benjamin

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents the rudiments of a Wind Prospecting Tool designed to inform private and public decision makers involved in wind industry development in reducing transaction costs associated with identifying areas of mutual focus within a state. The multiple layer decision support framework has proven to be valuable to industry, state government and local decision makers. Information on wind resources, land availability, potential land costs, potential NIMBYism concerns and economic development potential were integrated to develop a framework for decision support. The paper also highlights implications for decision support research and the role of higher education in providing anticipatory science to enhance private and public choices in economic development. - Research Highlights: →In this paper we explore the building and value of a wind industry location decision support tool. →We examine the development process from the industry perspective. →We discuss the creation of a decision support tool that was designed for industry, state policy makers and local decision makers. →We build a model framework for wind prospecting decision support. →Finally we discuss the impact on local and state decision making as a result of being informed by science based decision support.

  19. Reuse Tools to Support ADA Instantiation Construction

    Science.gov (United States)

    1990-06-01

    specification and body with embedded task shell instantiations, as well as an inter-task coordination procedure which controls task activation, execution, and...Tools to Support Ada Instantiation Construction 3 - Generalized Construction Approaches Page 39 4Automatic Programming Programmer’s Apprentice ~ASLs...which is the root of a frame hierarchy. The specification frame controls the hierarchy’s composition of the program and stores all its custom

  20. Do Performance-Based Codes Support Universal Design in Architecture?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Grangaard, Sidse; Frandsen, Anne Kathrine

    2016-01-01

    – Universal Design (UD). The empirical material consists of input from six workshops to which all 700 Danish Architectural firms were invited, as well as eight group interviews. The analysis shows that the current prescriptive requirements are criticized for being too homogenous and possibilities...... for differentiation and zoning are required. Therefore, a majority of professionals are interested in a performance-based model because they think that such a model will support ‘accessibility zoning’, achieving flexibility because of different levels of accessibility in a building due to its performance. The common...... of educational objectives is suggested as a tool for such a boost. The research project has been financed by the Danish Transport and Construction Agency....

  1. HPCToolkit: performance tools for scientific computing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tallent, N; Mellor-Crummey, J; Adhianto, L; Fagan, M; Krentel, M [Department of Computer Science, Rice University, Houston, TX 77005 (United States)

    2008-07-15

    As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) program, science teams are tackling problems that require simulation and modeling on petascale computers. As part of activities associated with the SciDAC Center for Scalable Application Development Software (CScADS) and the Performance Engineering Research Institute (PERI), Rice University is building software tools for performance analysis of scientific applications on the leadership-class platforms. In this poster abstract, we briefly describe the HPCToolkit performance tools and how they can be used to pinpoint bottlenecks in SPMD and multi-threaded parallel codes. We demonstrate HPCToolkit's utility by applying it to two SciDAC applications: the S3D code for simulation of turbulent combustion and the MFDn code for ab initio calculations of microscopic structure of nuclei.

  2. HPCToolkit: performance tools for scientific computing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tallent, N; Mellor-Crummey, J; Adhianto, L; Fagan, M; Krentel, M

    2008-01-01

    As part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Scientific Discovery through Advanced Computing (SciDAC) program, science teams are tackling problems that require simulation and modeling on petascale computers. As part of activities associated with the SciDAC Center for Scalable Application Development Software (CScADS) and the Performance Engineering Research Institute (PERI), Rice University is building software tools for performance analysis of scientific applications on the leadership-class platforms. In this poster abstract, we briefly describe the HPCToolkit performance tools and how they can be used to pinpoint bottlenecks in SPMD and multi-threaded parallel codes. We demonstrate HPCToolkit's utility by applying it to two SciDAC applications: the S3D code for simulation of turbulent combustion and the MFDn code for ab initio calculations of microscopic structure of nuclei

  3. BProVe: Tool support for business process verification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Corradini, Flavio; Fornari, Fabrizio; Polini, Andrea

    2017-01-01

    This demo introduces BProVe, a tool supporting automated verification of Business Process models. BProVe analysis is based on a formal operational semantics defined for the BPMN 2.0 modelling language, and is provided as a freely accessible service that uses open standard formats as input data...

  4. 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.

  5. Development of support tools for efficient construction of dynamic simulation program for engineering systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gofuku, Akio

    1993-01-01

    In this study, two support tools are developed for construction of a dynamic simulation program for engineering systems (especially nuclear systems) by combining software modules. These are (1) a sub-system to support the module selection suitable for dynamic simulation and (2) a graphical user interface to support visual construction of simulation programs. The support tools are designed to be independent on the conception of software modules (data communication methods between modules). In the module selection sub-system of item 1, a module is characterized beforehand by keywords for several criteria. The similarity between the characteristic of requested module by users and that of registered modules in the module library is estimated by a weighted average of similarity indexes for criteria. In the module selection sub-system, the weights are flexibly extracted from users by applying the analytic hierarchy process. The graphical user interface helps users to specify both calling order of modules and data transfer between two modules. The availability of the support tools is evaluated by several sample problems of module selection and dynamic simulation model construction. The support tools will be a strong tool for the efficient usage of software modules. (author)

  6. Requirements for advanced decision support tools in future distribution network planning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Grond, M.O.W.; Morren, J.; Slootweg, J.G.

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes the need and requirements for advanced decision support tools in future network planning from a distribution network operator perspective. The existing tools will no longer be satisfactory for future application due to present developments in the electricity sector that increase

  7. Understanding the stakeholders' intention to use economic decision-support tools: A cross-sectional study with the tobacco return on investment tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheung, Kei Long; Evers, Silvia M A A; Hiligsmann, Mickaël; Vokó, Zoltán; Pokhrel, Subhash; Jones, Teresa; Muñoz, Celia; Wolfenstetter, Silke B; Józwiak-Hagymásy, Judit; de Vries, Hein

    2016-01-01

    Despite an increased number of economic evaluations of tobacco control interventions, the uptake by stakeholders continues to be limited. Understanding the underlying mechanism in adopting such economic decision-support tools by stakeholders is therefore important. By applying the I-Change Model, this study aims to identify which factors determine potential uptake of an economic decision-support tool, i.e., the Return on Investment tool. Stakeholders (decision-makers, purchasers of services/pharma products, professionals/service providers, evidence generators and advocates of health promotion) were interviewed in five countries, using an I-Change based questionnaire. MANOVA's were conducted to assess differences between intenders and non-intenders regarding beliefs. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to identify the main explanatory variables of intention to use an economic decision-support tool. Ninety-three stakeholders participated. Significant differences in beliefs were found between non-intenders and intenders: risk perception, attitude, social support, and self-efficacy towards using the tool. Regression showed that demographics, pre-motivational, and motivational factors explained 69% of the variation in intention. This study is the first to provide a theoretical framework to understand differences in beliefs between stakeholders who do or do not intend to use economic decision-support tools, and empirically corroborating the framework. This contributes to our understanding of the facilitators and barriers to the uptake of these studies. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  8. LCA-IWM: A decision support tool for sustainability assessment of waste management systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boer, J. den; Boer, E. den; Jager, J.

    2007-01-01

    The paper outlines the most significant result of the project 'The use of life cycle assessment tools for the development of integrated waste management strategies for cities and regions with rapid growing economies', which was the development of two decision-support tools: a municipal waste prognostic tool and a waste management system assessment tool. The article focuses on the assessment tool, which supports the adequate decision making in the planning of urban waste management systems by allowing the creation and comparison of different scenarios, considering three basic subsystems: (i) temporary storage; (ii) collection and transport and (iii) treatment, disposal and recycling. The design and analysis options, as well as the assumptions made for each subsystem, are shortly introduced, providing an overview of the applied methodologies and technologies. The sustainability assessment methodology used in the project to support the selection of the most adequate scenario is presented with a brief explanation of the procedures, criteria and indicators applied on the evaluation of each of the three sustainability pillars

  9. An interactive water indicator assessment tool to support land use planning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hellegers, P.J.G.J.; Jansen, H.C.; Bastiaanssen, W.G.M.

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents an interactive web-based rapid assessment tool that generates key water related indicators to support decision making by stakeholders in land use planning. The tool is built on a consistent science based method that combines remote sensing with hydrological and socioeconomic

  10. Development of a computer tool to support scenario analysis for safety assessment of HLW geological disposal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makino, Hitoshi; Kawamura, Makoto; Wakasugi, Keiichiro; Okubo, Hiroo; Takase, Hiroyasu

    2007-02-01

    In 'H12 Project to Establishing Technical Basis for HLW Disposal in Japan' a systematic approach that was based on an international consensus was adopted to develop scenarios to be considered in performance assessment. Adequacy of the approach was, in general term, appreciated through the domestic and international peer review. However it was also suggested that there were issues related to improving transparency and traceability of the procedure. To achieve this, improvement of scenario analysis method has been studied. In this study, based on an improvement method for treatment of FEP interaction a computer tool to support scenario analysis by specialists of performance assessment has been developed. Anticipated effects of this tool are to improve efficiency of complex and time consuming scenario analysis work and to reduce possibility of human errors in this work. This tool also enables to describe interactions among a vast number of FEPs and the related information as interaction matrix, and analysis those interactions from a variety of perspectives. (author)

  11. Design support document for the K Basins Vertical Fuel Handling Tools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bridges, A.E.

    1995-01-01

    The purpose of this document is to provide the design support information for the Vertical Fuel Handling Tools, developed for the removal of N Reactor fuel elements from their storage canisters in the K Basins storage pool and insertion into the Single Fuel Element Can for subsequent shipment to a Hot Cell for examination. Examination of these N Reactor fuel elements is part of the overall characterization effort. These new hand tools are required since previous fuel movement has involved grasping the fuel in a horizontal position. These tools are required to lift an element vertically from the storage canister. Additionally, a Mark II storage canister Lip Seal Protector was designed and fabricated for use during fuel retrieval. This device was required to prevent damage to the canister lip should a fuel element accidentally be dropped during its retrieval, using the handling tools. Supporting documentation for this device is included in this document

  12. ICT tools as support fort he management of human talent

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandra Cristina Riascos Erazo

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available The use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT within the organizational context has revolutionized management and administrative thought; this is evidenced through various aspects, one is how human talent is managed. This article seeks to show the results of research related to the evaluation of ICT used as support to human talent management and its essential objective was to characterize the main ICT tools used in the operational processes involved in managing human talent. The research was developed in two phases; first, identification of ICT tools that support human management processes, and second, determination of software used for human talent management in 60 companies in the Industrial, Commercial, and Service sectors in the city of Santiago de Cali. The research results indicate that diverse tools are available that facilitate the activities in the area of human talent management and which are mostly used in the commercial and service sectors

  13. Problems and Issues in Using Computer- Based Support Tools to Enhance 'Soft' Systems Methodologies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark Stansfield

    2001-11-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the issue of whether computer-based support tools can enhance the use of 'soft' systems methodologies as applied to real-world problem situations. Although work has been carried out by a number of researchers in applying computer-based technology to concepts and methodologies relating to 'soft' systems thinking such as Soft Systems Methodology (SSM, such attempts appear to be still in their infancy and have not been applied widely to real-world problem situations. This paper will highlight some of the problems that may be encountered in attempting to develop computer-based support tools for 'soft' systems methodologies. Particular attention will be paid to an attempt by the author to develop a computer-based support tool for a particular 'soft' systems method of inquiry known as the Appreciative Inquiry Method that is based upon Vickers' notion of 'appreciation' (Vickers, 196S and Checkland's SSM (Checkland, 1981. The final part of the paper will explore some of the lessons learnt from developing and applying the computer-based support tool to a real world problem situation, as well as considering the feasibility of developing computer-based support tools for 'soft' systems methodologies. This paper will put forward the point that a mixture of manual and computer-based tools should be employed to allow a methodology to be used in an unconstrained manner, but the benefits provided by computer-based technology should be utilised in supporting and enhancing the more mundane and structured tasks.

  14. WindWizard: A New Tool for Fire Management Decision Support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bret W. Butler; Mark Finney; Larry Bradshaw; Jason Forthofer; Chuck McHugh; Rick Stratton; Dan Jimenez

    2006-01-01

    A new software tool has been developed to simulate surface wind speed and direction at the 100m to 300 m scale. This tool is useful when trying to estimate fire behavior in mountainous terrain. It is based on widely used computational fluid dynamics technology and has been tested against measured wind flows. In recent years it has been used to support fire management...

  15. Timbre Brownfield Prioritization Tool to support effective brownfield\

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pizol, L.; Zabeo, A.; Klusáček, Petr; Giubilato, E.; Critto, A.; Frantál, Bohumil; Martinát, Stanislav; Kunc, Josef; Osman, Robert; Bartke, S.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 166, č. 166 (2016), s. 178-192 ISSN 0301-4797 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7E11035 Institutional support: RVO:68145535 Keywords : brownfields * prioritisation * Web-based tool Subject RIV: DE - Earth Magnetism, Geodesy, Geography Impact factor: 4.010, year: 2016 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2015.09.030

  16. RCC Plug Repair Thermal Tools for Shuttle Mission Support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez, Alvaro C.; Anderson, Brian P.

    2010-01-01

    A thermal math model for the Space Shuttle Reinforced Carbon-Carbon (RCC) Plug Repair was developed to increase the confidence in the repair entry performance and provide a real-time mission support tool. The thermal response of the plug cover plate, local RCC, and metallic attach hardware can be assessed with this model for any location on the wing leading edge. The geometry and spatial location of the thermal mesh also matches the structural mesh which allows for the direct mapping of temperature loads and computation of the thermoelastic stresses. The thermal model was correlated to a full scale plug repair radiant test. To utilize the thermal model for flight analyses, accurate predictions of protuberance heating were required. Wind tunnel testing was performed at CUBRC to characterize the heat flux in both the radial and angular directions. Due to the complexity of the implementation of the protuberance heating, an intermediate program was developed to output the heating per nodal location for all OML surfaces in SINDA format. Three Design Reference Cases (DRC) were evaluated with the correlated plug thermal math model to bound the environments which the plug repair would potentially be used.

  17. Decision support tool for diagnosing the source of variation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masood, Ibrahim; Azrul Azhad Haizan, Mohamad; Norbaya Jumali, Siti; Ghazali, Farah Najihah Mohd; Razali, Hazlin Syafinaz Md; Shahir Yahya, Mohd; Azlan, Mohd Azwir bin

    2017-08-01

    Identifying the source of unnatural variation (SOV) in manufacturing process is essential for quality control. The Shewhart control chart patterns (CCPs) are commonly used to monitor the SOV. However, a proper interpretation of CCPs associated to its SOV requires a high skill industrial practitioner. Lack of knowledge in process engineering will lead to erroneous corrective action. The objective of this study is to design the operating procedures of computerized decision support tool (DST) for process diagnosis. The DST is an embedded tool in CCPs recognition scheme. Design methodology involves analysis of relationship between geometrical features, manufacturing process and CCPs. The DST contents information about CCPs and its possible root cause error and description on SOV phenomenon such as process deterioration in tool bluntness, offsetting tool, loading error, and changes in materials hardness. The DST will be useful for an industrial practitioner in making effective troubleshooting.

  18. High-Performance Data Analysis Tools for Sun-Earth Connection Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Messmer, Peter

    2011-01-01

    The data analysis tool of choice for many Sun-Earth Connection missions is the Interactive Data Language (IDL) by ITT VIS. The increasing amount of data produced by these missions and the increasing complexity of image processing algorithms requires access to higher computing power. Parallel computing is a cost-effective way to increase the speed of computation, but algorithms oftentimes have to be modified to take advantage of parallel systems. Enhancing IDL to work on clusters gives scientists access to increased performance in a familiar programming environment. The goal of this project was to enable IDL applications to benefit from both computing clusters as well as graphics processing units (GPUs) for accelerating data analysis tasks. The tool suite developed in this project enables scientists now to solve demanding data analysis problems in IDL that previously required specialized software, and it allows them to be solved orders of magnitude faster than on conventional PCs. The tool suite consists of three components: (1) TaskDL, a software tool that simplifies the creation and management of task farms, collections of tasks that can be processed independently and require only small amounts of data communication; (2) mpiDL, a tool that allows IDL developers to use the Message Passing Interface (MPI) inside IDL for problems that require large amounts of data to be exchanged among multiple processors; and (3) GPULib, a tool that simplifies the use of GPUs as mathematical coprocessors from within IDL. mpiDL is unique in its support for the full MPI standard and its support of a broad range of MPI implementations. GPULib is unique in enabling users to take advantage of an inexpensive piece of hardware, possibly already installed in their computer, and achieve orders of magnitude faster execution time for numerically complex algorithms. TaskDL enables the simple setup and management of task farms on compute clusters. The products developed in this project have the

  19. Mindfully implementing simulation tools for supporting pragmatic design inquiries

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hartmann, Timo; olde Scholtenhuis, Léon Luc; Zerjav, Vedran; Champlin, Carissa J

    2015-01-01

    Based upon a conceptualization of the engineering design process as pragmatic inquiry, this paper introduces a framework for supporting designers and design managers with a better understanding of the trade-offs required for a successful implementation of simulation tools. This framework contributes

  20. TESPI (Tool for Environmental Sound Product Innovation): a simplified software tool to support environmentally conscious design in SMEs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Misceo, Monica; Buonamici, Roberto; Buttol, Patrizia; Naldesi, Luciano; Grimaldi, Filomena; Rinaldi, Caterina

    2004-12-01

    TESPI (Tool for Environmental Sound Product Innovation) is the prototype of a software tool developed within the framework of the "eLCA" project. The project, (www.elca.enea.it)financed by the European Commission, is realising "On line green tools and services for Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs)". The implementation by SMEs of environmental product innovation (as fostered by the European Integrated Product Policy, IPP) needs specific adaptation to their economic model, their knowledge of production and management processes and their relationships with innovation and the environment. In particular, quality and costs are the main driving forces of innovation in European SMEs, and well known barriers exist to the adoption of an environmental approach in the product design. Starting from these considerations, the TESPI tool has been developed to support the first steps of product design taking into account both the quality and the environment. Two main issues have been considered: (i) classic Quality Function Deployment (QFD) can hardly be proposed to SMEs; (ii) the environmental aspects of the product life cycle need to be integrated with the quality approach. TESPI is a user friendly web-based tool, has a training approach and applies to modular products. Users are guided through the investigation of the quality aspects of their product (customer"s needs and requirements fulfilment) and the identification of the key environmental aspects in the product"s life cycle. A simplified check list allows analyzing the environmental performance of the product. Help is available for a better understanding of the analysis criteria. As a result, the significant aspects for the redesign of the product are identified.

  1. Intelligent Tools and Instructional Simulations

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Murray, William R; Sams, Michelle; Belleville, Michael

    2001-01-01

    This intelligent tools and instructional simulations project was an investigation into the utility of a knowledge-based performance support system to support learning and on-task performance for using...

  2. AngelStow: A Commercial Optimization-Based Decision Support Tool for Stowage Planning

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Delgado-Ortegon, Alberto; Jensen, Rune Møller; Guilbert, Nicolas

    save port fees, optimize use of vessel capacity, and reduce bunker consumption. Stowage Coordinators (SCs) produce these plans manually with the help of graphical tools, but high-quality SPs are hard to generate with the limited support they provide. In this abstract, we introduce AngelStow which...... is a commercial optimization-based decision support tool for stowing container vessels developed in collaboration between Ange Optimization and The IT University of Copenhagen. The tool assists SCs in the process of generating SPs interactively, focusing on satisfying and optimizing constraints and objectives...... that are tedious to deal with for humans, while letting the SCs use their expertise to deal with hard combinatorial objectives and corner cases....

  3. Integrated environmental decision support tool based on GIS technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Doctor, P.G.; O'Neil, T.K.; Sackschewsky, M.R.; Becker, J.M.; Rykiel, E.J.; Walters, T.B.; Brandt, C.A.; Hall, J.A.

    1995-01-01

    Environmental restoration and management decisions facing the US Department of Energy require balancing trade-offs between diverse land uses and impacts over multiple spatial and temporal scales. Many types of environmental data have been collected for the Hanford Site and the Columbia River in Washington State over the past fifty years. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is integrating these data into a Geographic Information System (GIS) based computer decision support tool. This tool provides a comprehensive and concise description of the current environmental landscape that can be used to evaluate the ecological and monetary trade-offs between future land use, restoration and remediation options before action is taken. Ecological impacts evaluated include effects to individual species of concern and habitat loss and fragmentation. Monetary impacts include those associated with habitat mitigation. The tool is organized as both a browsing tool for educational purposes, and as a framework that leads a project manager through the steps needed to be in compliance with environmental requirements

  4. Integration between a sales support system and a simulation tool

    OpenAIRE

    Wahlström, Ola

    2005-01-01

    InstantPlanner is a sales support system for the material handling industry, visualizing and calculating designs faster and more correctly than other tools on the market. AutoMod is a world leading simulation tool used in the material handling industry to optimize and calculate appropriate configuration designs. Both applications are favorable in their own area provide a great platform for integration with the properties of fast designing, correct product calculations, great simulation capabi...

  5. Healthcare performance turned into decision support

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sørup, Christian Michel; Jacobsen, Peter

    2013-01-01

    from the healthcare sector, the results obtained could be restricted to this sector. Inclusion of data from Arbejdsmarkedets Tillægspension (ATP) showed no deviation from the results in the healthcare sector. Practical implications – The product of the study is a decision support tool for leaders...

  6. Telematic Tools to Support Group Projects in Higher Education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Veen, Johan (CTIT); Collis, Betty

    We describe ongoing evaluations and new research on the use of telematic tools to support project work in higher education. Practical experience at our University has shown that project work can be implemented using the World Wide Web for many aspects of the project activities. The possibilities

  7. Telematic tools to support group projects in higher education

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Veen, Johan (CTIT); Collis, Betty; Muldner, T.; Reeves, T.C.

    1997-01-01

    We describe ongoing evaluations and new research on the use of telematic tools to support project work in higher education. Practical experience at our University has shown that project work can be implemented using the World Wide Web for many aspects of the project activities. The possibilities

  8. Are the surgeon's movements repeatable? An analysis of the feasibility and expediency of implementing support procedures guiding the surgical tools and increasing motion accuracy during the performance of stereotypical movements by the surgeon.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podsędkowski, Leszek Robert; Moll, Jacek; Moll, Maciej; Frącczak, Łukasz

    2014-03-01

    The developments in surgical robotics suggest that it will be possible to entrust surgical robots with a wider range of tasks. So far, it has not been possible to automate the surgery procedures related to soft tissue. Thus, the objective of the conducted studies was to confirm the hypothesis that the surgery telemanipulator can be equipped with certain routines supporting the surgeon in leading the surgical tools and increasing motion accuracy during stereotypical movements. As the first step in facilitating the surgery, an algorithm will be developed which will concurrently provide automation and allow the surgeon to maintain full control over the slave robot. The algorithm will assist the surgeon in performing typical movement sequences. This kind of support must, however, be preceded by determining the reference points for accurately defining the position of the stitched tissue. It is in relation to these points that the tool's trajectory will be created, along which the master manipulator will guide the surgeon's hand. The paper presents the first stage, concerning the selection of movements for which the support algorithm will be used. The work also contains an analysis of surgical movement repeatability. The suturing movement was investigated in detail by experimental research in order to determine motion repeatability and verify the position of the stitched tissue. Tool trajectory was determined by a motion capture stereovision system. The study has demonstrated that the suturing movement could be considered as repeatable; however, the trajectories performed by different surgeons exhibit some individual characteristics.

  9. International Nuclear Safeguards Inspection Support Tool (INSIST)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    St. Pierre, D.E.; Steinmaus, K.L.; Moon, B.D.

    1994-07-01

    DOE is committed to providing technologies to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to meet escalating monitoring and inspection requirements associated with the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). One example of technology provided to the IAEA is the information management and remote monitoring capabilities being customized for the IAEA by the International Safeguards Division of the Office of Non-Proliferation and National Security. The ongoing Safeguards Information Management Systems (SIMS) program is an interlaboratory effort providing the IAEA with a range of information management capabilities designed to enhance the effectiveness of their nuclear inspection activities. The initial commitment involved the customization of computer capabilities to provide IAEA with the basic capability to geographically organize, store, and retrieve the large quantity of information involved in their nuclear on site inspection activities in Iraq. This initial system, the International Nuclear Safeguards Inspection Support Tool (INSIST), was developed by DOE's Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL). To date, two INSIST workstations have been deployed at the IAEA. The first has been used to support the IAEA Action Team in the inspection of Iraqi nuclear facilities since August 1993. A second, and similar, workstation has been deployed to support environmental monitoring under the IAEA 93+2 Programme. Both INSIST workstations geographically integrate analog (video) and digital data to provide an easy to use and effective tool for storing retrieving and displaying multimedia site and facility information including world-wide maps, satellite and aerial imagery, on site photography, live inspection videos, and treaty and inspection textual information. The interactive, UNIX-based workstations have a variety of peripheral devices for information input and output. INSIST software includes commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) modules and application-specific code developed at PNL

  10. DECISION SUPPORT TOOL FOR RETAIL SHELF SPACE OPTIMIZATION

    OpenAIRE

    B. RAMASESHAN; N. R. ACHUTHAN; R. COLLINSON

    2008-01-01

    Efficient allocation of shelf space and product assortment can significantly improve a retailer's profitability. This paper addresses the problem from the perspective of an independent franchise retailer. A Category Management Decision Support Tool (CMDST) is proposed that efficiently generates optimal shelf space allocations and product assortments by using the existing scarce resources, resulting in increased profitability. CMDST utilizes two practical integrated category management models ...

  11. A Gaussian decision-support tool for engineering design process

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rajabali Nejad, Mohammadreza; Spitas, Christos

    2013-01-01

    Decision-making in design is of great importance, resulting in success or failure of a system (Liu et al., 2010; Roozenburg and Eekels, 1995; Spitas, 2011a). This paper describes a robust decision-support tool for engineering design process, which can be used throughout the design process in either

  12. Methods and tools to support real time risk-based flood forecasting - a UK pilot application

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brown Emma

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Flood managers have traditionally used probabilistic models to assess potential flood risk for strategic planning and non-operational applications. Computational restrictions on data volumes and simulation times have meant that information on the risk of flooding has not been available for operational flood forecasting purposes. In practice, however, the operational flood manager has probabilistic questions to answer, which are not completely supported by the outputs of traditional, deterministic flood forecasting systems. In a collaborative approach, HR Wallingford and Deltares have developed methods, tools and techniques to extend existing flood forecasting systems with elements of strategic flood risk analysis, including probabilistic failure analysis, two dimensional flood spreading simulation and the analysis of flood impacts and consequences. This paper presents the results of the application of these new operational flood risk management tools to a pilot catchment in the UK. It discusses the problems of performing probabilistic flood risk assessment in real time and how these have been addressed in this study. It also describes the challenges of the communication of risk to operational flood managers and to the general public, and how these new methods and tools can provide risk-based supporting evidence to assist with this process.

  13. Dynamism in Electronic Performance Support Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laffey, James

    1995-01-01

    Describes a model for dynamic electronic performance support systems based on NNAble, a system developed by the training group at Apple Computer. Principles for designing dynamic performance support are discussed, including a systems approach, performer-centered design, awareness of situated cognition, organizational memory, and technology use.…

  14. Developing a Support Tool for Global Product Development Decisions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Søndergaard, Erik Stefan; Ahmed-Kristensen, Saeema

    2016-01-01

    This paper investigates how global product development decisions are made through a multiple-case study in three Danish engineering. The paper identifies which information and methods are applied for making decisions and how decision-making can be supported based on previous experience. The paper...... presents results from 51 decisions made in the three companies, and based on the results of the studies a framework for a decision-support tool is outlined and discussed. The paper rounds off with an identification of future research opportunities in the area of global product development and decision-making....

  15. High performance electromagnetic simulation tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gedney, Stephen D.; Whites, Keith W.

    1994-10-01

    Army Research Office Grant #DAAH04-93-G-0453 has supported the purchase of 24 additional compute nodes that were installed in the Intel iPsC/860 hypercube at the Univesity Of Kentucky (UK), rendering a 32-node multiprocessor. This facility has allowed the investigators to explore and extend the boundaries of electromagnetic simulation for important areas of defense concerns including microwave monolithic integrated circuit (MMIC) design/analysis and electromagnetic materials research and development. The iPSC/860 has also provided an ideal platform for MMIC circuit simulations. A number of parallel methods based on direct time-domain solutions of Maxwell's equations have been developed on the iPSC/860, including a parallel finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) algorithm, and a parallel planar generalized Yee-algorithm (PGY). The iPSC/860 has also provided an ideal platform on which to develop a 'virtual laboratory' to numerically analyze, scientifically study and develop new types of materials with beneficial electromagnetic properties. These materials simulations are capable of assembling hundreds of microscopic inclusions from which an electromagnetic full-wave solution will be obtained in toto. This powerful simulation tool has enabled research of the full-wave analysis of complex multicomponent MMIC devices and the electromagnetic properties of many types of materials to be performed numerically rather than strictly in the laboratory.

  16. Importance Performance Analysis as a Trade Show Performance Evaluation and Benchmarking Tool

    OpenAIRE

    Tafesse, Wondwesen; Skallerud, Kåre; Korneliussen, Tor

    2010-01-01

    Author's accepted version (post-print). The purpose of this study is to introduce importance performance analysis as a trade show performance evaluation and benchmarking tool. Importance performance analysis considers exhibitors’ performance expectation and perceived performance in unison to evaluate and benchmark trade show performance. The present study uses data obtained from exhibitors of an international trade show to demonstrate how importance performance analysis can be used to eval...

  17. A review of decision support, risk communication and patient information tools for thrombolytic treatment in acute stroke: lessons for tool developers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flynn, Darren; Ford, Gary A; Stobbart, Lynne; Rodgers, Helen; Murtagh, Madeleine J; Thomson, Richard G

    2013-06-18

    Tools to support clinical or patient decision-making in the treatment/management of a health condition are used in a range of clinical settings for numerous preference-sensitive healthcare decisions. Their impact in clinical practice is largely dependent on their quality across a range of domains. We critically analysed currently available tools to support decision making or patient understanding in the treatment of acute ischaemic stroke with intravenous thrombolysis, as an exemplar to provide clinicians/researchers with practical guidance on development, evaluation and implementation of such tools for other preference-sensitive treatment options/decisions in different clinical contexts. Tools were identified from bibliographic databases, Internet searches and a survey of UK and North American stroke networks. Two reviewers critically analysed tools to establish: information on benefits/risks of thrombolysis included in tools, and the methods used to convey probabilistic information (verbal descriptors, numerical and graphical); adherence to guidance on presenting outcome probabilities (IPDASi probabilities items) and information content (Picker Institute Checklist); readability (Fog Index); and the extent that tools had comprehensive development processes. Nine tools of 26 identified included information on a full range of benefits/risks of thrombolysis. Verbal descriptors, frequencies and percentages were used to convey probabilistic information in 20, 19 and 18 tools respectively, whilst nine used graphical methods. Shortcomings in presentation of outcome probabilities (e.g. omitting outcomes without treatment) were identified. Patient information tools had an aggregate median Fog index score of 10. None of the tools had comprehensive development processes. Tools to support decision making or patient understanding in the treatment of acute stroke with thrombolysis have been sub-optimally developed. Development of tools should utilise mixed methods and

  18. Performance Contracting as a Performance Management Tool in the Public Sector in Kenya: Lessons of learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hope, Kempe Ronald, Sr.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to provide an assessment and analysis of public sector performance contracting as a performance management tool in Kenya. It aims to demonstrate that performance contracting remains a viable and important tool for improving public sector performance as a key element of the on-going public sector transformation…

  19. Development of a decision support tool for the assessment of biofuels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Perimenis, Anastasios; Walimwipi, Hartley; Zinoviev, Sergey; Mueller-Langer, Franziska; Miertus, Stanislav

    2011-01-01

    Alternative fuels for the transport sector are gaining growing attention as a means against fossil fuel dependence and towards greener forms of energy. At the same time, however, they are surrounded with doubts concerning sustainability of their production. This work presents the basic framework for a decision support tool to evaluate biofuel production pathways, with the purpose of providing the decision maker with a structured methodology that will lead him to the final decision. The tool integrates the most important aspects along the entire value chain (i.e. from biomass production to biofuel end-use), namely the technical, economic, environmental and social aspect. The tool consists of a computational part, which can be combined with the personal preferences of the user. The analysis provides a score for the respective pathway that can be used to rank different options and select among them the optimal solution. The functionality of the tool has been tested for the case of biodiesel from rapeseed in Germany. - Research highlights: → Structure and framework of a decision support tool for the assessment of biofuels. → Inclusion of economic, environmental and social aspects along the biofuel production chain. → Development of an internal database with relevant information along the chain. → Multi-criteria analysis for the consideration of all relevant criteria. → Incorporation of personal preferences and priorities in the final result.

  20. Tools in a clinical information system supporting clinical trials at a Swiss University Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weisskopf, Michael; Bucklar, Guido; Blaser, Jürg

    2014-12-01

    Issues concerning inadequate source data of clinical trials rank second in the most common findings by regulatory authorities. The increasing use of electronic clinical information systems by healthcare providers offers an opportunity to facilitate and improve the conduct of clinical trials and the source documentation. We report on a number of tools implemented into the clinical information system of a university hospital to support clinical research. In 2011/2012, a set of tools was developed in the clinical information system of the University Hospital Zurich to support clinical research, including (1) a trial registry for documenting metadata on the clinical trials conducted at the hospital, (2) a patient-trial-assignment-tool to tag patients in the electronic medical charts as participants of specific trials, (3) medical record templates for the documentation of study visits and trial-related procedures, (4) online queries on trials and trial participants, (5) access to the electronic medical records for clinical monitors, (6) an alerting tool to notify of hospital admissions of trial participants, (7) queries to identify potentially eligible patients in the planning phase as trial feasibility checks and during the trial as recruitment support, and (8) order sets to facilitate the complete and accurate performance of study visit procedures. The number of approximately 100 new registrations per year in the voluntary trial registry in the clinical information system now matches the numbers of the existing mandatory trial registry of the hospital. Likewise, the yearly numbers of patients tagged as trial participants as well as the use of the standardized trial record templates increased to 2408 documented trial enrolments and 190 reports generated/month in the year 2013. Accounts for 32 clinical monitors have been established in the first 2 years monitoring a total of 49 trials in 16 clinical departments. A total of 15 months after adding the optional feature of

  1. Final Report: Evaluation of Tools and Metrics to Support Employer Selection of Health Plans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mattke, Soeren; Van Busum, Kristin R; Martsolf, Grant R

    2014-01-01

    The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) places strong emphasis on quality of care as a means to improve outcomes for Americans and promote the financial sustainability of our health care system. Included in the ACA are new disclosure requirements that require health plans to provide a summary of benefits and coverage that accurately describes the benefits under the plan or coverage. These requirements are intended to support employers' procurement of high-value health coverage for their employees. This study attempts to help employers understand the structural differences between health plans and the performance dimensions along which plans can differ, as well as to educate employers about available tools that can be used to evaluate plan options. The study also discusses the extent to which these and other tools or resources are used by employers to inform choices between health plans.

  2. Chronic condition self-management support for Aboriginal people: Adapting tools and training.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Battersby, Malcolm; Lawn, Sharon; Kowanko, Inge; Bertossa, Sue; Trowbridge, Coral; Liddicoat, Raylene

    2018-04-22

    Chronic conditions are major health problems for Australian Aboriginal people. Self-management programs can improve health outcomes. However, few health workers are skilled in self-management support and existing programs are not always appropriate in Australian Aboriginal contexts. The goal was to increase the capacity of the Australian health workforce to support Australian Aboriginal people to self-manage their chronic conditions by adapting the Flinders Program of chronic condition self-management support for Australian Aboriginal clients and develop and deliver training for health professionals to implement the program. Feedback from health professionals highlighted that the Flinders Program assessment and care planning tools needed to be adapted to suit Australian Aboriginal contexts. Through consultation with Australian Aboriginal Elders and other experts, the tools were condensed into an illustrated booklet called 'My Health Story'. Associated training courses and resources focusing on cultural safety and effective engagement were developed. A total of 825 health professionals  across Australia was trained and 61 people qualified as accredited trainers in the program, ensuring sustainability. The capacity and skills of the Australian health workforce to engage with and support Australian Aboriginal people to self-manage their chronic health problems significantly increased as a result of this project. The adapted tools and training were popular and appreciated by the health care organisations, health professionals and clients involved. The adapted tools have widespread appeal for cultures that do not have Western models of health care and where there are health literacy challenges. My Health Story has already been used internationally. © 2018 National Rural Health Alliance Ltd.

  3. Tool Support for Software Lookup Table Optimization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chris Wilcox

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available A number of scientific applications are performance-limited by expressions that repeatedly call costly elementary functions. Lookup table (LUT optimization accelerates the evaluation of such functions by reusing previously computed results. LUT methods can speed up applications that tolerate an approximation of function results, thereby achieving a high level of fuzzy reuse. One problem with LUT optimization is the difficulty of controlling the tradeoff between performance and accuracy. The current practice of manual LUT optimization adds programming effort by requiring extensive experimentation to make this tradeoff, and such hand tuning can obfuscate algorithms. In this paper we describe a methodology and tool implementation to improve the application of software LUT optimization. Our Mesa tool implements source-to-source transformations for C or C++ code to automate the tedious and error-prone aspects of LUT generation such as domain profiling, error analysis, and code generation. We evaluate Mesa with five scientific applications. Our results show a performance improvement of 3.0× and 6.9× for two molecular biology algorithms, 1.4× for a molecular dynamics program, 2.1× to 2.8× for a neural network application, and 4.6× for a hydrology calculation. We find that Mesa enables LUT optimization with more control over accuracy and less effort than manual approaches.

  4. Web tools concerning performance analysis and planning support for solar energy plants starting from remotely sensed optical images

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morelli, Marco; Masini, Andrea; Ruffini, Fabrizio; Potenza, Marco Alberto Carlo

    2015-01-01

    We present innovative web tools, developed also in the frame of the FP7 ENDORSE (ENergy DOwnstReam SErvices) project, for the performance analysis and the support in planning of solar energy plants (PV, CSP, CPV). These services are based on the combination between the detailed physical model of each part of the plants and the near real-time satellite remote sensing of incident solar irradiance. Starting from the solar Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) data provided by the Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (GMES-MACC) Core Service and based on the elaboration of Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite optical imagery, the Global Tilted Irradiance (GTI) or the Beam Normal Irradiance (BNI) incident on plant's solar PV panels (or solar receivers for CSP or CPV) is calculated. Combining these parameters with the model of the solar power plant, using also air temperature values, we can assess in near-real-time the daily evolution of the alternate current (AC) power produced by the plant. We are therefore able to compare this satellite-based AC power yield with the actually measured one and, consequently, to readily detect any possible malfunctions and to evaluate the performances of the plant (so-called “Controller” service). Besides, the same method can be applied to satellite-based averaged environmental data (solar irradiance and air temperature) in order to provide a Return on Investment analysis in support to the planning of new solar energy plants (so-called “Planner” service). This method has been successfully applied to three test solar plants (in North, Centre and South Italy respectively) and it has been validated by comparing satellite-based and in-situ measured hourly AC power data for several months in 2013 and 2014. The results show a good accuracy: the overall Normalized Bias (NB) is − 0.41%, the overall Normalized Mean Absolute Error (NMAE) is 4.90%, the Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) is 7.66% and the overall

  5. Web tools concerning performance analysis and planning support for solar energy plants starting from remotely sensed optical images

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Morelli, Marco, E-mail: marco.morelli1@unimi.it [Department of Physics, University of Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano (Italy); Masini, Andrea, E-mail: andrea.masini@flyby.it [Flyby S.r.l., Via Puini 97, 57128 Livorno (Italy); Ruffini, Fabrizio, E-mail: fabrizio.ruffini@i-em.eu [i-EM S.r.l., Via Lampredi 45, 57121 Livorno (Italy); Potenza, Marco Alberto Carlo, E-mail: marco.potenza@unimi.it [Department of Physics, University of Milano, Via Celoria 16, 20133 Milano (Italy)

    2015-04-15

    We present innovative web tools, developed also in the frame of the FP7 ENDORSE (ENergy DOwnstReam SErvices) project, for the performance analysis and the support in planning of solar energy plants (PV, CSP, CPV). These services are based on the combination between the detailed physical model of each part of the plants and the near real-time satellite remote sensing of incident solar irradiance. Starting from the solar Global Horizontal Irradiance (GHI) data provided by the Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (GMES-MACC) Core Service and based on the elaboration of Meteosat Second Generation (MSG) satellite optical imagery, the Global Tilted Irradiance (GTI) or the Beam Normal Irradiance (BNI) incident on plant's solar PV panels (or solar receivers for CSP or CPV) is calculated. Combining these parameters with the model of the solar power plant, using also air temperature values, we can assess in near-real-time the daily evolution of the alternate current (AC) power produced by the plant. We are therefore able to compare this satellite-based AC power yield with the actually measured one and, consequently, to readily detect any possible malfunctions and to evaluate the performances of the plant (so-called “Controller” service). Besides, the same method can be applied to satellite-based averaged environmental data (solar irradiance and air temperature) in order to provide a Return on Investment analysis in support to the planning of new solar energy plants (so-called “Planner” service). This method has been successfully applied to three test solar plants (in North, Centre and South Italy respectively) and it has been validated by comparing satellite-based and in-situ measured hourly AC power data for several months in 2013 and 2014. The results show a good accuracy: the overall Normalized Bias (NB) is − 0.41%, the overall Normalized Mean Absolute Error (NMAE) is 4.90%, the Normalized Root Mean Square Error (NRMSE) is 7.66% and the overall

  6. Application of the Performance Validation Tool for the Evaluation of NSSS Control System Performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sohn, Suk-whun

    2011-01-01

    When a control system is supplied to nuclear power plant (NPP) under construction, static tests and dynamic tests are typically performed for evaluating its performance. The dynamic test is not realistic for validating the performance of the replaced hardware in operating NPPs because of potential risks and economic burden. We have, therefore, developed a performance validation tool which can evaluate the dynamic performances of the control system without undertaking real plant tests. The window-based nuclear plant performance analyzer (Win-NPA) is used as a virtual NPP in the developed tool and provides appropriate control loads to the target control system via hardwired cables in a manner that the interfaces are identical to the field wiring. The outputs from the control system are used as the simulation inputs of the plant model within the Win-NPA. With this closed-loop configuration, major transient events were simulated to check the performance of the implemented control system by comparing it with that of the control system model of the Win-NPA and that of the old hardware. The developed tool and the methodology were successfully applied to the hardware replacement project for Yonggwang (YGN) 3 and 4 feedwater control system (FWCS) in 2008. Several errors in the implemented control system were fixed through the performance validation tests and the operability tests. As a result, the control system of the YGN 3 and 4 has demonstrated an excellent control performance since then. On the basis of YGN 3 and 4 project experiences, we are performing a similar project in Ulchin (UCN) 3 and 4. This methodology can also be applied to other NPPs under construction as a tool for pre-operational dynamic tests. These performance tests before performing power ascension tests (PATs) are conducive to preventing unnecessary plant transients or unwanted reactor trips caused by hidden errors of control systems during PATs. (author)

  7. Portfolio Management Decision Support Tools Analysis Relating to Management Value Metrics

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Goodson, Christopher J; Knutson, Richard D

    2007-01-01

    .... The results of this research will assist MDA managers, and operational leaders, in making portfolio management decisions for allocating resources to create the correct support tools for MDA processes...

  8. DDT: A Research Tool for Automatic Data Distribution in High Performance Fortran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eduard AyguadÉ

    1997-01-01

    Full Text Available This article describes the main features and implementation of our automatic data distribution research tool. The tool (DDT accepts programs written in Fortran 77 and generates High Performance Fortran (HPF directives to map arrays onto the memories of the processors and parallelize loops, and executable statements to remap these arrays. DDT works by identifying a set of computational phases (procedures and loops. The algorithm builds a search space of candidate solutions for these phases which is explored looking for the combination that minimizes the overall cost; this cost includes data movement cost and computation cost. The movement cost reflects the cost of accessing remote data during the execution of a phase and the remapping costs that have to be paid in order to execute the phase with the selected mapping. The computation cost includes the cost of executing a phase in parallel according to the selected mapping and the owner computes rule. The tool supports interprocedural analysis and uses control flow information to identify how phases are sequenced during the execution of the application.

  9. Towards tool support for spreadsheet-based domain-specific languages

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Adam, Marian Sorin; Schultz, Ulrik Pagh

    2015-01-01

    Spreadsheets are commonly used by non-programmers to store data in a structured form, this data can in some cases be considered to be a program in a domain-specific language (DSL). Unlike ordinary text-based domain-specific languages, there is however currently no formalism for expressing...... the syntax of such spreadsheet-based DSLs (SDSLs), and there is no tool support for automatically generating language infrastructure such as parsers and IDE support. In this paper we define a simple notion of two-dimensional grammars for SDSLs, and show how such grammars can be used for automatically...

  10. A methodology and decision support tool for informing state-level bioenergy policymaking: New Jersey biofuels as a case study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brennan-Tonetta, Margaret

    This dissertation seeks to provide key information and a decision support tool that states can use to support long-term goals of fossil fuel displacement and greenhouse gas reductions. The research yields three outcomes: (1) A methodology that allows for a comprehensive and consistent inventory and assessment of bioenergy feedstocks in terms of type, quantity, and energy potential. Development of a standardized methodology for consistent inventorying of biomass resources fosters research and business development of promising technologies that are compatible with the state's biomass resource base. (2) A unique interactive decision support tool that allows for systematic bioenergy analysis and evaluation of policy alternatives through the generation of biomass inventory and energy potential data for a wide variety of feedstocks and applicable technologies, using New Jersey as a case study. Development of a database that can assess the major components of a bioenergy system in one tool allows for easy evaluation of technology, feedstock and policy options. The methodology and decision support tool is applicable to other states and regions (with location specific modifications), thus contributing to the achievement of state and federal goals of renewable energy utilization. (3) Development of policy recommendations based on the results of the decision support tool that will help to guide New Jersey into a sustainable renewable energy future. The database developed in this research represents the first ever assessment of bioenergy potential for New Jersey. It can serve as a foundation for future research and modifications that could increase its power as a more robust policy analysis tool. As such, the current database is not able to perform analysis of tradeoffs across broad policy objectives such as economic development vs. CO2 emissions, or energy independence vs. source reduction of solid waste. Instead, it operates one level below that with comparisons of kWh or

  11. Application of the PredictAD Decision Support Tool to a Danish Cohort of Patients with Alzheimer's Disease and Other Dementias

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Simonsen, A H; Mattila, J; Hejl, A M

    2013-01-01

    Background: The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is based on an ever-increasing body of data and knowledge making it a complex task. The PredictAD tool integrates heterogeneous patient data using an interactive user interface to provide decision support. The aim of this project was to invest......Background: The diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is based on an ever-increasing body of data and knowledge making it a complex task. The PredictAD tool integrates heterogeneous patient data using an interactive user interface to provide decision support. The aim of this project...... forest. Results: The DSI performed best for this realistic dataset with an accuracy of 76.6% compared to the accuracies for the naïve Bayesian classifier and random forest of 67.4 and 66.7%, respectively. Furthermore, the DSI differentiated between the four diagnostic groups with a p value of ....0001. Conclusion: In this dataset, the DSI method used by the PredictAD tool showed a superior performance for the differentiation between patients with AD and those with other dementias. However, the methods need to be refined further in order to optimize the differential diagnosis between AD, FTD, VaD and DLB....

  12. The development of an online decision support tool for organizational readiness for change.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khan, Sobia; Timmings, Caitlyn; Moore, Julia E; Marquez, Christine; Pyka, Kasha; Gheihman, Galina; Straus, Sharon E

    2014-05-10

    Much importance has been placed on assessing readiness for change as one of the earliest steps of implementation, but measuring it can be a complex and daunting task. Organizations and individuals struggle with how to reliably and accurately measure readiness for change. Several measures have been developed to help organizations assess readiness, but these are often underused due to the difficulty of selecting the right measure. In response to this challenge, we will develop and test a prototype of a decision support tool that is designed to guide individuals interested in implementation in the selection of an appropriate readiness assessment measure for their setting. A multi-phase approach will be used to develop the decision support tool. First, we will identify key measures for assessing organizational readiness for change from a recently completed systematic review. Included measures will be those developed for healthcare settings (e.g., acute care, public health, mental health) and that have been deemed valid and reliable. Second, study investigators and field experts will engage in a mapping exercise to categorize individual items of included measures according to key readiness constructs from an existing framework. Third, a stakeholder panel will be recruited and consulted to determine the feasibility and relevance of the selected measures using a modified Delphi process. Fourth, findings from the mapping exercise and stakeholder consultation will inform the development of a decision support tool that will guide users in appropriately selecting change readiness measures. Fifth, the tool will undergo usability testing. Our proposed decision support tool will address current challenges in the field of organizational change readiness by aiding individuals in selecting a valid and reliable assessment measure that is relevant to user needs and practice settings. We anticipate that implementers and researchers who use our tool will be more likely to conduct

  13. Technology tools to support reading in the digital age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Biancarosa, Gina; Griffiths, Gina G

    2012-01-01

    Advances in digital technologies are dramatically altering the texts and tools available to teachers and students. These technological advances have created excitement among many for their potential to be used as instructional tools for literacy education. Yet with the promise of these advances come issues that can exacerbate the literacy challenges identified in the other articles in this issue. In this article Gina Biancarosa and Gina Griffiths characterize how literacy demands have changed in the digital age and how challenges identified in other articles in the issue intersect with these new demands. Rather than seeing technology as something to be fit into an already crowded education agenda, Biancarosa and Griffiths argue that technology can be conceptualized as affording tools that teachers can deploy in their quest to create young readers who possess the higher levels of literacy skills and background knowledge demanded by today's information-based society. Biancarosa and Griffiths draw on research to highlight some of the ways technology has been used to build the skills and knowledge needed both by children who are learning to read and by those who have progressed to reading to learn. In their review of the research, Biancarosa and Griffiths focus on the hardware and software used to display and interface with digital text, or what they term e-reading technology. Drawing on studies of e-reading technology and computer technology more broadly, they also reflect on the very real, practical challenges to optimal use of e-reading technology. The authors conclude by presenting four recommendations to help schools and school systems meet some of the challenges that come with investing in e-reading technology: use only technologies that support Universal Design for Learning; choose evidence-based tools; provide technology users with systemic supports; and capitalize on the data capacities and volume of information that technology provides.

  14. Repurposing Existing Material for Performance Support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, Francis A.; Nelson, Adam

    1995-01-01

    Presents an overview of performance support systems (PSS), describes their role in promoting productivity in agile organizations, and discusses issues related to developing effective performance support using existing orientation, training, or procedural manuals. Topics include strategic principles of agility, and adding value when incorporating…

  15. SACA: Software Assisted Call Analysis--an interactive tool supporting content exploration, online guidance and quality improvement of counseling dialogues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trinkaus, Hans L; Gaisser, Andrea E

    2010-09-01

    Nearly 30,000 individual inquiries are answered annually by the telephone cancer information service (CIS, KID) of the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ). The aim was to develop a tool for evaluating these calls, and to support the complete counseling process interactively. A novel software tool is introduced, based on a structure similar to a music score. Treating the interaction as a "duet", guided by the CIS counselor, the essential contents of the dialogue are extracted automatically. For this, "trained speech recognition" is applied to the (known) counselor's part, and "keyword spotting" is used on the (unknown) client's part to pick out specific items from the "word streams". The outcomes fill an abstract score representing the dialogue. Pilot tests performed on a prototype of SACA (Software Assisted Call Analysis) resulted in a basic proof of concept: Demographic data as well as information regarding the situation of the caller could be identified. The study encourages following up on the vision of an integrated SACA tool for supporting calls online and performing statistics on its knowledge database offline. Further research perspectives are to check SACA's potential in comparison with established interaction analysis systems like RIAS. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. NDT-based bridge condition assessment supported by expert tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bień, J.; KuŻawa, M.

    2016-06-01

    This paper is focused on the progress in the application of Expert Tools supporting integration of inspection and NDT testing findings in order to effectuate effective decision making by bridge owners. Possibilities of knowledge representation in the intelligent computer Expert Tools by means of the multi-level hybrid network technology are described. These multi-level hybrid networks can be built of neural, fuzzy and functional components depending on the problem that needs to be solved and on the type of available information. Application of the technology is illustrated by an example of the Bridge Evaluation Expert Function (BEEF) implemented in the Railway Bridge Management System "SMOK" operated by the Polish State Railways.

  17. A Valid and Reliable Tool to Assess Nursing Students` Clinical Performance

    OpenAIRE

    Mehrnoosh Pazargadi; Tahereh Ashktorab; Sharareh Khosravi; Hamid Alavi majd

    2013-01-01

    Background: The necessity of a valid and reliable assessment tool is one of the most repeated issues in nursing students` clinical evaluation. But it is believed that present tools are not mostly valid and can not assess students` performance properly.Objectives: This study was conducted to design a valid and reliable assessment tool for evaluating nursing students` performance in clinical education.Methods: In this methodological study considering nursing students` performance definition; th...

  18. The role of knowledge management tools in supporting sustainable forest management

    OpenAIRE

    Vacik, H.; Torresan, C.; Hujala, T.; Khadka, C.; Reynolds, K.

    2013-01-01

    Aim of study: Knowledge Management (KM) tools facilitate the implementation of knowledge processes by identifying, creating, structuring, and sharing knowledge through use of information technology in order to improve decision-making. In this contribution, we review the way in which KM tools and techniques are used in forest management, and categorize a selected set of them according to their contribution to support decision makers in the phases of problem identification, problem modelling, a...

  19. The eXtensible ontology development (XOD) principles and tool implementation to support ontology interoperability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Yongqun; Xiang, Zuoshuang; Zheng, Jie; Lin, Yu; Overton, James A; Ong, Edison

    2018-01-12

    Ontologies are critical to data/metadata and knowledge standardization, sharing, and analysis. With hundreds of biological and biomedical ontologies developed, it has become critical to ensure ontology interoperability and the usage of interoperable ontologies for standardized data representation and integration. The suite of web-based Ontoanimal tools (e.g., Ontofox, Ontorat, and Ontobee) support different aspects of extensible ontology development. By summarizing the common features of Ontoanimal and other similar tools, we identified and proposed an "eXtensible Ontology Development" (XOD) strategy and its associated four principles. These XOD principles reuse existing terms and semantic relations from reliable ontologies, develop and apply well-established ontology design patterns (ODPs), and involve community efforts to support new ontology development, promoting standardized and interoperable data and knowledge representation and integration. The adoption of the XOD strategy, together with robust XOD tool development, will greatly support ontology interoperability and robust ontology applications to support data to be Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (i.e., FAIR).

  20. Tools to support GHG emissions reduction : a regional effort, part 1 - carbon footprint estimation and decision support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-09-01

    Tools are proposed for carbon footprint estimation of transportation construction projects and decision support : for construction firms that must make equipment choice and usage decisions that affect profits, project duration : and greenhouse gas em...

  1. Prototype of a diagnostic decision support tool for structural damage in masonry

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    De Vent, I.A.E.

    2011-01-01

    This prototype of a diagnostic decision support tool for structural damage in traditional masonry is the result of a PhD research project. The research project has aimed to improve and facilitate the diagnostic process by offering support in the initial phase in which hypotheses are generated. The

  2. Tools for Measuring and Improving Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jurow, Susan

    1993-01-01

    Explains the need for meaningful performance measures in libraries and the Total Quality Management (TQM) approach to data collection. Five tools representing different stages of a TQM inquiry are covered (i.e., the Shewhart Cycle, flowcharts, cause-and-effect diagrams, Pareto charts, and control charts), and benchmarking is addressed. (Contains…

  3. Building Performance Simulation tools for planning of energy efficiency retrofits

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mondrup, Thomas Fænø; Karlshøj, Jan; Vestergaard, Flemming

    2014-01-01

    Designing energy efficiency retrofits for existing buildings will bring environmental, economic, social, and health benefits. However, selecting specific retrofit strategies is complex and requires careful planning. In this study, we describe a methodology for adopting Building Performance...... to energy efficiency retrofits in social housing. To generate energy savings, we focus on optimizing the building envelope. We evaluate alternative building envelope actions using procedural solar radiation and daylight simulations. In addition, we identify the digital information flow and the information...... Simulation (BPS) tools as energy and environmentally conscious decision-making aids. The methodology has been developed to screen buildings for potential improvements and to support the development of retrofit strategies. We present a case study of a Danish renovation project, implementing BPS approaches...

  4. Tools for plant safety engineer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fabic, S.

    1996-01-01

    This paper contains: - review of tools for monitoring plant safety equipment reliability and readiness, before and accident (performance indicators for monitoring the risk and reliability performance and for determining when degraded performance alert levels are achieved) - brief reviews of tools for use during an accident: Emergency Operating Procedures (EOPs), Emergency Response Data System (ERDS), Reactor Safety Assessment System (RSAS), Computerized Accident Management Support

  5. Rubric Authoring Tool Supporting Cognitive Skills Assessment across an Institution

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simper, Natalie

    2018-01-01

    This paper explores a method to support instructors in assessing cognitive skills in their course, designed to enable aggregation of data across an institution. A rubric authoring tool, "BASICS" (Building Assessment Scaffolds for Intellectual Cognitive Skills) was built as part of the Queen's University Learning Outcomes Assessment (LOA)…

  6. A computer tool to support in design of industrial Ethernet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lugli, Alexandre Baratella; Santos, Max Mauro Dias; Franco, Lucia Regina Horta Rodrigues

    2009-04-01

    This paper presents a computer tool to support in the project and development of an industrial Ethernet network, verifying the physical layer (cables-resistance and capacitance, scan time, network power supply-POE's concept "Power Over Ethernet" and wireless), and occupation rate (amount of information transmitted to the network versus the controller network scan time). These functions are accomplished without a single physical element installed in the network, using only simulation. The computer tool has a software that presents a detailed vision of the network to the user, besides showing some possible problems in the network, and having an extremely friendly environment.

  7. WikiBuild: A New Application to Support Patient and Health Care Professional Involvement in the Development of Patient Support Tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-01-01

    Active patient and public involvement as partners in their own health care and in the development of health services is key to achieving a health care system that is responsive to patients’ needs and values. It promotes better use of the health care system, and improves health outcomes, quality of life and patient satisfaction. By involving patients and health care professionals as partners in the creation and updating of patient health support tools, wikis—highly accessible, interactive vehicles of communication—have the potential to empower users to implement these support tools in daily life. Acknowledging the potential of wikis, and recognizing that they capitalize on the free and open access to information, scientists, opinion leaders and patient advocates have suggested that wikis could help decision-making constituencies improve the delivery of health care. They might also decrease its cost and improve access to knowledge within developing countries. However, little is known about the efficacy of wikis in helping to attain these goals. There is also a need to know more about the intention of patients and health care workers to use wikis, in what circumstances and what factors will influence their use of wikis. In this issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Gupta et al describe how they developed and tested a new wiki-inspired application to improve asthma care. The researchers involved patients with asthma, primary care physicians, pulmonologists and certified asthma educators in the construction of an asthma action plan. Their paper—entitled “WikiBuild: a new online collaboration process for multistakeholder tool development and consensus building”—is the first description of a wiki-inspired technology built to involve patients and health care professionals in the development of a patient support tool. This innovative study has made important contributions toward how wikis could be generalized to involve multiple stakeholders in

  8. Stakeholder views of management and decision support tools to integrate climate change into Great Lakes Lake Whitefish management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lynch, Abigail J.; Taylor, William W.; McCright, Aaron M.

    2016-01-01

    Decision support tools can aid decision making by systematically incorporating information, accounting for uncertainties, and facilitating evaluation between alternatives. Without user buy-in, however, decision support tools can fail to influence decision-making processes. We surveyed fishery researchers, managers, and fishers affiliated with the Lake Whitefish Coregonus clupeaformis fishery in the 1836 Treaty Waters of Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior to assess opinions of current and future management needs to identify barriers to, and opportunities for, developing a decision support tool based on Lake Whitefish recruitment projections with climate change. Approximately 64% of 39 respondents were satisfied with current management, and nearly 85% agreed that science was well integrated into management programs. Though decision support tools can facilitate science integration into management, respondents suggest that they face significant implementation barriers, including lack of political will to change management and perceived uncertainty in decision support outputs. Recommendations from this survey can inform development of decision support tools for fishery management in the Great Lakes and other regions.

  9. A tool for standardized collector performance calculations including PVT

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Perers, Bengt; Kovacs, Peter; Olsson, Marcus

    2012-01-01

    A tool for standardized calculation of solar collector performance has been developed in cooperation between SP Technical Research Institute of Sweden, DTU Denmark and SERC Dalarna University. The tool is designed to calculate the annual performance of solar collectors at representative locations...... can be tested and modeled as a thermal collector, when the PV electric part is active with an MPP tracker in operation. The thermal collector parameters from this operation mode are used for the PVT calculations....

  10. A tool for urban soundscape evaluation applying Support Vector Machines for developing a soundscape classification model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Torija, Antonio J; Ruiz, Diego P; Ramos-Ridao, Angel F

    2014-06-01

    To ensure appropriate soundscape management in urban environments, the urban-planning authorities need a range of tools that enable such a task to be performed. An essential step during the management of urban areas from a sound standpoint should be the evaluation of the soundscape in such an area. In this sense, it has been widely acknowledged that a subjective and acoustical categorization of a soundscape is the first step to evaluate it, providing a basis for designing or adapting it to match people's expectations as well. In this sense, this work proposes a model for automatic classification of urban soundscapes. This model is intended for the automatic classification of urban soundscapes based on underlying acoustical and perceptual criteria. Thus, this classification model is proposed to be used as a tool for a comprehensive urban soundscape evaluation. Because of the great complexity associated with the problem, two machine learning techniques, Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Support Vector Machines trained with Sequential Minimal Optimization (SMO), are implemented in developing model classification. The results indicate that the SMO model outperforms the SVM model in the specific task of soundscape classification. With the implementation of the SMO algorithm, the classification model achieves an outstanding performance (91.3% of instances correctly classified). © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Performance indicators: A tool for continuous quality improvement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nidhi M Bhatnagar

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Performance monitoring is an important tool which can be used for setting priorities for process improvement. At our centre, we have been monitoring every step in the processes, right from inventory of consumables (both critical and routine to number of donors reactive for TTI. We conducted a study to measure the impact of monitoring Performance Indicators and how it could be used as a tool for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI. Materials and Methods: The present study was a retrospective study where the performance indicator (PI data of blood bank was analyzed for over four years. For certain parameters, benchmarks or thresholds were set that represented warning limits or action limits. The yearly data were collated from monthly data. "Shifts" or "Trends", if any, were identified and Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA taken accordingly. At the end, outcomes of the analysis were charted. Results: After the yearly data evaluation, outcomes obtained were used to plan, correct and amend processes and systems in the blood center. It was observed that the workload of the center showed an upward trend. This helped us to plan for the purchase of consumables and management of manpower. The monitoring of usage and discard of blood helped in the efficient management of blood stocks. The need for any new equipment could also be judged by the trends in workload. Conclusion: Performance indicators are indispensible tools which various stakeholders in the Blood Transfusion centres should implement to improve on quality performance.

  12. Performance indicators: A tool for continuous quality improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatnagar, Nidhi M; Soni, Shital; Gajjar, Maitrey; Shah, Mamta; Shah, Sangita; Patel, Vaidehi

    2016-01-01

    Performance monitoring is an important tool which can be used for setting priorities for process improvement. At our centre, we have been monitoring every step in the processes, right from inventory of consumables (both critical and routine) to number of donors reactive for TTI. We conducted a study to measure the impact of monitoring Performance Indicators and how it could be used as a tool for Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI). The present study was a retrospective study where the performance indicator (PI) data of blood bank was analyzed for over four years. For certain parameters, benchmarks or thresholds were set that represented warning limits or action limits. The yearly data were collated from monthly data. Shifts or Trends, if any, were identified and Corrective and Preventive Action (CAPA) taken accordingly. At the end, outcomes of the analysis were charted. After the yearly data evaluation, outcomes obtained were used to plan, correct and amend processes and systems in the blood center. It was observed that the workload of the center showed an upward trend. This helped us to plan for the purchase of consumables and management of manpower. The monitoring of usage and discard of blood helped in the efficient management of blood stocks. The need for any new equipment could also be judged by the trends in workload. Performance indicators are indispensible tools which various stakeholders in the Blood Transfusion centres should implement to improve on quality performance.

  13. Development and field testing of a decision support tool to facilitate shared decision making in contraceptive counseling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehlendorf, Christine; Fitzpatrick, Judith; Steinauer, Jody; Swiader, Lawrence; Grumbach, Kevin; Hall, Cara; Kuppermann, Miriam

    2017-07-01

    We developed and formatively evaluated a tablet-based decision support tool for use by women prior to a contraceptive counseling visit to help them engage in shared decision making regarding method selection. Drawing upon formative work around women's preferences for contraceptive counseling and conceptual understanding of health care decision making, we iteratively developed a storyboard and then digital prototypes, based on best practices for decision support tool development. Pilot testing using both quantitative and qualitative data and cognitive testing was conducted. We obtained feedback from patient and provider advisory groups throughout the development process. Ninety-six percent of women who used the tool in pilot testing reported that it helped them choose a method, and qualitative interviews indicated acceptability of the tool's content and presentation. Compared to the control group, women who used the tool demonstrated trends toward increased likelihood of complete satisfaction with their method. Participant responses to cognitive testing were used in tool refinement. Our decision support tool appears acceptable to women in the family planning setting. Formative evaluation of the tool supports its utility among patients making contraceptive decisions, which can be further evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. A Case Study of Using a Social Annotation Tool to Support Collaboratively Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Fei

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of the study was to understand student interaction and learning supported by a collaboratively social annotation tool--Diigo. The researcher examined through a case study how students participated and interacted when learning an online text with the social annotation tool--Diigo, and how they perceived their experience. The findings…

  15. Decision support tools for policy and planning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jacyk, P.; Schultz, D.; Spangenberg, L.

    1995-01-01

    A decision support system (DSS) is being developed at the Radioactive Liquid Waste Treatment Facility, Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The DSS will be used to evaluate alternatives for improving LANL's existing central radioactive waste water treatment plant and to evaluate new site-wide liquid waste treatment schemes that are required in order to handle the diverse waste streams produced at LANL. The decision support system consists of interacting modules that perform the following tasks: rigorous process simulation, configuration management, performance analysis, cost analysis, risk analysis, environmental impact assessment, transportation modeling, and local, state, and federal regulation compliance checking. Uncertainty handling techniques are used with these modules and also with a decision synthesis module which combines results from the modules listed above. We believe the DSS being developed can be applied to almost any other industrial water treatment facility with little modification because in most situations the waste streams are less complex, fewer regulations apply, and the political environment is simpler. The techniques being developed are also generally applicable to policy and planning decision support systems in the chemical process industry

  16. Building a Community Infrastructure for Scalable On-Line Performance Analysis Tools around Open|SpeedShop

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Galarowicz, James E. [Krell Institute, Ames, IA (United States); Miller, Barton P. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Computer Sciences Dept.; Hollingsworth, Jeffrey K. [Univ. of Maryland, College Park, MD (United States). Computer Sciences Dept.; Roth, Philip [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Future Technologies Group, Computer Science and Math Division; Schulz, Martin [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States). Center for Applied Scientific Computing (CASC)

    2013-12-19

    In this project we created a community tool infrastructure for program development tools targeting Petascale class machines and beyond. This includes tools for performance analysis, debugging, and correctness tools, as well as tuning and optimization frameworks. The developed infrastructure provides a comprehensive and extensible set of individual tool building components. We started with the basic elements necessary across all tools in such an infrastructure followed by a set of generic core modules that allow a comprehensive performance analysis at scale. Further, we developed a methodology and workflow that allows others to add or replace modules, to integrate parts into their own tools, or to customize existing solutions. In order to form the core modules, we built on the existing Open|SpeedShop infrastructure and decomposed it into individual modules that match the necessary tool components. At the same time, we addressed the challenges found in performance tools for petascale systems in each module. When assembled, this instantiation of community tool infrastructure provides an enhanced version of Open|SpeedShop, which, while completely different in its architecture, provides scalable performance analysis for petascale applications through a familiar interface. This project also built upon and enhances capabilities and reusability of project partner components as specified in the original project proposal. The overall project team’s work over the project funding cycle was focused on several areas of research, which are described in the following sections. The reminder of this report also highlights related work as well as preliminary work that supported the project. In addition to the project partners funded by the Office of Science under this grant, the project team included several collaborators who contribute to the overall design of the envisioned tool infrastructure. In particular, the project team worked closely with the other two DOE NNSA

  17. Test tools of physics radiography children as a support for safety radiation and safety patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Siti Masrochah; Yeti Kartikasari; Ardi Soesilo Wibowo

    2013-01-01

    Radiographic examination of the thorax children aged 1-3 years have a high sufficiently failure. This failure is caused by the movement and difficulty positioning the patient, resulting in the risk of repeat radiographs to patient safety particularly unnecessary radiation risks. It is therefore necessary to develop research on children design fixation devices. This research aims to create a design tool fixation on radiographs children to support radiation safety and patient safety. This research is a descriptive exploratory approach to tool design. The independent variables were the design tools, variable tool function test results, and radiographic variables controlled thorax. The procedure is done by designing data collection tools, further trials with 20 samples. Processing and analysis of data is done by calculating the performance assessment tool scores with range 1-3. The results showed that the design tool of fixation in the form of standard radiographic cassette equipped with chairs and some form of seat belt fixation. The procedure uses a tool fixation is routine radiographic follow thorax child in an upright position. Function test results aids fixation is to have an average score of 2.66, which means good. While the test results for each component, the majority of respondents stated that the reliability of the device is quite good with a score of 2.45 (60 %), convenience tool with a score of 2.60 (70 %), quality of the radiographs did not incontinence of the thorax radiograph with a score 2.55 (85 %), the child protection (security) with a score of 2.70 (70 %), good design aesthetic design with a score of 2.80 (80 %), addition of radiation from the others on the use of these tools do not need with a score of 2.80 (80 %), and there is no additional radiation due to repetitions with a score of 2.85 (90 %). (author)

  18. Effect of cutting edge preparation on tool performance in hard-turning of DF-3 tool steel with ceramic tools

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davoudinejad, A.; Noordin, M. Y. [Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai (Malaysia)

    2014-11-15

    This study presents an experimental investigation on turning hardened DF-3 tool steel (∼ 58HRC) with PVD-TiN coated mixed ceramic. We focused on the effect of chamfer and honed edge geometry on tool wear, tool life, cutting forces and surface finish of the machined work piece. The effects of the process parameters on performance characteristics were investigated using ANOVA. It was found that longer tool life was recorded with chamfered edge geometry at various cutting conditions. The typical damage observed as flank and crater wear for ceramic tools and abrasive wear was found as the main mechanism.The optimal cutting speed was 155 m/min, with which a tolerable tool life and volume of material removal was obtained for both edges geometry. Finer machined surface was left by chamfered tool with feeds and speeds in the range of 0.125-0.05 mm/rev and 155-210 m/min, respectively; also, cutting forces decrease with increased cutting speed. The obtained consequence of cutting forces shows that tool wear has a considerable effect on cutting forces and greater forces values recorded with honed tools.

  19. Effect of cutting edge preparation on tool performance in hard-turning of DF-3 tool steel with ceramic tools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Davoudinejad, A.; Noordin, M. Y.

    2014-01-01

    This study presents an experimental investigation on turning hardened DF-3 tool steel (∼ 58HRC) with PVD-TiN coated mixed ceramic. We focused on the effect of chamfer and honed edge geometry on tool wear, tool life, cutting forces and surface finish of the machined work piece. The effects of the process parameters on performance characteristics were investigated using ANOVA. It was found that longer tool life was recorded with chamfered edge geometry at various cutting conditions. The typical damage observed as flank and crater wear for ceramic tools and abrasive wear was found as the main mechanism.The optimal cutting speed was 155 m/min, with which a tolerable tool life and volume of material removal was obtained for both edges geometry. Finer machined surface was left by chamfered tool with feeds and speeds in the range of 0.125-0.05 mm/rev and 155-210 m/min, respectively; also, cutting forces decrease with increased cutting speed. The obtained consequence of cutting forces shows that tool wear has a considerable effect on cutting forces and greater forces values recorded with honed tools.

  20. Piloting a Web-Based Practicum Support Tool: Associate Teachers' Perceived Benefits and Drawbacks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrarca, Diana

    2014-01-01

    This pilot study explored how a small group of associate teachers responded to a web-based learning tool created specifically to support them in mentoring teacher candidates during the practicum component of an initial teacher education program in Southern Ontario, Canada. The learning tool's content drew from the teacher education literature, and…

  1. A Decision Support Model and Tool to Assist Financial Decision-Making in Universities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhayat, Imtiaz; Manuguerra, Maurizio; Baldock, Clive

    2015-01-01

    In this paper, a model and tool is proposed to assist universities and other mission-based organisations to ascertain systematically the optimal portfolio of projects, in any year, meeting the organisations risk tolerances and available funds. The model and tool presented build on previous work on university operations and decision support systems…

  2. A Holistic Approach to Interdisciplinary Innovation Supported by a Simple Tool

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Denise J. Stokholm, Marianne

    2008-01-01

    Innovation is recognised as a strategy to achieve competitive businesses and products. Managing innovation at all levels requires integration of knowledge and interdisciplinary cooperation. Different understandings and approaches to innovation between professions often result in communication...... problems. To overcome this barrier a common ground is needed. This paper describes a holistic approach to innovation and presents a simple tool for facilitating cooperation on a diversity of innovation matters. It describes the development and use of the tool and demonstrates its capacity to support...

  3. Micro-Vibration Performance Prediction of SEPTA24 Using SMeSim (RUAG Space Mechanism Simulator Tool)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Omiciuolo, Manolo; Lang, Andreas; Wismer, Stefan; Barth, Stephan; Szekely, Gerhard

    2013-09-01

    Scientific space missions are currently challenging the performances of their payloads. The performances can be dramatically restricted by micro-vibration loads generated by any moving parts of the satellites, thus by Solar Array Drive Assemblies too. Micro-vibration prediction of SADAs is therefore very important to support their design and optimization in the early stages of a programme. The Space Mechanism Simulator (SMeSim) tool, developed by RUAG, enhances the capability of analysing the micro-vibration emissivity of a Solar Array Drive Assembly (SADA) under a specified set of boundary conditions. The tool is developed in the Matlab/Simulink® environment throughout a library of blocks simulating the different components a SADA is made of. The modular architecture of the blocks, assembled by the user, and the set up of the boundary conditions allow time-domain and frequency-domain analyses of a rigid multi-body model with concentrated flexibilities and coupled- electronic control of the mechanism. SMeSim is used to model the SEPTA24 Solar Array Drive Mechanism and predict its micro-vibration emissivity. SMeSim and the return of experience earned throughout its development and use can now support activities like verification by analysis of micro-vibration emissivity requirements and/or design optimization to minimize the micro- vibration emissivity of a SADA.

  4. An applied artificial intelligence approach towards assessing building performance simulation tools

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yezioro, Abraham [Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning, Technion IIT (Israel); Dong, Bing [Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics, School of Architecture, Carnegie Mellon University (United States); Leite, Fernanda [Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University (United States)

    2008-07-01

    With the development of modern computer technology, a large amount of building energy simulation tools is available in the market. When choosing which simulation tool to use in a project, the user must consider the tool's accuracy and reliability, considering the building information they have at hand, which will serve as input for the tool. This paper presents an approach towards assessing building performance simulation results to actual measurements, using artificial neural networks (ANN) for predicting building energy performance. Training and testing of the ANN were carried out with energy consumption data acquired for 1 week in the case building called the Solar House. The predicted results show a good fitness with the mathematical model with a mean absolute error of 0.9%. Moreover, four building simulation tools were selected in this study in order to compare their results with the ANN predicted energy consumption: Energy{sub 1}0, Green Building Studio web tool, eQuest and EnergyPlus. The results showed that the more detailed simulation tools have the best simulation performance in terms of heating and cooling electricity consumption within 3% of mean absolute error. (author)

  5. Monte Carlo simulation - a powerful tool to support experimental activities in structure reliability

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuritzinn, T.; Chapuliot, S.; Eid, M.; Masson, R.; Dahl, A.; Moinereau, D.

    2003-01-01

    Monte-Carlo Simulation (MCS) can have different uses in supporting structure reliability investigations and assessments. In this paper we focus our interest on the use of MCS as a numerical tool to support the fitting of the experimental data related to toughness experiments. (authors)

  6. EVA Swab Tool to Support Planetary Protection and Astrobiology Evaluations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rucker, Michelle A.; Hood, Drew; Walker, Mary; Venkateswaran, Kasthuri J.; Schuerger, Andrew C.

    2018-01-01

    When we send humans to search for life on other planets, we'll need to know what we brought with us versus what may already be there. To ensure our crewed systems meet planetary protection requirements-and to protect our science from human contamination-we'll need to assess whether microorganisms may be leaking or venting from our spacecraft. Microbial sample collection outside of a pressurized spacecraft is complicated by temperature extremes, low pressures that preclude the use of laboratory standard (wetted) swabs, and operation either in bulky spacesuits or with robotic assistance. A team at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently developed a swab kit for use in collecting microbial samples from the external surfaces of crewed spacecraft, including spacesuits. The Extravehicular Activity (EVA) Swab Kit consists of a single swab tool handle and an eight-canister sample caddy. The design team minimized development cost by re-purposing a heritage Space Shuttle tile repair handle that was designed to quickly snap into different tool attachments by engaging a mating device in each end effector. This allowed the tool handle to snap onto a fresh swab end effector much like popular shaving razor handles can snap onto a disposable blade cartridge. To disengage the handle from a swab, the user performs two independent functions, which can be done with a single hand. This dual operation mitigates the risk that a swab will be inadvertently released and lost in microgravity. Each swab end effector is fitted with commercially available foam swab tips, vendor-certified to be sterile for Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA). A microbial filter installed in the bottom of each sample container allows the container to outgas and re-pressurize without introducing microbial contaminants to internal void spaces. Extensive ground testing, post-test handling, and sample analysis confirmed the design is able to maintain sterile conditions as the canister moves between

  7. Visual Decision Support Tool for Supporting Asset ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abstract:Managing urban water infrastructures faces the challenge of jointly dealing with assets of diverse types, useful life, cost, ages and condition. Service quality and sustainability require sound long-term planning, well aligned with tactical and operational planning and management. In summary, the objective of an integrated approach to infrastructure asset management is to assist utilities answer the following questions:•Who are we at present?•What service do we deliver?•What do we own?•Where do we want to be in the long-term?•How do we get there?The AWARE-P approach (www.aware-p.org) offers a coherent methodological framework and a valuable portfolio of software tools. It is designed to assist water supply and wastewater utility decision-makers in their analyses and planning processes. It is based on a Plan-Do-Check-Act process and is in accordance with the key principles of the International Standards Organization (ISO) 55000 standards on asset management. It is compatible with, and complementary to WERF’s SIMPLE framework. The software assists in strategic, tactical, and operational planning, through a non-intrusive, web-based, collaborative environment where objectives and metrics drive IAM planning. It is aimed at industry professionals and managers, as well as at the consultants and technical experts that support them. It is easy to use and maximizes the value of information from multiple existing data sources, both in da

  8. Web-service architecture for tools supporting life-long e-Learning platforms

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Dimov, Alexander; Stefanov, Krassen

    2009-01-01

    Dimov, A., & Stefanov, K. (2008). Web-service architecture for tools supporting life-long e-Learning platforms. In R. Koper, K. Stefanov & D. Dicheva (Eds.), Proceedings of the 5th International TENCompetence Open Workshop "Stimulating Personal Development and Knowledge Sharing" (pp. 67-71).

  9. Pilot study of a point-of-use decision support tool for cancer clinical trials eligibility.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Breitfeld, P P; Weisburd, M; Overhage, J M; Sledge, G; Tierney, W M

    1999-01-01

    Many adults with cancer are not enrolled in clinical trials because caregivers do not have the time to match the patient's clinical findings with varying eligibility criteria associated with multiple trials for which the patient might be eligible. The authors developed a point-of-use portable decision support tool (DS-TRIEL) to automate this matching process. The support tool consists of a hand-held computer with a programmable relational database. A two-level hierarchic decision framework was used for the identification of eligible subjects for two open breast cancer clinical trials. The hand-held computer also provides protocol consent forms and schemas to further help the busy oncologist. This decision support tool and the decision framework on which it is based could be used for multiple trials and different cancer sites.

  10. An Ambient Awareness Tool for Supporting Supervised Collaborative Problem Solving

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alavi, H. S.; Dillenbourg, P.

    2012-01-01

    We describe an ambient awareness tool, named "Lantern", designed for supporting the learning process in recitation sections, (i.e., when students work in small teams on the exercise sets with the help of tutors). Each team is provided with an interactive lamp that displays their work status: the exercise they are working on, if they have…

  11. Exploring Engineering instructors' views about writing and online tools to support communication in Engineering

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Sarah K.; Khosronejad, Maryam; Calvo, Rafael A.

    2017-11-01

    To be fully prepared for the professional workplace, Engineering students need to be able to effectively communicate. However, there has been a growing concern in the field about students' preparedness for this aspect of their future work. It is argued that online writing tools, to engage numbers of students in the writing process, can support feedback on and development of writing in engineering on a larger scale. Through interviews and questionnaires, this study explores engineering academics' perceptions of writing to better understand how online writing tools may be integrated into their teaching. Results suggest that writing is viewed positively in the discipline, but it is not believed to be essential to success in engineering. Online writing tools were believed to support a larger number of students, but low knowledge of the tools limited academics' understanding of their usefulness in teaching and learning. Implications for innovation in undergraduate teaching are discussed.

  12. Airports’ Operational Performance and Efficiency Evaluation Based on Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA Tools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    João Jardim

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Airport benchmarking depends on airports’ operational performance and efficiency indicators, which are important for business agents, operational managers, regulatory agencies, airlines and passengers. There are several sets of single and complex indicators to evaluate airports’ performance and efficiency as well as several techniques to benchmark such infrastructures. The general aim of this work is twofold: to balance the data envelopment analysis (DEA and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA tools and to show that airport benchmarking is also possible using a multicriteria decision analysis tool called Measuring Attractiveness by a Categorical Based Evaluation Technique (MACBETH. Whilst DEA measures the relative performance in the presence of multiple inputs and outputs, MCDA/ MACBETH uses performance and efficiency indicators to support benchmark results, being useful for evaluating the real importance and weight of the selected indicators. The work is structured as follows: first, a state-of-the-art review concerning either airport benchmarking and performance indicators or DEA and MCDA tool techniques; second, an overview of the impacts on airports’ operational performance and efficiency of emergent operational factors (sudden meteorological/natural phenomena; third, two case studies on a set of worldwide airports and Madeira (FNC Airport; and fourth, some insights into and challenges for future research that are still under development.

  13. Developing GIS based decision-support tools for agricultural counter-measurements after radiation accident

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kepka, Pavel; Prochazka, Jan; Brom, Jakub; Pecharova, Emilie

    2009-01-01

    There is a whole variety of possibilities proposed by EURANOS data sheets for agriculture, for mid-term and long-term counter-measures after contamination of crops by radiation. We have developed a set of supportive tools for decision-makers within the project 'Methods of evaluation of contaminated territory after radiation accident - the importance of structure and functioning of a land cover'. Our TM tools are based on ArcGIS platform and Python programming language. We have developed a simple model for estimating the current biomass of the polluted crops. Inputs for this model are: a shape file of land cover data, database table with customisable plant growth characteristics and shape file of polluted areas. The model provides a shape file data set of estimated amounts of biomass of selected crops per hectare for a given day. The results are helpful for better performing of the countermeasure 'Early removal of crops'. The total amount of polluted waste, logistic costs (transport of people and material; required time; other costs) could be estimated only with basic GIS tools. The number of days expected for the harvest can be also calculated and compared with the dose and half-lives of the contaminating radionuclides. This analysis could also lead to a 'Do nothing' decision, especially in case of radionuclides with short times of half-life. (author)

  14. Assessing teamwork performance in obstetrics: A systematic search and review of validated tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fransen, Annemarie F; de Boer, Liza; Kienhorst, Dieneke; Truijens, Sophie E; van Runnard Heimel, Pieter J; Oei, S Guid

    2017-09-01

    Teamwork performance is an essential component for the clinical efficiency of multi-professional teams in obstetric care. As patient safety is related to teamwork performance, it has become an important learning goal in simulation-based education. In order to improve teamwork performance, reliable assessment tools are required. These can be used to provide feedback during training courses, or to compare learning effects between different types of training courses. The aim of the current study is to (1) identify the available assessment tools to evaluate obstetric teamwork performance in a simulated environment, and (2) evaluate their psychometric properties in order to identify the most valuable tool(s) to use. We performed a systematic search in PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE to identify articles describing assessment tools for the evaluation of obstetric teamwork performance in a simulated environment. In order to evaluate the quality of the identified assessment tools the standards and grading rules have been applied as recommended by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) Committee on Educational Outcomes. The included studies were also assessed according to the Oxford Centre for Evidence Based Medicine (OCEBM) levels of evidence. This search resulted in the inclusion of five articles describing the following six tools: Clinical Teamwork Scale, Human Factors Rating Scale, Global Rating Scale, Assessment of Obstetric Team Performance, Global Assessment of Obstetric Team Performance, and the Teamwork Measurement Tool. Based on the ACGME guidelines we assigned a Class 3, level C of evidence, to all tools. Regarding the OCEBM levels of evidence, a level 3b was assigned to two studies and a level 4 to four studies. The Clinical Teamwork Scale demonstrated the most comprehensive validation, and the Teamwork Measurement Tool demonstrated promising results, however it is recommended to further investigate its reliability. Copyright © 2017

  15. Tools to support important technical decisions during accident conditions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tenschert, J.; Bergiers, C.

    2008-01-01

    To handle design basis and beyond design basis accidents with intact reactor core, Nuclear Power Plants are using Emergency Operating Procedures (EOP) that they may have developed based on the generic Westinghouse Emergency Response Guidelines. Even though the EOPs are very directive, some questions are left to external support, i.e. to a team of persons constituting the so-called Technical Support Center (TSC). The Pressurized Water Reactor Owner Group (PWROG, previously Westinghouse Owner Group, WOG) has developed a TSC manual to support this group in their decision making process. Because of the specific and particular design of the Beznau NPP (KKB) Safety Systems, development of a plant-specific TSC manual required a lot of additions compared to the generic material. This plant-specific TSC manual is a helpful tool for the Site Emergency Director (SED) of the KKB to better evaluate issues and potential concerns arising while executing the EOPs. The majority of considered issues are relevant for beyond design basis accidents and external events. (orig.)

  16. A modeling tool to support decision making in future hydropower development in Chile

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vicuna, S.; Hermansen, C.; Cerda, J. P.; Olivares, M. A.; Gomez, T. I.; Toha, E.; Poblete, D.; Mao, L.; Falvey, M. J.; Pliscoff, P.; Melo, O.; Lacy, S.; Peredo, M.; Marquet, P. A.; Maturana, J.; Gironas, J. A.

    2017-12-01

    Modeling tools support planning by providing transparent means to assess the outcome of natural resources management alternatives within technical frameworks in the presence of conflicting objectives. Such tools, when employed to model different scenarios, complement discussion in a policy-making context. Examples of practical use of this type of tool exist, such as the Canadian public forest management, but are not common, especially in the context of developing countries. We present a tool to support the selection from a portfolio of potential future hydropower projects in Chile. This tool, developed by a large team of researchers under the guidance of the Chilean Energy Ministry, is especially relevant in the context of evident regionalism, skepticism and change in societal values in a country that has achieved a sustained growth alongside increased demands from society. The tool operates at a scale of a river reach, between 1-5 km long, on a domain that can be defined according to the scale needs of the related discussion, and its application can vary from river basins to regions or other spatial configurations that may be of interest. The tool addresses both available hydropower potential and the existence (inferred or observed) of other ecological, social, cultural and productive characteristics of the territory which are valuable to society, and provides a means to evaluate their interaction. The occurrence of each of these other valuable characteristics in the territory is measured by generating a presence-density score for each. Considering the level of constraint each characteristic imposes on hydropower development, they are weighted against each other and an aggregate score is computed. With this information, optimal trade-offs are computed between additional hydropower capacity and valuable local characteristics over the entire domain, using the classical knapsack 0-1 optimization algorithm. Various scenarios of different weightings and hydropower

  17. Simulation as a hospital management support tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nemesio Rodrigues Capocci

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available This study aims to demonstrate the use of the discrete event simulation technique as a hospital management support tool, as well as all complex processes existing in a health unit. There must be an analysis of the system as a whole from the perspective of service level provided to patients regarding waiting times. The role of this technique is to show the behavior of a given system. Data were collected from employees of a public Polyclinic, located in a city of the greater São Paulo, by means of interviews which questions were prepared to determine the time spent in the processes of the service system. Such data were inserted in the software Arena in flowchart format for analysis and identification of the problem. Since the person responsible for the screening process was overloaded, thus causing longer waiting times for patients submitted for screening, some changes were made in the model in order to propose an improvement, to balance the occupancy levels of the health unit’s staff and, at the same time, reach a shorter withdrawal period of patients throughout the system. Results showed a significant improvement in the performance of the Polyclinic’s system, as well as a subsequent improvement in the level of service provided to patients. Based on this study, one can note that simulation allows for evaluating scenarios and projecting changes that will impact the behavior of a certain system with no physical changes, thus preventing the lack of scientific basis when making management decisions and allowing for improvements.

  18. Paramedir: A Tool for Programmable Performance Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jost, Gabriele; Labarta, Jesus; Gimenez, Judit

    2004-01-01

    Performance analysis of parallel scientific applications is time consuming and requires great expertise in areas such as programming paradigms, system software, and computer hardware architectures. In this paper we describe a tool that facilitates the programmability of performance metric calculations thereby allowing the automation of the analysis and reducing the application development time. We demonstrate how the system can be used to capture knowledge and intuition acquired by advanced parallel programmers in order to be transferred to novice users.

  19. Innovative methods and tools for professionals working in supported living services for intellectually disabled persons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruiz, Katalin

    2015-01-01

    Autonomy of mid-seriously and seriously intellectually disabled persons is encouraged both by legislations on human rights and the modern social care and services. The process leading to the maximum possible autonomy is illustrated by a developmental spiral in our model. Specialty of the development is that the personal educational projects are realized during everyday activities. The process requires conscious professionals with an empowering and motivating attitude, with adult relationship to the intellectually disabled persons and versatile skills and tools. In this educational relationship the social professional and the supported person are equal partners moving together along the spiral of human development. An innovative tool-battery has been developed aiding support-staff in the 'pedagogical' task embedded into everyday social services. The tool-battery and its first application in supported living services of the Hungarian Down Foundation are introduced in this paper.

  20. Support Vector Machines as tools for mortality graduation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Olivares

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available A topic of interest in demographic and biostatistical analysis as well as in actuarial practice,is the graduation of the age-specific mortality pattern. A classical graduation technique is to fit parametric models. Recently, particular emphasis has been given to graduation using nonparametric techniques. Support Vector Machines (SVM is an innovative methodology that could be utilized for mortality graduation purposes. This paper evaluates SVM techniques as tools for graduating mortality rates. We apply SVM to empirical death rates from a variety of populations and time periods. For comparison, we also apply standard graduation techniques to the same data.

  1. Reducing duplicate testing: a comparison of two clinical decision support tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Procop, Gary W; Keating, Catherine; Stagno, Paul; Kottke-Marchant, Kandice; Partin, Mary; Tuttle, Robert; Wyllie, Robert

    2015-05-01

    Unnecessary duplicate laboratory testing is common and costly. Systems-based means to avert unnecessary testing should be investigated and employed. We compared the effectiveness and cost savings associated with two clinical decision support tools to stop duplicate testing. The Hard Stop required telephone contact with the laboratory and justification to have the duplicate test performed, whereas the Smart Alert allowed the provider to bypass the alert at the point of order entry without justification. The Hard Stop alert was significantly more effective than the Smart Alert (92.3% vs 42.6%, respectively; P < .0001). The cost savings realized per alert activation was $16.08/alert for the Hard Stop alert vs $3.52/alert for the Smart Alert. Structural and process changes that require laboratory contact and justification for duplicate testing are more effective than interventions that allow providers to bypass alerts without justification at point of computerized physician order entry. Copyright© by the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

  2. Optimizing Performance in Psychology Students - Neurofeedback as a performance enhancing tool

    OpenAIRE

    Elvebredd, Pernille Malene Sandberg

    2014-01-01

    Neurofeedback has been shown to be successful in treating epilepsy and ADHD and in enhancing performance in musicians and dancers. The objective of the current study was to examine the effect of a neurofeedback beta1/theta protocol as a tool for optimizing performance in healthy psychology students. To achieve this, 19-channel EEG was recorded during a visual Go/NoGo task at two time points, both prior to and following either ten sessions of neurofeedback training (10 individuals) or ten sess...

  3. Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST) v1: User Manual and Case Study Examples

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Watershed Management Optimization Support Tool (WMOST) is intended to be used as a screening tool as part of an integrated watershed management process such as that described in EPA’s watershed planning handbook (EPA 2008).1 The objective of WMOST is to serve as a public-doma...

  4. Anesthesia report card - a customizable tool for performance improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peccora, Christian D; Gimlich, Robert; Cornell, Richard P; Vacanti, Charles A; Ehrenfeld, Jesse M; Urman, Richard D

    2014-09-01

    Measuring and providing performance feedback to physicians has gained momentum not only as a way to comply with regulatory requirements, but also as a way to improve patient care. Measurement of structural, process, and outcome metrics in a reliable, evidence-based, specialty-specific manner maximizes the probability of improving physician performance. The manner in which feedback is provided influences whether the measurement tool will be successful in changing behavior. We created an innovative reporting tool template for anesthesiology practitioners designed to provide detailed, continuous feedback covering many aspects of clinical practice. The literature regarding quality metric measurement and feedback strategies was examined to design a reporting tool that could provide high quality information and result in improved performance of clinical and academic tasks. A committee of department leaders and information technology professionals was tasked with determining the measurement criteria and infrastructure needed to generate these reports. Data was collected in a systematic, unbiased manner, and reports were populated with information from multiple databases and software systems. Feedback would be based on frequently updated information and allow for analysis of historical performance as well as comparison amongst peers. A template for an anesthesia report card was created. Categories included compliance, credentialing and qualifications, education, clinical and operating room responsibilities, and academic achievements. Physicians were able to choose to be evaluated in some of the categories and had to meet a minimum number of criteria within each category. This allowed for customization to each practitioner's practice. Criteria were derived from the measures of academic and clinical proficiency, as well as quality metrics. Criteria were objective measures and data gathering was often automated. Reports could be generated that were updated daily and provided

  5. Development of Assessment Tools To Measure Organizational Support for Employee Health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golaszewski, Thomas; Barr, Donald; Pronk, Nico

    2003-01-01

    Describes one working group's attempts to develop and utilize assessment tools for measuring and changing organizational support for employee health. Originally designed as part of a heart health related intervention, the system has evolved into a managed care evaluation and major chronic disease inventory. Findings indicate the potential of…

  6. TESTAR : Tool Support for Test Automation at the User Interface Level

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vos, Tanja E.J.; Kruse, Peter M.; Condori Fernandez, Nelly; Bauersfeld, Sebastian; Wegener, Joachim

    2015-01-01

    Testing applications with a graphical user interface (GUI) is an important, though challenging and time consuming task. The state of the art in the industry are still capture and replay tools, which may simplify the recording and execution of input sequences, but do not support the tester in finding

  7. A study on human performance enhancement plan in maintenance field by survey on actual condition of human performance tools - 15035

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, J.; Jeong, H.; Kim, Y.

    2015-01-01

    Human errors in nuclear power plant are one of the important factors that may cause reactor trip. Most operating companies of nuclear power plants manage human factor systematically through tools like HPES (Human Performance Enhancement), PSR (Periodic Safety Review), OE (Operating Experience), human performance tools, safety culture assessment and CAP (Corrective Action Program). But human factors are managed passively in maintenance field, because maintenance works are carrying out by partner companies. KHNP also contracts the maintenance work to the partner companies, and advise them to use human performance tools. But the actual condition on partner companies has not been surveyed. This paper suggests some plans that can improve human performance by analyzing the opinion of partner company employees about the causes and solutions of human errors, by analyzing utilization of human performance tools and by comparing the results of the partner companies survey with the results of the operating company survey. The survey is conducted to 3 partner companies by similar contents and categories in order to compare partner company with operating company, and the main analysis fields are the following: -1) Level of understanding and utilization of the human performance tools, -2) Difficulties of applying the human performance tools, -3) Level of employee's training (or education) in the use of the human performance tools, and -4) Root causes of human errors and countermeasures. (authors)

  8. The effect of ergonomic laparoscopic tool handle design on performance and efficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tung, Kryztopher D; Shorti, Rami M; Downey, Earl C; Bloswick, Donald S; Merryweather, Andrew S

    2015-09-01

    Many factors can affect a surgeon's performance in the operating room; these may include surgeon comfort, ergonomics of tool handle design, and fatigue. A laparoscopic tool handle designed with ergonomic considerations (pistol grip) was tested against a current market tool with a traditional pinch grip handle. The goal of this study is to quantify the impact ergonomic design considerations which have on surgeon performance. We hypothesized that there will be measurable differences between the efficiency while performing FLS surgical trainer tasks when using both tool handle designs in three categories: time to completion, technical skill, and subjective user ratings. The pistol grip incorporates an ergonomic interface intended to reduce contact stress points on the hand and fingers, promote a more neutral operating wrist posture, and reduce hand tremor and fatigue. The traditional pinch grip is a laparoscopic tool developed by Stryker Inc. widely used during minimal invasive surgery. Twenty-three (13 M, 10 F) participants with no existing upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders or experience performing laparoscopic procedures were selected to perform in this study. During a training session prior to testing, participants performed practice trials in a SAGES FLS trainer with both tools. During data collection, participants performed three evaluation tasks using both handle designs (order was randomized, and each trial completed three times). The tasks consisted of FLS peg transfer, cutting, and suturing tasks. Feedback from test participants indicated that they significantly preferred the ergonomic pistol grip in every category (p < 0.05); most notably, participants experienced greater degrees of discomfort in their hands after using the pinch grip tool. Furthermore, participants completed cutting and peg transfer tasks in a shorter time duration (p < 0.05) with the pistol grip than with the pinch grip design; there was no significant difference between completion

  9. Wave and Wind Model Performance Metrics Tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, J. K.; Wang, D. W.

    2016-02-01

    Continual improvements and upgrades of Navy ocean wave and wind models are essential to the assurance of battlespace environment predictability of ocean surface wave and surf conditions in support of Naval global operations. Thus, constant verification and validation of model performance is equally essential to assure the progress of model developments and maintain confidence in the predictions. Global and regional scale model evaluations may require large areas and long periods of time. For observational data to compare against, altimeter winds and waves along the tracks from past and current operational satellites as well as moored/drifting buoys can be used for global and regional coverage. Using data and model runs in previous trials such as the planned experiment, the Dynamics of the Adriatic in Real Time (DART), we demonstrated the use of accumulated altimeter wind and wave data over several years to obtain an objective evaluation of the performance the SWAN (Simulating Waves Nearshore) model running in the Adriatic Sea. The assessment provided detailed performance of wind and wave models by using cell-averaged statistical variables maps with spatial statistics including slope, correlation, and scatter index to summarize model performance. Such a methodology is easily generalized to other regions and at global scales. Operational technology currently used by subject matter experts evaluating the Navy Coastal Ocean Model and the Hybrid Coordinate Ocean Model can be expanded to evaluate wave and wind models using tools developed for ArcMAP, a GIS application developed by ESRI. Recent inclusion of altimeter and buoy data into a format through the Naval Oceanographic Office's (NAVOCEANO) quality control system and the netCDF standards applicable to all model output makes it possible for the fusion of these data and direct model verification. Also, procedures were developed for the accumulation of match-ups of modelled and observed parameters to form a data base

  10. Interactive Decision-Support Tool for Risk-Based Radiation Therapy Plan Comparison for Hodgkin Lymphoma

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brodin, N. Patrik; Maraldo, Maja V.; Aznar, Marianne C.

    2014-01-01

    PURPOSE: To present a novel tool that allows quantitative estimation and visualization of the risk of various relevant normal tissue endpoints to aid in treatment plan comparison and clinical decision making in radiation therapy (RT) planning for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). METHODS AND MATERIALS...... and a volumetric modulated arc therapy plan for a patient with mediastinal HL. CONCLUSION: This multiple-endpoint decision-support tool provides quantitative risk estimates to supplement the clinical judgment of the radiation oncologist when comparing different RT options....... of dose-response curves to drive the reoptimization of a volumetric modulated arc therapy treatment plan for an HL patient with head-and-neck involvement. We also use this decision-support tool to visualize and quantitatively evaluate the trade-off between a 3-dimensional conformal RT plan...

  11. Quality tools and resources to support organisational improvement integral to high-quality primary care: a systematic review of published and grey literature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janamian, Tina; Upham, Susan J; Crossland, Lisa; Jackson, Claire L

    2016-04-18

    To conduct a systematic review of the literature to identify existing online primary care quality improvement tools and resources to support organisational improvement related to the seven elements in the Primary Care Practice Improvement Tool (PC-PIT), with the identified tools and resources to progress to a Delphi study for further assessment of relevance and utility. Systematic review of the international published and grey literature. CINAHL, Embase and PubMed databases were searched in March 2014 for articles published between January 2004 and December 2013. GreyNet International and other relevant websites and repositories were also searched in March-April 2014 for documents dated between 1992 and 2012. All citations were imported into a bibliographic database. Published and unpublished tools and resources were included in the review if they were in English, related to primary care quality improvement and addressed any of the seven PC-PIT elements of a high-performing practice. Tools and resources that met the eligibility criteria were then evaluated for their accessibility, relevance, utility and comprehensiveness using a four-criteria appraisal framework. We used a data extraction template to systematically extract information from eligible tools and resources. A content analysis approach was used to explore the tools and resources and collate relevant information: name of the tool or resource, year and country of development, author, name of the organisation that provided access and its URL, accessibility information or problems, overview of each tool or resource and the quality improvement element(s) it addresses. If available, a copy of the tool or resource was downloaded into the bibliographic database, along with supporting evidence (published or unpublished) on its use in primary care. This systematic review identified 53 tools and resources that can potentially be provided as part of a suite of tools and resources to support primary care practices in

  12. Review. Supporting problem structuring with computer-based tools in participatory forest planning

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hujala, T.; Khadka, C.; Wolfslehner, B.; Vacik, H.

    2013-09-01

    Aim of study: This review presents the state-of-art of using computerized techniques for problem structuring (PS) in participatory forest planning. Frequency and modes of using different computerized tool types and their contribution for planning processes as well as critical observations are described, followed by recommendations on how to better integrate PS with the use of forest decision support systems. Area of study: The reviewed research cases are from Asia, Europe, North-America, Africa and Australia. Material and methods: Via Scopus search and screening of abstracts, 32 research articles from years 2002-2011 were selected for review. Explicit and implicit evidence of using computerized tools for PS was recorded and assessed with content-driven qualitative analysis. Main results: GIS and forest-specific simulation tools were the most prevalent software types whereas cognitive modelling software and spreadsheet and calculation tools were less frequently used, followed by multi-criteria and interactive tools. The typical use type was to provide outputs of simulation–optimization or spatial analysis to negotiation situations or to compile summaries or illustrations afterwards; using software during group negotiation to foster interaction was observed only in a few cases. Research highlights: Expertise in both decision support systems and group learning is needed to better integrate PS and computerized decision analysis. From the knowledge management perspective, it is recommended to consider how the results of PS —e.g. conceptual models— could be stored into a problem perception database, and how PS and decision making could be streamlined by retrievals from such systems. (Author)

  13. Participatory design of probability-based decision support tools for in-hospital nurses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeffery, Alvin D; Novak, Laurie L; Kennedy, Betsy; Dietrich, Mary S; Mion, Lorraine C

    2017-11-01

    To describe nurses' preferences for the design of a probability-based clinical decision support (PB-CDS) tool for in-hospital clinical deterioration. A convenience sample of bedside nurses, charge nurses, and rapid response nurses (n = 20) from adult and pediatric hospitals completed participatory design sessions with researchers in a simulation laboratory to elicit preferred design considerations for a PB-CDS tool. Following theme-based content analysis, we shared findings with user interface designers and created a low-fidelity prototype. Three major themes and several considerations for design elements of a PB-CDS tool surfaced from end users. Themes focused on "painting a picture" of the patient condition over time, promoting empowerment, and aligning probability information with what a nurse already believes about the patient. The most notable design element consideration included visualizing a temporal trend of the predicted probability of the outcome along with user-selected overlapping depictions of vital signs, laboratory values, and outcome-related treatments and interventions. Participants expressed that the prototype adequately operationalized requests from the design sessions. Participatory design served as a valuable method in taking the first step toward developing PB-CDS tools for nurses. This information about preferred design elements of tools that support, rather than interrupt, nurses' cognitive workflows can benefit future studies in this field as well as nurses' practice. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association 2017. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the United States.

  14. 8th International Workshop on Parallel Tools for High Performance Computing

    CERN Document Server

    Gracia, José; Knüpfer, Andreas; Resch, Michael; Nagel, Wolfgang

    2015-01-01

    Numerical simulation and modelling using High Performance Computing has evolved into an established technique in academic and industrial research. At the same time, the High Performance Computing infrastructure is becoming ever more complex. For instance, most of the current top systems around the world use thousands of nodes in which classical CPUs are combined with accelerator cards in order to enhance their compute power and energy efficiency. This complexity can only be mastered with adequate development and optimization tools. Key topics addressed by these tools include parallelization on heterogeneous systems, performance optimization for CPUs and accelerators, debugging of increasingly complex scientific applications, and optimization of energy usage in the spirit of green IT. This book represents the proceedings of the 8th International Parallel Tools Workshop, held October 1-2, 2014 in Stuttgart, Germany – which is a forum to discuss the latest advancements in the parallel tools.

  15. Model and tool requirements for co-simulation of building performance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Trcka, M.; Hensen, J.L.M.

    2006-01-01

    The use of building performance simulation (BPS) can substantially help in improving building design towards higher occupant comfort and lower fuel consumption, while reducing emission of greenhouse gasses. Unfortunately, current BPS tools do not allow inter-tool communication and thus limit a

  16. Decision-making on olympic urban development - multi-actor decision support tool

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heurkens, E.W.T.M.

    Subject of study is the possible organisation of the Olympic Games of 2028 in the Netherlands, as seen from an urban development viewpoint. The project focuses on the decision-making process in the initiative phase. Aim of the project is the development of a decision support tool for the complex,

  17. Social support and performance anxiety of college music students.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Erin; Chesky, Kris

    2011-09-01

    This study characterized perceived social support and performance anxiety of college music students, compared characteristics to those of non-music majors, and explored the relationships between social support and performance anxiety. Subjects (n = 609) completed a questionnaire that included demographics, the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS), and visual analog scale measures of performance anxiety. Results showed that music majors perceived significantly lower levels of social support from significant others when compared to non-music majors. Perceived social support was significantly correlated with measures of performance anxiety. Students with greater perceived social support reported less frequent anxiety and lower levels of impact of anxiety on ability to perform. These findings may have practical implications for schools of music and conservatories.

  18. Nongeneric tool support for model-driven product development; Werkzeugunterstuetzung fuer die modellbasierte Produktentwicklung. Maschinenlesbare Spezifikationen selbst erstellen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bock, C. [Technische Univ. Kaiserslautern (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Produktionsautomatisierung; Zuehlke, D. [Technische Univ. Kaiserslautern (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Produktionsautomatisierung; Deutsches Forschungszentrum fuer Kuenstliche Intelligenz (DFKI), Kaiserslautern (DE). Zentrum fuer Mensch-Maschine-Interaktion (ZMMI)

    2006-07-15

    A well-defined specification process is a central success factor in human-machine-interface development. Consequently in interdisciplinary development teams specification documents are an important communication instrument. In order to replace todays typically paper-based specification and to leverage the benefits of their electronic equivalents developers demand comprehensive and applicable computer-based tool kits. Manufacturers' increasing awareness of appropriate tool support causes alternative approaches for tool kit creation to emerge. Therefore this article introduces meta-modelling as a promising attempt to create nongeneric tool support with justifiable effort. This enables manufacturers to take advantage of electronic specifications in product development processes.

  19. Cyberinfrastructure for the collaborative development of U2U decision support tools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Larry L. Biehl

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper describes the use of cyberinfrastructure to create interactive applications as part of the Useful to Usable (U2U project. These applications transform historical climate data, knowledge, and models into decision support tools for end users such as crop farmers, university Extension educators, and other agricultural advisors. In creating a cyberinfrastructure to support the U2U project, four major challenges have been addressed: designing and developing highly usable web applications with frequent feedback, establishing a software engineering environment to support iterative development, integrating and synthesizing historical and current datasets from a variety of sources (local vs. remote, different access methods, and formats, and supporting project collaboration needs of data and document sharing, project management, and public outreach. The overall goals of the cyberinfrastructure and its architecture design are described. Methods for data retrieval and synthesis, as well as the various software components utilized are discussed. The development and integration of tools into the collaborative HUBzero framework are highlighted, including the use of HUBzero’s core features to share ideas, algorithms, and results. A highly iterative development process that includes feedback from experts and end-users to feed requirement definition, design and application updates are also examined.

  20. The systems integration operations/logistics model as a decision-support tool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Miller, C.; Vogel, L.W.; Joy, D.S.

    1989-01-01

    Congress has enacted legislation specifying Yucca Mountain, Nevada, for characterization as the candidate site for the disposal of spent fuel and high-level wastes and has authorized a monitored retrievable storage (MRS) facility if one is warranted. Nevertheless, the exact configuration of the facilities making up the Federal Waste Management System (FWMS) was not specified. This has left the Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) the responsibility for assuring the design of a safe and reliable disposal system. In order to assist in the analysis of potential configuration alternatives, operating strategies, and other factors for the FWMS and its various elements, a decision-support tool known as the systems integration operations/logistics model (SOLMOD) was developed. SOLMOD is a discrete event simulation model that emulates the movement and interaction of equipment and radioactive waste as it is processed through the FWMS - from pickup at reactor pools to emplacement. The model can be used to measure the impacts of different operating schedules and rules, system configurations, and equipment and other resource availabilities on the performance of processes comprising the FWMS and how these factors combine to determine overall system performance. SOLMOD can assist in identifying bottlenecks and can be used to assess capacity utilization of specific equipment and staff as well as overall system resilience

  1. Supporting dynamic change detection: using the right tool for the task.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallières, Benoît R; Hodgetts, Helen M; Vachon, François; Tremblay, Sébastien

    2016-01-01

    Detecting task-relevant changes in a visual scene is necessary for successfully monitoring and managing dynamic command and control situations. Change blindness-the failure to notice visual changes-is an important source of human error. Change History EXplicit (CHEX) is a tool developed to aid change detection and maintain situation awareness; and in the current study we test the generality of its ability to facilitate the detection of changes when this subtask is embedded within a broader dynamic decision-making task. A multitasking air-warfare simulation required participants to perform radar-based subtasks, for which change detection was a necessary aspect of the higher-order goal of protecting one's own ship. In this task, however, CHEX rendered the operator even more vulnerable to attentional failures in change detection and increased perceived workload. Such support was only effective when participants performed a change detection task without concurrent subtasks. Results are interpreted in terms of the NSEEV model of attention behavior (Steelman, McCarley, & Wickens, Hum. Factors 53:142-153, 2011; J. Exp. Psychol. Appl. 19:403-419, 2013), and suggest that decision aids for use in multitasking contexts must be designed to fit within the available workload capacity of the user so that they may truly augment cognition.

  2. Decision support tool for soil sampling of heterogeneous pesticide (chlordecone) pollution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clostre, Florence; Lesueur-Jannoyer, Magalie; Achard, Raphaël; Letourmy, Philippe; Cabidoche, Yves-Marie; Cattan, Philippe

    2014-02-01

    When field pollution is heterogeneous due to localized pesticide application, as is the case of chlordecone (CLD), the mean level of pollution is difficult to assess. Our objective was to design a decision support tool to optimize soil sampling. We analyzed the CLD heterogeneity of soil content at 0-30- and 30-60-cm depth. This was done within and between nine plots (0.4 to 1.8 ha) on andosol and ferralsol. We determined that 20 pooled subsamples per plot were a satisfactory compromise with respect to both cost and accuracy. Globally, CLD content was greater for andosols and the upper soil horizon (0-30 cm). Soil organic carbon cannot account for CLD intra-field variability. Cropping systems and tillage practices influence the CLD content and distribution; that is CLD pollution was higher under intensive banana cropping systems and, while upper soil horizon was more polluted than the lower one with shallow tillage (pollution in the soil profile. The decision tool we proposed compiles and organizes these results to better assess CLD soil pollution in terms of sampling depth, distance, and unit at field scale. It accounts for sampling objectives, farming practices (cropping system, tillage), type of soil, and topographical characteristics (slope) to design a relevant sampling plan. This decision support tool is also adaptable to other types of heterogeneous agricultural pollution at field level.

  3. A user's guide to coping with estuarine management bureaucracy: An Estuarine Planning Support System (EPSS) tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lonsdale, Jemma; Nicholson, Rose; Weston, Keith; Elliott, Michael; Birchenough, Andrew; Sühring, Roxana

    2018-02-01

    Estuaries are amongst the most socio-economically and ecologically important environments however, due to competing and conflicting demands, management is often challenging with a complex legislative framework managed by multiple agencies. To facilitate the understanding of this legislative framework, we have developed a GISbased Estuarine Planning Support System tool. The tool integrates the requirements of the relevant legislation and provides a basis for assessing the current environmental state of an estuary as well as informing and assessing new plans to ensure a healthy estuarine state. The tool ensures that the information is easily accessible for regulators, managers, developers and the public. The tool is intended to be adaptable, but is assessed using the Humber Estuary, United Kingdom as a case study area. The successful application of the tool for complex socio-economic and environmental systems demonstrates that the tool can efficiently guide users through the complex requirements needed to support sustainable development. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. FACEBOOK GROUPS AS A SUPPORTING TOOL FOR LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arzu Ekoç

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available This paper attempts to present a review of Facebook group pages as an educational tool for language learning. One of the primary needs of foreign language learners is to gain the opportunity to use the target language outside the classroom practice. Social media communication provides occasions for learners to receive input and produce output while engaging in negotiation of meaning. In line with this point, teachers can instigate class group pages in the social media in an attempt to provide a space for practice and communication free of the traditional pedagogic concerns of a typical classroom. The distinctive discursive behaviour of Facebook group pages helps one to achieve that attempt. In light of these views, the researcher, in this study, formed a group page to understand the dynamics of social media environment as a supporting tool for language classrooms. This paper addresses various features which make social media a unique place to contribute to the sense of class community and collaboration outside the classroom. The face-to face classroom is a controlled communication event, that is, teachers and students are required to be in the classroom at the same time but a teacher’s use of Facebook is an attempt to communicate with students outside of that controlled environment where teachers can meet students in their territory. When compared to its disadvantages, the advantages of setting a class group page on the social media outweigh. Students can feel motivated to contribute to an online community if they subsequently receive support or help. It also leads students to feel that they are being supported by a whole portion of their class community and promotes students’ desire to maintain a valued relationship with others. Students continue developing and strengthening relationships with others.

  5. Quantifying the Personal Creative Experience: Evaluation of Digital Creativity Support Tools Using Self-Report and Physiological Responses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carroll, Erin Ashley

    2013-01-01

    Creativity is understood intuitively, but it is not easily defined and therefore difficult to measure. This makes it challenging to evaluate the ability of a digital tool to support the creative process. When evaluating creativity support tools (CSTs), it is critical to look beyond traditional time, error, and other productivity measurements that…

  6. Tool Support for Parametric Analysis of Large Software Simulation Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schumann, Johann; Gundy-Burlet, Karen; Pasareanu, Corina; Menzies, Tim; Barrett, Tony

    2008-01-01

    The analysis of large and complex parameterized software systems, e.g., systems simulation in aerospace, is very complicated and time-consuming due to the large parameter space, and the complex, highly coupled nonlinear nature of the different system components. Thus, such systems are generally validated only in regions local to anticipated operating points rather than through characterization of the entire feasible operational envelope of the system. We have addressed the factors deterring such an analysis with a tool to support envelope assessment: we utilize a combination of advanced Monte Carlo generation with n-factor combinatorial parameter variations to limit the number of cases, but still explore important interactions in the parameter space in a systematic fashion. Additional test-cases, automatically generated from models (e.g., UML, Simulink, Stateflow) improve the coverage. The distributed test runs of the software system produce vast amounts of data, making manual analysis impossible. Our tool automatically analyzes the generated data through a combination of unsupervised Bayesian clustering techniques (AutoBayes) and supervised learning of critical parameter ranges using the treatment learner TAR3. The tool has been developed around the Trick simulation environment, which is widely used within NASA. We will present this tool with a GN&C (Guidance, Navigation and Control) simulation of a small satellite system.

  7. ASPECT (Automated System-level Performance Evaluation and Characterization Tool), Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — SSCI has developed a suite of SAA tools and an analysis capability referred to as ASPECT (Automated System-level Performance Evaluation and Characterization Tool)....

  8. An Evolutionary Complex Systems Decision-Support Tool for the Management of Operations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Baldwin, J S; Allen, P M; Ridgway, K

    2011-01-01

    This research aimed to add both to the development of complex systems thinking in the subject area of Operations and Production Management and to the limited number of applications of computational models and simulations from the science of complex systems. The latter potentially offer helpful decision-support tools for operations and production managers. A mechanical engineering firm was used as a case study where a combined qualitative and quantitative methodological approach was employed to extract the required data from four senior managers. Company performance measures as well as firm technologies, practices and policies, and their relation and interaction with one another, were elicited. The data were subjected to an evolutionary complex systems model resulting in a series of simulations. The findings included both reassuring and some unexpected results. The simulation based on the CEO's opinions led the most cohesive and synergistic collection of practices describing the firm, closely followed by the Marketing and R and D Managers. The Manufacturing Manager's responses led to the most extreme evolutionary trajectory where the integrity of the entire firm came into question particularly when considering how employees were utilised. By drawing directly from the opinions and views of managers rather than from logical 'if-then' rules and averaged mathematical representations of agents that characterise agent-based and other self-organisational models, this work builds on previous applications by capturing a micro-level description of diversity and a learning effect that has been problematical not only in terms of theory but also in application. This approach can be used as a decision-support tool for operations and other managers providing a forum with which to explore a) the strengths, weaknesses and consequences of different decision-making capacities within the firm; b) the introduction of new manufacturing technologies, practices and policies; and, c) the

  9. An Evolutionary Complex Systems Decision-Support Tool for the Management of Operations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baldwin, J. S.; Allen, P. M.; Ridgway, K.

    2011-12-01

    This research aimed to add both to the development of complex systems thinking in the subject area of Operations and Production Management and to the limited number of applications of computational models and simulations from the science of complex systems. The latter potentially offer helpful decision-support tools for operations and production managers. A mechanical engineering firm was used as a case study where a combined qualitative and quantitative methodological approach was employed to extract the required data from four senior managers. Company performance measures as well as firm technologies, practices and policies, and their relation and interaction with one another, were elicited. The data were subjected to an evolutionary complex systems model resulting in a series of simulations. The findings included both reassuring and some unexpected results. The simulation based on the CEO's opinions led the most cohesive and synergistic collection of practices describing the firm, closely followed by the Marketing and R&D Managers. The Manufacturing Manager's responses led to the most extreme evolutionary trajectory where the integrity of the entire firm came into question particularly when considering how employees were utilised. By drawing directly from the opinions and views of managers rather than from logical 'if-then' rules and averaged mathematical representations of agents that characterise agent-based and other self-organisational models, this work builds on previous applications by capturing a micro-level description of diversity and a learning effect that has been problematical not only in terms of theory but also in application. This approach can be used as a decision-support tool for operations and other managers providing a forum with which to explore a) the strengths, weaknesses and consequences of different decision-making capacities within the firm; b) the introduction of new manufacturing technologies, practices and policies; and, c) the

  10. Science Education & Advocacy: Tools to Support Better Education Policies

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Donnell, Christine; Cunningham, B.; Hehn, J. G.

    2014-01-01

    Education is strongly affected by federal and local policies, such as testing requirements and program funding, and many scientists and science teachers are increasingly interested in becoming more engaged with the policy process. To address this need, I worked with the American Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT) --- a professional membership society of scientists and science teachers that is dedicated to enhancing the understanding and appreciation of physics through teaching --- to create advocacy tools for its members to use, including one-page leave-behinds, guides for meeting with policymakers, and strategies for framing issues. In addition, I developed a general tutorial to aid AAPT members in developing effective advocacy strategies to support better education policies. This work was done through the Society for Physics Students (SPS) Internship program, which provides a range of opportunities for undergraduates, including research, education and public outreach, and public policy. In this presentation, I summarize these new advocacy tools and their application to astronomy education issues.

  11. Review. Supporting problem structuring with computer-based tools in participatory forest planning

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    T. Hujala

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Aim of study: This review presents the state-of-art of using computerized techniques for problem structuring (PS in participatory forest planning. Frequency and modes of using different computerized tool types and their contribution for planning processes as well as critical observations are described, followed by recommendations on how to better integrate PS with the use of forest decision support systems.Area of study: The reviewed research cases are from Asia, Europe, North-America, Africa and Australia.Materials and methods: Via Scopus search and screening of abstracts, 32 research articles from years 2002–2011 were selected for review. Explicit and implicit evidence of using computerized tools for PS was recorded and assessed with content-driven qualitative analysis.Main results: GIS and forest-specific simulation tools were the most prevalent software types whereas cognitive modelling software and spreadsheet and calculation tools were less frequently used, followed by multi-criteria and interactive tools. The typical use type was to provide outputs of simulation–optimization or spatial analysis to negotiation situations or to compile summaries or illustrations afterwards; using software during group negotiation to foster interaction was observed only in a few cases.Research highlights: Expertise in both decision support systems and group learning is needed to better integrate PS and computerized decision analysis. From the knowledge management perspective, it is recommended to consider how the results of PS – e.g. conceptual models – could be stored into a problem perception database, and how PS and decision making could be streamlined by retrievals from such systems.Keywords: facilitated modeling; group negotiation; knowledge management; natural resource management; PSM; soft OR; stakeholders.

  12. Demonstration of Decision Support Tools for Sustainable Development

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shropshire, David Earl; Jacobson, Jacob Jordan; Berrett, Sharon; Cobb, D. A.; Worhach, P.

    2000-11-01

    The Demonstration of Decision Support Tools for Sustainable Development project integrated the Bechtel/Nexant Industrial Materials Exchange Planner and the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory System Dynamic models, demonstrating their capabilities on alternative fuel applications in the Greater Yellowstone-Teton Park system. The combined model, called the Dynamic Industrial Material Exchange, was used on selected test cases in the Greater Yellow Teton Parks region to evaluate economic, environmental, and social implications of alternative fuel applications, and identifying primary and secondary industries. The test cases included looking at compressed natural gas applications in Teton National Park and Jackson, Wyoming, and studying ethanol use in Yellowstone National Park and gateway cities in Montana. With further development, the system could be used to assist decision-makers (local government, planners, vehicle purchasers, and fuel suppliers) in selecting alternative fuels, vehicles, and developing AF infrastructures. The system could become a regional AF market assessment tool that could help decision-makers understand the behavior of the AF market and conditions in which the market would grow. Based on this high level market assessment, investors and decision-makers would become more knowledgeable of the AF market opportunity before developing detailed plans and preparing financial analysis.

  13. A Decision Support System for Predicting Students' Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livieris, Ioannis E.; Mikropoulos, Tassos A.; Pintelas, Panagiotis

    2016-01-01

    Educational data mining is an emerging research field concerned with developing methods for exploring the unique types of data that come from educational context. These data allow the educational stakeholders to discover new, interesting and valuable knowledge about students. In this paper, we present a new user-friendly decision support tool for…

  14. A Comparative Study of Electronic Performance Support Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Frank; Klein, James D.; Sullivan, Howard

    2005-01-01

    Electronic performance support systems (EPSS) deliver relevant support information to users while they are performing tasks. The present study examined the effect of different types of EPSS on user performance, attitudes, system use and time on task. Employees at a manufacturing company were asked to complete a procedural software task and…

  15. Evolution of the Pediatric Advanced Life Support course: enhanced learning with a new debriefing tool and Web-based module for Pediatric Advanced Life Support instructors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, Adam; Rodgers, David L; van der Jagt, Élise; Eppich, Walter; O'Donnell, John

    2012-09-01

    To describe the history of the Pediatric Advanced Life Support course and outline the new developments in instructor training that will impact the way debriefing is conducted during Pediatric Advanced Life Support courses. The Pediatric Advanced Life Support course, first released by the American Heart Association in 1988, has seen substantial growth and change over the past few decades. Over that time, Pediatric Advanced Life Support has become the standard for resuscitation training for pediatric healthcare providers in North America. The incorporation of high-fidelity simulation-based learning into the most recent version of Pediatric Advanced Life Support has helped to enhance the realism of scenarios and cases, but has also placed more emphasis on the importance of post scenario debriefing. We developed two new resources: an online debriefing module designed to introduce a new model of debriefing and a debriefing tool for real-time use during Pediatric Advanced Life Support courses, to enhance and standardize the quality of debriefing by Pediatric Advanced Life Support instructors. In this article, we review the history of Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support instructor training and discuss the development and implementation of the new debriefing module and debriefing tool for Pediatric Advanced Life Support instructors. The incorporation of the debriefing module and debriefing tool into the 2011 Pediatric Advanced Life Support instructor materials will help both new and existing Pediatric Advanced Life Support instructors develop and enhance their debriefing skills with the intention of improving the acquisition of knowledge and skills for Pediatric Advanced Life Support students.

  16. The Logistics Management Decision Support System (LMDSS) : an effective tool to reduce life cycle support costs of aviation systems

    OpenAIRE

    Moore, Ellen E.; Snyder, Carolynn M.

    1998-01-01

    Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited This thesis assesses the capability of the Logistics Management Decision Support System (LMDSS) to meet the information needs of Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) logistics managers based on surveys of logistics managers and interviews with LMDSS program representatives. The LMDSS is being introduced as a tool to facilitate action by NAVAIR logistics managers to reduce the life cycle support costs of aviation systems while protecting ...

  17. Tools and strategies for engaging the supervisor in technology-supported work-based learning : evaluation research

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bianco, M.; Collis, Betty; Egan, Toby Marshall; Morris, Michael Lane; Inbakumar, Vinod

    2004-01-01

    This study reports the results of the formative evaluations of two computer-supported tools and the associated strategies for their use. Tools and strategies embedded in web-based courses can increase a supervisor’s involvement in helping employees transfer learning onto the workplace. Issues

  18. Physically vapor deposited coatings on tools: performance and wear phenomena

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koenig, W.; Fritsch, R.; Kammermeier, D.

    1991-01-01

    Coatings produced by physical vapor deposition (PVD) enhance the performance of tools for a broad variety of production processes. In addition to TiN, nowadays (Ti,Al)N and Ti(C,N) coated tools are available. This gives the opportunity to compare the performance of different coatings under identical machining conditions and to evaluate causes and phenomena of wear. TiN, (Ti,Al)N and Ti(C,N) coatings on high speed steel (HSS) show different performances in milling and turning of heat treated steel. The thermal and frictional properties of the coating materials affect the structure, the thickness and the flow of the chips, the contact area on the rake face and the tool life. Model tests show the influence of internal cooling and the thermal conductivity of coated HSS inserts. TiN and (Ti,Zr)N PVD coatings on cemented carbides were examined in interrupted turning and in milling of heat treated steel. Experimental results show a significant influence of typical time-temperature cycles of PVD and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) coating processes on the physical data and on the performance of the substrates. PVD coatings increase tool life, especially towards lower cutting speeds into ranges which cannot be applied with CVD coatings. The reason for this is the superior toughness of the PVD coated carbide. The combination of tough, micrograin carbide and PVD coating even enables broaching of case hardened sliding gears at a cutting speed of 66 m min -1 . (orig.)

  19. A Decision Support Tool for Transient Stability Preventive Control

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pertl, Michael; Weckesser, Johannes Tilman Gabriel; Rezkalla, Michel M.N.

    2017-01-01

    The paper presents a decision support tool for transient stability preventive control contributing to increased situation awareness of control room operators by providing additional information about the state of the power system in terms of transient stability. A time-domain approach is used...... a predefined minimum critical clearing time for faults at all buses is proposed, while costs are minimized. The results of the assessment are presented to the control room operator, who decides to accept the suggested dispatch or to repeat the assessment considering additional user-specific constraints...

  20. A New Triage Support Tool in Case of Explosion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yavari-Sartakhti, Olivier; Briche, Frédérique; Jost, Daniel; Michaud, Nicolas; Bignand, Michel; Tourtier, Jean-Pierre

    2018-04-01

    Deafness frequently observed in explosion victims, currently following terrorist attack, is a barrier to communication between victims and first responders. This may result in a delay in the initial triage and evacuation. In such situations, Paris Fire Brigade (Paris, France) proposes the use of assistance cards to help conscious, but deafened patients at the site of an attack where there may be numerous victims. Yavari-Sartakhti O , Briche F , Jost D , Michaud N , Bignand M , Tourtier JP . A new triage support tool in case of explosion. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2018;33(2):213-214.

  1. Technology use as a support tool by secondary students with autism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hedges, Susan H; Odom, Samuel L; Hume, Kara; Sam, Ann

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine how secondary students with autism spectrum disorder use technology in supportive ways. In this self-report survey study, 472 adolescents with autism spectrum disorder enrolled in high school described the forms of technology they use and purposes for which they use it. Students reported the benefits as well as barriers to technology use at school. They reported using technology in school and home settings in a variety of supportive ways such as increasing their independence, reducing their anxiety, and increasing their social opportunities. Findings suggest that practitioners may benefit from learning how to integrate technology as an instructional and support tool for their students with autism spectrum disorder. Recommendations for future research are provided.

  2. Pickering tool management system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wong, E.H.; Green, A.H.

    1997-01-01

    Tools were being deployed in the station with no process in effect to ensure that they are maintained in good repair so as to effectively support the performance of Maintenance activities. Today's legal requirements require that all employers have a process in place to ensure that tools are maintained in a safe condition. This is specified in the Ontario Health and Safety Act. The Pickering Tool Management System has been chosen as the process at Pickering N.D to manage tools. Tools are identified by number etching and bar codes. The system is a Windows application installed on several file servers

  3. Pregnancy outcomes in Ghana : Relavance of clinical decision making support tools for frontline providers of care

    OpenAIRE

    Amoakoh-Coleman, M.

    2016-01-01

    Ghana’s slow progress towards attaining millennium development goal 5 has been associated with gaps in quality of care, particularly quality of clinical decision making for clients. This thesis reviews the relevance and effect of clinical decision making support tools on pregnancy outcomes. Relevance of three clinical decision making support tools available to frontline providers of care in the Greater Accra region is discussed. These are routine maternal health service delivery data populati...

  4. A CONCEPTUAL TOOL FOR ASSESSING CLIENT PERFORMANCE IN THE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT COALITION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gary D. Holt

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Due to the significant impact of client performance on overall project performance and the interdependence of participant%5C%27s performance in the construction project coalition %28i.e. clients%2C designers and constructors%29%2C there is a need to establish client performance measures. Based on data collected from in-depth interviews with nineteen UK architects and nine UK contractors%2C a generic tool for the on-going formal assessment of client performance is presented. It was found that this approach to performance assessment %28i.e. from the view point of other%2C non-client coalition participants%29 should lead to improved project relationships. Data analysis showed that in addition to %5C%27harder%5C%27 measures such as understanding of project requirements and finance%2C other%2C %5C%27softer%5C%27 measures of client performance %28e.g. attitude%29 were worthy of consideration since they determine the quality of participant relationships. It is recommended that the tool be used to promote more effective client performance and thus enhance coalition relationships%2C enabling continuous improvement. The ultimate aim is to develop similar tools for the assessment of all coalition participants based on a culture of openness and trust. Abstract in Bahasa Indonesia : assessment+tool%2C+coalition+participants%2C+client+performance%2C+perceptions%2C+performance+measures%2C+satisfaction.

  5. Performance Analysis Tool for HPC and Big Data Applications on Scientific Clusters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yoo, Wucherl [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Koo, Michelle [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Cao, Yu [California Inst. of Technology (CalTech), Pasadena, CA (United States); Sim, Alex [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Nugent, Peter [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States); Wu, Kesheng [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

    2016-09-17

    Big data is prevalent in HPC computing. Many HPC projects rely on complex workflows to analyze terabytes or petabytes of data. These workflows often require running over thousands of CPU cores and performing simultaneous data accesses, data movements, and computation. It is challenging to analyze the performance involving terabytes or petabytes of workflow data or measurement data of the executions, from complex workflows over a large number of nodes and multiple parallel task executions. To help identify performance bottlenecks or debug the performance issues in large-scale scientific applications and scientific clusters, we have developed a performance analysis framework, using state-ofthe- art open-source big data processing tools. Our tool can ingest system logs and application performance measurements to extract key performance features, and apply the most sophisticated statistical tools and data mining methods on the performance data. It utilizes an efficient data processing engine to allow users to interactively analyze a large amount of different types of logs and measurements. To illustrate the functionality of the big data analysis framework, we conduct case studies on the workflows from an astronomy project known as the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) and the job logs from the genome analysis scientific cluster. Our study processed many terabytes of system logs and application performance measurements collected on the HPC systems at NERSC. The implementation of our tool is generic enough to be used for analyzing the performance of other HPC systems and Big Data workows.

  6. Using data visualization tools to support degradation assessment in nuclear piping

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jyrkama, M.I.; Pandey, M.D.

    2012-01-01

    Nuclear utilities collect a vast amount of in-service inspection data as part of periodic inspection plans and the detailed assessment and monitoring of various degradation mechanisms, such as fretting, corrosion, and creep. In many cases, the focus is primarily on ensuring that the observed minimum or maximum values are within the acceptable regulatory limits, while the rest of the (often costly) surveillance data remains unused and unanalyzed. The objective of this study is to illustrate how data visualization tools can be used effectively to analyze and consider all of the in-service inspection data, and hence provide valuable support for the degradation assessment in nuclear piping. The 2D and 3D visualization tools discussed in this paper were developed mainly in the context of flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) assessment in feeder piping, where the complex pipe geometries and flow conditions have a significant impact on the ultrasonic (UT) wall thickness measurements. The visualization of eddy current inspection results from the assessment of pitting corrosion of steam generator tubing will also be discussed briefly. The visualization tools provide a more comprehensive view of the degree and extent of degradation, and hence directly support the planning of future inspection of critical components by identifying key locations and areas for detailed monitoring. The results furthermore increase the confidence and reliability of fitness-for-service (FFS) assessments and life cycle management (LCM) planning decisions with respect to component repair or replacement. (author)

  7. The Personal Digital Library (PDL)-based e-learning: Using the PDL as an e-learning support tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Xiaozhao; Ruan, Jianhai

    The paper describes a support tool for learners engaged in e-learning, the Personal Digital Library (PDL). The characteristics and functionality of the PDL are presented. Suggested steps for constructing and managing a PDL are outlined and discussed briefly. The authors believe that the PDL as a support tool of e-learning will be important and essential in the future.

  8. Prototype road weather performance management tool : installation instructions & user manual.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-07-20

    This document is the Installation Instructions and User Manual for the Road Weather Performance Management (RW-PM) Tool developed for the project on Development and Demonstration of a Prototype Road Weather Performance Management Application that Use...

  9. An image-guided radiotherapy decision support framework incorporating a Bayesian network and visualization tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hargrave, Catriona; Deegan, Timothy; Bednarz, Tomasz; Poulsen, Michael; Harden, Fiona; Mengersen, Kerrie

    2018-05-17

    To describe a Bayesian network (BN) and complementary visualization tool that aim to support decision-making during online cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT)-based image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) for prostate cancer patients. The BN was created to represent relationships between observed prostate, proximal seminal vesicle (PSV), bladder and rectum volume variations, an image feature alignment score (FAS TV _ OAR ), delivered dose, and treatment plan compliance (TPC). Variables influencing tumor volume (TV) targeting accuracy such as intrafraction motion, and contouring and couch shift errors were also represented. A score of overall TPC (FAS global ) and factors such as image quality were used to inform the BN output node providing advice about proceeding with treatment. The BN was quantified using conditional probabilities generated from published studies, FAS TV _ OAR /global modeling, and a survey of IGRT decision-making practices. A new IGRT visualization tool (IGRT REV ), in the form of Mollweide projection plots, was developed to provide a global summary of residual errors after online CBCT-planning CT registration. Sensitivity and scenario analyses were undertaken to evaluate the performance of the BN and the relative influence of the network variables on TPC and the decision to proceed with treatment. The IGRT REV plots were evaluated in conjunction with the BN scenario testing, using additional test data generated from retrospective CBCT-planning CT soft-tissue registrations for 13/36 patients whose data were used in the FAS TV _ OAR /global modeling. Modeling of the TV targeting errors resulted in a very low probability of corrected distances between the CBCT and planning CT prostate or PSV volumes being within their thresholds. Strength of influence evaluation with and without the BN TV targeting error nodes indicated that rectum- and bladder-related network variables had the highest relative importance. When the TV targeting error nodes were excluded

  10. The role of integrated logistic support in performance assessment of nuclear facilities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prager, G.; Munro, J.F.

    1988-01-01

    Integrated logistic support (ILS) is a process used extensively by the Department of Defense as the major tool for weapons systems readiness and support-ability. ILS provides a proven scientific and engineering method for defining system support requirements while acquiring necessary support. ILS is also the management process for planning, programming and integrating support-ability considerations into the acquisition and operations process. Concurrent with the acquisition of material support requirements are identified, planned, evaluated, acquired and installed

  11. Basic performance metrics of in-line inspection tools

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Timashev, Sviatoslav A. [Russian Academy of Sciences (Russian Federation). Ural Branch. Science and Engineering Center

    2003-07-01

    The paper discusses current possibilities and drawbacks of in-line inspection (ILI) in detecting, identifying, locating and sizing of all types of defects in oil and gas pipelines. A full set of consistent and universal ILI tool performance metrics is constructed. A holistic methodology that extracts maximum value from the ILI measurements in defect detecting, locating, identifying, sizing and verifying the results of ILI is presented. The outlined approach is being implemented as a software component of a multi-purpose HR MFL ILI tool and is proposed for the new API 1163 ILI Qualification Standard. (author)

  12. Development of transportation asset management decision support tools : final report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-08-09

    This study developed a web-based prototype decision support platform to demonstrate the benefits of transportation asset management in monitoring asset performance, supporting asset funding decisions, planning budget tradeoffs, and optimizing resourc...

  13. Prototype road weather performance management tool : project report : draft report.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-09-30

    This report is the Project Report for the Road Weather Performance Management (RW-PM) Tool developed for the project on Development and Demonstration of a Prototype Road Weather Performance Management Application that Uses Connected Vehicle Data (RW-...

  14. Paper-based mixed reality sketch augmentation as a conceptual design support tool

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    dos Santos, G.J.D.; van Dijk, E.M.A.G.; Vyas, D.M.; Backwell, Alan

    2009-01-01

    This undergraduate student paper explores usage of mixed reality techniques as support tools for conceptual design. A proof-of-concept was developed to illustrate this principle. Using this as an example, a small group of designers was interviewed to determine their views on the use of this

  15. The Second Victim Experience and Support Tool: Validation of an Organizational Resource for Assessing Second Victim Effects and the Quality of Support Resources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burlison, Jonathan D; Scott, Susan D; Browne, Emily K; Thompson, Sierra G; Hoffman, James M

    2017-06-01

    Medical errors and unanticipated negative patient outcomes can damage the well-being of health care providers. These affected individuals, referred to as "second victims," can experience various psychological and physical symptoms. Support resources provided by health care organizations to prevent and reduce second victim-related harm are often inadequate. In this study, we present the development and psychometric evaluation of the Second Victim Experience and Support Tool (SVEST), a survey instrument that can assist health care organizations to implement and track the performance of second victim support resources. The SVEST (29 items representing 7 dimensions and 2 outcome variables) was completed by 303 health care providers involved in direct patient care. The survey collected responses on second victim-related psychological and physical symptoms and the quality of support resources. Desirability of possible support resources was also measured. The SVEST was assessed for content validity, internal consistency, and construct validity with confirmatory factor analysis. Confirmatory factor analysis results suggested good model fit for the survey. Cronbach α reliability scores for the survey dimensions ranged from 0.61 to 0.89. The most desired second victim support option was "A respected peer to discuss the details of what happened." The SVEST can be used by health care organizations to evaluate second victim experiences of their staff and the quality of existing support resources. It can also provide health care organization leaders with information on second victim-related support resources most preferred by their staff. The SVEST can be administered before and after implementing new second victim resources to measure perceptions of effectiveness.

  16. Communications tools in research projects to support Semi and Non Structured Information

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Astrid Jaime

    2005-06-01

    Full Text Available Innovation and thus the production of knowledge becomes a factor of competitiveness. In this context quality management could be complemented by knowledge management to aim the improvement of knowledge production by research activities process. To this end, after describing knowledge and informa-tion typologies in engineering activities, a knowledge man-agement system is proposed. The goal is to support: (1 Semi-Structured Information (e.g. reports, etc. thanks to the BASIC-Lab tool functions, which are based on attributing points of view and annotations to documents and document zones, and (2 Non-Structured Information (such as mail, dialogues, etc., thanks to MICA-Graph approach which intends to support ex-change of technical messages that concerns common resolution of research problems within project teams and to capitalise relevant knowledge. For the both approaches, prototype tools have been developed and evaluated, primarily to feed back with manufacturing knowledge in the EADS industrial envi-ronment.

  17. 10th International Workshop on Parallel Tools for High Performance Computing

    CERN Document Server

    Gracia, José; Hilbrich, Tobias; Knüpfer, Andreas; Resch, Michael; Nagel, Wolfgang

    2017-01-01

    This book presents the proceedings of the 10th International Parallel Tools Workshop, held October 4-5, 2016 in Stuttgart, Germany – a forum to discuss the latest advances in parallel tools. High-performance computing plays an increasingly important role for numerical simulation and modelling in academic and industrial research. At the same time, using large-scale parallel systems efficiently is becoming more difficult. A number of tools addressing parallel program development and analysis have emerged from the high-performance computing community over the last decade, and what may have started as collection of small helper script has now matured to production-grade frameworks. Powerful user interfaces and an extensive body of documentation allow easy usage by non-specialists. tools have been commercialized, but others are operated as open source by a growing research community.

  18. Electronic health record tools' support of nurses' clinical judgment and team communication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kossman, Susan P; Bonney, Leigh Ann; Kim, Myoung Jin

    2013-11-01

    Nurses need to quickly process information to form clinical judgments, communicate with the healthcare team, and guide optimal patient care. Electronic health records not only offer potential for enhanced care but also introduce unintended consequences through changes in workflow, clinical judgment, and communication. We investigated nurses' use of improvised (self-made) and electronic health record-generated cognitive artifacts on clinical judgment and team communication. Tanner's Clinical Judgment Model provided a framework and basis for questions in an online survey and focus group interviews. Findings indicated that (1) nurses rated self-made work lists and medication administration records highest for both clinical judgment and communication, (2) tools aided different dimensions of clinical judgment, and (3) interdisciplinary tools enhance team communication. Implications are that electronic health record tool redesign could better support nursing work.

  19. Modeling a Decision Support Tool for Buildable and Sustainable Building Envelope Designs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natee Singhaputtangkul

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Sustainability and buildability requirements in building envelope design have significantly gained more importance nowadays, yet there is a lack of an appropriate decision support system (DSS that can help a building design team to incorporate these requirements and manage their tradeoffs at once. The main objective of this study is to build such a tool to facilitate a building design team to take into account sustainability and buildability criteria for assessment of building envelopes of high-rise residential buildings in Singapore. Literature reviews were conducted to investigate a comprehensive set of the sustainability and buildability criteria. This also included development of the tool using a Quality Functional Deployment (QFD approach combined with fuzzy set theory. A building design team was engaged to test the tool with the aim to evaluate usefulness of the tool in managing the tradeoffs among the sustainability and buildability criteria. The results from a qualitative data analysis suggested that the tool allowed the design team to effectively find a balance between the tradeoffs among the criteria when assessing multiple building envelope design alternatives. Main contributions of using this tool are achievement of a more efficient assessment of the building envelopes and more sustainable and buildable building envelope design.

  20. Improvement of tool support of the spatial approach to regional planning: problems, specifics, trends

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nataliya Gennadievna Yushkova

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The emerging imperatives of innovation economic development in Russia determine the content of conceptual and institutional constraints to the development of regional economic systems (RES. They consider the regional planning system as a leading priority in its inseparable unity with modern public administration tasks. However, the practice of development of long-term plans in the RF subjects proves that the innovation challenges of economic policy are not reflected properly in them or they are significantly distorted. The following reasons reduce the effectiveness of modernization processes in the RF subjects and hamper the appropriate reaction of RES on their impact: the lack of coordination between socio-economic and spatial regional plans, the imbalance of interaction between state authorities engaged in long-term planning, the lack of real prerequisites for the implementation of innovation initiatives in the regions. Systematization and analysis of long-term plans make it possible to substantiate the consistency of the spatial approach to regional planning expressed in the dominance of the transformational function that synchronizes the configuration and parameters of RES, and to establish ways to integrate spatial components in the system of regional planning through optimization of its tool support. The change in the content of the instrumentation support is based on the synthesis of the predominant basic characteristics of the existing tools used in isolated subsystems of regional planning of socio-economic and territorial development. The study has established a system of tool support for regional planning that adapts to the changes in both internal and external factors in the development of RES. Three main groups of tools: organizing, regulating, and coordinating are defined by their typing in accordance with the groups of management functions. The article proposes the modeling of combinations of tools that are subordinated to the

  1. Healthcare performance turned into decision support.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sørup, Christian Michel; Jacobsen, Peter

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to first create an overview of relevant factors directly influencing employee absence in the healthcare sector. The overview is used to further investigate the factors identified using employee satisfaction survey scores exclusively. The result of the overall objective is a management framework that allows managers to gain insight into the current status of risk factors with high influence on employee absence levels. The research consists of a quantitative literature study supported by formal and semi-formal interviews conducted at the case organisations. Employee satisfaction surveys were applied to analyse the development over time of selected factors correlated with concurrent employee absence rates. Checking for causal results, comparisons with the included published literature findings were also carried out. Four major clustered factors, three of which constitute the term "social capital", showed a high degree of connection with employee absence rates. The factors are general satisfaction, fairness, reliance and co-operation. Integrating the four elements in a management framework will provide valuable and holistic information about the determinants with regard to current levels of employee absence. The framework will be a valuable support for leaders with the authority to alter the determinants of employee absence. Since a great part of the empirical material is supplied from the healthcare sector, the results obtained could be restricted to this sector. Inclusion of data from Arbejdsmarkedets Tillaegspension (ATP) showed no deviation from the results in the healthcare sector. The product of the study is a decision support tool for leaders to cope with levels of employee absence. The framework is holistic and can prove to be a valuable tool to take a bearing of where to focus future initiatives. Gathering former observational studies in a complete overview embracing many relevant factors that influence sickness absence has not yet

  2. Supporting student nurses in practice with additional online communication tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morley, Dawn A

    2014-01-01

    Student nurses' potential isolation and difficulties of learning on placement have been well documented and, despite attempts to make placement learning more effective, evidence indicates the continuing schism between formal learning at university and situated learning on placement. First year student nurses, entering placement for the first time, are particularly vulnerable to the vagaries of practice. During 2012 two first year student nurse seminar groups (52 students) were voluntarily recruited for a mixed method study to determine the usage of additional online communication support mechanisms (Facebook, wiki, an email group and traditional methods of support using individual email or phone) while undertaking their first five week clinical placement. The study explores the possibility of strengthening clinical learning and support by promoting the use of Web 2.0 support groups for student nurses. Results indicate a high level of interactivity in both peer and academic support in the use of Facebook and a high level of interactivity in one wiki group. Students' qualitative comments voice an appreciation of being able to access university and peer support whilst working individually on placement. Recommendations from the study challenge universities to use online communication tools already familiar to students to complement the support mechanisms that exist for practice learning. This is tempered by recognition of the responsibility of academics to ensure their students are aware of safe and effective online communication. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. A Conceptual Framework for the Electronic Performance Support Systems within IBM Lotus Notes 6 (LN6 Example

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Servet BAYRAM

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available A Conceptual Framework for the Electronic PerformanceSupport Systems within IBM Lotus Notes 6 (LN6 Example Assoc. Prof. Dr. Servet BAYRAM Computer Education & Instructional Technologies Marmara University, TURKEYsbayram@marmara.edu.tr ABSTRACT The concept of Electronic Performance Support Systems (EPSS is containing multimedia or computer based instruction components that improves human performance by providing process simplification, performance information and decision support system. EPSS has become a hot topic for organizational development, human resources, performance technology, training, and educational development professionals. A conceptual framework of EPSS is constructed under five interrelated and interdependent domains for educational implications. The domains of the framework are online collaboration, cost-effectiveness, motivation, service management, and performance empowering. IBM Lotus Notes 6 (LN6 is used as an example application tool to illustrate the power of this framework. The framework describes a set of relevant events based upon deductive analyses for improving our understanding of the EPSS and its implications on education and training. The article is also pointed out that there are some similarities between the EPSS’ and the LN6’s specific features within this conceptual framework. It can provide some guidelines and benefits to researchers, educators, and designers as well.

  4. Open source tools for ATR development and performance evaluation

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2002-07-01

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

  5. Develop risk-based procurement management tools for SMEs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Staal, Anne; Hagelaar, Geoffrey; Walhof, Gert; Holman, Richard

    2016-01-01

    This paper provides guidance for developing risk-based management tools to improve the procurement (purchasing) performance of SMEs. Extant academic literature only offers little support on developing such tools and does not consider the wide variety of SMEs. The paper defines a procurement tool for

  6. Tools for Supporting Distributed Agile Project Planning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xin; Maurer, Frank; Morgan, Robert; Oliveira, Josyleuda

    Agile project planning plays an important part in agile software development. In distributed settings, project planning is severely impacted by the lack of face-to-face communication and the inability to share paper index cards amongst all meeting participants. To address these issues, several distributed agile planning tools were developed. The tools vary in features, functions and running platforms. In this chapter, we first summarize the requirements for distributed agile planning. Then we give an overview on existing agile planning tools. We also evaluate existing tools based on tool requirements. Finally, we present some practical advices for both designers and users of distributed agile planning tools.

  7. LHC IRQ cryostat support mechanical performance

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Darve, C.; Nicol, T.; Knauf, A.

    1999-01-01

    The LHC Interaction Region Quadrupoles (IRQ) will be shipped from Fermilab to CERN. The IRQ magnets are supported by glass fiber supports. A prototype cryostat support has been tested under various mechanical forces in order to check its mechanical behavior. These measurements have been made in order to validate a numerical model. A large range of mechanical loads simulates loads due to the shipment of the device, the weight of the cold mass as well as the cool down conditions. Its mechanical properties are measured by means of a dedicated arrangement operating at room temperature. This study appears to be essential to optimize the design of the support. The purpose of this note is to summarize the first measurements related to mechanical tests performed with the support

  8. Decision support tool for early differential diagnosis of acute lung injury and cardiogenic pulmonary edema in medical critically ill patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schmickl, Christopher N; Shahjehan, Khurram; Li, Guangxi; Dhokarh, Rajanigandha; Kashyap, Rahul; Janish, Christopher; Alsara, Anas; Jaffe, Allan S; Hubmayr, Rolf D; Gajic, Ognjen

    2012-01-01

    At the onset of acute hypoxic respiratory failure, critically ill patients with acute lung injury (ALI) may be difficult to distinguish from those with cardiogenic pulmonary edema (CPE). No single clinical parameter provides satisfying prediction. We hypothesized that a combination of those will facilitate early differential diagnosis. In a population-based retrospective development cohort, validated electronic surveillance identified critically ill adult patients with acute pulmonary edema. Recursive partitioning and logistic regression were used to develop a decision support tool based on routine clinical information to differentiate ALI from CPE. Performance of the score was validated in an independent cohort of referral patients. Blinded post hoc expert review served as gold standard. Of 332 patients in a development cohort, expert reviewers (κ, 0.86) classified 156 as having ALI and 176 as having CPE. The validation cohort had 161 patients (ALI = 113, CPE = 48). The score was based on risk factors for ALI and CPE, age, alcohol abuse, chemotherapy, and peripheral oxygen saturation/Fio(2) ratio. It demonstrated good discrimination (area under curve [AUC] = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.77-0.86) and calibration (Hosmer-Lemeshow [HL] P = .16). Similar performance was obtained in the validation cohort (AUC = 0.80; 95% CI, 0.72-0.88; HL P = .13). A simple decision support tool accurately classifies acute pulmonary edema, reserving advanced testing for a subset of patients in whom satisfying prediction cannot be made. This novel tool may facilitate early inclusion of patients with ALI and CPE into research studies as well as improve and rationalize clinical management and resource use.

  9. The Use of a Metacognitive Tool in an Online Social Supportive Learning Environment: An Activity Theory Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinez, Ray Earl

    2010-01-01

    This investigation is an exploratory study of the use of a metacognitive software tool in a social supportive learning environment. The tool combined metacognitive knowledge and regulation functionality embedded within the content of an eight week online graduate education course. Twenty-three learners, who were practicing teachers, used the tool.…

  10. 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

  11. Clinical Decision Support Tools for Selecting Interventions for Patients with Disabling Musculoskeletal Disorders

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gross, Douglas P; Armijo-Olivo, Susan; Shaw, William S

    2016-01-01

    Purpose We aimed to identify and inventory clinical decision support (CDS) tools for helping front-line staff select interventions for patients with musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders. Methods We used Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework which progresses through five stages: (1) identifying...... the research question; (2) identifying relevant studies; (3) selecting studies for analysis; (4) charting the data; and (5) collating, summarizing and reporting results. We considered computer-based, and other available tools, such as algorithms, care pathways, rules and models. Since this research crosses...

  12. Lifelong Learning Organisers: Requirements for Tools for Supporting Episodic and Semantic Learning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vavoula, Giasemi; Sharples, Mike

    2009-01-01

    We propose Lifelong Learning Organisers (LLOs) as tools to support the capturing, organisation and retrieval of personal learning experiences, resources and notes, over a range of learning topics, at different times and places. The paper discusses general requirements for the design of LLOs based on findings from a diary-based study of everyday…

  13. Development and commissioning of decision support tools for sewerage management.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manic, G; Printemps, C; Zug, M; Lemoine, C

    2006-01-01

    Managing sewerage systems is a highly complex task due to the dynamic nature of the facilities. Their performance strongly depends on the know-how applied by the operators. In order to define optimal operational settings, two decision support tools based on mathematical models have been developed. Moreover, easy-to-use interfaces have been created as well, aiding operators who presumably do not have the necessary skills to use modelling software. The two developed programs simulate the behaviour of both wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) and sewer network systems, respectively. They have essentially the same structure, including raw data management and statistical analysis, a simulation layer using the application programming interface of the applied software and a layer responsible for the representation of the obtained results. Four user modes are provided in the two software including the simulation of historical data using the applied and novel operational settings, as well as modes concerning prediction of possible operation periods and updates. Concerning the WWTP software, it was successfully installed in Nantes (France) in June 2004. Moreover, the one managing sewer networks has been deployed in Saint-Malo (France) in January 2005. This paper presents the structure of the developed software and the first results obtained during the commissioning phase.

  14. Critical review of decision support tools for sustainability assessment of site remediation options.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huysegoms, Lies; Cappuyns, Valérie

    2017-07-01

    In Europe alone, there are more than 2,5 million potentially contaminated sites of which 14% are expected to require remediation. Contaminated soil and groundwater can cause damage to human health as well as to valuable ecosystems. Globally more attention has been paid to this problem of soil contamination in the past decades. For example, more than 58 000 sites have been remediated in Europe between 2006 and 2011. Together with this increase in remediation projects there has been a surge in the development of new remediation technologies and decision support tools to be able to match every site and its specific characteristics to the best possible remediation alternative. In the past years the development of decision support tools (DST) has evolved in a more sustainable direction. Several DSTs added the claim not only to denote effective or technologically and economically feasible remediation alternatives but also to point out the more or most sustainable remediation alternatives. These trends in the evaluation of site remediation options left users with a confusing clew of possibly applicable tools to assist them in decision making for contaminated site remediation. This review provides a structured overview on the extent decision support tools for contaminated site remediation, that claim to assist in choosing the most sustainable remediation alternative, actually include the different elements of sustainability proposed in our assessment framework. The review contains an in-depth analysis of thirteen tools specifically developed to assess the sustainability of site remediation alternatives. This analysis is based on six criteria derived from the definition of sustainable development of the Brundtland report. The six criteria were concretized by using the three pillars of sustainability, applied to site remediation according to the SuRF-UK framework, two criteria derived from Life Cycle Assessment and Cost-Benefit Analysis, and an 'User friendly' criterion

  15. Job control and coworker support improve employee job performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagami, Makiko; Tsutsumi, Akizumi; Tsuchiya, Masao; Morimoto, Kanehisa

    2010-01-01

    We examined the prospective association of psychosocial job characteristics with employee job performance among 777 full-time employees at a manufacturing company in Japan, using data from a one-year follow-up survey. Psychosocial job characteristics were measured by the Job Content Questionnaire in 2008; job performance was evaluated using the item from the World Mental Health Survey Instrument in 2008 and 2009. The association between psychosocial job characteristics and job performance was tested using multiple regression analysis, controlling for demographic variables, work status, average working hours per day, job type and job performance in 2008. Job control and coworker support in 2008 were positively related to job performance in 2009. Stratified analyses revealed that job control for staff and coworker support for managers were positively related to job performance in 2009. These associations were prominent among men; however, supervisor support in 2008 was negatively related to job performance in 2009 among men. Job demand was not significantly related to job performance. Our findings suggest that it is worthwhile to enhance employees' job control and provide a mutually supportive environment to ensure positive employee job performance.

  16. Managing Sustainability with the Support of Business Intelligence Methods and Tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrini, Maira; Pozzebon, Marlei

    In this paper we explore the role of business intelligence (BI) in helping to support the management of sustainability in contemporary firms. The concepts of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) are among the most important themes to have emerged in the last decade at the global level. We suggest that BI methods and tools have an important but not yet well studied role to play in helping organizations implement and monitor sustainable and socially responsible business practices. Using grounded theory, the main contribution of our study is to propose a conceptual model that seeks to support the process of definition and monitoring of socio-environmental indicators and the relationship between their management and business strategy.

  17. Coaching as a Performance Improvement Tool at School

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yirci, Ramazan; Karakose, Turgut; Kocabas, Ibrahim

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the current literature and have an insight about coaching as a performance improvement tool at school. In today's world, schools have to survive and keep their organizational success in the highest level because of the high expectations from school stakeholders. Taking place in such a fierce competitive…

  18. [Supporting an Academic Society with the Active Learning Tool Clica].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arai, Kensuke; Mitsubori, Masahiro

    2018-01-01

     Within school classrooms, Active Learning has been receiving unprecedented attention. Indeed, Active Learning's popularity does not stop in the classroom. As more and more people argue that the Japanese government needs to renew guidelines for education, Active Learning has surfaced as a method capable of providing the necessary knowledge and training for people in all areas of society, helping them reach their full potential. It has become accepted that Active Learning is more effective over the passive listening of lectures, where there is little to no interaction. Active Learning emphasizes that learners explain their thoughts, ask questions, and express their opinions, resulting in a better retention rate of the subject at hand. In this review, I introduce an Active Learning support tool developed at Digital Knowledge, "Clica". This tool is currently being used at many educational institutions. I will also introduce an online questionnaire that Digital Knowledge provided at the 10th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Pharmaceutical Palliative Care and Sciences.

  19. MUMAX: A new high-performance micromagnetic simulation tool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vansteenkiste, A.; Van de Wiele, B.

    2011-01-01

    We present MUMAX, a general-purpose micromagnetic simulation tool running on graphical processing units (GPUs). MUMAX is designed for high-performance computations and specifically targets large simulations. In that case speedups of over a factor 100 x can be obtained compared to the CPU-based OOMMF program developed at NIST. MUMAX aims to be general and broadly applicable. It solves the classical Landau-Lifshitz equation taking into account the magnetostatic, exchange and anisotropy interactions, thermal effects and spin-transfer torque. Periodic boundary conditions can optionally be imposed. A spatial discretization using finite differences in two or three dimensions can be employed. MUMAX is publicly available as open-source software. It can thus be freely used and extended by community. Due to its high computational performance, MUMAX should open up the possibility of running extensive simulations that would be nearly inaccessible with typical CPU-based simulators. - Highlights: → Novel, open-source micromagnetic simulator on GPU hardware. → Speedup of ∝100x compared to other widely used tools. → Extensively validated against standard problems. → Makes previously infeasible simulations accessible.

  20. A Performance Tuning Methodology with Compiler Support

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Oscar Hernandez

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available We have developed an environment, based upon robust, existing, open source software, for tuning applications written using MPI, OpenMP or both. The goal of this effort, which integrates the OpenUH compiler and several popular performance tools, is to increase user productivity by providing an automated, scalable performance measurement and optimization system. In this paper we describe our environment, show how these complementary tools can work together, and illustrate the synergies possible by exploiting their individual strengths and combined interactions. We also present a methodology for performance tuning that is enabled by this environment. One of the benefits of using compiler technology in this context is that it can direct the performance measurements to capture events at different levels of granularity and help assess their importance, which we have shown to significantly reduce the measurement overheads. The compiler can also help when attempting to understand the performance results: it can supply information on how a code was translated and whether optimizations were applied. Our methodology combines two performance views of the application to find bottlenecks. The first is a high level view that focuses on OpenMP/MPI performance problems such as synchronization cost and load imbalances; the second is a low level view that focuses on hardware counter analysis with derived metrics that assess the efficiency of the code. Our experiments have shown that our approach can significantly reduce overheads for both profiling and tracing to acceptable levels and limit the number of times the application needs to be run with selected hardware counters. In this paper, we demonstrate the workings of this methodology by illustrating its use with selected NAS Parallel Benchmarks and a cloud resolving code.

  1. EPR design tools. Integrated data processing tools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kern, R.

    1997-01-01

    In all technical areas, planning and design have been supported by electronic data processing for many years. New data processing tools had to be developed for the European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR). The work to be performed was split between KWU and Framatome and laid down in the Basic Design contract. The entire plant was reduced to a logical data structure; the circuit diagrams and flowsheets of the systems were drafted, the central data pool was established, the outlines of building structures were defined, the layout of plant components was planned, and the electrical systems were documented. Also building construction engineering was supported by data processing. The tasks laid down in the Basic Design were completed as so-called milestones. Additional data processing tools also based on the central data pool are required for the phases following after the Basic Design phase, i.e Basic Design Optimization; Detailed Design; Management; Construction, and Commissioning. (orig.) [de

  2. Tools for the performance assessment and improvement of food safety management systems ; review

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jacxsens, L.; Luning, P.A.; Marcelis, W.J.; Boekel, van M.A.J.S.; Rovira, J.; Oses Gomez, S.; Kousta, M.; Drosinos, E.H.; Jasson, V.; Uyttendaele, M.

    2011-01-01

    Food business operators are challenged to combine requirements from different stakeholders (e.g. government, retailers) into a company specific Food Safety Management System (FSMS). Tools to diagnose the performance of an implemented FSMS (diagnostic tools), tools to help a selection process

  3. NOAA Climate Information and Tools for Decision Support Services

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timofeyeva, M. M.; Higgins, W.; Strager, C.; Horsfall, F. M.

    2013-12-01

    NOAA is an active participant of the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) contributing data, information, analytical capabilities, forecasts, and decision support services to the Climate Services Partnership (CSP). These contributions emerge from NOAA's own climate services, which have evolved to respond to the urgent and growing need for reliable, trusted, transparent, and timely climate information across all sectors of the U.S. economy. Climate services not only enhance development opportunities in many regions, but also reduce vulnerability to climate change around the world. The NOAA contribution lies within the NOAA Climate Goal mission, which is focusing its efforts on four key climate priority areas: water, extremes, coastal inundation, and marine ecosystems. In order to make progress in these areas, NOAA is exploiting its fundamental capabilities, including foundational research to advance understanding of the Earth system, observations to preserve and build the climate data record and monitor changes in climate conditions, climate models to predict and project future climate across space and time scales, and the development and delivery of decision support services focused on risk management. NOAA's National Weather Services (NWS) is moving toward provision of Decision Support Services (DSS) as a part of the Roadmap on the way to achieving a Weather Ready National (WRN) strategy. Both short-term and long-term weather, water, and climate information are critical for DSS and emergency services and have been integrated into NWS in the form of pilot projects run by National and Regional Operations Centers (NOC and ROCs respectively) as well as several local offices. Local offices with pilot projects have been focusing their efforts on provision of timely and actionable guidance for specific tasks such as DSS in support of Coastal Environments and Integrated Environmental Studies. Climate information in DSS extends the concept of climate services to

  4. 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

  5. Port performance evaluation tool based on microsimulation model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tsavalista Burhani Jzolanda

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available As port performance is becoming correlative to national competitiveness, the issue of port performance evaluation has significantly raised. Port performances can simply be indicated by port service levels to the ship (e.g., throughput, waiting for berthing etc., as well as the utilization level of equipment and facilities within a certain period. The performances evaluation then can be used as a tool to develop related policies for improving the port’s performance to be more effective and efficient. However, the evaluation is frequently conducted based on deterministic approach, which hardly captures the nature variations of port parameters. Therefore, this paper presents a stochastic microsimulation model for investigating the impacts of port parameter variations to the port performances. The variations are derived from actual data in order to provide more realistic results. The model is further developed using MATLAB and Simulink based on the queuing theory.

  6. Results from evaluations of models and cost-effectiveness tools to support introduction decisions for new vaccines need critical appraisal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moorthy Vasee

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The World Health Organization (WHO recommends that the cost-effectiveness (CE of introducing new vaccines be considered before such a programme is implemented. However, in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs, it is often challenging to perform and interpret the results of model-based economic appraisals of vaccines that benefit from locally relevant data. As a result, WHO embarked on a series of consultations to assess economic analytical tools to support vaccine introduction decisions for pneumococcal, rotavirus and human papillomavirus vaccines. The objectives of these assessments are to provide decision makers with a menu of existing CE tools for vaccines and their characteristics rather than to endorse the use of a single tool. The outcome will provide policy makers in LMICs with information about the feasibility of applying these models to inform their own decision making. We argue that if models and CE analyses are used to inform decisions, they ought to be critically appraised beforehand, including a transparent evaluation of their structure, assumptions and data sources (in isolation or in comparison to similar tools, so that decision makers can use them while being fully aware of their robustness and limitations.

  7. Generation of Look-Up Tables for Dynamic Job Shop Scheduling Decision Support Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oktaviandri, Muchamad; Hassan, Adnan; Mohd Shaharoun, Awaluddin

    2016-02-01

    Majority of existing scheduling techniques are based on static demand and deterministic processing time, while most job shop scheduling problem are concerned with dynamic demand and stochastic processing time. As a consequence, the solutions obtained from the traditional scheduling technique are ineffective wherever changes occur to the system. Therefore, this research intends to develop a decision support tool (DST) based on promising artificial intelligent that is able to accommodate the dynamics that regularly occur in job shop scheduling problem. The DST was designed through three phases, i.e. (i) the look-up table generation, (ii) inverse model development and (iii) integration of DST components. This paper reports the generation of look-up tables for various scenarios as a part in development of the DST. A discrete event simulation model was used to compare the performance among SPT, EDD, FCFS, S/OPN and Slack rules; the best performances measures (mean flow time, mean tardiness and mean lateness) and the job order requirement (inter-arrival time, due dates tightness and setup time ratio) which were compiled into look-up tables. The well-known 6/6/J/Cmax Problem from Muth and Thompson (1963) was used as a case study. In the future, the performance measure of various scheduling scenarios and the job order requirement will be mapped using ANN inverse model.

  8. Performance Analysis of the Capability Assessment Tool for Sustainable Manufacturing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Enda Crossin

    2013-08-01

    Full Text Available This paper explores the performance of a novel capability assessment tool, developed to identify capability gaps and associated training and development requirements across the supply chain for environmentally-sustainable manufacturing. The tool was developed to assess 170 capabilities that have been clustered with respect to key areas of concern such as managing energy, water, material resources, carbon emissions and waste as well as environmental management practices for sustainability. Two independent expert teams used the tool to assess a sample group of five first and second tier sports apparel and footwear suppliers within the supply chain of a global sporting goods manufacturer in Asia. The paper addresses the reliability and robustness of the developed assessment method by formulating the expected links between the assessment results. The management practices of the participating suppliers were shown to be closely connected to their performance in managing their resources and emissions. The companies’ initiatives in implementing energy efficiency measures were found to be generally related to their performance in carbon emissions management. The suppliers were also asked to undertake a self-assessment by using a short questionnaire. The large gap between the comprehensive assessment and these in-house self-assessments revealed the suppliers’ misconceptions about their capabilities.

  9. Investigation of tool engagement and cutting performance in machining a pocket

    Science.gov (United States)

    Adesta, E. Y. T.; Hamidon, R.; Riza, M.; Alrashidi, R. F. F. A.; Alazemi, A. F. F. S.

    2018-01-01

    This study investigates the variation of tool engagement for different profile of cutting. In addition, behavior of cutting force and cutting temperature for different tool engagements for machining a pocket also been explored. Initially, simple tool engagement models were developed for peripheral and slot cutting for different types of corner. Based on these models, the tool engagements for contour and zig zag tool path strategies for a rectangular shape pocket with dimension 80 mm x 60 mm were analyzed. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of tool engagements on cutting force and cutting temperature for the machining of a pocket of AISI H13 material. The cutting parameters used were 150m/min cutting speed, 0.05mm/tooth feed, and 0.1mm depth of cut. Based on the results obtained, the changes of cutting force and cutting temperature performance there exist a relationship between cutting force, cutting temperature and tool engagement. A higher cutting force and cutting temperature is obtained when the cutting tool goes through up milling and when the cutting tool makes a full engagement with the workpiece.

  10. Prototype road weather performance management (RWPM) tool installation instructions & user manual.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-07-20

    This document is the Installation Instructions and User Manual for the Road Weather Performance Management (RW-PM) Tool developed for the project on Development and Demonstration of a Prototype Road Weather Performance Management Application that Use...

  11. Performance Analysis, Modeling and Scaling of HPC Applications and Tools

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bhatele, Abhinav [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

    2016-01-13

    E cient use of supercomputers at DOE centers is vital for maximizing system throughput, mini- mizing energy costs and enabling science breakthroughs faster. This requires complementary e orts along several directions to optimize the performance of scienti c simulation codes and the under- lying runtimes and software stacks. This in turn requires providing scalable performance analysis tools and modeling techniques that can provide feedback to physicists and computer scientists developing the simulation codes and runtimes respectively. The PAMS project is using time allocations on supercomputers at ALCF, NERSC and OLCF to further the goals described above by performing research along the following fronts: 1. Scaling Study of HPC applications; 2. Evaluation of Programming Models; 3. Hardening of Performance Tools; 4. Performance Modeling of Irregular Codes; and 5. Statistical Analysis of Historical Performance Data. We are a team of computer and computational scientists funded by both DOE/NNSA and DOE/ ASCR programs such as ECRP, XStack (Traleika Glacier, PIPER), ExaOSR (ARGO), SDMAV II (MONA) and PSAAP II (XPACC). This allocation will enable us to study big data issues when analyzing performance on leadership computing class systems and to assist the HPC community in making the most e ective use of these resources.

  12. Laser Cladding of CPM Tool Steels on Hardened H13 Hot-Work Steel for Low-Cost High-Performance Automotive Tooling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, J.; Xue, L.

    2012-06-01

    This paper summarizes our research on laser cladding of high-vanadium CPM® tool steels (3V, 9V, and 15V) onto the surfaces of low-cost hardened H13 hot-work tool steel to substantially enhance resistance against abrasive wear. The results provide great potential for fabricating high-performance automotive tooling (including molds and dies) at affordable cost. The microstructure and hardness development of the laser-clad tool steels so obtained are presented as well.

  13. Software project management tools in global software development: a systematic mapping study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chadli, Saad Yasser; Idri, Ali; Ros, Joaquín Nicolás; Fernández-Alemán, José Luis; de Gea, Juan M Carrillo; Toval, Ambrosio

    2016-01-01

    Global software development (GSD) which is a growing trend in the software industry is characterized by a highly distributed environment. Performing software project management (SPM) in such conditions implies the need to overcome new limitations resulting from cultural, temporal and geographic separation. The aim of this research is to discover and classify the various tools mentioned in literature that provide GSD project managers with support and to identify in what way they support group interaction. A systematic mapping study has been performed by means of automatic searches in five sources. We have then synthesized the data extracted and presented the results of this study. A total of 102 tools were identified as being used in SPM activities in GSD. We have classified these tools, according to the software life cycle process on which they focus and how they support the 3C collaboration model (communication, coordination and cooperation). The majority of the tools found are standalone tools (77%). A small number of platforms (8%) also offer a set of interacting tools that cover the software development lifecycle. Results also indicate that SPM areas in GSD are not adequately supported by corresponding tools and deserve more attention from tool builders.

  14. Diamond and cBN hybrid and nanomodified cutting tools with enhanced performance: Development, testing and modelling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Loginov, Pavel; Mishnaevsky, Leon; Levashov, Evgeny

    2015-01-01

    with 25% of diamond replaced by cBN grains demonstrate 20% increased performance as compared with pure diamond machining tools, and more than two times higher performance as compared with pure cBN tools. Further, cast iron machining efficiency of the wheels modified by hBN particles was 80% more efficient......The potential of enhancement of superhard steel and cast iron cutting tool performance on the basis of microstuctural modifications of the tool materials is studied. Hybrid machining tools with mixed diamond and cBN grains, as well as machining tool with composite nanomodified metallic binder...... are developed, and tested experimentally and numerically. It is demonstrated that both combination of diamond and cBN (hybrid structure) and nanomodification of metallic binder (with hexagonal boron nitride/hBN platelets) lead to sufficient improvement of the cast iron machining performance. The superhard tools...

  15. An ArcGIS decision support tool for artificial reefs site selection (ArcGIS ARSS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stylianou, Stavros; Zodiatis, George

    2017-04-01

    Although the use and benefits of artificial reefs, both socio-economic and environmental, have been recognized with research and national development programmes worldwide their development is rarely subjected to a rigorous site selection process and the majority of the projects use the traditional (non-GIS) approach, based on trial and error mode. Recent studies have shown that the use of Geographic Information Systems, unlike to traditional methods, for the identification of suitable areas for artificial reefs siting seems to offer a number of distinct advantages minimizing possible errors, time and cost. A decision support tool (DSS) has been developed based on the existing knowledge, the multi-criteria decision analysis techniques and the GIS approach used in previous studies in order to help the stakeholders to identify the optimal locations for artificial reefs deployment on the basis of the physical, biological, oceanographic and socio-economic features of the sites. The tool provides to the users the ability to produce a final report with the results and suitability maps. The ArcGIS ARSS support tool runs within the existing ArcMap 10.2.x environment and for the development the VB .NET high level programming language has been used along with ArcObjects 10.2.x. Two local-scale case studies were conducted in order to test the application of the tool focusing on artificial reef siting. The results obtained from the case studies have shown that the tool can be successfully integrated within the site selection process in order to select objectively the optimal site for artificial reefs deployment.

  16. CDPP supporting tools to Solar Orbiter and Parker Solar Probe data exploitation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Genot, V. N.; Cecconi, B.; Dufourg, N.; Gangloff, M.; André, N.; Bouchemit, M.; Jacquey, C.; Pitout, F.; Rouillard, A.; Nathanaël, J.; Lavraud, B.; Durand, J.; Tao, C.; Buchlin, E.; Witasse, O. G.

    2017-12-01

    In recent years the French Centre de Données de la Physique des Plasmas (CDPP) has extended its data analysis capability by designing a number of new tools. In the solar and heliospheric contexts, and in direct support to the forthcoming solar ESA and NASA missions in these fields, these tools comprise of the Propagation Tool which helps linking solar perturbations observed both in remote and in-situ data; this is achieved through direct connection to the companion solar database MEDOC and the CDPP AMDA database. More recently, in the frame of Europlanet 2020 RI, a 1D MHD solar wind propagation code (Tao et al., 2005) has been interfaced to provide real time solar wind monitors at cruising probes and planetary environments using ACE real time data as inputs (Heliopropa service). Finally, simulations, models and data may be combined and visualized in a 3D context with 3DView. This presentation will overview the various functionalities of these tools and provide examples, in particular a 'CME tracking' case recently published (Witasse et al., 2017). Europlanet 2020 RI has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 654208.

  17. TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH IMPLEMENTATION MANAGEMENT : DEVELOPMENT OF PERFORMANCE BASED PROCESSES, METRICS, AND TOOLS

    Science.gov (United States)

    2018-02-02

    The objective of this study is to develop an evidencebased research implementation database and tool to support research implementation at the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT).A review was conducted drawing from the (1) implementati...

  18. Web analytics tools and web metrics tools: An overview and comparative analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ivan Bekavac

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the paper is to compare and analyze the impact of web analytics tools for measuring the performance of a business model. Accordingly, an overview of web analytics and web metrics tools is given, including their characteristics, main functionalities and available types. The data acquisition approaches and proper choice of web tools for particular business models are also reviewed. The research is divided in two sections. First, a qualitative focus is placed on reviewing web analytics tools to exploring their functionalities and ability to be integrated into the respective business model. Web analytics tools support the business analyst’s efforts in obtaining useful and relevant insights into market dynamics. Thus, generally speaking, selecting a web analytics and web metrics tool should be based on an investigative approach, not a random decision. The second section is a quantitative focus shifting from theory to an empirical approach, and which subsequently presents output data resulting from a study based on perceived user satisfaction of web analytics tools. The empirical study was carried out on employees from 200 Croatian firms from either an either IT or marketing branch. The paper contributes to highlighting the support for management that available web analytics and web metrics tools available on the market have to offer, and based on the growing needs of understanding and predicting global market trends.

  19. Selection criteria for building performance simulation tools : contrasting architects' and engineers' needs

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Attia, S.G.; Hensen, J.L.M.; Beltran, L.; De Herde, A.

    2012-01-01

    This article summarises a study undertaken to reveal potential challenges and opportunities for using building performance simulation (BPS) tools. The article reviews current trends in building simulation and outlines major criteria for BPS tool selection and evaluation based on analysing users'

  20. Dutch gas distribution grid goes green: decision support tool for local biogas utilization

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Weidenaar, Teade; Hoekstra, Sipke; Wolters, Mannes

    2011-01-01

    A Decision Support Tool (DST) has been developed that will aid Distribution Service Operators (DSOs) in their decision making process on which investments to make in the gas distribution grid in order to facilitate the use of biogas. The DST considers both the conversion of biogas to electricity as

  1. PROMO: a computerized tool to support process monitoring activities -application in CANDU simulators

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Singh, D T [York Univ., Toronto, ON (Canada); Singh, P P [Case Western Reserve Univ., Cleveland, OH (United States)

    1996-12-31

    PROMO, a prototype computerized PROcess MOnitoring tool, has been designed for the resolution of perceived complexity under conditions of time constraints and criticality. It is suggested that this makes it uniquely suitable for applications such as nuclear power plant operator training and support. This paper describes the tool, the theory underlying its design, and results from preliminary laboratory experiments. While field tests are necessary prior to the drawing of conclusions, the results from the laboratory trials are promising. Efforts are currently underway to extend the research setting to power plant operator training centers. (author). 57 refs., 1 fig.

  2. PROMO: a computerized tool to support process monitoring activities -application in CANDU simulators

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Singh, D.T.; Singh, P.P.

    1995-01-01

    PROMO, a prototype computerized PROcess MOnitoring tool, has been designed for the resolution of perceived complexity under conditions of time constraints and criticality. It is suggested that this makes it uniquely suitable for applications such as nuclear power plant operator training and support. This paper describes the tool, the theory underlying its design, and results from preliminary laboratory experiments. While field tests are necessary prior to the drawing of conclusions, the results from the laboratory trials are promising. Efforts are currently underway to extend the research setting to power plant operator training centers. (author). 57 refs., 1 fig

  3. Decision-support tools for Extreme Weather and Climate Events in the Northeast United States

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, S.; Lowery, M.; Whelchel, A.

    2013-12-01

    Decision-support tools were assessed for the 2013 National Climate Assessment technical input document, "Climate Change in the Northeast, A Sourcebook". The assessment included tools designed to generate and deliver actionable information to assist states and highly populated urban and other communities in assessment of climate change vulnerability and risk, quantification of effects, and identification of adaptive strategies in the context of adaptation planning across inter-annual, seasonal and multi-decadal time scales. State-level adaptation planning in the Northeast has generally relied on qualitative vulnerability assessments by expert panels and stakeholders, although some states have undertaken initiatives to develop statewide databases to support vulnerability assessments by urban and local governments, and state agencies. The devastation caused by Superstorm Sandy in October 2012 has raised awareness of the potential for extreme weather events to unprecedented levels and created urgency for action, especially in coastal urban and suburban communities that experienced pronounced impacts - especially in New Jersey, New York and Connecticut. Planning approaches vary, but any adaptation and resiliency planning process must include the following: - Knowledge of the probable change in a climate variable (e.g., precipitation, temperature, sea-level rise) over time or that the climate variable will attain a certain threshold deemed to be significant; - Knowledge of intensity and frequency of climate hazards (past, current or future events or conditions with potential to cause harm) and their relationship with climate variables; - Assessment of climate vulnerabilities (sensitive resources, infrastructure or populations exposed to climate-related hazards); - Assessment of relative risks to vulnerable resources; - Identification and prioritization of adaptive strategies to address risks. Many organizations are developing decision-support tools to assist in the urban

  4. The 8 Learning Events Model: a Pedagogic Conceptual Tool Supporting Diversification of Learning Methods

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Verpoorten, Dominique; Poumay, M; Leclercq, D

    2006-01-01

    Please, cite this publication as: Verpoorten, D., Poumay, M., & Leclercq, D. (2006). The 8 Learning Events Model: a Pedagogic Conceptual Tool Supporting Diversification of Learning Methods. Proceedings of International Workshop in Learning Networks for Lifelong Competence Development, TENCompetence

  5. Developing an Interactive Data Visualization Tool to Assess the Impact of Decision Support on Clinical Operations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huber, Timothy C; Krishnaraj, Arun; Monaghan, Dayna; Gaskin, Cree M

    2018-05-18

    Due to mandates from recent legislation, clinical decision support (CDS) software is being adopted by radiology practices across the country. This software provides imaging study decision support for referring providers at the point of order entry. CDS systems produce a large volume of data, providing opportunities for research and quality improvement. In order to better visualize and analyze trends in this data, an interactive data visualization dashboard was created using a commercially available data visualization platform. Following the integration of a commercially available clinical decision support product into the electronic health record, a dashboard was created using a commercially available data visualization platform (Tableau, Seattle, WA). Data generated by the CDS were exported from the data warehouse, where they were stored, into the platform. This allowed for real-time visualization of the data generated by the decision support software. The creation of the dashboard allowed the output from the CDS platform to be more easily analyzed and facilitated hypothesis generation. Integrating data visualization tools into clinical decision support tools allows for easier data analysis and can streamline research and quality improvement efforts.

  6. Project management support tool implementation. DynaLearn, EC FP7 STREP project 231526, Deliverable D1.1

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bredeweg, B.; Liem, J.

    2009-01-01

    Different project management tools have been evaluated. We have chosen several well-known, flexible and mature tools to support management activities and communication between the DynaLearn project participants. We have created a DynaLearn website for stakeholders outside the DynaLearn website. An

  7. Tools for Interdisciplinary Data Assimilation and Sharing in Support of Hydrologic Science

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blodgett, D. L.; Walker, J.; Suftin, I.; Warren, M.; Kunicki, T.

    2013-12-01

    Information consumed and produced in hydrologic analyses is interdisciplinary and massive. These factors put a heavy information management burden on the hydrologic science community. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Office of Water Information Center for Integrated Data Analytics (CIDA) seeks to assist hydrologic science investigators with all-components of their scientific data management life cycle. Ongoing data publication and software development projects will be presented demonstrating publically available data access services and manipulation tools being developed with support from two Department of the Interior initiatives. The USGS-led National Water Census seeks to provide both data and tools in support of nationally consistent water availability estimates. Newly available data include national coverages of radar-indicated precipitation, actual evapotranspiration, water use estimates aggregated by county, and South East region estimates of streamflow for 12-digit hydrologic unit code watersheds. Web services making these data available and applications to access them will be demonstrated. Web-available processing services able to provide numerous streamflow statistics for any USGS daily flow record or model result time series and other National Water Census processing tools will also be demonstrated. The National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Center is a USGS center leading DOI-funded academic global change adaptation research. It has a mission goal to ensure data used and produced by funded projects is available via web services and tools that streamline data management tasks in interdisciplinary science. For example, collections of downscaled climate projections, typically large collections of files that must be downloaded to be accessed, are being published using web services that allow access to the entire dataset via simple web-service requests and numerous processing tools. Recent progress on this front includes, data web services for Climate

  8. 6th International Parallel Tools Workshop

    CERN Document Server

    Brinkmann, Steffen; Gracia, José; Resch, Michael; Nagel, Wolfgang

    2013-01-01

    The latest advances in the High Performance Computing hardware have significantly raised the level of available compute performance. At the same time, the growing hardware capabilities of modern supercomputing architectures have caused an increasing complexity of the parallel application development. Despite numerous efforts to improve and simplify parallel programming, there is still a lot of manual debugging and  tuning work required. This process  is supported by special software tools, facilitating debugging, performance analysis, and optimization and thus  making a major contribution to the development of  robust and efficient parallel software. This book introduces a selection of the tools, which were presented and discussed at the 6th International Parallel Tools Workshop, held in Stuttgart, Germany, 25-26 September 2012.

  9. Assessing Sustainability of Coral Reef Ecosystem Services using a Spatially-Explicit Decision Support Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forecasting and communicating the potential outcomes of decision options requires support tools that aid in evaluating alternative scenarios in a user-friendly context and that highlight variables relevant to the decision options and valuable stakeholders. Envision is a GIS-base...

  10. A Life-Cycle Cost Estimating Methodology for NASA-Developed Air Traffic Control Decision Support Tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Jianzhong Jay; Datta, Koushik; Landis, Michael R. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    This paper describes the development of a life-cycle cost (LCC) estimating methodology for air traffic control Decision Support Tools (DSTs) under development by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), using a combination of parametric, analogy, and expert opinion methods. There is no one standard methodology and technique that is used by NASA or by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for LCC estimation of prospective Decision Support Tools. Some of the frequently used methodologies include bottom-up, analogy, top-down, parametric, expert judgement, and Parkinson's Law. The developed LCC estimating methodology can be visualized as a three-dimensional matrix where the three axes represent coverage, estimation, and timing. This paper focuses on the three characteristics of this methodology that correspond to the three axes.

  11. A Monte Carlo based decision-support tool for assessing generation portfolios in future carbon constrained electricity industries

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vithayasrichareon, Peerapat; MacGill, Iain F.

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a novel decision-support tool for assessing future generation portfolios in an increasingly uncertain electricity industry. The tool combines optimal generation mix concepts with Monte Carlo simulation and portfolio analysis techniques to determine expected overall industry costs, associated cost uncertainty, and expected CO 2 emissions for different generation portfolio mixes. The tool can incorporate complex and correlated probability distributions for estimated future fossil-fuel costs, carbon prices, plant investment costs, and demand, including price elasticity impacts. The intent of this tool is to facilitate risk-weighted generation investment and associated policy decision-making given uncertainties facing the electricity industry. Applications of this tool are demonstrated through a case study of an electricity industry with coal, CCGT, and OCGT facing future uncertainties. Results highlight some significant generation investment challenges, including the impacts of uncertain and correlated carbon and fossil-fuel prices, the role of future demand changes in response to electricity prices, and the impact of construction cost uncertainties on capital intensive generation. The tool can incorporate virtually any type of input probability distribution, and support sophisticated risk assessments of different portfolios, including downside economic risks. It can also assess portfolios against multi-criterion objectives such as greenhouse emissions as well as overall industry costs. - Highlights: ► Present a decision support tool to assist generation investment and policy making under uncertainty. ► Generation portfolios are assessed based on their expected costs, risks, and CO 2 emissions. ► There is tradeoff among expected cost, risks, and CO 2 emissions of generation portfolios. ► Investment challenges include economic impact of uncertainties and the effect of price elasticity. ► CO 2 emissions reduction depends on the mix of

  12. Decision Support Tool for Prioritization of Surveillance and Maintenance Investment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Velez, L.Y.; Conley, T.B.

    2009-01-01

    The Department of Energy (DOE) currently faces a difficult task in the disposition of the numerous excess or to-be excessed facilities owned by the Department. Many of these facilities are in various physical conditions and contain potentially hazardous nuclear, chemical, radiological or industrial materials left behind as a byproduct of nuclear weapons production, nuclear powered naval vessels and commercial nuclear energy production. During the last period of a facility's life cycle, it is important that surveillance and maintenance (S and M) be adequate to maintain the facility within an appropriate safety envelope. Inadequate investment in maintenance can cause facilities to deteriorate to the point they are unsafe for human entry. Too often this can mean tremendous increases to cost during deactivation and decommissioning (D and D). However, experiences often show that once buildings have been declared excess and enter the transition phase (as defined in DOE G 430.1-5 Transition Implementation Guide), maintenance budgets are drastically reduced. This is justified by the desire to not spend money 'on a building that is being torn down'. The objective of this study was to provide the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Environmental Management (EM) federal project directors and their contractors with a decision support tool to aid in prioritizing S and M investment across a site's excess facilities so that the limited budget available can be used most effectively. The analytical hierarchy process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision making method developed by Dr. Thomas Saaty in the 1970's, was used to derive the weight of importance of a defined list of risk-based criteria and typical S and M activities. A total of 10 facilities at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) varying in perceived hazards and conditions were chosen to test the tool by evaluating them with respect to each risk criterion and combining these results with the weight of importance of the S and M

  13. Mathematical support for automated geometry analysis of lathe machining of oblique peakless round-nose tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filippov, A. V.; Tarasov, S. Yu; Podgornyh, O. A.; Shamarin, N. N.; Filippova, E. O.

    2017-01-01

    Automatization of engineering processes requires developing relevant mathematical support and a computer software. Analysis of metal cutting kinematics and tool geometry is a necessary key task at the preproduction stage. This paper is focused on developing a procedure for determining the geometry of oblique peakless round-nose tool lathe machining with the use of vector/matrix transformations. Such an approach allows integration into modern mathematical software packages in distinction to the traditional analytic description. Such an advantage is very promising for developing automated control of the preproduction process. A kinematic criterion for the applicable tool geometry has been developed from the results of this study. The effect of tool blade inclination and curvature on the geometry-dependent process parameters was evaluated.

  14. Indicators and Measurement Tools for Health Systems Integration: A Knowledge Synthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Esther Suter

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Despite far reaching support for integrated care, conceptualizing and measuring integrated care remains challenging. This knowledge synthesis aimed to identify indicator domains and tools to measure progress towards integrated care. Methods: We used an established framework and a Delphi survey with integration experts to identify relevant measurement domains. For each domain, we searched and reviewed the literature for relevant tools. Findings: From 7,133 abstracts, we retrieved 114 unique tools. We found many quality tools to measure care coordination, patient engagement and team effectiveness/performance. In contrast, there were few tools in the domains of performance measurement and information systems, alignment of organizational goals and resource allocation. The search yielded 12 tools that measure overall integration or three or more indicator domains. Discussion: Our findings highlight a continued gap in tools to measure foundational components that support integrated care. In the absence of such targeted tools, “overall integration” tools may be useful for a broad assessment of the overall state of a system. Conclusions: Continued progress towards integrated care depends on our ability to evaluate the success of strategies across different levels and context. This study has identified 114 tools that measure integrated care across 16 domains, supporting efforts towards a unified measurement framework.

  15. Indicators and Measurement Tools for Health Systems Integration: A Knowledge Synthesis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oelke, Nelly D.; da Silva Lima, Maria Alice Dias; Stiphout, Michelle; Janke, Robert; Witt, Regina Rigatto; Van Vliet-Brown, Cheryl; Schill, Kaela; Rostami, Mahnoush; Hepp, Shelanne; Birney, Arden; Al-Roubaiai, Fatima; Marques, Giselda Quintana

    2017-01-01

    Background: Despite far reaching support for integrated care, conceptualizing and measuring integrated care remains challenging. This knowledge synthesis aimed to identify indicator domains and tools to measure progress towards integrated care. Methods: We used an established framework and a Delphi survey with integration experts to identify relevant measurement domains. For each domain, we searched and reviewed the literature for relevant tools. Findings: From 7,133 abstracts, we retrieved 114 unique tools. We found many quality tools to measure care coordination, patient engagement and team effectiveness/performance. In contrast, there were few tools in the domains of performance measurement and information systems, alignment of organizational goals and resource allocation. The search yielded 12 tools that measure overall integration or three or more indicator domains. Discussion: Our findings highlight a continued gap in tools to measure foundational components that support integrated care. In the absence of such targeted tools, “overall integration” tools may be useful for a broad assessment of the overall state of a system. Conclusions: Continued progress towards integrated care depends on our ability to evaluate the success of strategies across different levels and context. This study has identified 114 tools that measure integrated care across 16 domains, supporting efforts towards a unified measurement framework. PMID:29588637

  16. Women-friendly Support Services and Work Performance: The Role ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    The study titled 'Women-friendly Support Services (WFFS) and Work Performance: The role of Marital Status', investigated the role of marital status in the work performance of female employees who are beneficiaries of Women friendly Support Services in work organizations. The study's participants consisted of a total of ...

  17. Supporting geoscience with graphical-user-interface Internet tools for the Macintosh

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robin, Bernard

    1995-07-01

    This paper describes a suite of Macintosh graphical-user-interface (GUI) software programs that can be used in conjunction with the Internet to support geoscience education. These software programs allow science educators to access and retrieve a large body of resources from an increasing number of network sites, taking advantage of the intuitive, simple-to-use Macintosh operating system. With these tools, educators easily can locate, download, and exchange not only text files but also sound resources, video movie clips, and software application files from their desktop computers. Another major advantage of these software tools is that they are available at no cost and may be distributed freely. The following GUI software tools are described including examples of how they can be used in an educational setting: ∗ Eudora—an e-mail program ∗ NewsWatcher—a newsreader ∗ TurboGopher—a Gopher program ∗ Fetch—a software application for easy File Transfer Protocol (FTP) ∗ NCSA Mosaic—a worldwide hypertext browsing program. An explosive growth of online archives currently is underway as new electronic sites are being added continuously to the Internet. Many of these resources may be of interest to science educators who learn they can share not only ASCII text files, but also graphic image files, sound resources, QuickTime movie clips, and hypermedia projects with colleagues from locations around the world. These powerful, yet simple to learn GUI software tools are providing a revolution in how knowledge can be accessed, retrieved, and shared.

  18. Perceived Breastfeeding Support Assessment Tool (PBSAT): development and testing of psychometric properties with Pakistani urban working mothers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirani, Shela Akbar Ali; Karmaliani, Rozina; Christie, Thomas; Parpio, Yasmin; Rafique, Ghazala

    2013-06-01

    breast feeding is an essential source of nutrition among young babies; however, in Pakistan a gradual decline in prevalence of breast feeding, especially among urban working mothers, has been reported. Previous studies among Pakistani urban working mothers have revealed that ensuring exclusivity and continuation of breast feeding is challenging if social and/or workplace environmental support is minimal or absent. This problem indicated a crucial need to assess availability of breast-feeding support for Pakistani urban working mothers by using a comprehensive, reliable, and validated tool in their national language (Urdu). to develop and test the psychometric properties of the 'Perceived Breastfeeding Support Assessment Tool' (PBSAT) that can gauge Pakistani urban working mothers' perceptions about breast-feeding support. this methodological research was undertaken in five phases. During phase I, a preliminary draft of the PBSAT was developed by using the Socio-ecological model, reviewing literature, and referring to two United States based tools. In Phase II, the instrument was evaluated by seven different experts, and, in Phase III, the instrument was revised, translated, and back translated. In Phase IV, the tool was pilot tested among 20 participants and then modified on the basis of statistical analysis. In Phase V, the refined instrument was tested on 200 breast-feeding working mothers recruited through purposive sampling from the government and private health-care settings in Karachi, Pakistan. Approvals were received from the Ethical Review Committees of the identified settings. the 29-item based PBSAT revealed an acceptable inter-rater reliability of 0.95, and an internal consistency reliability coefficient (Cronbach's alpha) of 0.85. A construct validity assessment through Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed that the PBSAT has two dimensions, 'workplace environmental support' (12 items; α=0.86) and 'social environmental support' (17 items; α=0.77). the

  19. A survey on the perceived need and value of decision-support tools for joint mitigation of air pollution and climate change in cities

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erika von Schneidemesser

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available Decision-support tools are increasingly popular for informing policy decisions linked to environmental issues. For example, a number of decision-support tools on transport planning provide information on expected effects of different measures (actions, policies, or interventions on air quality, often combined with information on noise pollution or mitigation costs. These tools range in complexity and scale of applicability, from city to international, and include one or several polluting sectors. However, evaluation of the need and utility of tools to support decisions on such linked issues is often lacking, especially for tools intended to support local authorities at the city scale. Here we assessed the need for and value of combining air pollution and climate change mitigation measures into one decision-support tool and the existing policy context in which such a tool might be used. We developed a prototype decision-support tool for evaluating measures for coordinated management of air quality and climate change; and administered a survey in which respondents used the prototype to answer questions about demand for such tools and requirements to make them useful. Additionally, the survey asked questions about participants’ awareness of linkages between air pollution and climate change that are crucial for considering synergies and trade-offs among mitigation measures. Participants showed a high understanding of the linkages between air pollution and climate change, especially recognizing that emissions of greenhouse gases and air pollutants come from the same source. Survey participants were: European, predominantly German; employed across a range of governmental, non-governmental and research organizations; and responsible for a diversity of issues, primarily involving climate change, air pollution or environment. Survey results showed a lack of awareness of decision-support tools and little implementation or regular use. However

  20. BASINs 4.0 Climate Assessment Tool (CAT): Supporting Documentation and User's Manual (Final Report)

    Science.gov (United States)

    EPA announced the availability of the report, BASINS 4.0 Climate Assessment Tool (CAT): Supporting Documentation and User's Manual. This report was prepared by the EPA's Global Change Research Program (GCRP), an assessment-oriented program, that sits within the Office of R...

  1. Chapter three Bridging the gaps between design and use: Developing tools to support environmental management and policy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    McIntosh, B.S.; Giupponi, C.; Voinov, A.A.; Smith, C.; Matthews, K.B.; Monticino, M.; Kolkman, M.J.; Crossman, N.; Ittersum, van M.K.; Haase, D.; Haase, A.; Mysiak, J.; Groot, J.C.J.; Sieber, S.; Verweij, P.; Quinn, N.; Waeger, P.; Gaber, N.; Hepting, D.; Scholten, H.; Sulis, A.; Delden, van H.; Gaddis, E.; Assaf, H.

    2008-01-01

    Integrated assessment models, decision support systems (DSS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are examples of a growing number of computer-based tools designed to provide decision and information support to people engaged in formulating and implementing environmental policy and management.

  2. Qualitative: Python Tool for MT Quality Estimation Supporting Server Mode and Hybrid MT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Avramidis Eleftherios

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available We are presenting the development contributions of the last two years to our Python opensource Quality Estimation tool, a tool that can function in both experiment-mode and online web-service mode. The latest version provides a new MT interface, which communicates with SMT and rule-based translation engines and supports on-the-fly sentence selection. Additionally, we present an improved Machine Learning interface allowing more efficient communication with several state-of-the-art toolkits. Additions also include a more informative training process, a Python re-implementation of QuEst baseline features, a new LM toolkit integration, an additional PCFG parser and alignments of syntactic nodes.

  3. Mediated Authentic Video: A Flexible Tool Supporting a Developmental Approach to Teacher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stutchbury, Kris; Woodward, Clare

    2017-01-01

    YouTube now has more searches than Google, indicating that video is a motivating and, potentially, powerful learning tool. This paper investigates how we can embrace video to support improvements in teacher education. It will draw on innovative approaches to teacher education, developed by the Open University UK, in order to explore in more depth…

  4. An Engineering Educator's Decision Support Tool for Improving Innovation in Student Design Projects

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ozaltin, Nur Ozge; Besterfield-Sacre, Mary; Clark, Renee M.

    2015-01-01

    Learning how to design innovatively is a critical process skill for undergraduate engineers in the 21st century. To this end, our paper discusses the development and validation of a Bayesian network decision support tool that can be used by engineering educators to make recommendations that positively impact the innovativeness of product designs.…

  5. Use of real-time tools to support field operations of NSF's Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daniels, M.; Stossmeister, G.; Johnson, E.; Martin, C.; Webster, C.; Dixon, M.; Maclean, G.

    2012-12-01

    NCAR's Earth Observing Laboratory (EOL) operates Lower Atmosphere Observing Facilities (LAOF) for the scientific community, under sponsorship of the National Science Foundation. In order to obtain the highest quality dataset during field campaigns, real-time decision-making critically depends on the availability of timely data and reliable communications between field operations staff and instrument operators. EOL incorporates the latest technologies to monitor the health of instrumentation, facilitate remote operations of instrumentation and keep project participants abreast of changing conditions in the field. As the availability of bandwidth on mobile communication networks and the capabilities of their associated devices (smart phone, tablets, etc.) improved, so has the ability of researchers to respond to rapidly changing conditions and coordinate ever more detailed measurements from multiple remote fixed, portable and airborne platforms. This presentation will describe several new tools that EOL is making available to project investigators and how these tools are being used in a mobile computing environment to support enhanced data collection during field campaigns. LAOF platforms such as radars, aircraft, sondes, balloons and surface stations all rely on displays of real-time data for their operations. Data from sondes are ingested into the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) for assimilation into regional forecasting models that help guide project operations. Since many of EOL's projects occur around the globe and at the same time instrument complexity has increased, automated monitoring of instrumentation platforms and systems has become essential. Tools are being developed to allow remote instrument control of our suite of observing systems where feasible. The Computing, Data and Software (CDS) Facility of EOL develops and supports a Field Catalog used in field campaigns for nearly two decades. Today, the Field Catalog serves as a hub for the

  6. Corrosion performance of tube support materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Malagola, P.

    1985-01-01

    The problem of denting in steam generators leads to change in the conception of the tube support plates. A new material is now used for this component, a 13% Cr steel, which composition has been adjusted for weldability and mechanical resistance criteria. The geometry of trefoil support plate (TSP) has also been improved, using a broached TSP (quadrifoiled holes) instead of a drilled TSP. Tests have been performed on 13% Cr and C-steel broached TSP, and drilled TSP, to confirm the better resistance to denting of this new configuration

  7. For Third Enrollment Period, Marketplaces Expand Decision Support Tools To Assist Consumers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Charlene A; Polsky, Daniel E; Jones, Arthur T; Weiner, Janet; Town, Robert J; Baker, Tom

    2016-04-01

    The design of the Affordable Care Act's online health insurance Marketplaces can improve how consumers make complex health plan choices. We examined the choice environment on the state-based Marketplaces and HealthCare.gov in the third open enrollment period. Compared to previous enrollment periods, we found greater adoption of some decision support tools, such as total cost estimators and integrated provider lookups. Total cost estimators differed in how they generated estimates: In some Marketplaces, consumers categorized their own utilization, while in others, consumers answered detailed questions and were assigned a utilization profile. The tools available before creating an account (in the window-shopping period) and afterward (in the real-shopping period) differed in several Marketplaces. For example, five Marketplaces provided total cost estimators to window shoppers, but only two provided them to real shoppers. Further research is needed on the impact of different choice environments and on which tools are most effective in helping consumers pick optimal plans. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  8. Comparative guide to emerging diagnostic tools for large commercial HVAC systems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Friedman, Hannah; Piette, Mary Ann

    2001-05-01

    This guide compares emerging diagnostic software tools that aid detection and diagnosis of operational problems for large HVAC systems. We have evaluated six tools for use with energy management control system (EMCS) or other monitoring data. The diagnostic tools summarize relevant performance metrics, display plots for manual analysis, and perform automated diagnostic procedures. Our comparative analysis presents nine summary tables with supporting explanatory text and includes sample diagnostic screens for each tool.

  9. Integrating decision support tools and environmental information systems: a case study on the Province of Milan

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bagli, S.; Pistocchi, A.; Mazzoli, P.; Valentini, P.

    2006-01-01

    The paper demonstrates an application of advanced decision support tools within the framework of the environmental information system of the Province of Milan. These tools include environmental simulation models, multi criteria analysis, risk analysis and environmental accounting for marketable emission permits. After describing the general structure of the system, three demonstrational case studies are introduced concerning: groundwater pollution management; atmospheric pollution management; urban environmental quality perception and management. In the conclusion, potential use of tools like the ones implemented by the province of Milan within the framework of Local Agenda 21 processes is recalled [it

  10. USING WIKIS AS A SUPPORT AND ASSESSMENT TOOL IN COLLABORATIVE DIGITAL GAME-BASED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yavuz SAMUR

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available In computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL environments, there are many researches done on collaborative learning activities; however, in game-based learning environments, more research and literature on collaborative learning activities are required. Actually, both game-based learning environments and wikis enable us to use new chances for learning, especially in collaborative learning activities. Therefore, in this paper, related literature on wikis and how game & instructional designers can leverage from wikis in game-based learning settings for enhancing students’ collaborative learning activities are examined. Based on the reviewed literature, two main suggestions are given in this paper with their underlying reasons. First, using wikis as a support tool for enhancing collaboration in digital game-based learning (DGBL environments, and second using wikis as an assessment tool in DGBL are suggested.

  11. A Decision Support Tool for Appropriate Glucose-Lowering Therapy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ampudia-Blasco, F Javier; Benhamou, Pierre Yves; Charpentier, Guillaume

    2014-01-01

    Abstract Background: Optimal glucose-lowering therapy in type 2 diabetes mellitus requires a patient-specific approach. Although a good framework, current guidelines are insufficiently detailed to address the different phenotypes and individual needs of patients seen in daily practice. We developed...... a patient-specific decision support tool based on a systematic analysis of expert opinion. Materials and Methods: Based on the American Diabetes Association (ADA)/European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2012 position statement, a panel of 12 European experts rated the appropriateness (RAND....... The panel recommendations were embedded in an online decision support tool (DiaScope(®); Novo Nordisk Health Care AG, Zürich, Switzerland). Results: Treatment appropriateness was associated with (combinations of) the patient variables mentioned above. As second-line agents, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors...

  12. A Contribution to Guide the Use of Support Tools for Technology Roadmapping: a Case Study in the Clothing Industry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cindy Johanna Ibarra González

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available This article presents guidelines regarding the use of tools to support technology roadmapping based on a case study of an exploratory and descriptive nature in a small company in the clothing sector. After introducing a systematic approach to technology roadmapping with their support tools, an empirical analysis is then presented of the application of the tools of the market layer – a questionnaire for consultation with the consumers and bibliographical research – and the business layer – SWOT matrix, through illustrative examples. Each tool was analyzed in relation to the complexity, time, cost of implementation, relevance and quality of the resulting information, the most common problems associated with their use. Here we show that the tools of the market layer proved to be easiest to use when compared with the tools of business layer, varying the time required, but involving, in general, a low cost in its application to obtain relevant and quality results for the development of the roadmap. Based on the results, general guidelines for the use of these tools to assist in the process of technology roadmapping were established as well as a comparison between the tools.

  13. Decision support tools for collaborative marine spatial planning: identifying potential sites for tidal energy devices around the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janssen, R.; Arciniegas, G.A.; Alexander, K.A.

    2015-01-01

    The expansion of offshore renewable energy production, such as wind, wave and tidal energy, is likely to lead to conflict between different users of the sea. Two types of spatial decision support tools were developed to support stakeholder workshops. A value mapping tool combines regional attributes

  14. New tools for an old trade: a socio-technical appraisal of how electronic decision support is used by primary care practitioners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peiris, David; Usherwood, Tim; Weeramanthri, Tarun; Cass, Alan; Patel, Anushka

    2011-11-01

    This article explores Australian general practitioners' (GPs) views on a novel electronic decision support (EDS) tool being developed for cardiovascular disease management. We use Timmermans and Berg's technology-in-practice approach to examine how technologies influence and are influenced by the social networks in which they are placed. In all, 21 general practitioners who piloted the tool were interviewed. The tool occupied an ill-defined middle ground in a dialectical relationship between GPs' routine care and factors promoting best practice. Drawing on Lipsky's concept of 'street-level bureaucrats', the tool's ability to process workloads expeditiously was of greatest appeal to GPs. This feature of the tool gave it the potential to alter the structure, process and content of healthcare encounters. The credibility of EDS tools appears to be mediated by fluid notions of best practice, based on an expert scrutiny of the evidence, synthesis via authoritative guidelines and dissemination through trusted and often informal networks. Balanced against this is the importance of 'soft' forms of knowledge such as intuition and timing in everyday decision-making. This resonates with Aristotle's theory of phronesis (practical wisdom) and may render EDS tools inconsequential if they merely process biomedical data. While EDS tools show promise in improving health practitioner performance, the socio-technical dimensions of their implementation warrant careful consideration. © 2011 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2011 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

  15. Longitudinal adoption rates of complex decision support tools in primary care.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCullagh, Lauren; Mann, Devin; Rosen, Lisa; Kannry, Joseph; McGinn, Thomas

    2014-12-01

    Translating research findings into practice promises to standardise care. Translation includes the integration of evidence-based guidelines at the point of care, discerning the best methods to disseminate research findings and models to sustain the implementation of best practices.By applying usability testing to clinical decision support(CDS) design, overall adoption rates of 60% can be realised.What has not been examined is how long adoption rates are sustained and the characteristics associated with long-term use. We conducted secondary analysis to decipher the factors impacting sustained use of CD Stools. This study was a secondary data analysis from a clinical trial conducted at an academic institution in New York City. Study data was identified patients electronic health records (EHR). The trial was to test the implementation of an integrated clinical prediction rule(iCPR) into the EHR. The primary outcome variable was iCPR tool acceptance of the tool. iCPR tool completion and iCPR smartest completion were additional outcome variables of interest. The secondary aim was to examine user characteristics associated with iCPR tool use in later time periods. Characteristics of interest included age, resident year, use of electronic health records (yes/no) and use of best practice alerts (BPA) (yes/no). Generalised linear mixed models (GLiMM) were used to compare iCPR use over time for each outcome of interest: namely, iCPR acceptance, iCPR completion and iCPR smartset completion.GLiMM was also used to examine resident characteristics associated with iCPR tool use in later time periods; specifically, intermediate and long-term (ie, 90+days). The tool was accepted, on average, 82.18% in the first 90 days (short-term period). The use decreases to 56.07% and 45.61% in intermediate and long-term time periods, respectively. There was a significant association between iCPR tool completion and time periods(pknowledge of the clinical prediction rule, or gained clinical

  16. Framework to parameterize and validate APEX to support deployment of the nutrient tracking tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guidelines have been developed to parameterize and validate the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) to support the Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT). This follow-up paper presents 1) a case study to illustrate how the developed guidelines are applied in a headwater watershed located in cent...

  17. Next-Generation Ion Thruster Design Tool to Support Future Space Missions, Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Computational tools that accurately predict the performance of electric propulsion devices are highly desirable and beneficial to NASA and the broader electric...

  18. Technologies as Support Tools for Persons with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nuria Aresti-Bartolome

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available This study analyzes the technologies most widely used to work on areas affected by the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD. Technologies can focus on the strengths and weaknesses of this disorder as they make it possible to create controlled environments, reducing the anxiety produced by real social situations. Extensive research has proven the efficiency of technologies as support tools for therapy and their acceptation by ASD sufferers and the people who are with them on a daily basis. This article is organized by the types of systems developed: virtual reality applications, telehealth systems, social robots and dedicated applications, all of which are classified by the areas they center on: communication, social learning and imitation skills and other ASD-associated conditions. 40.5% of the research conducted is found to be focused on communication as opposed to 37.8% focused on learning and social imitation skills and 21.6% which underlines problems associated with this disorder. Although most of the studies reveal how useful these tools are in therapy, they are generic tools for ASD sufferers in general, which means there is a lack of personalised tools to meet each person’s needs.

  19. Technologies as Support Tools for Persons with Autistic Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aresti-Bartolome, Nuria; Garcia-Zapirain, Begonya

    2014-01-01

    This study analyzes the technologies most widely used to work on areas affected by the Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Technologies can focus on the strengths and weaknesses of this disorder as they make it possible to create controlled environments, reducing the anxiety produced by real social situations. Extensive research has proven the efficiency of technologies as support tools for therapy and their acceptation by ASD sufferers and the people who are with them on a daily basis. This article is organized by the types of systems developed: virtual reality applications, telehealth systems, social robots and dedicated applications, all of which are classified by the areas they center on: communication, social learning and imitation skills and other ASD-associated conditions. 40.5% of the research conducted is found to be focused on communication as opposed to 37.8% focused on learning and social imitation skills and 21.6% which underlines problems associated with this disorder. Although most of the studies reveal how useful these tools are in therapy, they are generic tools for ASD sufferers in general, which means there is a lack of personalised tools to meet each person’s needs. PMID:25093654

  20. Dynamic Management of Releases for the Delaware River Basin using NYC's Operations Support Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weiss, W.; Wang, L.; Murphy, T.; Muralidhar, D.; Tarrier, B.

    2011-12-01

    The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has initiated design of an Operations Support Tool (OST), a state-of-the-art decision support system to provide computational and predictive support for water supply operations and planning. Using an interim version of OST, DEP and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) have developed a provisional, one-year Delaware River Basin reservoir release program to succeed the existing Flexible Flow Management Program (FFMP) which expired on May 31, 2011. The FFMP grew out of the Good Faith Agreement of 1983 among the four Basin states (New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware) that established modified diversions and flow targets during drought conditions. It provided a set of release schedules as a framework for managing diversions and releases from New York City's Delaware Basin reservoirs in order to support multiple objectives, including water supply, drought mitigation, flood mitigation, tailwaters fisheries, main stem habitat, recreation, and salinity repulsion. The provisional program (OST-FFMP) defines available water based on current Upper Delaware reservoir conditions and probabilistic forecasts of reservoir inflow. Releases are then set based on a set of release schedules keyed to the water availability. Additionally, OST-FFMP attempts to provide enhanced downstream flood protection by making spill mitigation releases to keep the Delaware System reservoirs at a seasonally varying conditional storage objective. The OST-FFMP approach represents a more robust way of managing downstream releases, accounting for predicted future hydrologic conditions by making more water available for release when conditions are forecasted to be wet and protecting water supply reliability when conditions are forecasted to be dry. Further, the dynamic nature of the program allows the release decision to be adjusted as hydrologic conditions change. OST simulations predict that this

  1. Tooling apparatus for modifying nuclear reactors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gallo, F.G.; Swenson, C.E.; Bencloski, W.A.; Cassette, A.J.; Mano, J.L.; Parlak, E.A.

    1990-01-01

    This patent describes support apparatus for supporting and selectively locating a tool with respect to its work piece, and the work piece having first and second dimensions. It comprises a tool carriage for receiving the tool; a support structure for supporting and guiding the tool carriage with respect to the workpiece; first drive means mounted on the support structure and coupled to the tool carriage for selectively driving the tool carriage along the first dimension; rail means mounted on the tool carriage along the second dimension; a support table mounted for movement along the rail means; second drive means mounted on the tool carriage selectively driving the tool along the second dimension, the second drive means mounted on the support table and engaging the tool carriage to drive the support table along the rail means, whereby the tool may be accurately positioned with respect to the work piece; and clamp means affixed to the support structure for engaging work piece for suspending the support structure

  2. Testing an Irrigation Decision Support Tool for California Specialty Crops

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, L.; Cahn, M.; Benzen, S.; Zaragoza, I.; Murphy, L.; Melton, F. S.; Martin, F.; Quackenbush, A.; Lockhart, T.

    2015-12-01

    Estimation of crop evapotranspiration supports efficiency of irrigation water management, which in turn can mitigate nitrate leaching, groundwater depletion, and provide energy savings. Past research in California and elsewhere has revealed strong relationships between photosynthetically active vegetation fraction (Fc) and crop evapotranspiration (ETc). Additional research has shown the potential of monitoring Fc by satellite remote sensing. The U.C. Cooperative Extension developed and operates CropManage (CM) as on-line database irrigation (and nitrogen) scheduling tool. CM accounts for the rapid growth and typically brief cycle of cool-season vegetables, where Fc and fraction of reference ET can change daily during canopy development. The model automates crop water requirement calculations based on reference ET data collected by California Dept. Water Resources. Empirically-derived equations are used to estimate daily Fc time-series for a given crop type primarily as a function of planting date and expected harvest date. An application programming interface (API) is under development to provide a check on modeled Fc of current crops and facilitate CM expansion to new crops. The API will enable CM to extract field scale Fc observations from NASA's Satellite Irrigation Management Support (SIMS). SIMS is mainly Landsat based and currently monitors Fc over about 8 million irrigation acres statewide, with potential for adding data from ESA/Sentinel for improved temporal resolution. In the current study, a replicated irrigation trial was performed on romaine lettuce at the USDA Agricultural Research Station in Salinas, CA. CropManage recommendations were used to guide water treatments by drip irrigation at 50%, 75%, 100% ETc replacement levels, with an added treatment at 150% ET representing grower standard practice. Experimental results indicate that yields from the 100% and 150% treatments were not significantly different and were in-line with industry average, while

  3. A Fast Tool for Assessing the Power Performance of Large WEC arrays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ruiz, Pau Mercadé

    In the present work, a tool for computing wave energy converter array hydrodynamic forces and power performance is developed. The tool leads to a significant reduction on computation time compared with standard boundary element method based codes while keeping similar levels of accuracy. This mak...... it suitable for array layout optimization, where large numbers of simulations are required. Furthermore, the tool is developed within an open-source environment such as Python 2.7 so that it is fully accessible to anyone willing to make use of it....

  4. The Effects of Literacy Support Tools on the Comprehension of Informational e-Books and Print-Based Text

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herman, Heather A.

    2017-01-01

    This mixed methods research explores the effects of literacy support tools to support comprehension strategies when reading informational e-books and print-based text with 14 first-grade students. This study focused on the following comprehension strategies: annotating connections, annotating "I wonders," and looking back in the text.…

  5. Design and Testing of an EHR-Integrated, Busulfan Pharmacokinetic Decision Support Tool for the Point-of-Care Clinician.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susan M. Abdel-Rahman

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Busulfan demonstrates a narrow therapeutic index for which clinicians routinely employ therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM. However, operationalizing TDM can be fraught with inefficiency. We developed and tested software encoding a clinical decision support tool (DST that is embedded into our electronic health record (EHR and designed to streamline the TDM process for our oncology partners. METHODS: Our development strategy was modeled based on the features associated with successful DSTs. An initial Requirements Analysis was performed to characterize tasks, information flow, user needs, and system requirements to enable push/pull from the EHR. Back-end development was coded based on the algorithm used when manually performing busulfan TDM. The code was independently validated in MATLAB using 10,000 simulated patient profiles. A 296-item heuristic checklist was used to guide design of the front-end user interface. Content experts and end-users (n=28 were recruited to participate in traditional usability testing under an IRB approved protocol. RESULTS: Decision support software was developed to systematically walk the point-of-care clinician through the TDM process. The system is accessed through the EHR which transparently imports all of the requisite patient data. Data are visually inspected and then curve fit using a model-dependent approach. Quantitative goodness-of-fit are converted to single tachometer where green alerts the user that the model is strong, yellow signals caution and red indicates that there may be a problem with the fitting. Override features are embedded to permit application of a model-independent approach where appropriate. Simulations are performed to target a desired exposure or dose as entered by the clinician and the DST pushes the user approved recommendation back into the EHR. Usability testers were highly satisfied with our DST and quickly became proficient with the software.CONCLUSIONS: With early and

  6. Usability Testing of a Complex Clinical Decision Support Tool in the Emergency Department: Lessons Learned.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Press, Anne; McCullagh, Lauren; Khan, Sundas; Schachter, Andy; Pardo, Salvatore; McGinn, Thomas

    2015-09-10

    As the electronic health record (EHR) becomes the preferred documentation tool across medical practices, health care organizations are pushing for clinical decision support systems (CDSS) to help bring clinical decision support (CDS) tools to the forefront of patient-physician interactions. A CDSS is integrated into the EHR and allows physicians to easily utilize CDS tools. However, often CDSS are integrated into the EHR without an initial phase of usability testing, resulting in poor adoption rates. Usability testing is important because it evaluates a CDSS by testing it on actual users. This paper outlines the usability phase of a study, which will test the impact of integration of the Wells CDSS for pulmonary embolism (PE) diagnosis into a large urban emergency department, where workflow is often chaotic and high stakes decisions are frequently made. We hypothesize that conducting usability testing prior to integration of the Wells score into an emergency room EHR will result in increased adoption rates by physicians. The objective of the study was to conduct usability testing for the integration of the Wells clinical prediction rule into a tertiary care center's emergency department EHR. We conducted usability testing of a CDS tool in the emergency department EHR. The CDS tool consisted of the Wells rule for PE in the form of a calculator and was triggered off computed tomography (CT) orders or patients' chief complaint. The study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in Queens, New York. There were seven residents that were recruited and participated in two phases of usability testing. The usability testing employed a "think aloud" method and "near-live" clinical simulation, where care providers interacted with standardized patients enacting a clinical scenario. Both phases were audiotaped, video-taped, and had screen-capture software activated for onscreen recordings. Phase I: Data from the "think-aloud" phase of the study showed an overall positive outlook on

  7. Using the Eclipse Parallel Tools Platform to Assist Earth Science Model Development and Optimization on High Performance Computers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alameda, J. C.

    2011-12-01

    Development and optimization of computational science models, particularly on high performance computers, and with the advent of ubiquitous multicore processor systems, practically on every system, has been accomplished with basic software tools, typically, command-line based compilers, debuggers, performance tools that have not changed substantially from the days of serial and early vector computers. However, model complexity, including the complexity added by modern message passing libraries such as MPI, and the need for hybrid code models (such as openMP and MPI) to be able to take full advantage of high performance computers with an increasing core count per shared memory node, has made development and optimization of such codes an increasingly arduous task. Additional architectural developments, such as many-core processors, only complicate the situation further. In this paper, we describe how our NSF-funded project, "SI2-SSI: A Productive and Accessible Development Workbench for HPC Applications Using the Eclipse Parallel Tools Platform" (WHPC) seeks to improve the Eclipse Parallel Tools Platform, an environment designed to support scientific code development targeted at a diverse set of high performance computing systems. Our WHPC project to improve Eclipse PTP takes an application-centric view to improve PTP. We are using a set of scientific applications, each with a variety of challenges, and using PTP to drive further improvements to both the scientific application, as well as to understand shortcomings in Eclipse PTP from an application developer perspective, to drive our list of improvements we seek to make. We are also partnering with performance tool providers, to drive higher quality performance tool integration. We have partnered with the Cactus group at Louisiana State University to improve Eclipse's ability to work with computational frameworks and extremely complex build systems, as well as to develop educational materials to incorporate into

  8. Assessment of sorghum-cowpea intercrop system under water-limited conditions using a decision support tool

    OpenAIRE

    Chimonyo, VGP; Modi, AT; Mabhaudhi, T

    2016-01-01

    Intercropping can improve crop productivity through increased water use efficiency (WUE). However, limited information exists to support its adoption and subsequent management. In such instances, crop models can be used as decision support tools to complement data from field trials. The Agricultural Production Systems Simulator Model (APSIM) was used to develop best management practices for improved yield and WUE for a sorghum-cowpea intercrop system for 5 sites in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa...

  9. Innovative Tools for Water Quality/Quantity Management: New York City's Operations Support Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, L.; Schaake, J. C.; Day, G. N.; Porter, J.; Sheer, D. P.; Pyke, G.

    2011-12-01

    The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) manages New York City's water supply, which is comprised of over 20 reservoirs and supplies more than 1 billion gallons of water per day to over 9 million customers. Recently, DEP has initiated design of an Operations Support Tool (OST), a state-of-the-art decision support system to provide computational and predictive support for water supply operations and planning. This presentation describes the technical structure of OST, including the underlying water supply and water quality models, data sources and database management, reservoir inflow forecasts, and the functionalities required to meet the needs of a diverse group of end users. OST is a major upgrade of DEP's current water supply - water quality model, developed to evaluate alternatives for controlling turbidity in NYC's Catskill reservoirs. While the current model relies on historical hydrologic and meteorological data, OST can be driven by forecasted future conditions. It will receive a variety of near-real-time data from a number of sources. OST will support two major types of simulations: long-term, for evaluating policy or infrastructure changes over an extended period of time; and short-term "position analysis" (PA) simulations, consisting of multiple short simulations, all starting from the same initial conditions. Typically, the starting conditions for a PA run will represent those for the current day and traces of forecasted hydrology will drive the model for the duration of the simulation period. The result of these simulations will be a distribution of future system states based on system operating rules and the range of input ensemble streamflow predictions. DEP managers will analyze the output distributions and make operation decisions using risk-based metrics such as probability of refill. Currently, in the developmental stages of OST, forecasts are based on antecedent hydrologic conditions and are statistical in nature. The

  10. "Research Tools": Tools for supporting research and publications

    OpenAIRE

    Ebrahim, Nader Ale

    2014-01-01

    “Research Tools” can be defined as vehicles that broadly facilitate research and related activities. “Research Tools” enable researchers to collect, organize, analyze, visualize and publicized research outputs. Dr. Nader has collected over 700 tools that enable students to follow the correct path in research and to ultimately produce high-quality research outputs with more accuracy and efficiency. It is assembled as an interactive Web-based mind map, titled “Research Tools”, which is updated ...

  11. Columbus stowage optimization by cast (cargo accommodation support tool)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fasano, G.; Saia, D.; Piras, A.

    2010-08-01

    A challenging issue related to the International Space Station utilization concerns the on-board stowage, implying a strong impact on habitability, safety and crew productivity. This holds in particular for the European Columbus laboratory, nowadays also utilized to provide the station with logistic support. The volume exploitation has to be maximized, in compliance with the given accommodation rules. At each upload step, the stowage problem must be solved quickly and efficiently. This leads to the comparison of different scenarios to select the most suitable one. Last minute upgrades, due to possible re-planning, may, moreover arise, imposing the further capability to rapidly readapt the current solution to the updated status. In this context, looking into satisfactory solutions represents a very demanding job, even for experienced designers. Thales Alenia Space Italia has achieved a remarkable expertise in the field of cargo accommodation and stowage. The company has recently developed CAST, a dedicated in-house software tool, to support the cargo accommodation of the European automated transfer vehicle. An ad hoc version, tailored to the Columbus stowage, has been further implemented and is going to be used from now on. This paper surveys the on-board stowage issue, pointing out the advantages of the proposed approach.

  12. Comparative guide to emerging diagnostic tools for large commercial HVAC systems; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Friedman, Hannah; Piette, Mary Ann

    2001-01-01

    This guide compares emerging diagnostic software tools that aid detection and diagnosis of operational problems for large HVAC systems. We have evaluated six tools for use with energy management control system (EMCS) or other monitoring data. The diagnostic tools summarize relevant performance metrics, display plots for manual analysis, and perform automated diagnostic procedures. Our comparative analysis presents nine summary tables with supporting explanatory text and includes sample diagnostic screens for each tool

  13. Design of the ITER tokamak assembly tools

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Hyunki [National Fusion Research Institute, 52 Eoeun-Dong, Yuseong-Gu, Daejon 305-333 (Korea, Republic of)], E-mail: hkpark@nfri.re.kr; Lee, Jaehyuk; Kim, Taehyung [SFA Engineering Corp., 42-7 Palyong-dong, Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do 641-847 (Korea, Republic of); Song, Yunju [National Fusion Research Institute, 52 Eoeun-Dong, Yuseong-Gu, Daejon 305-333 (Korea, Republic of); Im, Kihak [ITER Organization, CEA Cadarasche, 13108 Saint Paul-lez-Durance (France); Kim, Byungchul; Lee, Hyeongon; Jung, Ki-Jung [National Fusion Research Institute, 52 Eoeun-Dong, Yuseong-Gu, Daejon 305-333 (Korea, Republic of)

    2008-12-15

    ITER tokamak assembly is mainly composed of lower cryostat activities, sector sub-assembly, sector assembly, in-vessel activities and ex-vessel activities. The main tools for sector sub-assembly procedures consists of upending tool, sector lifting tool, vacuum vessel support and bracing tool and sector sub-assembly tool. Conceptual design of assembly tools for sector sub-assembly procedures is described herein. The basic structure for upending tool has been developed under the assumption that upending is performed with crane which will be installed in Tokamak building. Sector lifting tool is designed to adjust the position of a sector to minimize the difference between the center of the tokamak building crane and the center of gravity of the sector. Sector sub-assembly tool is composed of special frame for the fine adjustment of position control with 6 degrees of freedom. The design of VV support and bracing tool for four kinds of VV 40 deg. sectors has been developed. Also, structural analysis for upending tool, sector sub-assembly tool has been studied using ANSYS for the situation of an applied load with the same dead weight multiplied by 3/4. The results of structural analyses for these tools were below the allowable values.

  14. How to define the tool kit for the corrective maintenance service? : a tool kit definition model under the service performance criterion

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chen, Denise

    2009-01-01

    Currently, the rule of defining tool kits is varied and more engineer's aspects oriented. However, the decision of the tool kit's definition is a trade-off problem between the cost and the service performance. This project is designed to develop a model that can integrate the engineer's preferences

  15. Performance Support Systems: Integrating AI, Hypermedia, and CBT to Enhance User Performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGraw, Karen L.

    1994-01-01

    Examines the use of a performance support system (PSS) to enhance user performance on an operational system. Highlights include background information that describes the stimulus for PSS development; discussion of the major PSS components and the technology they require; and discussion of the design of a PSS for a complex database system.…

  16. Method and apparatus for characterizing and enhancing the functional performance of machine tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barkman, William E; Babelay, Jr., Edwin F; Smith, Kevin Scott; Assaid, Thomas S; McFarland, Justin T; Tursky, David A; Woody, Bethany; Adams, David

    2013-04-30

    Disclosed are various systems and methods for assessing and improving the capability of a machine tool. The disclosure applies to machine tools having at least one slide configured to move along a motion axis. Various patterns of dynamic excitation commands are employed to drive the one or more slides, typically involving repetitive short distance displacements. A quantification of a measurable merit of machine tool response to the one or more patterns of dynamic excitation commands is typically derived for the machine tool. Examples of measurable merits of machine tool performance include workpiece surface finish, and the ability to generate chips of the desired length.

  17. Visiting Vehicle Ground Trajectory Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamm, Dustin

    2013-01-01

    The International Space Station (ISS) Visiting Vehicle Group needed a targeting tool for vehicles that rendezvous with the ISS. The Visiting Vehicle Ground Trajectory targeting tool provides the ability to perform both realtime and planning operations for the Visiting Vehicle Group. This tool provides a highly reconfigurable base, which allows the Visiting Vehicle Group to perform their work. The application is composed of a telemetry processing function, a relative motion function, a targeting function, a vector view, and 2D/3D world map type graphics. The software tool provides the ability to plan a rendezvous trajectory for vehicles that visit the ISS. It models these relative trajectories using planned and realtime data from the vehicle. The tool monitors ongoing rendezvous trajectory relative motion, and ensures visiting vehicles stay within agreed corridors. The software provides the ability to update or re-plan a rendezvous to support contingency operations. Adding new parameters and incorporating them into the system was previously not available on-the-fly. If an unanticipated capability wasn't discovered until the vehicle was flying, there was no way to update things.

  18. A decision support tool for sustainable supplier selection in manufacturing firms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ifeyinwa Orji

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Most original equipment manufacturers (OEMs are strategically involved in supplier base rationalization and increased consciousness of sustainable development thus, reinforcing need for accurately considering sustainability in supplier selection to improve organizational performance. In real industrial case, imprecise data, ambiguity of human judgment, uncertainty among sustainability factors and the need to capture all subjective and objective criteria are unavoidable and pose huge challenge to accurately incorporate sustainability factors into supplier selection.Methodology: This study develops a model based on integrated multi- criteria decision making (MCDM methods to solve such problems. The developed model applies Fuzzy logic, DEMATEL and TOPSIS to effectively analyze the interdependencies between sustainability criteria and to select the best sustainable supplier in fuzzy environment while capturing all subjective and objective criteria. A case study is illustrated to test the proposed model in a gear manufacturing company, an OEM to provide insights and for practical applications.Findings: Results show that social factors of sustainability ranks as the most important in supplier selection. However, the most influential sustainability sub- criteria are work safety (WS and quality.Originality/Value: The model is capable of capturing all subjective and objective criteria in fuzzy environment to accurately incorporate sustainability factors in supplier selection. It is decision support tool relevant for providing insights to managers while implementing sustainable supplier selection.

  19. TENTube: A Video-based Connection Tool Supporting Competence Development

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Albert A Angehrn

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available The vast majority of knowledge management initiatives fail because they do not take sufficiently into account the emotional, psychological and social needs of individuals. Only if users see real value for themselves will they actively use and contribute their own knowledge to the system, and engage with other users. Connection dynamics can make this easier, and even enjoyable, by connecting people and bringing them closer through shared experiences such as playing a game together. A higher connectedness of people to other people, and to relevant knowledge assets, will motivate them to participate more actively and increase system usage. In this paper, we describe the design of TENTube, a video-based connection tool we are developing to support competence development. TENTube integrates rich profiling and network visualization and navigation with agent-enhanced game-like connection dynamics.

  20. Human performance tools in nuclear power plants. Introduction, implementation and experiences; Human Performance Tools in Kernkraftwerken. Einfuehrung, Umsetzung und Erfahrungen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dexheimer, Kai; Bassing, Gerd [Dexcon Consulting GmbH, Neuhausen (Switzerland); Kreuzer, Peter [E.ON Kernkraft GmbH, Essenbach (Germany). Kernkraftwerk Isar

    2015-06-01

    The basis of safe nuclear power plant operation (NPP) and a strong safety culture is the professional application of Human Performance Optimisation Tools (HPO). HPO trainings have been carried out by German NPPs for a number of years and recently also by Swiss NPPs. This article describes the origination, the bases, experiences and thereby the special features of the HPO training programme applied by German NPP operators. Moreover, this article provides an outlook on future developments - in particular when considering the requirements of the ongoing phase out of nuclear energy in Germany.

  1. A study of the feasibility of using standards of performance funding to support investment in active solar heating systems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    1999-01-01

    This report summarises the results of studies examining the feasibility of starting Standards of Performance (SOP) programmes to support investment in solar heating systems and develop tools for helping the implementation of the programmes. The background to the project is traced, and the scope for an active solar heating SOP scheme, the market potential for the SOP schemes in Great Britain, and the purchasing of the associated hardware within the SOP scheme are examined. (UK)

  2. Issues on the Development and Application of Computer Tools to Support Product Structuring and Configuring

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Claus Thorp; Riitahuhta, A.

    2001-01-01

    The aim of this article is to make a balance on the results and challenges in the efforts to develop computer tools to support product structuring and configuring in product development projects. The balance will be made in two dimensions, a design science and an industrial dimension. The design ...... that there are large positive effects to be gained for industrial companies by conscious implementing computer tools based on the results of design science. The positive effects will be measured by e.g. predictable product quality, reduced lead time, and reuse of design solutions....

  3. A flexible tool for hydraulic and water quality performance analysis of green infrastructure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Massoudieh, A.; Alikhani, J.

    2017-12-01

    Models that allow for design considerations of green infrastructure (GI) practices to control stormwater runoff and associated contaminants have received considerable attention in recent years. To be used to evaluate the effect design configurations on the long-term performance of GIs, models should be able to consider processes within GIs with good fidelity. In this presentation, a sophisticated, yet flexible tool for hydraulic and water quality assessment of GIs will be introduced. The tool can be used by design engineers and researchers to capture and explore the effect of design factors and properties of the media employed in the performance of GI systems at a relatively small scale. We deemed it essential to have a flexible GI modeling tool that is capable of simulating GI system components and specific biogeochemical processes affecting contaminants such as evapotranspiration, plant uptake, reactions, and particle-associated transport accurately while maintaining a high degree of flexibility to account for the myriad of GI alternatives. The mathematical framework for a stand-alone GI performance assessment tool has been developed and will be demonstrated. The process-based model framework developed here can be used to model a diverse range of GI practices such as stormwater ponds, green roofs, retention ponds, bioretention systems, infiltration trench, permeable pavement and other custom-designed combinatory systems. An example of the application of the system to evaluate the performance of a rain-garden system will be demonstrated.

  4. Optimizing the ASC WAN: evaluating network performance tools for comparing transport protocols.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lydick, Christopher L.

    2007-07-01

    The Advanced Simulation & Computing Wide Area Network (ASC WAN), which is a high delay-bandwidth network connection between US Department of Energy National Laboratories, is constantly being examined and evaluated for efficiency. One of the current transport-layer protocols which is used, TCP, was developed for traffic demands which are different from that on the ASC WAN. The Stream Control Transport Protocol (SCTP), on the other hand, has shown characteristics which make it more appealing to networks such as these. Most important, before considering a replacement for TCP on any network, a testing tool that performs well against certain criteria needs to be found. In order to try to find such a tool, two popular networking tools (Netperf v.2.4.3 & v.2.4.6 (OpenSS7 STREAMS), and Iperf v.2.0.6) were tested. These tools implement both TCP and SCTP and were evaluated using four metrics: (1) How effectively can the tool reach a throughput near the bandwidth? (2) How much of the CPU does the tool utilize during operation? (3) Is the tool freely and widely available? And, (4) Is the tool actively developed? Following the analysis of those tools, this paper goes further into explaining some recommendations and ideas for future work.

  5. Can social support work virtually? Evaluation of rheumatoid arthritis patients' experiences with an interactive online tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kostova, Zlatina; Caiata-Zufferey, Maria; Schulz, Peter J

    2015-01-01

    There is strong empirical evidence that the support that chronic patients receive from their environment is fundamental for the way they cope with physical and psychological suffering. Nevertheless, in the case of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), providing the appropriate social support is still a challenge, and such support has often proven to be elusive and unreliable in helping patients to manage the disease. To explore whether and how social support for RA patients can be provided online, and to assess the conditions under which such support is effective. An online support tool was designed to provide patients with both tailored information and opportunities to interact online with health professionals and fellow sufferers. The general purpose was to identify where the support provided did - or did not - help patients, and to judge whether the determinants of success lay more within patients - their engagement and willingness to participate - or within the design of the website itself. The present study reports qualitative interviews with 19 users of the tool. A more specific purpose was to elaborate qualitatively on results from a quantitative survey of users, which indicated that any positive impact was confined to practical matters of pain management rather than extending to more fundamental psychological outcomes such as acceptance. Overall, online learning and interaction can do much to help patients with the everyday stresses of their disease; however, its potential for more durable positive impact depends on various individual characteristics such as personality traits, existing social networks, and the severity and longevity of the disease.

  6. Eddy current NDE performance demonstrations using simulation tools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maurice, L.; Costan, V.; Guillot, E.; Thomas, P.

    2013-01-01

    To carry out performance demonstrations of the Eddy-Current NDE processes applied on French nuclear power plants, EDF studies the possibility of using simulation tools as an alternative to measurements on steam generator tube mocks-up. This paper focuses on the strategy led by EDF to assess and use code C armel3D and Civa, on the case of Eddy-Current NDE on wears problem which may appear in the U-shape region of steam generator tubes due to the rubbing of anti-vibration bars.

  7. WEB 2.0 TOOLS FOR SUPPORTING TEACHING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Angelos KONSTANTINIDIS

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Web 2.0 tools provide enormous opportunities for teaching and learning, yet their application in education is still underdeveloped. What is more, it is no longer possible for teachers to ignore such a technological advance, while they are expected to provide students with opportunities to take control of their learning. However, teachers are still reluctant with technology integration. This paper introduces four Web 2.0 tools; Blogger, StripGenerator, Go!Animate, and Google Forms, that are free and easy to use, in an effort to motivate teachers with low technological skills in integrating them into their instruction practices. The aforementioned tools comprised the curriculum in a blended-learning professional development course for in-service teachers and attracted many favourable comments from the participants.

  8. Teachers' Opinion Survey on the Use of ICT Tools to Support Attendance-Based Teaching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro Sanchez, Jose Juan; Aleman, Elena Chirino

    2011-01-01

    The present paper reports on the results obtained from a teachers' opinion survey on the use of ICT tools to support of attendance-based teaching. In order to carry out this study, it was necessary to design a questionnaire to collect data among all in-service teachers with access to the university virtual campus. The findings show that…

  9. A Web-Based Treatment Decision Support Tool for Patients With Advanced Knee Arthritis: Evaluation of User Interface and Content Design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zheng, Hua; Rosal, Milagros C; Li, Wenjun; Borg, Amy; Yang, Wenyun; Ayers, David C; Franklin, Patricia D

    2018-04-30

    Data-driven surgical decisions will ensure proper use and timing of surgical care. We developed a Web-based patient-centered treatment decision and assessment tool to guide treatment decisions among patients with advanced knee osteoarthritis who are considering total knee replacement surgery. The aim of this study was to examine user experience and acceptance of the Web-based treatment decision support tool among older adults. User-centered formative and summative evaluations were conducted for the tool. A sample of 28 patients who were considering total knee replacement participated in the study. Participants' responses to the user interface design, the clarity of information, as well as usefulness, satisfaction, and acceptance of the tool were collected through qualitative (ie, individual patient interviews) and quantitative (ie, standardized Computer System Usability Questionnaire) methods. Participants were older adults with a mean age of 63 (SD 11) years. Three-quarters of them had no technical questions using the tool. User interface design recommendations included larger fonts, bigger buttons, less colors, simpler navigation without extra "next page" click, less mouse movement, and clearer illustrations with simple graphs. Color-coded bar charts and outcome-specific graphs with positive action were easiest for them to understand the outcomes data. Questionnaire data revealed high satisfaction with the tool usefulness and interface quality, and also showed ease of use of the tool, regardless of age or educational status. We evaluated the usability of a patient-centered decision support tool designed for advanced knee arthritis patients to facilitate their knee osteoarthritis treatment decision making. The lessons learned can inform other decision support tools to improve interface and content design for older patients' use. ©Hua Zheng, Milagros C Rosal, Wenjun Li, Amy Borg, Wenyun Yang, David C Ayers, Patricia D Franklin. Originally published in JMIR Human

  10. Exploring the Knowledge Management Index as a Performance Diagnostic Tool

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jakov Crnkovic

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available The knowledge management index (KMI has been proposed as a parsimonious and useful tool to help organizations gauge their knowledge management (KM capabilities. This may be the first step in understanding the difference between what an organization is currently doing and what it needs to do in order to maintain and improve its performance level. At the macro level, the index enables organizations to compare themselves with each other. At the micro level, it calls attention to areas needing improvement in current and future KM initiatives. In either case, the KMI provides a robust indicator and basis for business decision-making and organizational support and development. This paper presents a holistic approach to KM that relates key knowledge management processes (KMP and critical success factors (CSF needed to successfully implement it. By juxtaposing these processes and success factors, we create Belardo's matrix that will enable us to characterize an organization and estimate the KMI. At the macro level, we used realized KMI values and OP estimates to confirm the positive correlation between the KMI and OP. Additional findings include comparing the current and expected role of KM in organizations and discussion for marginal values of rows (CSF and columns (KM Processes of the proposed matrix.

  11. Support and performance improvement for primary health care workers in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review of intervention design and methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mabey, David C.; Chaudhri, Simran; Brown Epstein, Helen-Ann; Lawn, Stephen D.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Primary health care workers (HCWs) in low- and middle-income settings (LMIC) often work in challenging conditions in remote, rural areas, in isolation from the rest of the health system and particularly specialist care. Much attention has been given to implementation of interventions to support quality and performance improvement for workers in such settings. However, little is known about the design of such initiatives and which approaches predominate, let alone those that are most effective. We aimed for a broad understanding of what distinguishes different approaches to primary HCW support and performance improvement and to clarify the existing evidence as well as gaps in evidence in order to inform decision-making and design of programs intended to support and improve the performance of health workers in these settings. We systematically searched the literature for articles addressing this topic, and undertook a comparative review to document the principal approaches to performance and quality improvement for primary HCWs in LMIC settings. We identified 40 eligible papers reporting on interventions that we categorized into five different approaches: (1) supervision and supportive supervision; (2) mentoring; (3) tools and aids; (4) quality improvement methods, and (5) coaching. The variety of study designs and quality/performance indicators precluded a formal quantitative data synthesis. The most extensive literature was on supervision, but there was little clarity on what defines the most effective approach to the supervision activities themselves, let alone the design and implementation of supervision programs. The mentoring literature was limited, and largely focused on clinical skills building and educational strategies. Further research on how best to incorporate mentorship into pre-service clinical training, while maintaining its function within the routine health system, is needed. There is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about coaching

  12. Testing Framework for Mobile Device Forensics Tools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maxwell Anobah

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The proliferation of mobile communication and computing devices, in particular smart mobile phones, is almost paralleled with the increasing number of mobile device forensics tools in the market. Each mobile forensics tool vendor, on one hand claims to have a tool that is best in terms of performance, while on the other hand each tool vendor seems to be using different standards for testing their tools and thereby defining what support means differently. To overcome this problem, a testing framework based on a series of tests ranging from basic forensics tasks such as file system reconstruction up to more complex ones countering antiforensic techniques is proposed. The framework, which is an extension of an existing effort done in 2010, prescribes a method to clearly circumscribe the term support into precise levels. It also gives an idea of the standard to be developed and accepted by the forensic community that will make it easier for forensics investigators to quickly select the most appropriate tool for a particular mobile device.

  13. The Registry of Knowledge Translation Methods and Tools: a resource to support evidence-informed public health.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peirson, Leslea; Catallo, Cristina; Chera, Sunita

    2013-08-01

    This paper examines the development of a globally accessible online Registry of Knowledge Translation Methods and Tools to support evidence-informed public health. A search strategy, screening and data extraction tools, and writing template were developed to find, assess, and summarize relevant methods and tools. An interactive website and searchable database were designed to house the registry. Formative evaluation was undertaken to inform refinements. Over 43,000 citations were screened; almost 700 were full-text reviewed, 140 of which were included. By November 2012, 133 summaries were available. Between January 1 and November 30, 2012 over 32,945 visitors from more than 190 countries accessed the registry. Results from 286 surveys and 19 interviews indicated the registry is valued and useful, but would benefit from a more intuitive indexing system and refinements to the summaries. User stories and promotional activities help expand the reach and uptake of knowledge translation methods and tools in public health contexts. The National Collaborating Centre for Methods and Tools' Registry of Methods and Tools is a unique and practical resource for public health decision makers worldwide.

  14. Educational tool for modeling and simulation of a closed regenerative life support system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arai, Tatsuya; Fanchiang, Christine; Aoki, Hirofumi; Newman, Dava J.

    For long term missions on the moon and Mars, regenerative life support systems emerge as a promising key technology for sustaining successful explorations with reduced re-supply logistics and cost. The purpose of this study was to create a simple model of a regenerative life support system which allows preliminary investigation of system responses. A simplified regenerative life support system was made with MATLAB Simulink ™. Mass flows in the system were simplified to carbon, water, oxygen and carbon dioxide. The subsystems included crew members, animals, a plant module, and a waste processor, which exchanged mass into and out of mass reservoirs. Preliminary numerical simulations were carried out to observe system responses. The simplified life support system model allowed preliminary investigation of the system response to perturbations such as increased or decreased number of crew members. The model is simple and flexible enough to add new components, and also possible to numerically predict non-linear subsystem functions and responses. Future work includes practical issues such as energy efficiency, air leakage, nutrition, and plant growth modeling. The model functions as an effective teaching tool about how a regenerative advanced life support system works.

  15. AERO: A Decision Support Tool for Wind Erosion Assessment in Rangelands and Croplands

    Science.gov (United States)

    Galloza, M.; Webb, N.; Herrick, J.

    2015-12-01

    Wind erosion is a key driver of global land degradation, with on- and off-site impacts on agricultural production, air quality, ecosystem services and climate. Measuring rates of wind erosion and dust emission across land use and land cover types is important for quantifying the impacts and identifying and testing practical management options. This process can be assisted by the application of predictive models, which can be a powerful tool for land management agencies. The Aeolian EROsion (AERO) model, a wind erosion and dust emission model interface provides access by non-expert land managers to a sophisticated wind erosion decision-support tool. AERO incorporates land surface processes and sediment transport equations from existing wind erosion models and was designed for application with available national long-term monitoring datasets (e.g. USDI BLM Assessment, Inventory and Monitoring, USDA NRCS Natural Resources Inventory) and monitoring protocols. Ongoing AERO model calibration and validation are supported by geographically diverse data on wind erosion rates and land surface conditions collected by the new National Wind Erosion Research Network. Here we present the new AERO interface, describe parameterization of the underpinning wind erosion model, and provide a summary of the model applications across agricultural lands and rangelands in the United States.

  16. The need for psycho-oncological support for melanoma patients

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayer, Simone; Teufel, Martin; Schaeffeler, Norbert; Keim, Ulrike; Garbe, Claus; Eigentler, Thomas Kurt; Zipfel, Stephan; Forschner, Andrea

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Despite an increasing number of promising treatment options, only a limited number of studies concerning melanoma patients’ psycho-oncological distress have been carried out. However, multiple screening tools are in use to assess the need for psycho-oncological support. This study aimed first to identify parameters in melanoma patients that are associated with a higher risk for being psycho-oncologically distressed and second to compare patients’ self-evaluation concerning the need for psycho-oncological support with the results of established screening tools. We performed a cross-sectional study including 254 melanoma patients from the Center for Dermatooncology at the University of Tuebingen. The study was performed between June 2010 and February 2013. Several screening instruments were included: the Distress Thermometer (DT), Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the patients’ subjective evaluation concerning psycho-oncological support. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify factors that indicate the need for psycho-oncological support. Patients’ subjective evaluation concerning the need for psycho-oncological support, female gender, and psychotherapeutic or psychiatric treatment at present or in the past had the highest impact on values above threshold in the DT. The odds ratio of patients’ self-evaluation (9.89) was even higher than somatic factors like female gender (1.85), duration of illness (0.99), or increasing age (0.97). Patients’ self-evaluation concerning the need for psycho-oncological support indicated a moderate correlation with the results of the screening tools included. In addition to the results obtained by screening tools like the DT, we could demonstrate that patients’ self-evaluation is an important instrument to identify patients who need psycho-oncological support. PMID:28906378

  17. A Design Tool for Matching UAV Propeller and Power Plant Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangio, Arion L.

    A large body of knowledge is available for matching propellers to engines for large propeller driven aircraft. Small UAV's and model airplanes operate at much lower Reynolds numbers and use fixed pitch propellers so the information for large aircraft is not directly applicable. A design tool is needed that takes into account Reynolds number effects, allows for gear reduction, and the selection of a propeller optimized for the airframe. The tool developed in this thesis does this using propeller performance data generated from vortex theory or wind tunnel experiments and combines that data with an engine power curve. The thrust, steady state power, RPM, and tip Mach number vs. velocity curves are generated. The Reynolds number vs. non dimensional radial station at an operating point is also found. The tool is then used to design a geared power plant for the SAE Aero Design competition. To measure the power plant performance, a purpose built engine test stand was built. The characteristics of the engine test stand are also presented. The engine test stand was then used to characterize the geared power plant. The power plant uses a 26x16 propeller, 100/13 gear ratio, and an LRP 0.30 cubic inch engine turning at 28,000 RPM and producing 2.2 HP. Lastly, the measured power plant performance is presented. An important result is that 17 lbf of static thrust is produced.

  18. Climate-responsive design: A framework for an energy concept design-decision support tool for architects using principles of climate-responsive design

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Remco Looman

    2017-01-01

    objectives of climate-responsive design meet other objectives (i.e. spatial, functional and structural. Finally, the impact of climatere sponsive building elements on the appearance of design is relevant to concept orientated architects. Together this can be considered as the content requirements of the design-decision support tool. In the early stages of the design process climate-responsive design is about the generation of energy concepts. In this phase accessible guidelines and the option to compare alternatives is more important than to assess absolute performance. The conceptual design phase is dynamic and has many iterations. Informative, context specific knowledge reduces the number of iterations before the architect has generated a satisfying number of design options from which it can continue to the next design phase of assessment. Functional requirements for the framework of the design decision support tool are the inclusion of a knowledge base with expert knowledge and best practice examples, the provision of informative, context-specific knowledge, the provision of accessible guidelines, the provision of an option to compare alternatives, the inclusion of the ability to inform during and assist in decision-making (i.e. intelligence and the limitation of complexity and the generation of easy to interpret output. The tool is primarily developed for the architect so it needs to blend in the architect’s workflow enabling the architect’s creativity and guiding his intuition. Other form requirements of the design-decision support tool are the presence of customisation options and custom navigation patterns, all presented in a visual style. A concept of the web-based tool has been developed in order to illustrate what a climate-responsive design-decision support tool could look like. The heart of the tool is formed by the knowledge base, constructed from items grouped into one of four categories: principles, solutions, projects and guidelines. Relationships between

  19. Tool for Military Logistics Planning of Peace Support Operations: The OTAS Planning Tool

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Merrienboer, S.A. van

    1998-01-01

    Within the research group Operations Research Studies Army of the TNO Physics and Electronics Laboratory the OTAS planning tool is developed for the Royal Netherlands Armed Forces. This paper gives a general and brief description of the tool.

  20. Software Users Manual (SUM): Extended Testability Analysis (ETA) Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maul, William A.; Fulton, Christopher E.

    2011-01-01

    This software user manual describes the implementation and use the Extended Testability Analysis (ETA) Tool. The ETA Tool is a software program that augments the analysis and reporting capabilities of a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) testability analysis software package called the Testability Engineering And Maintenance System (TEAMS) Designer. An initial diagnostic assessment is performed by the TEAMS Designer software using a qualitative, directed-graph model of the system being analyzed. The ETA Tool utilizes system design information captured within the diagnostic model and testability analysis output from the TEAMS Designer software to create a series of six reports for various system engineering needs. The ETA Tool allows the user to perform additional studies on the testability analysis results by determining the detection sensitivity to the loss of certain sensors or tests. The ETA Tool was developed to support design and development of the NASA Ares I Crew Launch Vehicle. The diagnostic analysis provided by the ETA Tool was proven to be valuable system engineering output that provided consistency in the verification of system engineering requirements. This software user manual provides a description of each output report generated by the ETA Tool. The manual also describes the example diagnostic model and supporting documentation - also provided with the ETA Tool software release package - that were used to generate the reports presented in the manual

  1. Creation of an Open Framework for Point-of-Care Computer-Assisted Reporting and Decision Support Tools for Radiologists.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alkasab, Tarik K; Bizzo, Bernardo C; Berland, Lincoln L; Nair, Sujith; Pandharipande, Pari V; Harvey, H Benjamin

    2017-09-01

    Decreasing unnecessary variation in radiology reporting and producing guideline-concordant reports is fundamental to radiology's success in value-based payment models and good for patient care. In this article, we present an open authoring system for point-of-care clinical decision support tools integrated into the radiologist reporting environment referred to as the computer-assisted reporting and decision support (CAR/DS) framework. The CAR/DS authoring system, described herein, includes: (1) a definition format for representing radiology clinical guidelines as structured, machine-readable Extensible Markup Language documents and (2) a user-friendly reference implementation to test the fidelity of the created definition files with the clinical guideline. The proposed definition format and reference implementation will enable content creators to develop CAR/DS tools that voice recognition software (VRS) vendors can use to extend the commercial tools currently in use. In making the definition format and reference implementation software freely available, we hope to empower individual radiologists, expert groups such as the ACR, and VRS vendors to develop a robust ecosystem of CAR/DS tools that can further improve the quality and efficiency of the patient care that our field provides. We hope that this initial effort can serve as the basis for a community-owned open standard for guideline definition that the imaging informatics and VRS vendor communities will embrace and strengthen. To this end, the ACR Assist™ initiative is intended to make the College's clinical content, including the Incidental Findings Committee White Papers, available for decision support tool creation based upon the herein described CAR/DS framework. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Adapting a Technology-Based Implementation Support Tool for Community Mental Health: Challenges and Lessons Learned.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Livet, Melanie; Fixsen, Amanda

    2018-01-01

    With mental health services shifting to community-based settings, community mental health (CMH) organizations are under increasing pressure to deliver effective services. Despite availability of evidence-based interventions, there is a gap between effective mental health practices and the care that is routinely delivered. Bridging this gap requires availability of easily tailorable implementation support tools to assist providers in implementing evidence-based intervention with quality, thereby increasing the likelihood of achieving the desired client outcomes. This study documents the process and lessons learned from exploring the feasibility of adapting such a technology-based tool, Centervention, as the example innovation, for use in CMH settings. Mixed-methods data on core features, innovation-provider fit, and organizational capacity were collected from 44 CMH providers. Lessons learned included the need to augment delivery through technology with more personal interactions, the importance of customizing and integrating the tool with existing technologies, and the need to incorporate a number of strategies to assist with adoption and use of Centervention-like tools in CMH contexts. This study adds to the current body of literature on the adaptation process for technology-based tools and provides information that can guide additional innovations for CMH settings.

  3. Integrated modeling tool for performance engineering of complex computer systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wright, Gary; Ball, Duane; Hoyt, Susan; Steele, Oscar

    1989-01-01

    This report summarizes Advanced System Technologies' accomplishments on the Phase 2 SBIR contract NAS7-995. The technical objectives of the report are: (1) to develop an evaluation version of a graphical, integrated modeling language according to the specification resulting from the Phase 2 research; and (2) to determine the degree to which the language meets its objectives by evaluating ease of use, utility of two sets of performance predictions, and the power of the language constructs. The technical approach followed to meet these objectives was to design, develop, and test an evaluation prototype of a graphical, performance prediction tool. The utility of the prototype was then evaluated by applying it to a variety of test cases found in the literature and in AST case histories. Numerous models were constructed and successfully tested. The major conclusion of this Phase 2 SBIR research and development effort is that complex, real-time computer systems can be specified in a non-procedural manner using combinations of icons, windows, menus, and dialogs. Such a specification technique provides an interface that system designers and architects find natural and easy to use. In addition, PEDESTAL's multiview approach provides system engineers with the capability to perform the trade-offs necessary to produce a design that meets timing performance requirements. Sample system designs analyzed during the development effort showed that models could be constructed in a fraction of the time required by non-visual system design capture tools.

  4. Prediction of ttt curves of cold working tool steels using support vector machine model

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pillai, Nandakumar; Karthikeyan, R., Dr.

    2018-04-01

    The cold working tool steels are of high carbon steels with metallic alloy additions which impart higher hardenability, abrasion resistance and less distortion in quenching. The microstructure changes occurring in tool steel during heat treatment is of very much importance as the final properties of the steel depends upon these changes occurred during the process. In order to obtain the desired performance the alloy constituents and its ratio plays a vital role as the steel transformation itself is complex in nature and depends very much upon the time and temperature. The proper treatment can deliver satisfactory results, at the same time process deviation can completely spoil the results. So knowing time temperature transformation (TTT) of phases is very critical which varies for each type depending upon its constituents and proportion range. To obtain adequate post heat treatment properties the percentage of retained austenite should be lower and metallic carbides obtained should be fine in nature. Support vector machine is a computational model which can learn from the observed data and use these to predict or solve using mathematical model. Back propagation feedback network will be created and trained for further solutions. The points on the TTT curve for the known transformations curves are used to plot the curves for different materials. These data will be trained to predict TTT curves for other steels having similar alloying constituents but with different proportion range. The proposed methodology can be used for prediction of TTT curves for cold working steels and can be used for prediction of phases for different heat treatment methods.

  5. High-Performance Integrated Virtual Environment (HIVE) Tools and Applications for Big Data Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simonyan, Vahan; Mazumder, Raja

    2014-09-30

    The High-performance Integrated Virtual Environment (HIVE) is a high-throughput cloud-based infrastructure developed for the storage and analysis of genomic and associated biological data. HIVE consists of a web-accessible interface for authorized users to deposit, retrieve, share, annotate, compute and visualize Next-generation Sequencing (NGS) data in a scalable and highly efficient fashion. The platform contains a distributed storage library and a distributed computational powerhouse linked seamlessly. Resources available through the interface include algorithms, tools and applications developed exclusively for the HIVE platform, as well as commonly used external tools adapted to operate within the parallel architecture of the system. HIVE is composed of a flexible infrastructure, which allows for simple implementation of new algorithms and tools. Currently, available HIVE tools include sequence alignment and nucleotide variation profiling tools, metagenomic analyzers, phylogenetic tree-building tools using NGS data, clone discovery algorithms, and recombination analysis algorithms. In addition to tools, HIVE also provides knowledgebases that can be used in conjunction with the tools for NGS sequence and metadata analysis.

  6. High-Performance Integrated Virtual Environment (HIVE Tools and Applications for Big Data Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vahan Simonyan

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The High-performance Integrated Virtual Environment (HIVE is a high-throughput cloud-based infrastructure developed for the storage and analysis of genomic and associated biological data. HIVE consists of a web-accessible interface for authorized users to deposit, retrieve, share, annotate, compute and visualize Next-generation Sequencing (NGS data in a scalable and highly efficient fashion. The platform contains a distributed storage library and a distributed computational powerhouse linked seamlessly. Resources available through the interface include algorithms, tools and applications developed exclusively for the HIVE platform, as well as commonly used external tools adapted to operate within the parallel architecture of the system. HIVE is composed of a flexible infrastructure, which allows for simple implementation of new algorithms and tools. Currently, available HIVE tools include sequence alignment and nucleotide variation profiling tools, metagenomic analyzers, phylogenetic tree-building tools using NGS data, clone discovery algorithms, and recombination analysis algorithms. In addition to tools, HIVE also provides knowledgebases that can be used in conjunction with the tools for NGS sequence and metadata analysis.

  7. PLM system support for modular product development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bruun, Hans Peter Lomholt; Mortensen, Niels Henrik; Harlou, Ulf

    2015-01-01

    A modular design strategy both enables, but also demands, parallelism in design activities and collaboration between a diversity of disciplines in companies, which often involves supporting computer-based tools for enhancing interaction, design management, and communication. Product data management...... (PDM) and product lifecycle management (PLM) systems offer support by automating and managing some of the operational complexity of modular design activities. PLM system tools are used for handling a variety of product definitions, to manage workflow of development activities, and to measure relational...... properties such as cost and performance. Companies often use a PLM tool for management of CAD files, documents, and drawings, but they do not take advantage of the full potential of the PLM system to support the development activities of modular product designs. The key result of this paper...

  8. Developing an eHealth Tool to Support Patient Empowerment at Home.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schildmeijer, Kristina; Wannheden, Carolina; Nilsson, Lina; Frykholm, Oscar; Hellström, Amanda; Flink, Maria; Ekstedt, Mirjam

    2018-01-01

    In previous research we have learned that patients with chronic or complex diseases often experience difficulties when transitioning from hospital care to self-care in their home. We address these difficulties by developing an eHealth tool for patients - ePATH (electronic Patient Activation in Treatment at Home) - intended to empower each patient to manage their individual situation. We have employed a user-centered design process involving both patients and healthcare personnel to specify the content and functionality of ePATH. The system is deployed as a web application with secure login for patients. In this article, we describe the main content and functionality of the system that makes it possible for a patient to manage symptoms development in relation to treatment progression Interactive functionality, e.g., reminders and social support, is included to make the ePATH a useful and informative bridge between patients, next-of-kin and different caregivers. One lesson learned is that it is necessary to incorporate motivational components in the development of an eHealth tool to successfully overcome the "intention-behavior" gap. The self-determination theory of motivation can be used to ensure that important aspects are not missed.

  9. OOTW COST TOOLS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    HARTLEY, D.S.III; PACKARD, S.L.

    1998-09-01

    This document reports the results of a study of cost tools to support the analysis of Operations Other Than War (OOTW). It recommends the continued development of the Department of Defense (DoD) Contingency Operational Support Tool (COST) as the basic cost analysis tool for 00TWS. It also recommends modifications to be included in future versions of COST and the development of an 00TW mission planning tool to supply valid input for costing.

  10. Tools to support maintenance strategies under soft soil conditions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. W. M. Lambert

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Costs for maintenance of infrastructure in municipalities with soft soil underground conditions, are estimated to be almost 40 % higher than in others. As a result, these municipalities meet financial problems that cause overdue maintenance. In some cases municipalities are even afraid to be unable to offer a minimum service level in future. In common, traditional practice, roads and sewerage systems have been constructed in trenches that consist of sandy material that replaces the upper meters of the soft soil. Under influence of its weight, this causes accelerated settlements of the construction. A number of alternative constructions have been developed, e.g. using light-weight materials to limit settlement velocity. In order to limit future maintenance costs, improvement of maintenance strategies is desired. Tools have been and will be developed to support municipalities in improving their maintenance strategies and save money by doing that. A model (BALANS that weighs the attractiveness of alternative solutions under different soil, environmental and economic circumstances, will be presented.

  11. Performance and optimization of support vector machines in high-energy physics classification problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahin, M.Ö.; Krücker, D.; Melzer-Pellmann, I.-A.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper we promote the use of Support Vector Machines (SVM) as a machine learning tool for searches in high-energy physics. As an example for a new-physics search we discuss the popular case of Supersymmetry at the Large Hadron Collider. We demonstrate that the SVM is a valuable tool and show that an automated discovery-significance based optimization of the SVM hyper-parameters is a highly efficient way to prepare an SVM for such applications.

  12. Performance and optimization of support vector machines in high-energy physics classification problems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sahin, M.Ö., E-mail: ozgur.sahin@desy.de; Krücker, D., E-mail: dirk.kruecker@desy.de; Melzer-Pellmann, I.-A., E-mail: isabell.melzer@desy.de

    2016-12-01

    In this paper we promote the use of Support Vector Machines (SVM) as a machine learning tool for searches in high-energy physics. As an example for a new-physics search we discuss the popular case of Supersymmetry at the Large Hadron Collider. We demonstrate that the SVM is a valuable tool and show that an automated discovery-significance based optimization of the SVM hyper-parameters is a highly efficient way to prepare an SVM for such applications.

  13. Machining of high performance workpiece materials with CBN coated cutting tools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Uhlmann, E.; Fuentes, J.A. Oyanedel; Keunecke, M.

    2009-01-01

    The machining of high performance workpiece materials requires significantly harder cutting materials. In hard machining, the early tool wear occurs due to high process forces and temperatures. The hardest known material is the diamond, but steel materials cannot be machined with diamond tools because of the reactivity of iron with carbon. Cubic boron nitride (cBN) is the second hardest of all known materials. The supply of such PcBN indexable inserts, which are only geometrically simple and available, requires several work procedures and is cost-intensive. The development of a cBN coating for cutting tools, combine the advantages of a thin film system and of cBN. Flexible cemented carbide tools, in respect to the geometry can be coated. The cBN films with a thickness of up to 2 μm on cemented carbide substrates show excellent mechanical and physical properties. This paper describes the results of the machining of various workpiece materials in turning and milling operations regarding the tool life, resultant cutting force components and workpiece surface roughness. In turning tests of Inconel 718 and milling tests of chrome steel the high potential of cBN coatings for dry machining was proven. The results of the experiments were compared with common used tool coatings for the hard machining. Additionally, the wear mechanisms adhesion, abrasion, surface fatigue and tribo-oxidation were researched in model wear experiments.

  14. Duplicate laboratory test reduction using a clinical decision support tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Procop, Gary W; Yerian, Lisa M; Wyllie, Robert; Harrison, A Marc; Kottke-Marchant, Kandice

    2014-05-01

    Duplicate laboratory tests that are unwarranted increase unnecessary phlebotomy, which contributes to iatrogenic anemia, decreased patient satisfaction, and increased health care costs. We employed a clinical decision support tool (CDST) to block unnecessary duplicate test orders during the computerized physician order entry (CPOE) process. We assessed laboratory cost savings after 2 years and searched for untoward patient events associated with this intervention. This CDST blocked 11,790 unnecessary duplicate test orders in these 2 years, which resulted in a cost savings of $183,586. There were no untoward effects reported associated with this intervention. The movement to CPOE affords real-time interaction between the laboratory and the physician through CDSTs that signal duplicate orders. These interactions save health care dollars and should also increase patient satisfaction and well-being.

  15. Pregnancy outcomes in Ghana : Relavance of clinical decision making support tools for frontline providers of care

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Amoakoh-Coleman, M.

    2016-01-01

    Ghana’s slow progress towards attaining millennium development goal 5 has been associated with gaps in quality of care, particularly quality of clinical decision making for clients. This thesis reviews the relevance and effect of clinical decision making support tools on pregnancy

  16. OrFPGA: An Empirical Performance Tuning Tool for FPGA Designs, Phase II

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — In this Phase II STTR project, RNET and its subcontractors are proposing to fully develop an empirical performance optimization tool called OrFPGA that efficiently...

  17. Danish heat atlas as a support tool for energy system models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Petrovic, Stefan N.; Karlsson, Kenneth B.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The GIS method for calculating costs of district heating expansion is presented. • High socio-economic potential for district heating is identified within urban areas. • The method for coupling a heat atlas and TIMES optimization model is proposed. • Presented methods can be used for any geographical region worldwide. - Abstract: In the past four decades following the global oil crisis in 1973, Denmark has implemented remarkable changes in its energy sector, mainly due to the energy conservation measures on the demand side and the energy efficiency improvements on the supply side. Nowadays, the capital intensive infrastructure investments, such as the expansion of district heating networks and the introduction of significant heat saving measures require highly detailed decision-support tool. A Danish heat atlas provides highly detailed database with extensive information about more than 2.5 million buildings in Denmark. Energy system analysis tools incorporate environmental, economic, energy and engineering analysis of future energy systems and are considered crucial for the quantitative assessment of transitional scenarios towards future milestones, such as EU 2020 goals and Denmark’s goal of achieving fossil free society after 2050. The present paper shows how a Danish heat atlas can be used for providing inputs to energy system models, especially related to the analysis of heat saving measures within building stock and expansion of district heating networks. As a result, marginal cost curves are created, approximated and prepared for the use in optimization energy system model. Moreover, it is concluded that heat atlas can contribute as a tool for data storage and visualisation of results

  18. Job Demands-Control-Support model and employee safety performance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turner, Nick; Stride, Chris B; Carter, Angela J; McCaughey, Deirdre; Carroll, Anthony E

    2012-03-01

    The aim of this study was to explore whether work characteristics (job demands, job control, social support) comprising Karasek and Theorell's (1990) Job Demands-Control-Support framework predict employee safety performance (safety compliance and safety participation; Neal and Griffin, 2006). We used cross-sectional data of self-reported work characteristics and employee safety performance from 280 healthcare staff (doctors, nurses, and administrative staff) from Emergency Departments of seven hospitals in the United Kingdom. We analyzed these data using a structural equation model that simultaneously regressed safety compliance and safety participation on the main effects of each of the aforementioned work characteristics, their two-way interactions, and the three-way interaction among them, while controlling for demographic, occupational, and organizational characteristics. Social support was positively related to safety compliance, and both job control and the two-way interaction between job control and social support were positively related to safety participation. How work design is related to employee safety performance remains an important area for research and provides insight into how organizations can improve workplace safety. The current findings emphasize the importance of the co-worker in promoting both safety compliance and safety participation. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Analysis of the Requirements Generation Process for the Logistics Analysis and Wargame Support Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-06-01

    impact everything from strategic logistic operations down to the energy demands at the company level. It also looks at the force structure of the...this requirement. 34. The system shall determine the efficiency of the logistics network with respect to an estimated cost of fuel used to deliver...REQUIREMENTS GENERATION PROCESS FOR THE LOGISTICS ANALYSIS AND WARGAME SUPPORT TOOL by Jonathan M. Swan June 2017 Thesis Advisor

  20. Large Data Visualization with Open-Source Tools

    CERN Multimedia

    CERN. Geneva

    2015-01-01

    Visualization and post-processing of large data have become increasingly challenging and require more and more tools to support the diversity of data to process. In this seminar, we will present a suite of open-source tools supported and developed by Kitware to perform large-scale data visualization and analysis. In particular, we will present ParaView, an open-source tool for parallel visualization of massive datasets, the Visualization Toolkit (VTK), an open-source toolkit for scientific visualization, and Tangelohub, a suite of tools for large data analytics. About the speaker Julien Jomier is directing Kitware's European subsidiary in Lyon, France, where he focuses on European business development. Julien works on a variety of projects in the areas of parallel and distributed computing, mobile computing, image processing, and visualization. He is one of the developers of the Insight Toolkit (ITK), the Visualization Toolkit (VTK), and ParaView. Julien is also leading the CDash project, an open-source co...

  1. Analysis of Alternatives for Risk Assessment Methodologies and Tools

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nachtigal, Noel M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). System Analytics; Fruetel, Julia A. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Systems Research and Analysis; Gleason, Nathaniel J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Systems Research and Analysis; Helms, Jovana [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Systems Research and Analysis; Imbro, Dennis Raymond [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Systems Research and Analysis; Sumner, Matthew C. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States). Systems Research and Analysis

    2013-10-01

    The purpose of this document is to provide a basic overview and understanding of risk assessment methodologies and tools from the literature and to assess the suitability of these methodologies and tools for cyber risk assessment. Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) performed this review in support of risk modeling activities performed for the Stakeholder Engagement and Cyber Infrastructure Resilience (SECIR) division of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Cybersecurity and Communications (CS&C). The set of methodologies and tools covered in this document is not intended to be exhaustive; instead, it focuses on those that are commonly used in the risk assessment community. The classification of methodologies and tools was performed by a group of analysts with experience in risk analysis and cybersecurity, and the resulting analysis of alternatives has been tailored to address the needs of a cyber risk assessment.

  2. "Think aloud" and "Near live" usability testing of two complex clinical decision support tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richardson, Safiya; Mishuris, Rebecca; O'Connell, Alexander; Feldstein, David; Hess, Rachel; Smith, Paul; McCullagh, Lauren; McGinn, Thomas; Mann, Devin

    2017-10-01

    Low provider adoption continues to be a significant barrier to realizing the potential of clinical decision support. "Think Aloud" and "Near Live" usability testing were conducted on two clinical decision support tools. Each was composed of an alert, a clinical prediction rule which estimated risk of either group A Streptococcus pharyngitis or pneumonia and an automatic order set based on risk. The objective of this study was to further understanding of the facilitators of usability and to evaluate the types of additional information gained from proceeding to "Near Live" testing after completing "Think Aloud". This was a qualitative observational study conducted at a large academic health care system with 12 primary care providers. During "Think Aloud" testing, participants were provided with written clinical scenarios and asked to verbalize their thought process while interacting with the tool. During "Near Live" testing participants interacted with a mock patient. Morae usability software was used to record full screen capture and audio during every session. Participant comments were placed into coding categories and analyzed for generalizable themes. Themes were compared across usability methods. "Think Aloud" and "Near Live" usability testing generated similar themes under the coding categories visibility, workflow, content, understand-ability and navigation. However, they generated significantly different themes under the coding categories usability, practical usefulness and medical usefulness. During both types of testing participants found the tool easier to use when important text was distinct in its appearance, alerts were passive and appropriately timed, content was up to date, language was clear and simple, and each component of the tool included obvious indicators of next steps. Participant comments reflected higher expectations for usability and usefulness during "Near Live" testing. For example, visit aids, such as automatically generated order sets

  3. Performance support system in higher engineering education - introduction and empirical validation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stoyanov, S.; Stoyanov, Slavi; Kommers, Petrus A.M.; Bastiaens, T.J.; Martinez Mediano, Catalina

    2008-01-01

    The paper defines and empirically validates the concept of performance support system in higher engineering education. The validation of the concept is based upon two studies: a pilot and an experiment, on the effect of performance support system on achievements and attitudes of students. The

  4. A decision support tool for appropriate glucose-lowering therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ampudia-Blasco, F Javier; Benhamou, Pierre Yves; Charpentier, Guillaume; Consoli, Agostino; Diamant, Michaela; Gallwitz, Baptist; Khunti, Kamlesh; Mathieu, Chantal; Ridderstråle, Martin; Seufert, Jochen; Tack, Cees; Vilsbøll, Tina; Phan, Tra-Mi; Stoevelaar, Herman

    2015-03-01

    Optimal glucose-lowering therapy in type 2 diabetes mellitus requires a patient-specific approach. Although a good framework, current guidelines are insufficiently detailed to address the different phenotypes and individual needs of patients seen in daily practice. We developed a patient-specific decision support tool based on a systematic analysis of expert opinion. Based on the American Diabetes Association (ADA)/European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) 2012 position statement, a panel of 12 European experts rated the appropriateness (RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method) of treatment strategies for 930 clinical scenarios, which were permutations of clinical variables considered relevant to treatment choice. These included current treatment, hemoglobin A1c difference from individualized target, risk of hypoglycemia, body mass index, life expectancy, and comorbidities. Treatment options included addition of a second or third agent, drug switches, and replacement by monotherapies if the patient was metformin-intolerant. Treatment costs were not considered. Appropriateness (appropriate, inappropriate, uncertain) was based on the median score and expert agreement. The panel recommendations were embedded in an online decision support tool (DiaScope(®); Novo Nordisk Health Care AG, Zürich, Switzerland). Treatment appropriateness was associated with (combinations of) the patient variables mentioned above. As second-line agents, dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors were considered appropriate in all scenarios, followed by glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (50%), insulins (33%), and sulfonylureas (25%), but not pioglitazone (0%). Ratings of third-line combinations followed a similar pattern. Disagreement was highest for regimens including pioglitazone, sulfonylureas, or insulins and was partly due to differences in panelists' opinions and in drug availability and reimbursement across European countries (although costs were disregarded in the rating process

  5. Supporting strategic thinking of smallholder dairy farmers using a whole farm simulation tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Le Gal, Pierre-Yves; Bernard, Jennifer; Moulin, Charles-Henri

    2013-06-01

    This article investigates how a one-to-one support process based on the use of a whole dairy farm simulation tool helps both farmers to reflect on their production strategies and researchers to better understand the farmers' contexts of action and decision. The support process consists of a minimum of four discussion sessions with the farmer: designing the Initial Scenario and formulating a diagnosis, building and simulating the Project Scenario corresponding to the objective targeted by the farmer, building and comparing alternative scenarios proposed both by the farmer and the researcher, and evaluating the process with the farmer. The approach was tested with six smallholder farmers in Brazil. It is illustrated with the example of one farmer who aimed to develop his milk production by more than doubling his herd size on the same cultivated area. Two other examples illustrate the diversity of issues addressed with this approach. The first estimates the sensitivity of economic results to price variations of milk and concentrates. The second compares two scenarios in terms of forage supply autonomy. The discussion assesses the outcomes of the approach for farmers in terms of response to their specific issues and of knowledge acquired. The research outputs are discussed in terms of the value and limits of using simulation tools within both participatory action research and advisory processes.

  6. The order progress diagram : A supportive tool for diagnosing delivery reliability performance in make-to-order companies

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Soepenberg, G.D.; Land, M.J.; Gaalman, G.J.C.

    This paper describes the development of a new tool for facilitating the diagnosis of logistic improvement opportunities in make-to-order (MTO) companies. Competitiveness of these companies increasingly imposes needs upon delivery reliability. In order to achieve high delivery reliability, both the

  7. THE CONTRIBUTION OF THE BALANCED SCORECARD AS A STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT TOOL IN MANAGEMENT SUPPORT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sadi A., Scaramussa

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Balanced scorecard - BSC – treated initially as a system of performance measurement with base in indicators, that through time improved and today it is possible to affirm that it is a management tool. It presents an order of concepts and preexisting ideas in a logical, objective and intelligent way. Its correct application implies a series of advantages, such as the integration of financial and nonfinancial measures, the communication feedback of the strategy, the bond with planning and budget, major focus in aligning the organization.The benefits of the implantation are the most variable, where we can aim that the BSC offers a methodology of enterprise management that only proposes as financial measurement indicators the operational performance. The strategic application transforms that methodology into a management tool and available to the whole organization.

  8. Fuzzy Decision Support for Tools Selection in the Core Front End Activities of New Product Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Achiche, S.; Appio, F.P.; McAloone, Tim C.

    2013-01-01

    models (FDSM) of the discovered relationships. The decision support focuses upon the estimated investment needed for the use of tools during the CFE. The generation of FDSMs is carried out automatically using a specialized genetic algorithm, applied to learning data obtained from five experienced...

  9. Development of software tools for supporting building clearance and site release at UKAEA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jessop, G.; Pearl, M.

    2002-01-01

    UKAEA sites generally have complex histories and have been subject to a diverse range of nuclear operations. Most of the nuclear reactors, laboratories, workshops and other support facilities are now redundant and a programme of decommissioning works in accordance with IAEA guidance is in progress. Decommissioning is being carried out in phases with post- operative activities, care and maintenance and care and surveillance periods between stages to allow relatively short-lived radioactivity to decay. This reduces dose levels to personnel and minimises radioactive waste production. Following on from these stages is an end point phase which corresponds to the point at which the risks to human health and the environment are sufficiently low so that the buildings / land can be released for future use. Unconditional release corresponds to meeting the requirement for 'de-licensing'. Although reaching a de-licensable end point is the desired aim for UKAEA sites, it is recognised that this may take hundreds of years for parts of some UKAEA sites, or may never be attainable at a reasonable cost to the UK taxpayer. Thus on these sites, long term risk management systems are in place to minimise the impact on health, safety and the environment. In order to manage these short, medium and long term liabilities, UKAEA has developed a number of software tools based on good practice guidance. One of these tools in particular is being developed to address building clearance and site release. This tool, IMAGES (Information Management and Geographical Information System) integrates systematic data capture, with database management and spatial assessment (through a Geographical Information System). Details of IMAGES and its applications are discussed in the paper. This paper outlines the approach being adopted by UKAEA for building and site release and the integrated software system, IMAGES, being used to capture, collate, interpret and report results. The key to UKAEA's strategy for

  10. A Vision for Incorporating Environmental Effects into Nitrogen Management Decision Support Tools for U.S. Maize Production

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamaljit Banger

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Meeting crop nitrogen (N demand while minimizing N losses to the environment has proven difficult despite significant field research and modeling efforts. To improve N management, several real-time N management tools have been developed with a primary focus on enhancing crop production. However, no coordinated effort exists to simultaneously address sustainability concerns related to N losses at field- and regional-scales. In this perspective, we highlight the opportunity for incorporating environmental effects into N management decision support tools for United States maize production systems by integrating publicly available crop models with grower-entered management information and gridded soil and climate data in a geospatial framework specifically designed to quantify environmental and crop production tradeoffs. To facilitate advances in this area, we assess the capability of existing crop models to provide in-season N recommendations while estimating N leaching and nitrous oxide emissions, discuss several considerations for initial framework development, and highlight important challenges related to improving the accuracy of crop model predictions. Such a framework would benefit the development of regional sustainable intensification strategies by enabling the identification of N loss hotspots which could be used to implement spatially explicit mitigation efforts in relation to current environmental quality goals and real-time weather conditions. Nevertheless, we argue that this long-term vision can only be realized by leveraging a variety of existing research efforts to overcome challenges related to improving model structure, accessing field data to enhance model performance, and addressing the numerous social difficulties in delivery and adoption of such tool by stakeholders.

  11. A Vision for Incorporating Environmental Effects into Nitrogen Management Decision Support Tools for U.S. Maize Production.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Banger, Kamaljit; Yuan, Mingwei; Wang, Junming; Nafziger, Emerson D; Pittelkow, Cameron M

    2017-01-01

    Meeting crop nitrogen (N) demand while minimizing N losses to the environment has proven difficult despite significant field research and modeling efforts. To improve N management, several real-time N management tools have been developed with a primary focus on enhancing crop production. However, no coordinated effort exists to simultaneously address sustainability concerns related to N losses at field- and regional-scales. In this perspective, we highlight the opportunity for incorporating environmental effects into N management decision support tools for United States maize production systems by integrating publicly available crop models with grower-entered management information and gridded soil and climate data in a geospatial framework specifically designed to quantify environmental and crop production tradeoffs. To facilitate advances in this area, we assess the capability of existing crop models to provide in-season N recommendations while estimating N leaching and nitrous oxide emissions, discuss several considerations for initial framework development, and highlight important challenges related to improving the accuracy of crop model predictions. Such a framework would benefit the development of regional sustainable intensification strategies by enabling the identification of N loss hotspots which could be used to implement spatially explicit mitigation efforts in relation to current environmental quality goals and real-time weather conditions. Nevertheless, we argue that this long-term vision can only be realized by leveraging a variety of existing research efforts to overcome challenges related to improving model structure, accessing field data to enhance model performance, and addressing the numerous social difficulties in delivery and adoption of such tool by stakeholders.

  12. SMART-COP: a tool for predicting the need for intensive respiratory or vasopressor support in community-acquired pneumonia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Charles, Patrick G P; Wolfe, Rory; Whitby, Michael; Fine, Michael J; Fuller, Andrew J; Stirling, Robert; Wright, Alistair A; Ramirez, Julio A; Christiansen, Keryn J; Waterer, Grant W; Pierce, Robert J; Armstrong, John G; Korman, Tony M; Holmes, Peter; Obrosky, D Scott; Peyrani, Paula; Johnson, Barbara; Hooy, Michelle; Grayson, M Lindsay

    2008-08-01

    Existing severity assessment tools, such as the pneumonia severity index (PSI) and CURB-65 (tool based on confusion, urea level, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age >or=65 years), predict 30-day mortality in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and have limited ability to predict which patients will require intensive respiratory or vasopressor support (IRVS). The Australian CAP Study (ACAPS) was a prospective study of 882 episodes in which each patient had a detailed assessment of severity features, etiology, and treatment outcomes. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify features at initial assessment that were associated with receipt of IRVS. These results were converted into a simple points-based severity tool that was validated in 5 external databases, totaling 7464 patients. In ACAPS, 10.3% of patients received IRVS, and the 30-day mortality rate was 5.7%. The features statistically significantly associated with receipt of IRVS were low systolic blood pressure (2 points), multilobar chest radiography involvement (1 point), low albumin level (1 point), high respiratory rate (1 point), tachycardia (1 point), confusion (1 point), poor oxygenation (2 points), and low arterial pH (2 points): SMART-COP. A SMART-COP score of >or=3 points identified 92% of patients who received IRVS, including 84% of patients who did not need immediate admission to the intensive care unit. Accuracy was also high in the 5 validation databases. Sensitivities of PSI and CURB-65 for identifying the need for IRVS were 74% and 39%, respectively. SMART-COP is a simple, practical clinical tool for accurately predicting the need for IRVS that is likely to assist clinicians in determining CAP severity.

  13. Tools for Authentication

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    White, G

    2008-07-09

    Many recent Non-proliferation and Arms Control software projects include a software authentication component. In this context, 'authentication' is defined as determining that a software package performs only its intended purpose and performs that purpose correctly and reliably over many years. In addition to visual inspection by knowledgeable computer scientists, automated tools are needed to highlight suspicious code constructs both to aid the visual inspection and to guide program development. While many commercial tools are available for portions of the authentication task, they are proprietary, and have limited extensibility. An open-source, extensible tool can be customized to the unique needs of each project (projects can have both common and custom rules to detect flaws and security holes). Any such extensible tool must be based on a complete language compiler infrastructure, that is, one that can parse and digest the full language through its standard grammar. ROSE is precisely such a compiler infrastructure developed within DOE. ROSE is a robust source-to-source analysis and optimization infrastructure currently addressing large, million-line DOE applications in C, C++, and FORTRAN. This year, it has been extended to support the automated analysis of binaries. We continue to extend ROSE to address a number of security-specific requirements and apply it to software authentication for Non-proliferation and Arms Control projects. We will give an update on the status of our work.

  14. Tools for Authentication

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, G.

    2008-01-01

    Many recent Non-proliferation and Arms Control software projects include a software authentication component. In this context, 'authentication' is defined as determining that a software package performs only its intended purpose and performs that purpose correctly and reliably over many years. In addition to visual inspection by knowledgeable computer scientists, automated tools are needed to highlight suspicious code constructs both to aid the visual inspection and to guide program development. While many commercial tools are available for portions of the authentication task, they are proprietary, and have limited extensibility. An open-source, extensible tool can be customized to the unique needs of each project (projects can have both common and custom rules to detect flaws and security holes). Any such extensible tool must be based on a complete language compiler infrastructure, that is, one that can parse and digest the full language through its standard grammar. ROSE is precisely such a compiler infrastructure developed within DOE. ROSE is a robust source-to-source analysis and optimization infrastructure currently addressing large, million-line DOE applications in C, C++, and FORTRAN. This year, it has been extended to support the automated analysis of binaries. We continue to extend ROSE to address a number of security-specific requirements and apply it to software authentication for Non-proliferation and Arms Control projects. We will give an update on the status of our work

  15. Performance Evaluation of a Software Engineering Tool for Automated Design of Cooling Systems in Injection Moulding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jauregui-Becker, Juan M.; Tosello, Guido; van Houten, Fred J.A.M.

    2013-01-01

    This paper presents a software tool for automating the design of cooling systems for injection moulding and a validation of its performance. Cooling system designs were automatically generated by the proposed software tool and by applying a best practice tool engineering design approach. The two...

  16. National Energy Audit Tool for Multifamily Buildings Development Plan

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Malhotra, Mini [ORNL; MacDonald, Michael [Sentech, Inc.; Accawi, Gina K [ORNL; New, Joshua Ryan [ORNL; Im, Piljae [ORNL

    2012-03-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE's) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) enables low-income families to reduce their energy costs by providing funds to make their homes more energy efficient. In addition, the program funds Weatherization Training and Technical Assistance (T and TA) activities to support a range of program operations. These activities include measuring and documenting performance, monitoring programs, promoting advanced techniques and collaborations to further improve program effectiveness, and training, including developing tools and information resources. The T and TA plan outlines the tasks, activities, and milestones to support the weatherization network with the program implementation ramp up efforts. Weatherization of multifamily buildings has been recognized as an effective way to ramp up weatherization efforts. To support this effort, the 2009 National Weatherization T and TA plan includes the task of expanding the functionality of the Weatherization Assistant, a DOE-sponsored family of energy audit computer programs, to perform audits for large and small multifamily buildings This report describes the planning effort for a new multifamily energy audit tool for DOE's WAP. The functionality of the Weatherization Assistant is being expanded to also perform energy audits of small multifamily and large multifamily buildings. The process covers an assessment of needs that includes input from national experts during two national Web conferences. The assessment of needs is then translated into capability and performance descriptions for the proposed new multifamily energy audit, with some description of what might or should be provided in the new tool. The assessment of needs is combined with our best judgment to lay out a strategy for development of the multifamily tool that proceeds in stages, with features of an initial tool (version 1) and a more capable version 2 handled with currently available resources. Additional

  17. CHARACTERIZATION AND PERFORMANCE OF DUPLEX-COATINGS ON Cr-V COLD WORK TOOL STEEL

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter Jurči

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Specimens made of Vanadis 6 steel were heat treated, plasma nitrided and coated with Cr2N. The microstructure, phase constitution and mechanical properties of plasma nitrided areas and duplex-coatings have been investigated using the light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and microhardness measurements. The adhesion of the coatings and the wear performance were studied using the scratch test and ring-on-plate tribological testing. Worn surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy. Nitrided areas formed at lower temperature were free of compound “white” layer while hose developed at higher temperatures contained as the white layer so the nitrided network. Significant increase in substrate hardness was detected due to the nitriding. Beneficial effect of the nitriding on the adhesion of Cr2N coatings was clearly determined whereas the extent in improvement of the adhesion depends on the presence/no presence of “white” layer on the surface. The extent of beneficial effect of plasma nitriding on the wear performance follows the impact of the constitution of nitrided areas on the adhesion. The amelioration of wear performance of Cr2N coatings can be attributed to the supporting effect of hard nitrided intermediate region, which provides excellent resistance of the substrate against plastic deformation, under heavy loading in particular. Practical testing demonstrated many times prolonged service-time of duplex-treated tools for sheet metal working.

  18. Support and performance improvement for primary health care workers in low- and middle-income countries: a scoping review of intervention design and methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasan, Ashwin; Mabey, David C; Chaudhri, Simran; Brown Epstein, Helen-Ann; Lawn, Stephen D

    2017-04-01

    Primary health care workers (HCWs) in low- and middle-income settings (LMIC) often work in challenging conditions in remote, rural areas, in isolation from the rest of the health system and particularly specialist care. Much attention has been given to implementation of interventions to support quality and performance improvement for workers in such settings. However, little is known about the design of such initiatives and which approaches predominate, let alone those that are most effective. We aimed for a broad understanding of what distinguishes different approaches to primary HCW support and performance improvement and to clarify the existing evidence as well as gaps in evidence in order to inform decision-making and design of programs intended to support and improve the performance of health workers in these settings. We systematically searched the literature for articles addressing this topic, and undertook a comparative review to document the principal approaches to performance and quality improvement for primary HCWs in LMIC settings. We identified 40 eligible papers reporting on interventions that we categorized into five different approaches: (1) supervision and supportive supervision; (2) mentoring; (3) tools and aids; (4) quality improvement methods, and (5) coaching. The variety of study designs and quality/performance indicators precluded a formal quantitative data synthesis. The most extensive literature was on supervision, but there was little clarity on what defines the most effective approach to the supervision activities themselves, let alone the design and implementation of supervision programs. The mentoring literature was limited, and largely focused on clinical skills building and educational strategies. Further research on how best to incorporate mentorship into pre-service clinical training, while maintaining its function within the routine health system, is needed. There is insufficient evidence to draw conclusions about coaching in this

  19. System administrator's manual (SAM) for the enhanced logistics intratheater support tool (ELIST) database segment version 8.1.0.0 for solaris 7.; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dritz, K.

    2002-01-01

    This document is the System Administrator's Manual (SAM) for the Enhanced Logistics Intratheater Support Tool (ELIST) Database Segment. It covers errors that can arise during the segment's installation and deinstallation, and it outlines appropriate recovery actions. It also tells how to extend the database storage available to Oracle if a datastore becomes filled during the use of ELIST. The latter subject builds on some of the actions that must be performed when installing this segment, as documented in the Installation Procedures (IP) for the Enhanced Logistics Intratheater Support Tool (ELIST) Global Data Segment, Database Instance Segment, Database Fill Segment, Database Segment, Database Utility Segment, Software Segment, and Reference Data Segment (referred to in portions of this document as the ELIST IP). The information in this document is expected to be of use only rarely. Other than errors arising from the failure to follow instructions, difficulties are not expected to be encountered during the installation or deinstallation of the segment. The need to extend database storage likewise typically arises infrequently. Most administrators will only need to be aware of the help that is provided in this document and will probably not actually need to read and make use of it

  20. Proceedings of the Workshop on Methods & Tools for Computer Supported Collaborative Creativity Process: Linking creativity & informal learning

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Retalis, Symeon; Sloep, Peter

    2009-01-01

    Retalis, S., & Sloep, P. B. (Eds.) (2009). Collection of 4 symposium papers at EC-TEL 2009. Proceedings of the Workshop on Methods & Tools for Computer Supported Collaborative Creativity Process: Linking creativity & informal learning. September, 30, 2009, Nice,

  1. Using the Communication Methods, Tools and Support During Management of Project Communication in Industrial Manufacturing Enterprises

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samáková, Jana; Babčanová, Dagmar; Hrablikchovanová, Henrieta; Mesárošová, Jana; Šujanová, Jana

    2017-09-01

    Effective communication is the most significant ability for project manager and successful project. However, during the management of projects communication, it is very often forgotten, often overlooked or taken for granted. In the management of projects, it is principally necessary to deal with communication during all project lifecycle. Within the project communication, it is very important to define the main methods, tools, support of communication and frequency of communication; these belong to the most important elements of the communication channel which is very often forgotten. Therefore, the main aim of the paper is to analyse the utilisation of the communication channel: communication methods, communication tools, communication frequency and to support project communication in industrial manufacturing enterprises in Slovakia. Based on the research, we can conclude that communication channel is not adequately elaborated in international methodologies and standards of project management as well as in industrial manufacturing enterprises. These facts are very negative, conclusion and it is therefore necessary to deal with the problem.

  2. Stress analysis of piping systems and piping supports. Documentation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rusitschka, Erwin

    1999-01-01

    The presentation is focused on the Computer Aided Tools and Methods used by Siemens/KWU in the engineering activities for Nuclear Power Plant Design and Service. In the multi-disciplinary environment, KWU has developed specific tools to support As-Built Documentation as well as Service Activities. A special application based on Close Range Photogrammetry (PHOCAS) has been developed to support revamp planning even in a high level radiation environment. It comprises three completely inter-compatible expansion modules - Photo Catalog, Photo Database and 3D-Model - to generate objects which offer progressively more utilization and analysis options. To support the outage planning of NPP/CAD-based tools have been developed. The presentation gives also an overview of the broad range of skills and references in: Plant Layout and Design using 3D-CAD-Tools; evaluation of Earthquake Safety (Seismic Screening); Revamps in Existing Plants; Inter-disciplinary coordination of project engineering and execution fields; Consulting and Assistance; Conceptual Studies; Stress Analysis of Piping Systems and Piping Supports; Documentation; Training and Supports in CAD-Design, etc. All activities are performed to the greatest extent possible using proven data-processing tools. (author)

  3. Virtual Reality Simulation as a Tool to Monitor Surgical Performance Indicators: VIRESI Observational Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muralha, Nuno; Oliveira, Manuel; Ferreira, Maria Amélia; Costa-Maia, José

    2017-05-31

    Virtual reality simulation is a topic of discussion as a complementary tool to traditional laparoscopic surgical training in the operating room. However, it is unclear whether virtual reality training can have an impact on the surgical performance of advanced laparoscopic procedures. Our objective was to assess the ability of the virtual reality simulator LAP Mentor to identify and quantify changes in surgical performance indicators, after LAP Mentor training for digestive anastomosis. Twelve surgeons from Centro Hospitalar de São João in Porto (Portugal) performed two sessions of advanced task 5: anastomosis in LAP Mentor, before and after completing the tutorial, and were evaluated on 34 surgical performance indicators. The results show that six surgical performance indicators significantly changed after LAP Mentor training. The surgeons performed the task significantly faster as the median 'total time' significantly reduced (p virtual reality training simulation as a benchmark tool to assess the surgical performance of Portuguese surgeons. LAP Mentor is able to identify variations in surgical performance indicators of digestive anastomosis.

  4. Decision support tools for evaluation and selection of technologies for soil remediation and disposal of halogenated waste

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khelifi, O.; Zinovyev, S.; Lodolo, A.; Vranes, S.; Miertus, S. [ICS-UNIDO, Trieste (Italy)

    2004-09-15

    One of the most justified demands in abating the pollution created by polychlorinated substances is the remediation of contaminated sites, mainly soil remediation, which is also the most complex technical task in removing pollution because of the necessity to process huge quantities of matrix and to account for numerous side factors. The commercial technologies are usually based on rather direct and simplified but also secure processes, which often approach remediation in a general way, where different types of pollutants can be decontaminated at the same time by each technology. A number of different soil remediation technologies are nowadays available and the continuous competition among environmental service companies and technology developers generates a further increase in the clean-up options. The demand for decision support tools that could help decision makers in selecting the most appropriate technology for the specific contaminated site has consequently increased. These decision support tools (DST) are designed to help decision makers (site owners, local community representatives, environmentalists, regulators, etc.) to assess available technologies and preliminarily select the preferred remedial options. The analysis for the identification of the most suitable options in the DST is based on technical, economic, environmental, and social criteria. These criteria are ranked by all parties involved in the decision process to determine their relative importance for a particular remediation project. The aim of the present paper is to present the new approach for building decision support tool to evaluate different technologies for remediation and disposal of halogenated waste.

  5. UniSchooLabs Toolkit: Tools and Methodologies to Support the Adoption of Universities’ Remote and Virtual Labs in Schools

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Augusto Chioccariello

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The UniSchooLabs project aims at creating an infrastructure supporting web access to remote/virtual labs and associated educational resources to engage learners with hands-on and minds-on activities in science, technology and math in schools. The UniSchooLabs tool-kit supports the teacher in selecting a remote or virtual lab and developing a lab activity based on an inquiry model template. While working with the toolkit the teacher has access to three main features: a a catalogue of available online laboratories; b an archive of activities created by other users; c a tool for creating new activities or reusing existing ones.

  6. FROM DOCUMENTATION IMAGES TO RESTAURATION SUPPORT TOOLS: A PATH FOLLOWING THE NEPTUNE FOUNTAIN IN BOLOGNA DESIGN PROCESS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. I. Apollonio

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available The sixteenth-century Fountain of Neptune is one of Bologna’s most renowned landmarks. During the recent restoration activities of the monumental sculpture group, consisting in precious marbles and highly refined bronzes with water jets, a photographic campaign has been carried out exclusively for documentation purposes of the current state of preservation of the complex. Nevertheless, the highquality imagery was used for a different use, namely to create a 3D digital model accurate in shape and color by means of automated photogrammetric techniques and a robust customized pipeline. This 3D model was used as basic tool to support many and different activities of the restoration site. The paper describes the 3D model construction technique used and the most important applications in which it was used as support tool for restoration: (i reliable documentation of the actual state; (ii surface cleaning analysis; (iii new water system and jets; (iv new lighting design simulation; (v support for preliminary analysis and projectual studies related to hardly accessible areas; (vi structural analysis; (vii base for filling gaps or missing elements through 3D printing; (viii high-quality visualization and rendering and (ix support for data modelling and semantic-based diagrams.

  7. Towards a Reference Architecture to Provision Tools as a Service for Global Software Development

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chauhan, Aufeef; Babar, Muhammad Ali

    2014-01-01

    Organizations involve in Global Software Development (GSD) face challenges in terms of having access to appropriate set of tools for performing distributed engineering and development activities, integration between heterogeneous desktop and web-based tools, management of artifacts developed...... distributed environment. In this paper, we argue the need to have a cloud-enabled platform for supporting GSD and propose reference architecture of a cloud based Platform for providing support to provision ecosystem of the Tools as a Service (PTaaS)....

  8. Building performance simulation as a design tool for refurbishment of buildings

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hensen, J.L.M.; Bartak, M.; Drkal, F.; Dunovska, T.; Lain, M.; Matuska, T.; Schwarzer, J.; Sourek, B.; Bednar, T.

    2004-01-01

    This paper attempts to outline the current state-of-the-art regarding the use of building performance simulation as a design tool for refurbishment of buildings. This is illus-trated by means of three recent studies for conversion of historical buildings (an early 20th century factory, and a water

  9. Practical End-to-End Performance Testing Tool for High Speed 3G-Based Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shinbo, Hiroyuki; Tagami, Atsushi; Ano, Shigehiro; Hasegawa, Toru; Suzuki, Kenji

    High speed IP communication is a killer application for 3rd generation (3G) mobile systems. Thus 3G network operators should perform extensive tests to check whether expected end-to-end performances are provided to customers under various environments. An important objective of such tests is to check whether network nodes fulfill requirements to durations of processing packets because a long duration of such processing causes performance degradation. This requires testers (persons who do tests) to precisely know how long a packet is hold by various network nodes. Without any tool's help, this task is time-consuming and error prone. Thus we propose a multi-point packet header analysis tool which extracts and records packet headers with synchronized timestamps at multiple observation points. Such recorded packet headers enable testers to calculate such holding durations. The notable feature of this tool is that it is implemented on off-the shelf hardware platforms, i.e., lap-top personal computers. The key challenges of the implementation are precise clock synchronization without any special hardware and a sophisticated header extraction algorithm without any drop.

  10. Student use of Web 2.0 tools to support argumentation in a high school science classroom

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weible, Jennifer L.

    This ethnographic study is an investigation into how two classes of chemistry students (n=35) from a low-income high school with a one-to-one laptop initiative used Web 2.0 tools to support participation in the science practice of argumentation (i.e., sensemaking, articulating understandings, and persuading an audience) during a unit on alternative energy. The science curriculum utilized the Technology-Enhanced Inquiry Tools for Science Education as a pedagogical framework (Kim, Hannafin, & Bryan, 2007). Video recordings of the classroom work, small group discussions, and focus group interviews, documents, screen shots, wiki evidence, and student produced multi-media artifacts were the data analyzed for this study. Open and focused coding techniques, counts of social tags and wiki moves, and interpretive analyses were used to find patterns in the data. The study found that the tools of social bookmarking, wiki, and persuasive multimedia artifacts supported participation in argumentation. In addition, students utilized the affordances of the technologies in multiple ways to communicate, collaborate, manage the work of others, and efficiently complete their science project. This study also found that technologically enhanced science curriculum can bridge students' everyday and scientific understandings of making meaning, articulating understandings, and persuading others of their point of view. As a result, implications from this work include a set of design principles for science inquiry learning that utilize technology. This study suggests new consideration of analytical methodology that blends wiki data analytics and video data. It also suggests that utilizing technology as a bridging strategy serves two roles within classrooms: (a) deepening students' understanding of alternative energy science content and (b) supporting students as they learn to participate in the practices of argumentation.

  11. Perceived ability and social support as mediators of achievement motivation and performance anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abrahamsen, F E; Roberts, G C; Pensgaard, A M; Ronglan, L T

    2008-12-01

    The present study is founded on achievement goal theory (AGT) and examines the relationship between motivation, social support and performance anxiety with team handball players (n=143) from 10 elite teams. Based on these theories and previous findings, the study has three purposes. First, it was predicted that the female athletes (n=69) would report more performance worries and more social support use than males (n=74). The findings support the hypothesis for anxiety, but not for social support use. However, females report that they felt social support was more available than males. Second, we predicted and found a positive relationship between the interaction of ego orientation and perceptions of a performance climate on performance anxiety, but only for females. As predicted, perceived ability mediated this relationship. Finally, we predicted that perceptions of a performance climate were related to the view that social support was less available especially for the male athletes. Simple correlation supports this prediction, but the regression analyses did not reach significance. Thus, we could not test for mediation of social support between motivational variables and anxiety. The results illustrate that fostering a mastery climate helps elite athletes tackle competitive pressure.

  12. GAPscreener: An automatic tool for screening human genetic association literature in PubMed using the support vector machine technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khoury Muin J

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Synthesis of data from published human genetic association studies is a critical step in the translation of human genome discoveries into health applications. Although genetic association studies account for a substantial proportion of the abstracts in PubMed, identifying them with standard queries is not always accurate or efficient. Further automating the literature-screening process can reduce the burden of a labor-intensive and time-consuming traditional literature search. The Support Vector Machine (SVM, a well-established machine learning technique, has been successful in classifying text, including biomedical literature. The GAPscreener, a free SVM-based software tool, can be used to assist in screening PubMed abstracts for human genetic association studies. Results The data source for this research was the HuGE Navigator, formerly known as the HuGE Pub Lit database. Weighted SVM feature selection based on a keyword list obtained by the two-way z score method demonstrated the best screening performance, achieving 97.5% recall, 98.3% specificity and 31.9% precision in performance testing. Compared with the traditional screening process based on a complex PubMed query, the SVM tool reduced by about 90% the number of abstracts requiring individual review by the database curator. The tool also ascertained 47 articles that were missed by the traditional literature screening process during the 4-week test period. We examined the literature on genetic associations with preterm birth as an example. Compared with the traditional, manual process, the GAPscreener both reduced effort and improved accuracy. Conclusion GAPscreener is the first free SVM-based application available for screening the human genetic association literature in PubMed with high recall and specificity. The user-friendly graphical user interface makes this a practical, stand-alone application. The software can be downloaded at no charge.

  13. Easily configured real-time CPOE Pick Off Tool supporting focused clinical research and quality improvement.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenbaum, Benjamin P; Silkin, Nikolay; Miller, Randolph A

    2014-01-01

    Real-time alerting systems typically warn providers about abnormal laboratory results or medication interactions. For more complex tasks, institutions create site-wide 'data warehouses' to support quality audits and longitudinal research. Sophisticated systems like i2b2 or Stanford's STRIDE utilize data warehouses to identify cohorts for research and quality monitoring. However, substantial resources are required to install and maintain such systems. For more modest goals, an organization desiring merely to identify patients with 'isolation' orders, or to determine patients' eligibility for clinical trials, may adopt a simpler, limited approach based on processing the output of one clinical system, and not a data warehouse. We describe a limited, order-entry-based, real-time 'pick off' tool, utilizing public domain software (PHP, MySQL). Through a web interface the tool assists users in constructing complex order-related queries and auto-generates corresponding database queries that can be executed at recurring intervals. We describe successful application of the tool for research and quality monitoring.

  14. Designing an ICT tool platform to support SME business model innovation: Results of a first design cycle

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Reuver, G.A.; Athanasopoulou, A.; Haaker, T.I.; Roelfsema, M.; Riedle, M; Breitfuss, G.

    2016-01-01

    Business model innovation (BMI) is becoming increasingly relevant for enterprises as they are faced with profound changes like digitalization. While business model thinking in academia has advanced, practical tooling that supports business model innovation for small and medium sized enterprises

  15. Who are the support persons of haematological cancer survivors and how is their performance perceived?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Alix; Lynagh, Marita; Carey, Mariko; Sanson-Fisher, Rob; Mansfield, Elise

    2017-12-01

    To explore: (1) how haematological cancer survivors and their support persons perceive the overall performance of the support person; (2) disagreement between survivor and support person ratings; and (3) characteristics associated with support persons rating their performance poorly. This is a substudy of a larger project of Australian haematological cancer survivors and their support persons. For this substudy, haematological cancer survivors were recruited from 4 Australian population-based cancer registries and asked to pass on a questionnaire package to their support persons. Survivors who passed on a questionnaire package to their support person were asked to answer questions about the support person and how they perceived the support person's performance. Similarly, support persons answered questions on their own performance as a support person. A total of 924 haematological cancer survivors and 821 support persons were eligible for this study. Most survivors rated their support person as performing very well (84%) while less than half (48%) of support persons rated their own performance as very well. There was significant disagreement between survivor and their support person (dyad) ratings of the support person's performance. Support persons with above normal levels of depression (vs those with normal levels) had significantly higher odds of rating their own performance as "not well/somewhat well." Health care providers should consider providing additional education and skills-based interventions to support persons who experience increased symptoms of depression. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  16. Bridging the Gap: Developing a Tool to Support Local Civilian and Military Disaster Preparedness

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    open house and air show), the National Basketball Association ( NBA ) All-Star Game, or NASCAR 34 Bridging the Gap: Developing a Tool to Support Local...Americas] protest in Columbus, the National Col- legiate Athletic Association [NCAA] Final Four basketball games in San Antonio, and annual New Year’s...there are large events, such as the NBA All-Star Game, which pose some difficulties related to law enforcement. Other recent events with potential

  17. Performance and optimization of support vector machines in high-energy physics classification problems

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sahin, M.Oe.; Kruecker, D.; Melzer-Pellmann, I.A.

    2016-01-15

    In this paper we promote the use of Support Vector Machines (SVM) as a machine learning tool for searches in high-energy physics. As an example for a new-physics search we discuss the popular case of Supersymmetry at the Large Hadron Collider. We demonstrate that the SVM is a valuable tool and show that an automated discovery-significance based optimization of the SVM hyper-parameters is a highly efficient way to prepare an SVM for such applications. A new C++ LIBSVM interface called SVM-HINT is developed and available on Github.

  18. Performance and optimization of support vector machines in high-energy physics classification problems

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sahin, M.Oe.; Kruecker, D.; Melzer-Pellmann, I.A.

    2016-01-01

    In this paper we promote the use of Support Vector Machines (SVM) as a machine learning tool for searches in high-energy physics. As an example for a new-physics search we discuss the popular case of Supersymmetry at the Large Hadron Collider. We demonstrate that the SVM is a valuable tool and show that an automated discovery-significance based optimization of the SVM hyper-parameters is a highly efficient way to prepare an SVM for such applications. A new C++ LIBSVM interface called SVM-HINT is developed and available on Github.

  19. Technology and Tool Development to Support Safety and Mission Assurance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Denney, Ewen; Pai, Ganesh

    2017-01-01

    The Assurance Case approach is being adopted in a number of safety-mission-critical application domains in the U.S., e.g., medical devices, defense aviation, automotive systems, and, lately, civil aviation. This paradigm refocuses traditional, process-based approaches to assurance on demonstrating explicitly stated assurance goals, emphasizing the use of structured rationale, and concrete product-based evidence as the means for providing justified confidence that systems and software are fit for purpose in safely achieving mission objectives. NASA has also been embracing assurance cases through the concepts of Risk Informed Safety Cases (RISCs), as documented in the NASA System Safety Handbook, and Objective Hierarchies (OHs) as put forth by the Agency's Office of Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA). This talk will give an overview of the work being performed by the SGT team located at NASA Ames Research Center, in developing technologies and tools to engineer and apply assurance cases in customer projects pertaining to aviation safety. We elaborate how our Assurance Case Automation Toolset (AdvoCATE) has not only extended the state-of-the-art in assurance case research, but also demonstrated its practical utility. We have successfully developed safety assurance cases for a number of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) operations, which underwent, and passed, scrutiny both by the aviation regulator, i.e., the FAA, as well as the applicable NASA boards for airworthiness and flight safety, flight readiness, and mission readiness. We discuss our efforts in expanding AdvoCATE capabilities to support RISCs and OHs under a project recently funded by OSMA under its Software Assurance Research Program. Finally, we speculate on the applicability of our innovations beyond aviation safety to such endeavors as robotic, and human spaceflight.

  20. DAS performance analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bates, G.; Bodine, S.; Carroll, T.; Keller, M.

    1984-02-01

    This report begins with an overview of the Data Acquisition System (DAS), which supports several of PPPL's experimental devices. Performance measurements which were taken on DAS and the tools used to make them are then described

  1. Development of a tool to support holistic generic assessment of clinical procedure skills.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McKinley, Robert K; Strand, Janice; Gray, Tracey; Schuwirth, Lambert; Alun-Jones, Tom; Miller, Helen

    2008-06-01

    The challenges of maintaining comprehensive banks of valid checklists make context-specific checklists for assessment of clinical procedural skills problematic. This paper reports the development of a tool which supports generic holistic assessment of clinical procedural skills. We carried out a literature review, focus groups and non-participant observation of assessments with interview of participants, participant evaluation of a pilot objective structured clinical examination (OSCE), a national modified Delphi study with prior definitions of consensus and an OSCE. Participants were volunteers from a large acute teaching trust, a teaching primary care trust and a national sample of National Health Service staff. Results In total, 86 students, trainees and staff took part in the focus groups, observation of assessments and pilot OSCE, 252 in the Delphi study and 46 candidates and 50 assessors in the final OSCE. We developed a prototype tool with 5 broad categories amongst which were distributed 38 component competencies. There was > 70% agreement (our prior definition of consensus) at the first round of the Delphi study for inclusion of all categories and themes and no consensus for inclusion of additional categories or themes. Generalisability was 0.76. An OSCE based on the instrument has a predicted reliability of 0.79 with 12 stations and 1 assessor per station or 10 stations and 2 assessors per station. This clinical procedural skills assessment tool enables reliable assessment and has content and face validity for the assessment of clinical procedural skills. We have designated it the Leicester Clinical Procedure Assessment Tool (LCAT).

  2. Data farming in support of HLA performance assessment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Cramp, A.J.; Berg, T.W. van den; Huiskamp, W.

    2014-01-01

    Performance assessment is a key factor in designing distributed simulation environments that are fit-forpurpose and cost-effective. Simulations used for training applications should provide the required level of responsiveness and interactivity. Simulations used for analysis or decision support

  3. Electronic Safety Resource Tools -- Supporting Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Commercialization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barilo, Nick F.

    2014-09-29

    The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Hydrogen Safety Program conducted a planning session in Los Angeles, CA on April 1, 2014 to consider what electronic safety tools would benefit the next phase of hydrogen and fuel cell commercialization. A diverse, 20-person team led by an experienced facilitator considered the question as it applied to the eight most relevant user groups. The results and subsequent evaluation activities revealed several possible resource tools that could greatly benefit users. The tool identified as having the greatest potential for impact is a hydrogen safety portal, which can be the central location for integrating and disseminating safety information (including most of the tools identified in this report). Such a tool can provide credible and reliable information from a trustworthy source. Other impactful tools identified include a codes and standards wizard to guide users through a series of questions relating to application and specific features of the requirements; a scenario-based virtual reality training for first responders; peer networking tools to bring users from focused groups together to discuss and collaborate on hydrogen safety issues; and a focused tool for training inspectors. Table ES.1 provides results of the planning session, including proposed new tools and changes to existing tools.

  4. Visualization in simulation tools: requirements and a tool specification to support the teaching of dynamic biological processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jørgensen, Katarina M; Haddow, Pauline C

    2011-08-01

    Simulation tools are playing an increasingly important role behind advances in the field of systems biology. However, the current generation of biological science students has either little or no experience with such tools. As such, this educational glitch is limiting both the potential use of such tools as well as the potential for tighter cooperation between the designers and users. Although some simulation tool producers encourage their use in teaching, little attempt has hitherto been made to analyze and discuss their suitability as an educational tool for noncomputing science students. In general, today's simulation tools assume that the user has a stronger mathematical and computing background than that which is found in most biological science curricula, thus making the introduction of such tools a considerable pedagogical challenge. This paper provides an evaluation of the pedagogical attributes of existing simulation tools for cell signal transduction based on Cognitive Load theory. Further, design recommendations for an improved educational simulation tool are provided. The study is based on simulation tools for cell signal transduction. However, the discussions are relevant to a broader biological simulation tool set.

  5. Decision support for utility environmental risk management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Balson, W.E.; Wilson, D.S.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reviews a number of decision support methods developed and applied by Decision Focus Incorporated to help utility personnel manage current environmental problems. This work has been performed for the Environmental Risk Analysis Program of EPRI's Environment Division, and also for a number of electric utilities across the country. These are two distinct types of decision support software tools that have been created: economic risk management and environmental risk analysis. These types differ primarily in the identification of who will make a decision. Economic risk management tools are directed primarily at decisions made by electric utilities. Environmental risk analysis tools are directed primarily at decisions made by legislative or regulatory agencies, about which a utility may wish to comment

  6. Decision support systems in nuclear emergencies: A scenario-based comparison of domestic and reference tools

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vamanu, D.; Slavnicu, S. D.; Slavnicu, E.; Vamanu, B.

    2004-01-01

    The article reports selective results of a comparison between RODOS - an emerging decision support system for the management of nuclear emergencies in Europe developed by an international research consortium under EEC aegis, and a resident software package developed and maintained for similar purposes at IFIN-HH, Bucharest. Reproducible similarity patterns obtained in the output data distributions provide for simple normalising procedures that may ensure convergent radiological assessments. When properly consolidated on a sufficient scenario casuistry, such procedures could lend a certain resilience to domestic decision support tools over the interim lead time required by the full implementation of RODOS, or other major league, internationally accepted reference systems. (authors)

  7. Application of performance assessment as a tool for guiding project work

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McCombie, C.; Zuidema, P.

    1992-01-01

    The ultimate aim of the performance assessment methodology developed over the last 10-15 years is to predict quantitatively the behavior of disposal systems over periods of time into the far future. The methodology can, however, also be applied in range of tasks during repository development and is in many programmes used as a tool for improving or optimizing the design of subsystem components of for guiding the course of project planning. In Swiss waste management program, there are several examples of the use of performance assessment as a tool in the manner mentioned above. The interaction between research models, assessment models and simplified models is considered to be of key importance and corresponding measures are taken to properly structure the process and to track the data: first, the results of all applications of the models are included in a consistent manner in the scenario analyses for the different sites and systems and, second, consistency in the underlying assumptions and in the data used in the different model calculations is assured by the consequent application of a configuration data management system (CDM). Almost all the applications of performance assessment have been included in Swiss work, but for this paper, only two examples have been selected: applications of performance assessment in both the HLW and the LLW program; and acceptance of specific waste types and their allocation to an appropriate repository on the basis of simplified safety analyses

  8. Human Decision Processes: Implications for SSA Support Tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Picciano, P.

    2013-09-01

    paper), one opinion shared is that the rational, economic, deliberate listing/evaluation of all options is NOT representative of how many decision are made. A framework gaining interest lately describes two systems predominantly at work: intuition and reasoning (Kahneman, 2003). Intuition is fast, automatic, and parallel contrasted with the more effortful, deliberative, and sequential reasoning. One of the issues of contention is that considerable research is stacked supporting both sides claiming that intuition is: • A hallmark of expertise responsible for rapid, optimal decisions in the face of adversity • A vulnerability where biases serve as decision traps leading to wrong choices Using seminal studies from a range of domains and tasking, potential solutions for SSA decision support will be offered. Important issues such as managing uncertainty, framing inquiries, and information architecture, and contextual cues will be discussed. The purpose is to provide awareness of the human limitations and capabilities in complex decision making so engineers and designers can consider such factors in their development of SSA tools.

  9. The New York City Operations Support Tool: Supporting Water Supply Operations for Millions in an Era of Changing Patterns in Hydrological Extreme Events

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matonse, A. H.; Porter, J. H.; Frei, A.

    2015-12-01

    Providing an average 1.1 billion gallons (~ 4.2 x 106 cubic meters) of drinking water per day to approximately nine million people in New York City (NYC) and four upstate counties, the NYC water supply is among the world's largest unfiltered systems. In addition to providing a reliable water supply in terms of water quantity and quality, the city has to fulfill other flow objectives to serve downstream communities. At times, such as during extreme hydrological events, water quality issues may restrict water usage for parts of the system. To support a risk-based water supply decision making process NYC has developed the Operations Support Tool (OST). OST combines a water supply systems model with reservoir water quality models, near real time data ingestion, data base management and an ensemble hydrological forecast. A number of reports have addressed the frequency and intensities of extreme hydrological events across the continental US. In the northeastern US studies have indicated an increase in the frequency of extremely large precipitation and streamflow events during the most recent decades. During this presentation we describe OST and, using case studies we demonstrate how this tool has been useful to support operational decisions. We also want to motivate a discussion about how undergoing changes in patterns of hydrological extreme events elevate the challenge faced by water supply managers and the role of the scientific community to integrate nonstationarity approaches in hydrologic forecast and modeling.

  10. Support Tool in the Diagnosis of Sales Price of Dental Plans

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira, Raquel A. F.; Lóscio, Bernadette F.; Pinheiro, Plácido Rogério

    It shows the formatting of a table of price to be used by a company is an activity that cannot be performed only empirically. The application of statistical methodologies and actuarial comes, increasingly, being used widely by companies primarily in the business of health plan. The increasing use of these techniques ensures that a manager of these companies more security and lower risk exposure while assisting them in making decisions. The aim of this paper is to present a tool for calculating the price of dental health developed in Java and PL/PgSQL.

  11. Quantitative PCR is a Valuable Tool to Monitor the Performance of DNA-Encoded Chemical Library Selections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yizhou; Zimmermann, Gunther; Scheuermann, Jörg; Neri, Dario

    2017-05-04

    Phage-display libraries and DNA-encoded chemical libraries (DECLs) represent useful tools for the isolation of specific binding molecules from large combinatorial sets of compounds. With both methods, specific binders are recovered at the end of affinity capture procedures by using target proteins of interest immobilized on a solid support. However, although the efficiency of phage-display selections is routinely quantified by counting the phage titer before and after the affinity capture step, no similar quantification procedures have been reported for the characterization of DECL selections. In this article, we describe the potential and limitations of quantitative PCR (qPCR) methods for the evaluation of selection efficiency by using a combinatorial chemical library with more than 35 million compounds. In the experimental conditions chosen for the selections, a quantification of DNA input/recovery over five orders of magnitude could be performed, revealing a successful enrichment of abundant binders, which could be confirmed by DNA sequencing. qPCR provided rapid information about the performance of selections, thus facilitating the optimization of experimental conditions. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  12. SafetyBarrierManager, a software tool to perform risk analysis using ARAMIS's principles

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duijm, Nijs Jan

    2017-01-01

    of the ARAMIS project, Risø National Laboratory started developing a tool that could implement these methodologies, leading to SafetyBarrierManager. The tool is based on the principles of “safety‐barrier diagrams”, which are very similar to “bowties”, with the possibility of performing quantitative analysis......The ARAMIS project resulted in a number of methodologies, dealing with among others: the development of standard fault trees and “bowties”; the identification and classification of safety barriers; and including the quality of safety management into the quantified risk assessment. After conclusion....... The tool allows constructing comprehensive fault trees, event trees and safety‐barrier diagrams. The tool implements the ARAMIS idea of a set of safety barrier types, to which a number of safety management issues can be linked. By rating the quality of these management issues, the operational probability...

  13. TacTool: a tactile rapid prototyping tool for visual interfaces

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Keyson, D.V.; Tang, H.K.; Anzai, Y.; Ogawa, K.; Mori, H.

    1995-01-01

    This paper describes the TacTool development tool and input device for designing and evaluating visual user interfaces with tactile feedback. TacTool is currently supported by the IPO trackball with force feedback in the x and y directions. The tool is designed to enable both the designer and the

  14. Investigation into the Effects of Textural Properties on Cuttability Performance of a Chisel Tool

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tumac, Deniz; Copur, Hanifi; Balci, Cemal; Er, Selman; Avunduk, Emre

    2018-04-01

    The main objective of this study is to investigate the effect of textural properties of stones on cutting performance of a standard chisel tool. Therewithal, the relationships between textural properties and cutting performance parameters and physical and mechanical properties were statistically analyzed. For this purpose, physical and mechanical property tests and mineralogical and petrographic analyses were carried out on eighteen natural stone samples, which can be grouped into three fundamentally different geological origins, i.e., metamorphic, igneous, and sedimentary. Then, texture coefficient analyses were performed on the samples. To determine the cuttability of the stones; the samples were cut with a portable linear cutting machine using a standard chisel tool at different depths of cut in unrelieved (non-interactive) cutting mode. The average and maximum forces (normal and cutting) and specific energy were measured, and the obtained values were correlated with texture coefficient, packing weighting, and grain size. With reference to the relation between depth of cut and cutting performance of the chisel tool for three types of natural stone groups, specific energy decreases with increasing depth of cut, and cutting forces increase in proportion to the depth of cut. The same is observed for the relationship between packing weighting and both of specific energy and cutter forces. On the other hand, specific energy and the forces decrease while grain size increases. Based on the findings of the present study, texture coefficient has strong correlation with specific energy. Generally, the lower depth of cut values in cutting tests shows higher and more reliable correlations with texture coefficient than the increased depth of cut. The results of cutting tests show also that, at a lower depth of cut (less than 1.5 mm), even stronger correlations can be observed between texture coefficient and cutting performance. Experimental studies indicate that cutting

  15. Integrating views on support for mid-level health worker performance: a concept mapping study with regional health system actors in rural Guatemala.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hernández, Alison R; Hurtig, Anna-Karin; Dahlblom, Kjerstin; San Sebastián, Miguel

    2015-10-08

    Mid-level health workers are on the front-lines in underserved areas in many LMICs, and their performance is critical for improving the health of vulnerable populations. However, improving performance in low-resource settings is complex and highly dependent on the organizational context of local health systems. This study aims to examine the views of actors from different levels of a regional health system in Guatemala on actions to support the performance of auxiliary nurses, a cadre of mid-level health workers with a prominent role in public sector service delivery. A concept mapping study was carried out to develop an integrated view on organizational support and identify locally relevant strategies for strengthening performance. A total of 93 regional and district managers, and primary and secondary care health workers participated in generating ideas on actions needed to support auxiliary nurses' performance. Ideas were consolidated into 30 action items, which were structured through sorting and rating exercises, involving a total of 135 of managers and health workers. Maps depicting participants' integrated views on domains of action and dynamics in sub-groups' interests were generated using a sequence of multivariate statistical analyses, and interpreted by regional managers. The combined input of health system actors provided a multi-faceted view of actions needed to support performance, which were organized in six domains, including: Communication and coordination, Tools to orient work, Organizational climate of support, Motivation through recognition, Professional development and Skills development. The nature of relationships across hierarchical levels was identified as a cross-cutting theme. Pattern matching and go-zone maps indicated directions for action based on areas of consensus and difference across sub-groups of actors. This study indicates that auxiliary nurses' performance is interconnected with the performance of other health system actors who

  16. Hardware enabled performance counters with support for operating system context switching

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salapura, Valentina; Wisniewski, Robert W.

    2015-06-30

    A device for supporting hardware enabled performance counters with support for context switching include a plurality of performance counters operable to collect information associated with one or more computer system related activities, a first register operable to store a memory address, a second register operable to store a mode indication, and a state machine operable to read the second register and cause the plurality of performance counters to copy the information to memory area indicated by the memory address based on the mode indication.

  17. Tools for Social Construction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Brynskov, Martin

    for social construction, i.e. supporting staging, performing, and sharing of playful activities involving people and artifacts.             The method used is a triangulation of the problem domain—pervasive media systems for children—from three perspectives: theory, design, and empirical work......: the potential of pervasive media systems to support the children’s social construction.  ......In this dissertation, I propose a new type of playful media for children. Based on field work, prototypes, and theoretical development, I define, build, and explore a distinct cross-section of existing and new digital media, tools, and communication devices in order to assess the characteristics...

  18. Improving Performance of Cantilevered Momentum Wheel Assemblies by Soft Suspension Support

    OpenAIRE

    Zhou, Weiyong; Li, Dongxu

    2013-01-01

    This paper focuses on improving the performance of the rigid support cantilevered momentum wheel assemblies (CMWA) by soft suspension support. A CMWA, supported by two angular contact ball bearings, was modeled as a Jeffcott rotor. The support stiffness, before and after in series with a linear soft suspension support, were simplified as two Duffing's type springs respectively. The result shows that the rigid support CMWA produces large disturbance force at the resonance speed range. The soft...

  19. The Integrated Medical Model: A Risk Assessment and Decision Support Tool for Human Space Flight Missions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerstman, Eric L.; Minard, Charles; FreiredeCarvalho, Mary H.; Walton, Marlei E.; Myers, Jerry G., Jr.; Saile, Lynn G.; Lopez, Vilma; Butler, Douglas J.; Johnson-Throop, Kathy A.

    2011-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the Integrated Medical Model (IMM) and its use as a risk assessment and decision support tool for human space flight missions. The IMM is an integrated, quantified, evidence-based decision support tool useful to NASA crew health and mission planners. It is intended to assist in optimizing crew health, safety and mission success within the constraints of the space flight environment for in-flight operations. It uses ISS data to assist in planning for the Exploration Program and it is not intended to assist in post flight research. The IMM was used to update Probability Risk Assessment (PRA) for the purpose of updating forecasts for the conditions requiring evacuation (EVAC) or Loss of Crew Life (LOC) for the ISS. The IMM validation approach includes comparison with actual events and involves both qualitative and quantitaive approaches. The results of these comparisons are reviewed. Another use of the IMM is to optimize the medical kits taking into consideration the specific mission and the crew profile. An example of the use of the IMM to optimize the medical kits is reviewed.

  20. Work support, psychological well-being and safety performance among nurses in Hong Kong.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wong, Kenchi C K

    2018-02-06

    This study investigated the mediating role of psychological well-being between work support and safety performance of 314 Hong Kong nurses, using self-reported questionnaires. Results showed that psychological well-being mediated the effects of work support on safety performance. The findings illustrate that work support was an important element to improve psychological well-being. This could generate better safety performance of the nurses. Implications and limitations are discussed.

  1. Development of Generic Tools for Coastal Early Warning and Decision Support

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bogaard Tom

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Recent and historic high-impact events demonstrated coastal risk (Xynthia, Europe, 2010; Katrina, USA, 2005. This is only to get worse, because risk is increasing due to increase in both hazard intensity, frequency and increase in consequences (increased coastal development. Adaptation requires a re-evaluation of coastal disaster risk reduction (DRR strategies and a new mix of prevention, mitigation (e.g. limiting construction in flood-prone areas and preparedness (e.g. Early warning systems, EWS measures. Within the EU funded project RISC-KIT the focus is on preparedness measures and its aim is to demonstrate robustness and applicability of coastal EWS (Early Warning Systems and DSS (Decision Support Systems. Delft-FEWS, a generic tool for Early Warning Systems has been extended, to be applied at sites all across Europe. The challenges for developing a modern EWS are found in the integration of large data sets, specialised modules to process the data, and open interfaces to allow easy integration of existing modelling capacities. In response to these challenges, Delft-FEWS provides a state of the art EWS framework, which is highly customizable to the specific requirements of an individual organisation. For ten case study sites on all EU regional seas a EWS has been developed, to provide real-time (short-term forecasts and early warnings. The EWS component is a 2D model framework of hydro-meteo and morphological models which computes hazard intensities. The total expected impact of a hazard can be obtained by using a Bayesian network DSS. This DSS, which is incorporated in the Delft-FEWS platform is a tool that links coastal multi-hazards to their socioeconomic and environmental consequences. An important innovation of the EWS/DSS lies in its application in dual mode: as a forecast and warning system and as a consistent ex-ante planning tool to evaluate the long-term vulnerability due to multiple (low-frequency coastal hazards, under various

  2. Inclusion of social indicators in decision support tools for the selection of sustainable site remediation options.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cappuyns, Valérie

    2016-12-15

    Sustainable remediation requires a balanced decision-making process in which environmental, economic and social aspects of different remediation options are all considered together and the optimum remediation solution is selected. More attention has been paid to the evaluation of environmental and economic aspects, in particular to reduce the human and environmental risks and the remediation costs, to the exclusion of social aspects of remediation. This paper investigates how social aspects are currently considered in sustainability assessments of remediation projects. A selection of decision support tools (DSTs), used for the sustainability assessment of a remediation project, is analyzed to define how social aspects are considered in those tools. The social indicator categories of the Sustainable Remediation Forum - United Kingdom (SuRF-UK), are used as a basis for this evaluation. The consideration of social aspects in the investigated decision support tools is limited, but a clear increase is noticed in more recently developed tools. Among the five social indicator categories defined by SuRF-UK to facilitate a holistic consideration of social aspects of a remediation project only "Human health and safety" is systematically taken into account. "Neighbourhood and locality" is also often addressed, mostly emphasizing the potential disturbance caused by the remediation activities. However, the evaluation of 'Ethics and Equality', Communities and community involvement', and 'Uncertainty and evidence' is often neglected. Nevertheless, concrete examples can be found in some of the investigated tools. Specific legislation, standard procedures, and guidelines that have to be followed in a region or country are mainly been set up in the context of protecting human and ecosystem health, safety and prevention of nuisance. However, they sometimes already include some of the aspects addressed by the social indicators. In this perspective the use of DST to evaluate the

  3. Predictive tool of energy performance of cold storage in agrifood industries: The Portuguese case study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nunes, José; Neves, Diogo; Gaspar, Pedro D.; Silva, Pedro D.; Andrade, Luís P.

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A predictive tool for assessment of the energy performance in agrifood industries that use cold storage is developed. • The correlations used by the predictive tool result from the greatest number of data sets collected to date in Portugal. • Strong relationships between raw material, energy consumption and volume of cold stores were established. • Case studies were analyzed that demonstrate the applicability of the tool. • The tool results are useful in the decision-making process of practice measures for the improvement of energy efficiency. - Abstract: Food processing and conservation represent decisive factors for the sustainability of the planet given the significant growth of the world population in the last decades. Therefore, the cooling process during the manufacture and/or storage of food products has been subject of study and improvement in order to ensure the food supply with good quality and safety. A predictive tool for assessment of the energy performance in agrifood industries that use cold storage is developed in order to contribute to the improvement of the energy efficiency of this industry. The predictive tool is based on a set of characteristic correlated parameters: amount of raw material annually processed, annual energy consumption and volume of cold rooms. Case studies of application of the predictive tool consider industries in the meat sector, specifically slaughterhouses. The results obtained help on the decision-making of practice measures for improvement of the energy efficiency in this industry

  4. The Design and Development of a Computerized Tool Support for Conducting Senior Projects in Software Engineering Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Chung-Yang; Teng, Kao-Chiuan

    2011-01-01

    This paper presents a computerized tool support, the Meetings-Flow Project Collaboration System (MFS), for designing, directing and sustaining the collaborative teamwork required in senior projects in software engineering (SE) education. Among many schools' SE curricula, senior projects serve as a capstone course that provides comprehensive…

  5. Refurbishment decision support tools review—Energy and life cycle as key aspects to sustainable refurbishment projects

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferreira, Joaquim; Pinheiro, Manuel Duarte; Brito, Jorge de

    2013-01-01

    Europe is facing one of its most challenging crises since Great Depression and the construction sector is one of the worst affected. Refurbishment is therefore often suggested as one of the most useful solutions for the current real estate crisis in consolidated areas like the EU. On the other hand, it is imperative to construct buildings according to sustainable principles regarding economic, environmental and social issues. Therefore, proper decision-support methods are needed to help designers, investors and policy makers to choose the most sustainable solution for a refurbishment project, especially for energy retrofit works. This paper reviews the works relating to sustainable refurbishment decision-support tools which have already been developed. For this purpose we have analysed and classified 40 different methods, with particular focus on their main common aims. They are also compared with other classifications proposed. This paper further highlights the role of energy as a driving factor and discusses what other research developments are needed to create related tools for the future that could respond to actual construction requirements. - Highlights: • Sustainable refurbishment as an important challenge. • Proper decision-support methods are needed to refurbishment. • The paper reviews 40 different methods, focusing their main common aims. • The paper highlights the role of the energy as key factor to search sustainability. • It also stresses the importance of life cycle approach in refurbishment projects

  6. Performance improvement tool for Thai make–to–order manufacturing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Apichat Sopadang

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents a framework to improve a performance of shop floor control for Thai make-to-order (MTO smalland medium enterprises (SMEs. Integrated definition for function modeling is exploited to explore activities and relate ofcomponents. In-depth interview with experts and practitioners in the case study is provided useful information. The empiricalstudy is evaluated to suit for using the finalized SHEN model as a benchmark. Factor analysis is performed to find simplifiedinformation from variables. The data are collected from experience respondents by using a designed questionnaire. Eachobserved variable is assigned to test validity and reliability by factor loading and Cronbach’s alpha, respectively. The resultsshow that finalized SHEN can use as a performance improvement tool for Thai MTO SMEs. For example principle 11 is tested.Each observed variable has covariance value between 0.380-0.873. The value of reliability Cronbach’s alpha for this factoris shown 0.869. Based on the scree plot, it is asserted that 5 observed variables are correctly formed in the same principle.

  7. Is all support equal? The moderating effects of supervisor, coworker, and organizational support on the link between emotional labor and job performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hyun Jeong Kim

    2017-04-01

    Full Text Available This study was designed to examine the moderating roles of perceived supervisor, coworker, and organizational support in the relationship between emotional labor and job performance in the airline service context. A sample of flight attendants working for one major airline company in South Korea participated in this study. The flight attendants’ official job performance data were provided by the airline company. For data analyses, a series of hierarchical moderated regression analyses were employed. The results showed differential moderation effects of the three sources of support at work. Specifically, the positive relationship between deep acting and job performance was strengthened by perceived supervisor and coworker support. The negative relationship between surface acting and job performance was exacerbated by perceived supervisor support, indicating the reverse buffering effect. Perceived organizational support showed only main effects on employee performance with no moderation effects.

  8. Fault attacks, injection techniques and tools for simulation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Piscitelli, R.; Bhasin, S.; Regazzoni, F.

    2015-01-01

    Faults attacks are a serious threat to secure devices, because they are powerful and they can be performed with extremely cheap equipment. Resistance against fault attacks is often evaluated directly on the manufactured devices, as commercial tools supporting fault evaluation do not usually provide

  9. A set of tools for determining the LAT performance in specific applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lott, B.; Ballet, J.; Chiang, J.; Lonjou, V.; Funk, S.

    2007-01-01

    The poster presents a set of simple tools being developed to predict GLAST's performance for specific cases, like the accumulation time needed to reach a given significance or statistical accuracy for a particular source. Different examples are given, like the generation of a full-sky sensitivity map

  10. A tool for assessment of animal health laboratory safety and biosecurity: The safety module of the Food and Agriculture Organization’s laboratory mapping tool

    OpenAIRE

    Mouillé, B; Dauphin, G; Wiersma, L; Blacksell, SD; Claes, F; Kalpravidh, W; Kabore, Y; Hietala, S

    2018-01-01

    The Laboratory Management Tool (LMT) is a standardized spreadsheet-based assessment tool developed to help support national, regional, and global efforts to maintain an effective network of animal health and veterinary public health laboratories. The safety and biosecurity module of the LMT (LMT-S) includes 98 measures covering administrative, operational, engineering, and personal protective equipment practices used to provide laboratory safety and biosecurity. Performance aspects of laborat...

  11. Tribological performances of new steel grades for hot stamping tools

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medea, F.; Venturato, G.; Ghiotti, A.; Bruschi, S.

    2017-09-01

    In the last years, the use of High Strength Steels (HSS) as structural parts in car body-in-white manufacturing has rapidly increased thanks to their favourable strength-to-weight ratio and stiffness, which allow a reduction of the fuel consumption to accommodate the new restricted regulations for CO2 emissions control. The survey of the technical and scientific literature shows a large interest in the development of different coatings for the blanks from the traditional Al-Si up to new Zn-based coatings and on the analysis of hard PVD, CVD coatings and plasma nitriding applied on the tools. By contrast, fewer investigations have been focused on the development and test of new tools steels grades capable to improve the wear resistance and the thermal properties that are required for the in-die quenching during forming. On this base, the paper deals with the analysis and comparison the tribological performances in terms of wear, friction and heat transfer of new tool steel grades for high-temperature applications, characterized by a higher thermal conductivity than the commonly used tools. Testing equipment, procedures as well as measurements analyses to evaluate the friction coefficient, the wear and heat transfer phenomena are presented. Emphasis is given on the physical simulation techniques that were specifically developed to reproduce the thermal and mechanical cycles on the metal sheets and dies as in the industrial practice. The reference industrial process is the direct hot stamping of the 22MnB5 HSS coated with the common Al-Si coating for automotive applications.

  12. A Customized Drought Decision Support Tool for Hsinchu Science Park

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jung; Tien, Yu-Chuan; Lin, Hsuan-Te; Liu, Tzu-Ming; Tung, Ching-Pin

    2016-04-01

    Climate change creates more challenges for water resources management. Due to the lack of sufficient precipitation in Taiwan in fall of 2014, many cities and counties suffered from water shortage during early 2015. Many companies in Hsinchu Science Park were significantly influenced and realized that they need a decision support tool to help them managing water resources. Therefore, a customized computer program was developed, which is capable of predicting the future status of public water supply system and water storage of factories when the water rationing is announced by the government. This program presented in this study for drought decision support (DDSS) is a customized model for a semiconductor company in the Hsinchu Science Park. The DDSS is programmed in Java which is a platform-independent language. System requirements are any PC with the operating system above Windows XP and an installed Java SE Runtime Environment 7. The DDSS serves two main functions. First function is to predict the future storage of Baoshan Reservoir and Second Baoshan Reservoir, so to determine the time point of water use restriction in Hsinchu Science Park. Second function is to use the results to help the company to make decisions to trigger their response plans. The DDSS can conduct real-time scenario simulations calculating the possible storage of water tank for each factory with pre-implementation and post-implementation of those response plans. In addition, DDSS can create reports in Excel to help decision makers to compare results between different scenarios.

  13. Optimization of a micro-scale, high throughput process development tool and the demonstration of comparable process performance and product quality with biopharmaceutical manufacturing processes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Steven T; Stewart, Kevin D; Afdahl, Chris; Patel, Rohan; Newell, Kelcy J

    2017-07-14

    In this paper, we discuss the optimization and implementation of a high throughput process development (HTPD) tool that utilizes commercially available micro-liter sized column technology for the purification of multiple clinically significant monoclonal antibodies. Chromatographic profiles generated using this optimized tool are shown to overlay with comparable profiles from the conventional bench-scale and clinical manufacturing scale. Further, all product quality attributes measured are comparable across scales for the mAb purifications. In addition to supporting chromatography process development efforts (e.g., optimization screening), comparable product quality results at all scales makes this tool is an appropriate scale model to enable purification and product quality comparisons of HTPD bioreactors conditions. The ability to perform up to 8 chromatography purifications in parallel with reduced material requirements per run creates opportunities for gathering more process knowledge in less time. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Tool to assess teamwork performance in higher education Tool to assess teamwork performance in higher education Herramienta para evaluar el funcionamiento de los equipos de trabajo en entornos docentes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen Jaca García

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: In this article, we present a tool for assessing the performance of teamwork activities. The results obtained from this tool can be used to guide teamwork learning and mentor students by giving them feedback on their work.Design/methodology/approach: The tool was based on a model of teamwork effectiveness from the literature. In this sense, analyzing a series of activities performed of by the same team can allow us to know whether the students involved in these activities are acquiring the ability to effectively engage in teamwork.Findings: The tool was used with 53 teams in a Bachelor’s Degree Programme inIndustrial Engineering. In this case, the results were used to analyze whether theproposed tool is suitable for assessing teamwork effectiveness in the university context.Practical implications: This tool will serve to provide feedback to students about the acquisition of their teamwork competency throughout the course of a Bachelor’s Degree.Social implications: Teamwork is a professional ability required by a great number of organizations, and universities should incorporate the development and assessment o fteamwork skills into their degree programmes.Originality/value: Developing this competence requires different social and personalskills, which are very difficult for students to acquire only by engaging in teamwork-building activities. The crucial step of providing feedbaPurpose: In this article, we present a tool for assessing the performance of teamwork activities. The results obtained from this tool can be used to guide teamwork learning and mentor students by giving them feedback on their work.Design/methodology/approach: The tool was based on a model of teamwork effectiveness from the literature. In this sense, analyzing a series of activities performed of by the same team can allow us to know whether the students involved in these activities are acquiring the ability to effectively engage in teamwork.Findings: The tool

  15. Aggregation Tool to Create Curated Data albums to Support Disaster Recovery and Response

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramachandran, R.; Kulkarni, A.; Maskey, M.; Li, X.; Flynn, S.

    2014-12-01

    Economic losses due to natural hazards are estimated to be around 6-10 billion dollars annually for the U.S. and this number keeps increasing every year. This increase has been attributed to population growth and migration to more hazard prone locations. As this trend continues, in concert with shifts in weather patterns caused by climate change, it is anticipated that losses associated with natural disasters will keep growing substantially. One of challenges disaster response and recovery analysts face is to quickly find, access and utilize a vast variety of relevant geospatial data collected by different federal agencies. More often analysts may be familiar with limited, but specific datasets and are often unaware of or unfamiliar with a large quantity of other useful resources. Finding airborne or satellite data useful to a natural disaster event often requires a time consuming search through web pages and data archives. The search process for the analyst could be made much more efficient and productive if a tool could go beyond a typical search engine and provide not just links to web sites but actual links to specific data relevant to the natural disaster, parse unstructured reports for useful information nuggets, as well as gather other related reports, summaries, news stories, and images. This presentation will describe a semantic aggregation tool developed to address similar problem for Earth Science researchers. This tool provides automated curation, and creates "Data Albums" to support case studies. The generated "Data Albums" are compiled collections of information related to a specific science topic or event, containing links to relevant data files (granules) from different instruments; tools and services for visualization and analysis; information about the event contained in news reports, and images or videos to supplement research analysis. An ontology-based relevancy-ranking algorithm drives the curation of relevant data sets for a given event. This

  16. Supporting Beginning Teacher Planning and Enactment of Investigation-based Science Discussions: The Design and Use of Tools within Practice-based Teacher Education

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kademian, Sylvie M.

    Current reform efforts prioritize science instruction that provides opportunities for students to engage in productive talk about scientific phenomena. Given the challenges teachers face enacting instruction that integrates science practices and science content, beginning teachers need support to develop the knowledge and teaching practices required to teach reform-oriented science lessons. Practice-based teacher education shows potential for supporting beginning teachers while they are learning to teach in this way. However, little is known about how beginning elementary teachers draw upon the types of support and tools associated with practice-based teacher education to learn to successfully enact this type of instruction. This dissertation addresses this gap by investigating how a practice-based science methods course using a suite of teacher educator-provided tools can support beginning teachers' planning and enactment of investigation-based science lessons. Using qualitative case study methodologies, this study drew on video-records, lesson plans, class assignments, and surveys from one cohort of 22 pre-service teachers (called interns in this study) enrolled in a year-long elementary education master of the arts and teaching certification program. Six focal interns were also interviewed at multiple time-points during the methods course. Similarities existed across the types of tools and teaching practices interns used most frequently to plan and enact investigation-based discussions. For the focal interns, use of four synergistic teaching practices throughout the lesson enactments (including consideration of students' initial ideas; use of open-ended questions to elicit, extend, and challenge ideas; connecting across students' ideas and the disciplinary core ideas; and use of a representation to organize and highlight students' ideas) appeared to lead to increased opportunities for students to share their ideas and engage in data analysis, argumentation and

  17. Using Cognitive Work Analysis to fit decision support tools to nurse managers' work flow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Effken, Judith A; Brewer, Barbara B; Logue, Melanie D; Gephart, Sheila M; Verran, Joyce A

    2011-10-01

    To better understand the environmental constraints on nurse managers that impact their need for and use of decision support tools, we conducted a Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA). A complete CWA includes system analyses at five levels: work domain, decision-making procedures, decision-making strategies, social organization/collaboration, and worker skill level. Here we describe the results of the Work Domain Analysis (WDA) portion in detail then integrate the WDA with other portions of the CWA, reported previously, to generate a more complete picture of the nurse manager's work domain. Data for the WDA were obtained from semi-structured interviews with nurse managers, division directors, CNOs, and other managers (n = 20) on 10 patient care units in three Arizona hospitals. The WDA described the nurse manager's environment in terms of the constraints it imposes on the nurse manager's ability to achieve targeted outcomes through organizational goals and priorities, functions, processes, as well as work objects and resources (e.g., people, equipment, technology, and data). Constraints were identified and summarized through qualitative thematic analysis. The results highlight the competing priorities, and external and internal constraints that today's nurse managers must satisfy as they try to improve quality and safety outcomes on their units. Nurse managers receive a great deal of data, much in electronic format. Although dashboards were perceived as helpful because they integrated some data elements, no decision support tools were available to help nurse managers with planning or answering "what if" questions. The results suggest both the need for additional decision support to manage the growing complexity of the environment, and the constraints the environment places on the design of that technology if it is to be effective. Limitations of the study include the small homogeneous sample and the reliance on interview data targeting safety and quality. Copyright © 2011

  18. Development of a transportation planning tool

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Funkhouser, B.R.; Moyer, J.W.; Ballweg, E.L.

    1994-01-01

    This paper describes the application of simulation modeling and logistics techniques to the development of a planning tool for the Department of Energy (DOE). The focus of the Transportation Planning Model (TPM) tool is to aid DOE and Sandia analysts in the planning of future fleet sizes, driver and support personnel sizes, base site locations, and resource balancing among the base sites. The design approach is to develop a rapid modeling environment which will allow analysts to easily set up a shipment scenario and perform multiple ''what if'' evaluations. The TPM is being developed on personal computers using commercial off-the shelf (COTS) software tools under the WINDOWS reg-sign operating environment. Prototype development of the TPM has been completed

  19. Systems Analysis – a new paradigm and decision support tools for the water framework directive

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Bruen

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available In the early days of Systems Analysis the focus was on providing tools for optimisation, modelling and simulation for use by experts. Now there is a recognition of the need to develop and disseminate tools to assist in making decisions, negotiating compromises and communicating preferences that can easily be used by stakeholders without the need for specialist training. The Water Framework Directive (WFD requires public participation and thus provides a strong incentive for progress in this direction. This paper places the new paradigm in the context of the classical one and discusses some of the new approaches which can be used in the implementation of the WFD. These include multi-criteria decision support methods suitable for environmental problems, adaptive management, cognitive mapping, social learning and cooperative design and group decision-making. Concordance methods (such as ELECTRE and the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP are identified as multi-criteria methods that can be readily integrated into Decision Support Systems (DSS that deal with complex environmental issues with very many criteria, some of which are qualitative. The expanding use of the new paradigm provides an opportunity to observe and learn from the interaction of stakeholders with the new technology and to assess its effectiveness.

  20. Promoting Shared Decision Making in Disorders of Sex Development (DSD): Decision Aids and Support Tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siminoff, L A; Sandberg, D E

    2015-05-01

    Specific complaints and grievances from adult patients with disorders of sex development (DSD), and their advocates center around the lack of information or misinformation they were given about their condition and feeling stigmatized and shamed by the secrecy surrounding their condition and its management. Many also attribute poor sexual function to damaging genital surgery and/or repeated, insensitive genital examinations. These reports suggest the need to reconsider the decision-making process for the treatment of children born with DSD. This paper proposes that shared decision making, an important concept in adult health care, be operationalized for the major decisions commonly encountered in DSD care and facilitated through the utilization of decision aids and support tools. This approach may help patients and their families make informed decisions that are better aligned with their personal values and goals. It may also lead to greater confidence in decision making with greater satisfaction and less regret. A brief review of the past and current approach to DSD decision making is provided, along with a review of shared decision making and decision aids and support tools. A case study explores the need and potential utility of this suggested new approach. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  1. A new spatial multi-criteria decision support tool for site selection for implementation of managed aquifer recharge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, M Azizur; Rusteberg, Bernd; Gogu, R C; Lobo Ferreira, J P; Sauter, Martin

    2012-05-30

    multicriteria analysis tool has already been implemented within the GIS based Gabardine decision support system as an innovative MAR planning tool. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Designing a data-driven decision support tool for nurse scheduling in the emergency department: a case study of a southern New Jersey emergency department.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otegbeye, Mojisola; Scriber, Roslyn; Ducoin, Donna; Glasofer, Amy

    2015-01-01

    A health system serving Burlington and Camden Counties, New Jersey, sought to improve labor productivity for its emergency departments, with emphasis on optimizing nursing staff schedules. Using historical emergency department visit data and operating constraints, a decision support tool was designed to recommend the number of emergency nurses needed in each hour for each day of the week. The pilot emergency department nurse managers used the decision support tool's recommendations to redeploy nurse hours from weekends into a float pool to support periods of demand spikes on weekdays. Productivity improved significantly, with no unfavorable impact on patient throughput, and patient and staff satisfaction. Today's emergency department manager can leverage the increasing ease of access to the emergency department information system's data repository to successfully design a simple but effective tool to support the alignment of its nursing schedule with demand patterns. Copyright © 2015 Emergency Nurses Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. The GuideLiner catheter: A supportive tool in percutaneous coronary intervention of chronic total occlusion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jan-Erik Guelker

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Failure of delivering a stent or a balloon across the target lesion during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI of chronic total occlusion (CTO, especially in arteries with calcified tortuous anatomy, is often due to insufficient backup support from the guiding catheter. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of the GuideLiner (GL catheter use. Methods: We examined 18 patients and used the GL catheter to overcome poor support and excessive friction in standardized antegrade and retrograde CTO procedures. The GL is a coaxial, monorail guiding catheter extension delivered through a standard guiding catheter and is available in different sizes. Results: Almost all lesions were classified as severely calcified (94.4 ± 0.24%. The Japanese CTO score reflecting lesion complexity was 3.56 ± 0.78. All procedures were performed femorally; the retrograde approach was used in 27.8 ± 0.46% of cases. The overall success rate was 88.9 ± 0.32%; there were no relevant complications. Conclusions: The GL catheter is an adjunctive interventional device which enhances and amplifies CTO-PCI. Its use is indicated in cases in which back-up force needs to be strengthened to pass a CTO despite advanced calcification. It can be recommended as an important additional tool in advanced interventional cardiology such as antegrade and retrograde CTO-PCI if other techniques like anchor balloon or anchor wire are not possible. Keywords: Chronic total occlusion, GuideLiner catheter, Percutaneous coronary intervention, Severe calcification

  4. Development of a prototype clinical decision support tool for osteoporosis disease management: a qualitative study of focus groups

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Newton David

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Osteoporosis affects over 200 million people worldwide, and represents a significant cost burden. Although guidelines are available for best practice in osteoporosis, evidence indicates that patients are not receiving appropriate diagnostic testing or treatment according to guidelines. The use of clinical decision support systems (CDSSs may be one solution because they can facilitate knowledge translation by providing high-quality evidence at the point of care. Findings from a systematic review of osteoporosis interventions and consultation with clinical and human factors engineering experts were used to develop a conceptual model of an osteoporosis tool. We conducted a qualitative study of focus groups to better understand physicians' perceptions of CDSSs and to transform the conceptual osteoporosis tool into a functional prototype that can support clinical decision making in osteoporosis disease management at the point of care. Methods The conceptual design of the osteoporosis tool was tested in 4 progressive focus groups with family physicians and general internists. An iterative strategy was used to qualitatively explore the experiences of physicians with CDSSs; and to find out what features, functions, and evidence should be included in a working prototype. Focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide using an iterative process where results of the first focus group informed changes to the questions for subsequent focus groups and to the conceptual tool design. Transcripts were transcribed verbatim and analyzed using grounded theory methodology. Results Of the 3 broad categories of themes that were identified, major barriers related to the accuracy and feasibility of extracting bone mineral density test results and medications from the risk assessment questionnaire; using an electronic input device such as a Tablet PC in the waiting room; and the importance of including well-balanced information in

  5. Diagnosis of cattle diseases endemic to sub-Saharan Africa: evaluating a low cost decision support tool in use by veterinary personnel.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mark C Eisler

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Diagnosis is key to control and prevention of livestock diseases. In areas of sub-Saharan Africa where private practitioners rarely replace Government veterinary services reduced in effectiveness by structural adjustment programmes, those who remain lack resources for diagnosis and might benefit from decision support. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We evaluated whether a low-cost diagnostic decision support tool would lead to changes in clinical diagnostic practice by fifteen veterinary and animal health officers undertaking primary animal healthcare in Uganda. The eight diseases covered by the tool included 98% of all bovine diagnoses made before or after its introduction. It may therefore inform proportional morbidity in the area; breed, age and geographic location effects were consistent with current epidemiological understanding. Trypanosomosis, theileriosis, anaplasmosis, and parasitic gastroenteritis were the most common conditions among 713 bovine clinical cases diagnosed prior to introduction of the tool. Thereafter, in 747 bovine clinical cases estimated proportional morbidity of fasciolosis doubled, while theileriosis and parasitic gastroenteritis were diagnosed less commonly and the average number of clinical signs increased from 3.5 to 4.9 per case, with 28% of cases reporting six or more signs compared to 3% beforehand. Anaemia/pallor, weakness and staring coat contributed most to this increase, approximately doubling in number and were recorded in over half of all cases. Finally, although lack of a gold standard hindered objective assessment of whether the tool improved the reliability of diagnosis, informative concordance and misclassification matrices yielded useful insights into its role in the diagnostic process. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The diagnostic decision support tool covered the majority of diagnoses made before or after its introduction, leading to a significant increase in the number of clinical signs

  6. Neuro-Simulation Tool for Enhanced Oil Recovery Screening and Reservoir Performance Prediction

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Soheil Bahrekazemi

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Assessment of the suitable enhanced oil recovery method in an oilfield is one of the decisions which are made prior to the natural drive production mechanism. In some cases, having in-depth knowledge about reservoir’s rock, fluid properties, and equipment is needed as well as economic evaluation. Both putting such data into simulation and its related consequent processes are generally very time consuming and costly.  In order to reduce study cases, an appropriate tool is required for primary screening prior to any operations being performed, to which leads reduction of time in design of ether pilot section or production under field condition. In this research, two different and useful screening tools are presented through a graphical user interface. The output of just over 900 simulations and verified screening criteria tables were employed to design the mentioned tools. Moreover, by means of gathered data and development of artificial neural networks, two dissimilar screening tools for proper assessment of suitable enhanced oil recovery method were finally introduced. The first tool is about the screening of enhanced oil recovery process based on published tables/charts and the second one which is Neuro-Simulation tool, concerns economical evaluation of miscible and immiscible injection of carbon dioxide, nitrogen and natural gas into the reservoir. Both of designed tools are provided in the form of a graphical user interface by which the user, can perceive suitable method through plot of oil recovery graph during 20 years of production, costs of gas injection per produced barrel, cumulative oil production, and finally, design the most efficient scenario.

  7. Integration of g4tools in Geant4

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hřivnáčová, Ivana

    2014-01-01

    g4tools, that is originally part of the inlib and exlib packages, provides a very light and easy to install set of C++ classes that can be used to perform analysis in a Geant4 batch program. It allows to create and manipulate histograms and ntuples, and write them in supported file formats (ROOT, AIDA XML, CSV and HBOOK). It is integrated in Geant4 through analysis manager classes, thus providing a uniform interface to the g4tools objects and also hiding the differences between the classes for different supported output formats. Moreover, additional features, such as for example histogram activation or support for Geant4 units, are implemented in the analysis classes following users requests. A set of Geant4 user interface commands allows the user to create histograms and set their properties interactively or in Geant4 macros. g4tools was first introduced in the Geant4 9.5 release where its use was demonstrated in one basic example, and it is already used in a majority of the Geant4 examples within the Geant4 9.6 release. In this paper, we will give an overview and the present status of the integration of g4tools in Geant4 and report on upcoming new features.

  8. Sustainable Use of Pesticide Applications in Citrus: A Support Tool for Volume Rate Adjustment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cruz Garcerá

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Rational application of pesticides by properly adjusting the amount of product to the actual needs and specific conditions for application is a key factor for sustainable plant protection. However, current plant protection product (PPP labels registered for citrus in EU are usually expressed as concentration (%; rate/hl and/or as the maximum dose of product per unit of ground surface, without taking into account those conditions. In this work, the fundamentals of a support tool, called CitrusVol, developed to recommend mix volume rates in PPP applications in citrus orchards using airblast sprayers, are presented. This tool takes into consideration crop characteristics (geometry, leaf area density, pests, and product and application efficiency, and it is based on scientific data obtained previously regarding the minimum deposit required to achieve maximum efficacy, efficiency of airblast sprayers in citrus orchards, and characterization of the crop. The use of this tool in several commercial orchards allowed a reduction of the volume rate and the PPPs used in comparison with the commonly used by farmers of between 11% and 74%, with an average of 31%, without affecting the efficacy. CitrusVol is freely available on a website and in an app for smartphones.

  9. A Cross-Platform Infrastructure for Scalable Runtime Application Performance Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Jack Dongarra; Shirley Moore; Bart Miller, Jeffrey Hollingsworth; Tracy Rafferty

    2005-03-15

    The purpose of this project was to build an extensible cross-platform infrastructure to facilitate the development of accurate and portable performance analysis tools for current and future high performance computing (HPC) architectures. Major accomplishments include tools and techniques for multidimensional performance analysis, as well as improved support for dynamic performance monitoring of multithreaded and multiprocess applications. Previous performance tool development has been limited by the burden of having to re-write a platform-dependent low-level substrate for each architecture/operating system pair in order to obtain the necessary performance data from the system. Manual interpretation of performance data is not scalable for large-scale long-running applications. The infrastructure developed by this project provides a foundation for building portable and scalable performance analysis tools, with the end goal being to provide application developers with the information they need to analyze, understand, and tune the performance of terascale applications on HPC architectures. The backend portion of the infrastructure provides runtime instrumentation capability and access to hardware performance counters, with thread-safety for shared memory environments and a communication substrate to support instrumentation of multiprocess and distributed programs. Front end interfaces provides tool developers with a well-defined, platform-independent set of calls for requesting performance data. End-user tools have been developed that demonstrate runtime data collection, on-line and off-line analysis of performance data, and multidimensional performance analysis. The infrastructure is based on two underlying performance instrumentation technologies. These technologies are the PAPI cross-platform library interface to hardware performance counters and the cross-platform Dyninst library interface for runtime modification of executable images. The Paradyn and KOJAK

  10. Tool-specific performance of vibration-reducing gloves for attenuating fingers-transmitted vibration

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welcome, Daniel E.; Dong, Ren G.; Xu, Xueyan S.; Warren, Christopher; McDowell, Thomas W.

    2016-01-01

    BACKGROUND Fingers-transmitted vibration can cause vibration-induced white finger. The effectiveness of vibration-reducing (VR) gloves for reducing hand transmitted vibration to the fingers has not been sufficiently examined. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study is to examine tool-specific performance of VR gloves for reducing finger-transmitted vibrations in three orthogonal directions (3D) from powered hand tools. METHODS A transfer function method was used to estimate the tool-specific effectiveness of four typical VR gloves. The transfer functions of the VR glove fingers in three directions were either measured in this study or during a previous study using a 3D laser vibrometer. More than seventy vibration spectra of various tools or machines were used in the estimations. RESULTS When assessed based on frequency-weighted acceleration, the gloves provided little vibration reduction. In some cases, the gloves amplified the vibration by more than 10%, especially the neoprene glove. However, the neoprene glove did the best when the assessment was based on unweighted acceleration. The neoprene glove was able to reduce the vibration by 10% or more of the unweighted vibration for 27 out of the 79 tools. If the dominant vibration of a tool handle or workpiece was in the shear direction relative to the fingers, as observed in the operation of needle scalers, hammer chisels, and bucking bars, the gloves did not reduce the vibration but increased it. CONCLUSIONS This study confirmed that the effectiveness for reducing vibration varied with the gloves and the vibration reduction of each glove depended on tool, vibration direction to the fingers, and finger location. VR gloves, including certified anti-vibration gloves do not provide much vibration reduction when judged based on frequency-weighted acceleration. However, some of the VR gloves can provide more than 10% reduction of the unweighted vibration for some tools or workpieces. Tools and gloves can be matched for

  11. Balanced Scorecard – Strategic Management Tool of Performance in Public Institutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carmen Cretu

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Balanced Scorecard (BSC is used to achieve an operational strategic vision at all levels of the organization regarding issues related to performance, strategy, communication, resource allocation, decision-making and competitiveness. BSC was created to restrict the limits of traditional financial and management tools and ensure unity of vision and long-term action in an organization. The main advantage of the method consists in guiding managers and departments, human resources, technological and financial resources towards the strategy of the organization. Unfortunately BSC is mainly used in private companies, because high costs and lack of specialists pose a real obstacle in implementing this instrument in public institutions. Our arguments attempts to show that the Balanced Scorecard can be the most appropriate among all the management tools for the public sector.

  12. ResilSIM—A Decision Support Tool for Estimating Resilience of Urban Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah Irwin

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available Damages to urban systems as a result of water-related natural disasters have escalated in recent years. The observed trend is expected to increase in the future as the impacts of population growth, rapid urbanization and climate change persist. To alleviate the damages associated with these impacts, it is recommended to integrate disaster management methods into planning, design and operational policies under all levels of government. This manuscript proposes the concept of ResilSIM: A decision support tool that rapidly estimates the resilience (a modern disaster management measure that is dynamic in time and space of an urban system to the consequences of natural disasters. The web-based tool (with mobile access operates in near real-time. It is designed to assist decision makers in selecting the best options for integrating adaptive capacity into their communities to protect against the negative impacts of a hazard. ResilSIM is developed for application in Toronto and London, Ontario, Canada; however, it is only demonstrated for use in the city of London, which is susceptible to riverine flooding. It is observed how the incorporation of different combinations of adaptation options maintain or strengthen London’s basic structures and functions in the event of a flood.

  13. WWER reactor fuel performance, modelling and experimental support. Proceedings

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stefanova, S.; Chantoin, P.; Kolev, I.

    1994-01-01

    This publication is a compilation of 36 papers presented at the International Seminar on WWER Reactor Fuel Performance, Modelling and Experimental Support, organised by the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (BG), in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Seminar was attended by 76 participants from 16 countries, including representatives of all major Russian plants and institutions responsible for WWER reactor fuel manufacturing, design and research. The reports are grouped in four chapters: 1) WWER Fuel Performance and Economics: Status and Improvement Prospects: 2) WWER Fuel Behaviour Modelling and Experimental Support; 3) Licensing of WWER Fuel and Fuel Analysis Codes; 4) Spent Fuel of WWER Plants. The reports from the corresponding four panel discussion sessions are also included. All individual papers are recorded in INIS as separate items

  14. WWER reactor fuel performance, modelling and experimental support. Proceedings

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stefanova, S; Chantoin, P; Kolev, I [eds.

    1994-12-31

    This publication is a compilation of 36 papers presented at the International Seminar on WWER Reactor Fuel Performance, Modelling and Experimental Support, organised by the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy (BG), in cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency. The Seminar was attended by 76 participants from 16 countries, including representatives of all major Russian plants and institutions responsible for WWER reactor fuel manufacturing, design and research. The reports are grouped in four chapters: (1) WWER Fuel Performance and Economics: Status and Improvement Prospects: (2) WWER Fuel Behaviour Modelling and Experimental Support; (3) Licensing of WWER Fuel and Fuel Analysis Codes; (4) Spent Fuel of WWER Plants. The reports from the corresponding four panel discussion sessions are also included. All individual papers are recorded in INIS as separate items.

  15. Integrated Campaign Probabilistic Cost, Schedule, Performance, and Value for Program Office Support

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cornelius, David; Sasamoto, Washito; Daugherty, Kevin; Deacon, Shaun

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes an integrated assessment tool developed at NASA Langley Research Center that incorporates probabilistic analysis of life cycle cost, schedule, launch performance, on-orbit performance, and value across a series of planned space-based missions, or campaign. Originally designed as an aid in planning the execution of missions to accomplish the National Research Council 2007 Earth Science Decadal Survey, it utilizes Monte Carlo simulation of a series of space missions for assessment of resource requirements and expected return on investment. Interactions between simulated missions are incorporated, such as competition for launch site manifest, to capture unexpected and non-linear system behaviors. A novel value model is utilized to provide an assessment of the probabilistic return on investment. A demonstration case is discussed to illustrate the tool utility.

  16. Modelling tools for assessing bioremediation performance and risk of chlorinated solvents in clay tills

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chambon, Julie Claire Claudia

    design are challenging. This thesis presents the development and application of analytical and numerical models to improve our understanding of transport and degradation processes in clay tills, which is crucial for assessing bioremediation performance and risk to groundwater. A set of modelling tools...... to groundwater and bioremediation performance in low-permeability media....

  17. Supporting LGBT Communities: Police ToolKit

    OpenAIRE

    Vasquez del Aguila, Ernesto; Franey, Paul

    2013-01-01

    This toolkit provides police forces with practical educational tools, which can be used as part of a comprehensive LGBT strategy centred on diversity, equality, and non-discrimination. These materials are based on lessons learned through real life policing experiences with LGBT persons. The Toolkit is divided into seven scenarios where police awareness of LGBT issues has been identified as important. The toolkit employs a practical, scenario-based, problem-solving approach to help police offi...

  18. Open environments to support systems engineering tool integration: A study using the Portable Common Tool Environment (PCTE)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eckhardt, Dave E., Jr.; Jipping, Michael J.; Wild, Chris J.; Zeil, Steven J.; Roberts, Cathy C.

    1993-01-01

    A study of computer engineering tool integration using the Portable Common Tool Environment (PCTE) Public Interface Standard is presented. Over a 10-week time frame, three existing software products were encapsulated to work in the Emeraude environment, an implementation of the PCTE version 1.5 standard. The software products used were a computer-aided software engineering (CASE) design tool, a software reuse tool, and a computer architecture design and analysis tool. The tool set was then demonstrated to work in a coordinated design process in the Emeraude environment. The project and the features of PCTE used are described, experience with the use of Emeraude environment over the project time frame is summarized, and several related areas for future research are summarized.

  19. Virtual Beach: Decision Support Tools for Beach Pathogen Prediction

    Science.gov (United States)

    The Virtual Beach Managers Tool (VB) is decision-making software developed to help local beach managers make decisions as to when beaches should be closed due to predicted high levels of water borne pathogens. The tool is being developed under the umbrella of EPA's Advanced Monit...

  20. Implementation of a Clinical Decision Support Tool for Stool Cultures and Parasitological Studies in Hospitalized Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nikolic, D; Richter, S S; Asamoto, K; Wyllie, R; Tuttle, R; Procop, G W

    2017-12-01

    There is substantial evidence that stool culture and parasitological examinations are of minimal to no value after 3 days of hospitalization. We implemented and studied the impact of a clinical decision support tool (CDST) to decrease the number of unnecessary stool cultures (STCUL), ova/parasite (O&P) examinations, and Giardia / Cryptosporidium enzyme immunoassay screens (GC-EIA) performed for patients hospitalized >3 days. We studied the frequency of stool studies ordered before or on day 3 and after day 3 of hospitalization (i.e., categorical orders/total number of orders) before and after this intervention and denoted the numbers and types of microorganisms detected within those time frames. This intervention, which corresponded to a custom-programmed hard-stop alert tool in the Epic hospital information system, allowed providers to override the intervention by calling the laboratory, if testing was deemed medically necessary. Comparative statistics were employed to determine significance, and cost savings were estimated based on our internal costs. Before the intervention, 129/670 (19.25%) O&P examinations, 47/204 (23.04%) GC-EIA, and 249/1,229 (20.26%) STCUL were ordered after 3 days of hospitalization. After the intervention, 46/521 (8.83%) O&P examinations, 27/157 (17.20%) GC-EIA, and 106/1,028 (10.31%) STCUL were ordered after 3 days of hospitalization. The proportions of reductions in the number of tests performed after 3 days and the associated P values were 54.1% for O&P examinations ( P < 0.0001), 22.58% for GC-EIA ( P = 0.2807), and 49.1% for STCUL ( P < 0.0001). This was estimated to have resulted in $8,108.84 of cost savings. The electronic CDST resulted in a substantial reduction in the number of evaluations of stool cultures and the number of parasitological examinations for patients hospitalized for more than 3 days and in a cost savings while retaining the ability of the clinician to obtain these tests if clinically indicated. Copyright © 2017