Program Design Report of the CNC Machine Tool (I)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Jong Kiun; Youm, K. U.; Kim, K. S.

2006-08-01

The application of CNC machine tool being widely expanded according to variety of machine work method and rapid promotion of machine tool, cutting tool, for high speed efficient machine work. In order to conduct of the project of manufacture and maintenance of laboratory equipment, production design and machine work technology are continually developed, especially the application of CNC machine tool is very important for the improvement of productivity, quality and clearing up a manpower shortage. We publish technical report which it includes CNC machine tool program and drawing, it contributes to the systematic development of CNC program design and machine work technology

Program Design Report of the CNC Machine Tool(IV)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youm, Ki Un; Lee, I. B.; Youm, J. H.

2009-09-01

The application of CNC machine tool being widely expanded according to variety of machine work method and rapid promotion of machine tool, cutting tool, for high speed efficient machine work. In order to conduct of the project of manufacture and maintenance of laboratory equipment, production design and machine work technology are continually developed, especially the application of CNC machine tool is very important for the improvement of productivity, quality and clearing up a manpower shortage. We publish technical report which it includes CNC machine tool program and drawing, it contributes to the systematic development of CNC program design and machine work technology

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)

Using an Internally-Developed Tool to Assess Intercultural Competence in Short-Term Study Abroad Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Kartoshkina, Yuliya

2013-01-01

An internally-developed tool was developed to assess the intercultural competence of students taking part in short-term study abroad programs. Four scales were built to assess possible change in students' host culture knowledge, cross-cultural awareness, cross-cultural adaptation, and self-assessed foreign language proficiency. Enrollment in a…

Development tool for PHP programs

OpenAIRE

Karlsen, Håkon Skaarud

2005-01-01

This paper discusses how a PHP development toolbox can be implemented. One toolbox has been implemented, and the implementation is described and documented in the text. The toolbox is primarily meant to help students who are taking a System Development course (INF1050) at the University of Oslo with the implementation phase of a software engineering project, but other PHP programmers may also benefit from using the toolbox. It has been emphasized that the programming interface should be i...

Strengthening Chronic Disease Prevention Programming: The Toward Evidence-Informed Practice (TEIP) Program Evidence Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Dayna; Fortin, Rebecca; Herrera, Christine; Hanning, Rhona; Lessio, Anne; Rush, Brian

2013-01-01

In public health and chronic disease prevention there is increasing priority for effective use of evidence in practice. In Ontario, Canada, despite various models being advanced, public health practitioners are seeking ways to identify and apply evidence in their work in practical and meaningful ways. In a companion article, “Strengthening Chronic Disease Prevention Programming: The Toward Evidence-Informed Practice (TEIP) Program Assessment Tool,” we describe use of a tool to assess and strengthen program planning and implementation processes using 19 criteria derived from best and promising practices literature. In this article, we describe use of a complementary Program Evidence Tool to identify, synthesize, and apply a range of evidence sources to strengthen the content of chronic disease prevention programming. The Program Evidence Tool adapts tools of evidence-based medicine to the unique contexts of community-based health promotion and chronic disease prevention. Knowledge management tools and a guided dialogue process known as an Evidence Forum enable community stakeholders to make appropriate use of evidence in diverse social, political, and structural contexts. Practical guidelines and worksheets direct users through 5 steps: 1) define an evidence question, 2) develop a search strategy, 3) collect and synthesize evidence, 4) interpret and adapt evidence, and 5) implement and evaluate. We describe the Program Evidence Tool’s benefits, strengths, challenges, and what was learned from its application in 4 Ontario public health departments. The Program Evidence Tool contributes to the development and understanding of the complex use of evidence in community-based chronic disease prevention. PMID:23721788

Programming database tools for the casual user

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katz, R.A; Griffiths, C.

1990-01-01

The AGS Distributed Control System (AGSDCS) uses a relational database management system (INTERBASE) for the storage of all data associated with the control of the particle accelerator complex. This includes the static data which describes the component devices of the complex, as well as data for application program startup and data records that are used in analysis. Due to licensing restraints, it was necessary to develop tools to allow programs requiring access to a database to be unconcerned whether or not they were running on a licensed node. An in-house database server program was written, using Apollo mailbox communication protocols, allowing application programs via calls to this server to access the interbase database. Initially, the tools used by the server to actually access the database were written using the GDML C host language interface. Through the evolutionary learning process these tools have been converted to Dynamic SQL. Additionally, these tools have been extracted from the exclusive province of the database server and placed in their own library. This enables application programs to use these same tools on a licensed node without using the database server and without having to modify the application code. The syntax of the C calls remain the same

Program Design Report of the CNC Machine Tool(V-1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Youm, Ki Un; Moon, J. S.; Lee, I. B.; Youn, J. H.

2010-08-01

The application of CNC machine tool being widely expanded according to variety of machine work method and rapid promotion of machine tool, cutting tool, for high speed efficient machine work. In order to conduct of the project of manufacture and maintenance of laboratory equipment, production design and machine work technology are continually developed, especially the application of CNC machine tool is very important for the improvement of productivity, quality and clearing up a manpower shortage. We publish technical report which it includes CNC machine tool program and drawing, it contributes to the systematic development of CNC program design and machine work technology

Android development tools for Eclipse

CERN Document Server

Shah, Sanjay

2013-01-01

A standard tutorial aimed at developing Android applications in a practical manner.Android Development Tools for Eclipse is aimed at beginners and existing developers who want to learn more about Android development. It is assumed that you have experience in Java programming and that you have used IDE for development.

Sandia Agile MEMS Prototyping, Layout Tools, Education and Services Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schriner, H.; Davies, B.; Sniegowski, J.; Rodgers, M.S.; Allen, J.; Shepard, C.

1998-05-01

Research and development in the design and manufacture of Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) is growing at an enormous rate. Advances in MEMS design tools and fabrication processes at Sandia National Laboratories` Microelectronics Development Laboratory (MDL) have broadened the scope of MEMS applications that can be designed and manufactured for both military and commercial use. As improvements in micromachining fabrication technologies continue to be made, MEMS designs can become more complex, thus opening the door to an even broader set of MEMS applications. In an effort to further research and development in MEMS design, fabrication, and application, Sandia National Laboratories has launched the Sandia Agile MEMS Prototyping, Layout Tools, Education and Services Program or SAMPLES program. The SAMPLES program offers potential partners interested in MEMS the opportunity to prototype an idea and produce hardware that can be used to sell a concept. The SAMPLES program provides education and training on Sandia`s design tools, analysis tools and fabrication process. New designers can participate in the SAMPLES program and design MEMS devices using Sandia`s design and analysis tools. As part of the SAMPLES program, participants` designs are fabricated using Sandia`s 4 level polycrystalline silicon surface micromachine technology fabrication process known as SUMMiT (Sandia Ultra-planar, Multi-level MEMS Technology). Furthermore, SAMPLES participants can also opt to obtain state of the art, post-fabrication services provided at Sandia such as release, packaging, reliability characterization, and failure analysis. This paper discusses the components of the SAMPLES program.

Strengthening Chronic Disease Prevention Programming: the Toward Evidence-Informed Practice (TEIP) Program Assessment Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Albert, Dayna; Fortin, Rebecca; Lessio, Anne; Herrera, Christine; Hanning, Rhona; Rush, Brian

2013-01-01

Best practices identified solely on the strength of research evidence may not be entirely relevant or practical for use in community-based public health and the practice of chronic disease prevention. Aiming to bridge the gap between best practices literature and local knowledge and expertise, the Ontario Public Health Association, through the Toward Evidence-Informed Practice initiative, developed a set of resources to strengthen evidence-informed decision making in chronic disease prevention programs. A Program Assessment Tool, described in this article, emphasizes better processes by incorporating review criteria into the program planning and implementation process. In a companion paper, “Strengthening Chronic Disease Prevention Programming: The Toward Evidence-Informed Practice (TEIP) Program Evidence Tool,” we describe another tool, which emphasizes better evidence by providing guidelines and worksheets to identify, synthesize, and incorporate evidence from a range of sources (eg, peer-reviewed literature, gray literature, local expertise) to strengthen local programs. The Program Assessment Tool uses 19 criteria derived from literature on best and promising practices to assess and strengthen program planning and implementation. We describe the benefits, strengths, and challenges in implementing the tool in 22 community-based chronic disease prevention projects in Ontario, Canada. The Program Assessment Tool helps put best processes into operation to complement adoption and adaptation of evidence-informed practices for chronic disease prevention. PMID:23721789

Methodology to develop a training program as a tool for energy management

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mónica Rosario Berenguer-Ungaro

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The paperaims to present the methodology to develop a training program improve labor skills that enhance the efficient use of energy resources, which aims to make training a timely and meet the training needs as they arise and that the protagonist of it is he who receives training. It is based on the training-action and action research method and model for evaluating training Krikpatrick, it evaluates four levels, reaction, learning, behavior and results. The methodology is structured in three stages: 1 diagnosis of knowledge, 2 intervention based on the results and 3 evaluation and feedback for continuous improvement. Each stage has identified the objectives and implementation tools. Evaluation is transverse to the entire program and it is through it that decisions for feedback loops are taken.

Software development tools using GPGPU potentialities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dudnik, V.A.; Kudryavtsev, V.I.; Sereda, T.M.; Us, S.A.; Shestakov, M.V.

2011-01-01

The paper deals with potentialities of various up-to-date software development tools for making use of graphic processor (GPU) parallel computing resources. Examples are given to illustrate the use of present-day software tools for the development of applications and realization of algorithms for scientific-technical calculations performed by GPGPU. The paper presents some classes of hard mathematical problems of scientific-technical calculations, for which the GPGPU can be efficiently used. is possible. To reduce the time of calculation program development with the use of GPGPU capabilities, various dedicated programming systems and problem-oriented subroutine libraries are recommended. Performance parameters when solving the problems with and without the use of GPGPU potentialities are compared.

DIDADTIC TOOLS FOR THE STUDENTS’ ALGORITHMIC THINKING DEVELOPMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. P. Pushkaryeva

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Modern engineers must possess high potential of cognitive abilities, in particular, the algorithmic thinking (AT. In this regard, the training of future experts (university graduates of technical specialities has to provide the knowledge of principles and ways of designing of various algorithms, abilities to analyze them, and to choose the most optimal variants for engineering activity implementation. For full formation of AT skills it is necessary to consider all channels of psychological perception and cogitative processing of educational information: visual, auditory, and kinesthetic.The aim of the present research is theoretical basis of design, development and use of resources for successful development of AT during the educational process of training in programming.Methodology and research methods. Methodology of the research involves the basic thesis of cognitive psychology and information approach while organizing the educational process. The research used methods: analysis; modeling of cognitive processes; designing training tools that take into account the mentality and peculiarities of information perception; diagnostic efficiency of the didactic tools. Results. The three-level model for future engineers training in programming aimed at development of AT skills was developed. The model includes three components: aesthetic, simulative, and conceptual. Stages to mastering a new discipline are allocated. It is proved that for development of AT skills when training in programming it is necessary to use kinesthetic tools at the stage of mental algorithmic maps formation; algorithmic animation and algorithmic mental maps at the stage of algorithmic model and conceptual images formation. Kinesthetic tools for development of students’ AT skills when training in algorithmization and programming are designed. Using of kinesthetic training simulators in educational process provide the effective development of algorithmic style of

Development of remote handling tools and equipment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakahira, Masataka; Oka, Kiyoshi; Taguchi, Kou; Ito, Akira; Fukatsu, Seiichi; Oda, Yasushi; Kajiura, Soji; Yamazaki, Seiichiro; Aoyama, Kazuo.

1997-01-01

The remote handling (RH) tools and equipment development in ITER focuses mainly on the welding and cutting technique, weld inspection and double-seal door which are essential factors in the replacement of in-vessel components such as divertor and blanket. The conceptual design of these RH tools and equipment has been defined through ITER engineering design activity (EDA). Similarly, elementary R and D of the RH tools and equipment have been extensively performed to accumulate a technological data base for process and performance qualification. Based on this data, fabrications of full-scale RH tools and equipment are under progress. A prototypical bore tool for pipe welding and cutting has already been fabricated and is currently undergoing integrated performance tests. This paper describes the design outline of the RH tools and equipment related to in-vessel components maintenance, and highlights the current status of RH tools and equipment development by the Japan Home Team as an ITER R and D program. This paper also includes an outline of insulation joint and quick-pipe connector development, which has also been conducted through the ITER R and D program in order to standardize RH operations and components. (author)

Designing a tool for curriculum leadership development in postgraduate programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M Avizhgan

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Leadership in the area of curriculum development is increasingly important as we look for ways to improve our programmes and practices. In curriculum studies, leadership has received little attention. Considering the lack of an evaluation tool with objective criteria in postgraduate curriculum leadership process, this study aimed to design a specific tool and determine the validity and reliability of the tool. Method: This study is a methodological research.  At first, domains and items of the tool were determined through expert interviews and literature review. Then, using Delphi technique, 54 important criteria were developed. A panel of experts was used to confirm content and face validity. Reliability was determined by a descriptive study in which 30 faculties from two of Isfahan universities and was estimated by internal consistency. The data were analyzed by SPSS software, using Pearson Correlation Coefficient and reliability analysis. Results: At first, considering the definition of curriculum leadership determined the domains and items of the tool and they were developed primary tool. Expert’s faculties’ views were used in deferent stages of development and psychometry. The tool internal consistency with Cronbach's alpha coefficient times was 96.5. This was determined for each domain separately. Conclution: Applying this instrument can improve the effectiveness of curriculum leadership. Identifying the characteristics of successful and effective leaders, and utilizing this knowledge in developing and implementing curriculum might help us to have better respond to the changing needs of our students, teachers and schools of tomorrow.

E-Block: A Tangible Programming Tool with Graphical Blocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danli Wang

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This paper designs a tangible programming tool, E-Block, for children aged 5 to 9 to experience the preliminary understanding of programming by building blocks. With embedded artificial intelligence, the tool defines the programming blocks with the sensors as the input and enables children to write programs to complete the tasks in the computer. The symbol on the programming block's surface is used to help children understanding the function of each block. The sequence information is transferred to computer by microcomputers and then translated into semantic information. The system applies wireless and infrared technologies and provides user with feedbacks on both screen and programming blocks. Preliminary user studies using observation and user interview methods are shown for E-Block's prototype. The test results prove that E-Block is attractive to children and easy to learn and use. The project also highlights potential advantages of using single chip microcomputer (SCM technology to develop tangible programming tools for children.

System analysis: Developing tools for the future

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

De Jong, K.; clever, J.; Draper, J.V.; Davies, B.; Lonks, A.

1996-02-01

This report introduces and evaluates system analysis tools that were developed, or are under development, for the Robotics Technology Development Program (RTDP). Additionally, it discusses system analysis work completed using these tools aimed at completing a system analysis of the retrieval of waste from underground storage tanks on the Hanford Reservation near Richland, Washington. The tools developed and evaluated include a mixture of commercially available tools adapted to RTDP requirements, and some tools developed in house. The tools that are included in this report include: a Process Diagramming Tool, a Cost Modeling Tool, an Amortization Modeling Tool, a graphical simulation linked to the Cost Modeling Tool, a decision assistance tool, and a system thinking tool. Additionally, the importance of performance testing to the RTDP and the results of such testing executed is discussed. Further, the results of the Tank Waste Retrieval (TWR) System Diagram, the TWR Operations Cost Model, and the TWR Amortization Model are presented, and the implication of the results are discussed. Finally, the RTDP system analysis tools are assessed and some recommendations are made regarding continuing development of the tools and process.

VisTool: A user interface and visualization development system

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Xu, Shangjin

system – to simplify user interface development. VisTool allows user interface development without real programming. With VisTool a designer assembles visual objects (e.g. textboxes, ellipse, etc.) to visualize database contents. In VisTool, visual properties (e.g. color, position, etc.) can be formulas...... programming. However, in Software Engineering, software engineers who develop user interfaces do not follow it. In many cases, it is desirable to use graphical presentations, because a graphical presentation gives a better overview than text forms, and can improve task efficiency and user satisfaction....... However, it is more difficult to follow the classical usability approach for graphical presentation development. These difficulties result from the fact that designers cannot implement user interface with interactions and real data. We developed VisTool – a user interface and visualization development...

Development of hole inspection program using touch trigger probe on CNC machine tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Chan Ho; Lee, Eung Suk

2012-01-01

According to many customers' requests, optical measurement module (OMM) applications using automatic measuring devices to measure the machined part rapidly on a machine tool have increased steeply. Touch trigger probes are being used for job setup and feature inspection as automatic measuring devices, and this makes quality checking and machining compensation possible. Therefore, in this study, the use of touch trigger probes for accurate measurement of the machined part has been studied and a macro program for a hole measuring cycle has been developed. This hole is the most common feature to be measured, but conventional methods are still not free from measuring error. In addition, the eccentricity change of the least square circle was simulated according to the roundness error in a hole measurement. To evaluate the reliability of this study, the developed hole measuring program was executed to measure the hole plate on the machine and verify the roundness error in the eccentricity simulation result

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

Conceptual framework for development of comprehensive e-health evaluation tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Khoja, Shariq; Durrani, Hammad; Scott, Richard E; Sajwani, Afroz; Piryani, Usha

2013-01-01

The main objective of this study was to develop an e-health evaluation tool based on a conceptual framework including relevant theories for evaluating use of technology in health programs. This article presents the development of an evaluation framework for e-health programs. The study was divided into three stages: Stage 1 involved a detailed literature search of different theories and concepts on evaluation of e-health, Stage 2 plotted e-health theories to identify relevant themes, and Stage 3 developed a matrix of evaluation themes and stages of e-health programs. The framework identifies and defines different stages of e-health programs and then applies evaluation theories to each of these stages for development of the evaluation tool. This framework builds on existing theories of health and technology evaluation and presents a conceptual framework for developing an e-health evaluation tool to examine and measure different factors that play a definite role in the success of e-health programs. The framework on the horizontal axis divides e-health into different stages of program implementation, while the vertical axis identifies different themes and areas of consideration for e-health evaluation. The framework helps understand various aspects of e-health programs and their impact that require evaluation at different stages of the life cycle. The study led to the development of a new and comprehensive e-health evaluation tool, named the Khoja-Durrani-Scott Framework for e-Health Evaluation.

Professional development programs in health promotion: tools and processes to favor new practices.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, Sara; Richard, Lucie; Guichard, Anne; Chiocchio, François; Litvak, Eric; Beaudet, Nicole

2017-06-01

Developing innovative interventions that are in sync with a health promotion paradigm often represents a challenge for professionals working in local public health organizations. Thus, it is critical to have both professional development programs that favor new practices and tools to examine these practices. In this case study, we analyze the health promotion approach used in a pilot intervention addressing children's vulnerability that was developed and carried out by participants enrolled in a public health professional development program. More specifically, we use a modified version of Guichard and Ridde's (Une grille d'analyse des actions pour lutter contre les inégalités sociales de santé. In Potvin, L., Moquet, M.-J. and Jones, C. M. (eds), Réduire les Inégalités Sociales en Santé. INPES, Saint-Denis Cedex, pp. 297-312, 2010) analytical grid to assess deductively the program participants' use of health promotion practices in the analysis and planning, implementation, evaluation, sustainability and empowerment phases of the pilot intervention. We also seek evidence of practices involving (empowerment, participation, equity, holism, an ecological approach, intersectorality and sustainability) in the intervention. The results are mixed: our findings reveal evidence of the application of several dimensions of health promotion (equity, holism, an ecological approach, intersectorality and sustainability), but also a lack of integration of two key dimensions; that is, empowerment and participation, during various phases of the pilot intervention. These results show that the professional development program is associated with the adoption of a pilot intervention integrating multiple but not all dimensions of health promotion. We make recommendations to facilitate a more complete integration. This research also shows that the Guichard and Ridde grid proves to be a thorough instrument to document the practices of participants. © The Author 2015. Published by

Designing and Developing Web-Based Administrative Tools for Program Management

Science.gov (United States)

Gutensohn, Michael

2017-01-01

The task assigned for this internship was to develop a new tool for tracking projects, their subsystems, the leads, backups, and other employees assigned to them, as well as all the relevant information related to the employee (WBS (time charge) codes, time distribution, certifications, and assignments). Currently, this data is tracked manually using a number of different spreadsheets and other tools simultaneously by a number of different people; some of these documents are then merged into one large document. This often leads to inconsistencies and loss in data due to human error. By simplifying the process of tracking this data and aggregating it into a single tool, it is possible to significantly decrease the potential for human error and time spent collecting and checking this information. II. Objective The main objective of this internship is to develop a web-based tool using Ruby on Rails to serve as a method of easily tracking projects, subsystems, and points of contact, along with employees, their assignments, time distribution, certifications, and contact information. Additionally, this tool must be capable of generating a number of different reports based on the data collected. It was important that this tool deliver all of this information using a readable and intuitive interface.

An Integrated Development Tool for a safety application using FBD language

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Young Jun; Lee, Jang Soo; Lee, Dong Young [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

Regarding digitalizing the Nuclear Instrumentation and Control Systems, the application program responsible for the safety functions of Nuclear I and C Systems shall ensure the robustness of the safety function through development, testing, and validation roles for a life cycle process during software development. The importance of software in nuclear systems increases continuously. The integrated engineering tools to develop, test, and validate safety application programs require increasingly more complex parts among a number of components within nuclear digital I and C systems. This paper introduces the integrated engineering tool (SafeCASE-PLC) developed by our project. The SafeCASE-PLC is a kind of software engineering tool to develop, test, and validate the nuclear application program performed in an automatic controller

Ongoing development of digital radiotherapy plan review tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ebert, M.A.; Hatton, J.; Cornes, D.

2011-01-01

Full text: To describe ongoing development of software to support the review of radiotherapy treatment planning system (TPS) data. The 'SWAN' software program was conceived in 2000 and initially developed for the RADAR (TROG 03.04) prostate radiotherapy trial. Validation of the SWAN program has been occurring via implementation by TROG in support of multiple clinical trials. Development has continued and the SWAN software program is now supported by modular components which comprise the 'SW AN system'. This provides a comprehensive set of tools for the review, analysis and archive of TPS exports. The SWAN system has now been used in support of over 20 radiotherapy trials and to review the plans of over 2,000 trial participants. The use of the system for the RADAR trial is now culminating in the derivation of dose-outcomes indices for prostate treatment toxicity. Newly developed SWAN tools include enhanced remote data archive/retrieval, display of dose in both relative and absolute modes, and interfacing to a Matlab-based add-on ('VAST') that allows quantitative analysis of delineated volumes including regional overlap statistics for multi-observer studies. Efforts are continuing to develop the SWAN system in the context of international collaboration aimed at harmonising the quality-assurance activities of collaborative trials groups. Tools such as the SWAN system are essential for ensuring the collection of accurate and reliable evidence to guide future radiotherapy treatments. One of the principal challenges of developing such a tool is establishing a development path that will ensure its validity and applicability well into the future.

Improvements in Spectrum's fit to program data tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahiane, Severin G; Marsh, Kimberly; Grantham, Kelsey; Crichlow, Shawna; Caceres, Karen; Stover, John

2017-04-01

The Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS-supported Spectrum software package (Glastonbury, Connecticut, USA) is used by most countries worldwide to monitor the HIV epidemic. In Spectrum, HIV incidence trends among adults (aged 15-49 years) are derived by either fitting to seroprevalence surveillance and survey data or generating curves consistent with program and vital registration data, such as historical trends in the number of newly diagnosed infections or people living with HIV and AIDS related deaths. This article describes development and application of the fit to program data (FPD) tool in Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS' 2016 estimates round. In the FPD tool, HIV incidence trends are described as a simple or double logistic function. Function parameters are estimated from historical program data on newly reported HIV cases, people living with HIV or AIDS-related deaths. Inputs can be adjusted for proportions undiagnosed or misclassified deaths. Maximum likelihood estimation or minimum chi-squared distance methods are used to identify the best fitting curve. Asymptotic properties of the estimators from these fits are used to estimate uncertainty. The FPD tool was used to fit incidence for 62 countries in 2016. Maximum likelihood and minimum chi-squared distance methods gave similar results. A double logistic curve adequately described observed trends in all but four countries where a simple logistic curve performed better. Robust HIV-related program and vital registration data are routinely available in many middle-income and high-income countries, whereas HIV seroprevalence surveillance and survey data may be scarce. In these countries, the FPD tool offers a simpler, improved approach to estimating HIV incidence trends.

Building Technologies Program Multi-Year Program Plan Research and Development 2008

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

None, None

2008-01-01

Building Technologies Program Multi-Year Program Plan 2008 for research and development, including residential and commercial integration, lighting, HVAC and water heating, envelope, windows, and analysis tools.

Programming Embedded Systems With C and GNU Development Tools

CERN Document Server

Barr, Michael

2009-01-01

Whether you're writing your first embedded program, designing the latest generation of hand-held whatchamacalits, or managing the people who do, this book is for you. Programming Embedded Systems will help you develop the knowledge and skills you need to achieve proficiency with embedded software.

Interactive development of object handling programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gini, G C; Gini, M L

1982-01-01

The authors describe work on development of a software system for writing and testing programs for a computer controlled manipulation. The authors examine in particular how the development of working programs is facilitated by the use of an interactive system based on an interpreter. The paper presents the main features of Pointy the system developed at Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory as a tool for writing assembly programs. The user, interacting with the manipulator, constructs an incremental model of the objects involved in the assembly and develops the corresponding symbolic program. 13 references.

A Rapid Assessment Tool for affirming good practice in midwifery education programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Fullerton, Judith T; Johnson, Peter; Lobe, Erika; Myint, Khine Haymar; Aung, Nan Nan; Moe, Thida; Linn, Nay Aung

2016-03-01

to design a criterion-referenced assessment tool that could be used globally in a rapid assessment of good practices and bottlenecks in midwifery education programs. a standard tool development process was followed, to generate standards and reference criteria; followed by external review and field testing to document psychometric properties. review of standards and scoring criteria were conducted by stakeholders around the globe. Field testing of the tool was conducted in Myanmar. eleven of Myanmar׳s 22 midwifery education programs participated in the assessment. the clinimetric tool was demonstrated to have content validity and high inter-rater reliability in use. a globally validated tool, and accompanying user guide and handbook are now available for conducting rapid assessments of compliance with good practice criteria in midwifery education programming. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Central America Regional Climate Change Program: Tools for Your Use

Science.gov (United States)

Irwin, Dan; Irving, Bill; Yeager, Carey

2006-01-01

USAID/E-CAM and EGAT's Global Climate Change Team, in partnership with EPA, NASA, Oak Ridge National Lab, and the Central American Commission for Environment and Development (CCAD), have had a significant impact on the region's ability to monitor, mitigate, and adapt to environmental threats. Environmental decision-making tools and data are posted on a website (SERVIR: http://servir.nsstc.nasa.pov/home.html)that provides satellite and geographic data and maps to anybody with an Internet connection. The SERVIR program has been identified as the model for the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) - a major international effort to develop a 21st century system for environmental management and disaster response. In coordination with the USAID/EPA program, NASA has developed a GIs tool that enables countries to examine their forest cover and document changes on an annual basis. This information is used in calculating carbon emissions as part of greenhouse gas inventories, but also serves a valuable monitoring function. In addition, USAID/E-CAM and EGAT's Global Climate Change Team in collaboration with EPA are helping countries meet their obligations as signatories to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). EPA is assisting Central American governments to improve the quality of their greenhouse gas emission inventories reported to the UNFCCC through the development of tools and improvements in data quality. New EPA tools developed include software to automatically calculate greenhouse gas emissions for the agricultural and forestry sector inventories, determine key sources of greenhouse gas emissions, and document institutional arrangements. Several of these tools are state of the art and are comparable to tools currently used in the U.S.

The development of GPS TroWav tool for atmospheric – terrestrial studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suparta, W

2014-01-01

We have developed an efficient tool to process dual-frequency Global Positioning System (GPS) signals and the surface meteorological data, called the Tropospheric Water Vapor (TroWav) program. TroWav is a stand-alone program to compute atmospheric precipitable water vapor (PWV). The source of the program is developed using Matlab TM and the graphical user interface for the system was developed using a Visual Basic. The algorithms of the program capable to compute satellite elevation angle, Zenith Tropospheric Delay (ZTD), Zenith Hydrostatic Delay (ZHD), Zenith Wet Delay (ZWD) and mapping function. The tool is very practical and useful for sustainable atmospheric management.

Development of computer-aided software engineering tool for sequential control of JT-60U

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimono, M.; Akasaka, H.; Kurihara, K.; Kimura, T.

1995-01-01

Discharge sequential control (DSC) is an essential control function for the intermittent and pulse discharge operation of a tokamak device, so that many subsystems may work with each other in correct order and/or synchronously. In the development of the DSC program, block diagrams of logical operation for sequential control are illustrated in its design at first. Then, the logical operators and I/O's which are involved in the block diagrams are compiled and converted to a certain particular form. Since the block diagrams of the sequential control amounts to about 50 sheets in the case of the JT-60 upgrade tokamak (JT-60U) high power discharge and the above steps of the development have been performed manually so far, a great effort has been required for the program development. In order to remove inefficiency in such development processes, a computer-aided software engineering (CASE) tool has been developed on a UNIX workstation. This paper reports how the authors design it for the development of the sequential control programs. The tool is composed of the following three tools: (1) Automatic drawing tool, (2) Editing tool, and (3) Trace tool. This CASE tool, an object-oriented programming tool having graphical formalism, can powerfully accelerate the cycle for the development of the sequential control function commonly associated with pulse discharge in a tokamak fusion device

Learn Xcode Tools for Mac OS X and iPhone Development

CERN Document Server

Piper, I

2010-01-01

This book will give you a thorough grounding in the principal and supporting tools and technologies that make up the Xcode Developer Tools suite. Apple has provided a comprehensive collection of developer tools, and this is the first book to examine the complete Apple programming environment for both Mac OS X and iPhone. * Comprehensive coverage of all the Xcode developer tools * Additional coverage of useful third-party development tools* Not just a survey of features, but a serious examination of the complete development process for Mac OS X and iPhone applications What you'll learn* The boo

ADVANCED AND RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF DYNAMIC ANALYSIS TOOLS FOR JAVA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex Villazón

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Low-level bytecode instrumentation techniques are widely used in many software-engineering tools for the Java Virtual Machine (JVM, that perform some form of dynamic program analysis, such as profilers or debuggers. While program manipulation at the bytecode level is very flexible, because the possible bytecode transformations are not restricted, tool development based on this technique is tedious and error-prone. As a promising alternative, the specification of bytecode instrumentation at a higher level using aspect-oriented programming (AOP can reduce tool development time and cost. Unfortunately, prevailing AOP frameworks lack some features that are essential for certain dynamic analyses. In this article, we focus on three common shortcomings in AOP frameworks with respect to the development of aspect-based tools - (1 the lack of mechanisms for passing data between woven advices in local variables, (2 the support for user-defined static analyses at weaving time, and (3 the absence of pointcuts at the level of individual basic blocks of code. We propose @J, an annotation-based AOP language and weaver that integrates support for these three features. The benefits of the proposed features are illustrated with concrete examples.

Developing Healthcare Data Analytics APPs with Open Data Science Tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Bibo; Sun, Wen; Yu, Yiqin; Xie, Guotong

2017-01-01

Recent advances in big data analytics provide more flexible, efficient, and open tools for researchers to gain insight from healthcare data. Whilst many tools require researchers to develop programs with programming languages like Python, R and so on, which is not a skill set grasped by many researchers in the healthcare data analytics area. To make data science more approachable, we explored existing tools and developed a practice that can help data scientists convert existing analytics pipelines to user-friendly analytics APPs with rich interactions and features of real-time analysis. With this practice, data scientists can develop customized analytics pipelines as APPs in Jupyter Notebook and disseminate them to other researchers easily, and researchers can benefit from the shared notebook to perform analysis tasks or reproduce research results much more easily.

Integrating New Technologies and Existing Tools to Promote Programming Learning

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Álvaro Santos

2010-04-01

Full Text Available In recent years, many tools have been proposed to reduce programming learning difficulties felt by many students. Our group has contributed to this effort through the development of several tools, such as VIP, SICAS, OOP-Anim, SICAS-COL and H-SICAS. Even though we had some positive results, the utilization of these tools doesn’t seem to significantly reduce weaker student’s difficulties. These students need stronger support to motivate them to get engaged in learning activities, inside and outside classroom. Nowadays, many technologies are available to create contexts that may help to accomplish this goal. We consider that a promising path goes through the integration of solutions. In this paper we analyze the features, strengths and weaknesses of the tools developed by our group. Based on these considerations we present a new environment, integrating different types of pedagogical approaches, resources, tools and technologies for programming learning support. With this environment, currently under development, it will be possible to review contents and lessons, based on video and screen captures. The support for collaborative tasks is another key point to improve and stimulate different models of teamwork. The platform will also allow the creation of various alternative models (learning objects for the same subject, enabling personalized learning paths adapted to each student knowledge level, needs and preferential learning styles. The learning sequences will work as a study organizer, following a suitable taxonomy, according to student’s cognitive skills. Although the main goal of this environment is to support students with more difficulties, it will provide a set of resources supporting the learning of more advanced topics. Software engineering techniques and representations, object orientation and event programming are features that will be available in order to promote the learning progress of students.

Preparing for terrorism: tools for evaluating the Metropolitan Medical Response System Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Manning, Frederick J; Goldfrank, Lewis R

2002-01-01

.... DHHS asked the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to assist in assessing the effectiveness of the MMRS program by developing appropriate evaluation methods, tools, and processes to assess both its own management of the program and local preparedness...

TESMA: Requirements and Design of a Tool for Educational Programs †

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicolas Guelfi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Defining and managing teaching programs at universities or other institutions is a complex task for which there is not much support in terms of methods and tools. This task becomes even more critical when the time comes to obtain certifications w.r.t. official standards. In this paper, we present an on-going project called TESMA, whose objective is to provide an open-source tool dedicated to the specification and management (including certification of teaching programs. An in-depth market analysis regarding related tools and conceptual frameworks of the project is presented. This tool has been engineered using a development method called Messir for its requirements elicitation and introduces a domain-specific language dedicated to the teaching domain. This paper presents the current status of this project and the future activities planned.

Development of tools for automatic generation of PLC code

CERN Document Server

Koutli, Maria; Rochez, Jacques

This Master thesis was performed at CERN and more specifically in the EN-ICE-PLC section. The Thesis describes the integration of two PLC platforms, that are based on CODESYS development tool, to the CERN defined industrial framework, UNICOS. CODESYS is a development tool for PLC programming, based on IEC 61131-3 standard, and is adopted by many PLC manufacturers. The two PLC development environments are, the SoMachine from Schneider and the TwinCAT from Beckhoff. The two CODESYS compatible PLCs, should be controlled by the SCADA system of Siemens, WinCC OA. The framework includes a library of Function Blocks (objects) for the PLC programs and a software for automatic generation of the PLC code based on this library, called UAB. The integration aimed to give a solution that is shared by both PLC platforms and was based on the PLCOpen XML scheme. The developed tools were demonstrated by creating a control application for both PLC environments and testing of the behavior of the code of the library.

A Learning Tool and Program Development for Mechatronics Design Education

Science.gov (United States)

Iribe, Masatsugu; Shirahata, Akihiro; Kita, Hiromasa; Sasashige, Yousuke; Dasai, Ryoichi

In this paper we propose a new type educational program for Mechatronics design which contributes to develop the physical sense and problem solving ability of the students who study Mechatronics design. For this program we provide a new handicraft kit of 4-wheeled car which is composed of inexpensive and commonplace parts, and the performance of the assembled 4-wheeled car is sensitive to its assembly arrangement. And then we implemented this program with the handicraft kit to the university freshmen, and verified its effectiveness, and report the results of the program.

Development of tools for automatic generation of PLC code

OpenAIRE

Koutli, Maria; Chasapis, Georgios; Rochez, Jacques

2014-01-01

This Master thesis was performed at CERN and more specifically in the EN-ICE-PLC section. The Thesis describes the integration of two PLC platforms, that are based on CODESYS development tool, to the CERN defined industrial framework, UNICOS. CODESYS is a development tool for PLC programming, based on IEC 61131-3 standard, and is adopted by many PLC manufacturers. The two PLC development environments are, the SoMachine from Schneider and the TwinCAT from Beckhoff. The two CODESYS compatible P...

Semi-automatic tool to ease the creation and optimization of GPU programs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jepsen, Jacob

2014-01-01

We present a tool that reduces the development time of GPU-executable code. We implement a catalogue of common optimizations specific to the GPU architecture. Through the tool, the programmer can semi-automatically transform a computationally-intensive code section into GPU-executable form...... of the transformations can be performed automatically, which makes the tool usable for both novices and experts in GPU programming....

Space program management methods and tools

CERN Document Server

Spagnulo, Marcello; Balduccini, Mauro; Nasini, Federico

2013-01-01

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

An integrated environment for developing object-oriented CAE tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hofmann, P.; Ryba, M.; Baitinger, U.G. [Integrated System Engeneering, Stuttgart (Germany)

1996-12-31

This paper presents how object oriented techniques can applied to improve the development of CAE tools. For the design of modular and reusable software systems we use predefined and well tested building blocks. These building blocks are reusable software components based on object-oriented technology which allows the assembling of software systems. Today CAE tools are typically very complex and computation extensive. Therefore we need a concept, that join the advantages of the object-oriented paradigm with the advantages of parallel and distributed programming. So we present a design environment for the development of concurrent-object oriented CAE tools called CoDO.

Data Mining and Optimization Tools for Developing Engine Parameters Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Dhawan, Atam P.

1998-01-01

This project was awarded for understanding the problem and developing a plan for Data Mining tools for use in designing and implementing an Engine Condition Monitoring System. Tricia Erhardt and I studied the problem domain for developing an Engine Condition Monitoring system using the sparse and non-standardized datasets to be available through a consortium at NASA Lewis Research Center. We visited NASA three times to discuss additional issues related to dataset which was not made available to us. We discussed and developed a general framework of data mining and optimization tools to extract useful information from sparse and non-standard datasets. These discussions lead to the training of Tricia Erhardt to develop Genetic Algorithm based search programs which were written in C++ and used to demonstrate the capability of GA algorithm in searching an optimal solution in noisy, datasets. From the study and discussion with NASA LeRC personnel, we then prepared a proposal, which is being submitted to NASA for future work for the development of data mining algorithms for engine conditional monitoring. The proposed set of algorithm uses wavelet processing for creating multi-resolution pyramid of tile data for GA based multi-resolution optimal search.

Towards harnessing theories through tool support for hard real-time Java programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bøgholm, Thomas; Frost, Christian; Hansen, Rene Rydhof

2013-01-01

We present a rationale for a selection of tools that assist developers of hard real-time applications to verify that programs conform to a Java real-time profile and that platform-specific resource constraints are satisfied. These tools are specialised instances of more generic static analysis...... and model checking frameworks. The concepts are illustrated by two case studies, and the strengths and the limitations of the tools are discussed....

Towards harnessing theories through tool support for hard real-time Java programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Søndergaard, Hans; Bøgholm, Thomas; Frost, Christian

2012-01-01

We present a rationale for a selection of tools that assist developers of hard real-time applications to verify that programs conform to a Java real-time profile and that platform-specific resource constraints are satisfied. These tools are specialised instances of more generic static analysis...... and model checking frameworks. The concepts are illustrated by two case studies, and the strengths and the limitations of the tools are discussed....

Software tools to aid Pascal and Ada program design

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jankowitz, H.T.

1987-01-01

This thesis describes a software tool which analyses the style and structure of Pascal and Ada programs by ensuring that some minimum design requirements are fulfilled. The tool is used in much the same way as a compiler is used to teach students the syntax of a language, only in this case issues related to the design and structure of the program are of paramount importance. The tool operates by analyzing the design and structure of a syntactically correct program, automatically generating a report detailing changes that need to be made in order to ensure that the program is structurally sound. The author discusses how the model gradually evolved from a plagiarism detection system which extracted several measurable characteristics in a program to a model that analyzed the style of Pascal programs. In order to incorporate more-sophistical concepts like data abstraction, information hiding and data protection, this model was then extended to analyze the composition of Ada programs. The Ada model takes full advantage of facilities offered in the language and by using this tool the standard and quality of written programs is raised whilst the fundamental principles of program design are grasped through a process of self-tuition.

E-Block: A Tangible Programming Tool with Graphical Blocks

OpenAIRE

Danli Wang; Yang Zhang; Shengyong Chen

2013-01-01

This paper designs a tangible programming tool, E-Block, for children aged 5 to 9 to experience the preliminary understanding of programming by building blocks. With embedded artificial intelligence, the tool defines the programming blocks with the sensors as the input and enables children to write programs to complete the tasks in the computer. The symbol on the programming block's surface is used to help children understanding the function of each block. The sequence information is transfer...

Impact of the Use of a Standardized Guidance Tool on the Development of a Teaching Philosophy in a Pharmacy Residency Teaching and Learning Curriculum Program

Science.gov (United States)

Wesner, Amber R.; Jones, Ryan; Schultz, Karen; Johnson, Mark

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a standardized reflection tool on the development of a teaching philosophy statement in a pharmacy residency teaching and learning curriculum program (RTLCP). Pharmacy residents participating in the RTLCP over a two-year period were surveyed using a pre/post method to assess perceptions of teaching philosophy development before and after using the tool. Responses were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale to indicate level of agreement with each statement. For analysis, responses were divided into high (strongly agree/agree) and low (neutral/disagree/strongly disagree) agreement. The level of agreement increased significantly for all items surveyed (p philosophy, and 96% responding that the resulting teaching philosophy statement fully reflected their views on teaching and learning. The standardized reflection tool developed at Shenandoah University assisted pharmacy residents enrolled in a teaching and learning curriculum program to draft a comprehensive teaching philosophy statement, and was well received by participants. PMID:28970382

Functional Programming for Java Developers Tools for Better Concurrency, Abstraction, and Agility

CERN Document Server

Wampler, Dean

2011-01-01

Software development today is embracing functional programming (FP), whether it's for writing concurrent programs or for managing Big Data. Where does that leave Java developers? This concise book offers a pragmatic, approachable introduction to FP for Java developers or anyone who uses an object-oriented language. Dean Wampler, Java expert and author of Programming Scala (O'Reilly), shows you how to apply FP principles such as immutability, avoidance of side-effects, and higher-order functions to your Java code. Each chapter provides exercises to help you practice what you've learned. Once

A program development tool for KEK VME-MAP control system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, H.; Katoh, T.; Kadokura, E.; Akiyama, A.; Nigorikawa, K.; Ishii, K.

1992-01-01

The control system for KEK 12 GeV Proton Synchrotron has been replaced with a distributed VME-bus based microcomputer system and a MAP local area network. In order to simplify programming for network application tasks, a set of a preprocessor for a PASCAL compiler and a network communication server has been developed. Application programs for accelerator control system have blocks with similar codes; sending, waiting for, receiving, analyzing messages, etc. The preprocessor called 'OBJP' incorporates such common codes into the source code written by an application programmer. In case of a simple program, the size of the source code is reduced by one tenth of a full coding. (author)

Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program Development of a Computer-based Benchmarking and Analytical Tool. Benchmarking and Energy & Water Savings Tool in Dairy Plants (BEST-Dairy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Tengfang [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Flapper, Joris [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Ke, Jing [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Kramer, Klaas [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Sathaye, Jayant [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

2012-02-01

The overall goal of the project is to develop a computer-based benchmarking and energy and water savings tool (BEST-Dairy) for use in the California dairy industry - including four dairy processes - cheese, fluid milk, butter, and milk powder. BEST-Dairy tool developed in this project provides three options for the user to benchmark each of the dairy product included in the tool, with each option differentiated based on specific detail level of process or plant, i.e., 1) plant level; 2) process-group level, and 3) process-step level. For each detail level, the tool accounts for differences in production and other variables affecting energy use in dairy processes. The dairy products include cheese, fluid milk, butter, milk powder, etc. The BEST-Dairy tool can be applied to a wide range of dairy facilities to provide energy and water savings estimates, which are based upon the comparisons with the best available reference cases that were established through reviewing information from international and national samples. We have performed and completed alpha- and beta-testing (field testing) of the BEST-Dairy tool, through which feedback from voluntary users in the U.S. dairy industry was gathered to validate and improve the tool's functionality. BEST-Dairy v1.2 was formally published in May 2011, and has been made available for free downloads from the internet (i.e., http://best-dairy.lbl.gov). A user's manual has been developed and published as the companion documentation for use with the BEST-Dairy tool. In addition, we also carried out technology transfer activities by engaging the dairy industry in the process of tool development and testing, including field testing, technical presentations, and technical assistance throughout the project. To date, users from more than ten countries in addition to those in the U.S. have downloaded the BEST-Dairy from the LBNL website. It is expected that the use of BEST-Dairy tool will advance understanding of energy and

Cocktail : a tool for deriving correct programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Franssen, M.G.J.; Swart, de H.C.M.

2004-01-01

Cocktail is a tool for deriving correct programs from their specifications. The present version is powerful enough for educational purposes. The tool yields support for many sorted first order predicate logic, formulated in a pure type system with parametric constants (CPTS), as the specification

Development of Visualization Tools for ZPPR-15 Analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Min Jae; Kim, Sang Ji

2014-01-01

ZPPR-15 cores consist of various drawer masters that have great heterogeneity. In order to build a proper homogenization strategy, the geometry of the drawer masters should be carefully analyzed with a visualization. Additionally, a visualization of drawer masters and the core configuration is necessary for minimizing human error during the input processing. For this purpose, visualization tools for a ZPPR-15 analysis has been developed based on a Perl script. In the following section, the implementation of visualization tools will be described and various visualization samples for both drawer masters and ZPPR-15 cores will be demonstrated. Visualization tools for drawer masters and a core configuration were successfully developed for a ZPPR-15 analysis. The visualization tools are expected to be useful for understanding ZPPR-15 experiments, and finding deterministic models of ZPPR-15. It turned out that generating VTK files is handy but the application of VTK files is powerful with the aid of the VISIT program

Teaching Joint-Level Robot Programming with a New Robotics Software Tool

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Gonzalez

2017-12-01

Full Text Available With the rising popularity of robotics in our modern world there is an increase in the number of engineering programs that offer the basic Introduction to Robotics course. This common introductory robotics course generally covers the fundamental theory of robotics including robot kinematics, dynamics, differential movements, trajectory planning and basic computer vision algorithms commonly used in the field of robotics. Joint programming, the task of writing a program that directly controls the robot’s joint motors, is an activity that involves robot kinematics, dynamics, and trajectory planning. In this paper, we introduce a new educational robotics tool developed for teaching joint programming. The tool allows the student to write a program in a modified C language that controls the movement of the arm by controlling the velocity of each joint motor. This is a very important activity in the robotics course and leads the student to gain knowledge of how to build a robotic arm controller. Sample assignments are presented for different levels of difficulty.

Swan: A tool for porting CUDA programs to OpenCL

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, M. J.; De Fabritiis, G.

2011-04-01

The use of modern, high-performance graphical processing units (GPUs) for acceleration of scientific computation has been widely reported. The majority of this work has used the CUDA programming model supported exclusively by GPUs manufactured by NVIDIA. An industry standardisation effort has recently produced the OpenCL specification for GPU programming. This offers the benefits of hardware-independence and reduced dependence on proprietary tool-chains. Here we describe a source-to-source translation tool, "Swan" for facilitating the conversion of an existing CUDA code to use the OpenCL model, as a means to aid programmers experienced with CUDA in evaluating OpenCL and alternative hardware. While the performance of equivalent OpenCL and CUDA code on fixed hardware should be comparable, we find that a real-world CUDA application ported to OpenCL exhibits an overall 50% increase in runtime, a reduction in performance attributable to the immaturity of contemporary compilers. The ported application is shown to have platform independence, running on both NVIDIA and AMD GPUs without modification. We conclude that OpenCL is a viable platform for developing portable GPU applications but that the more mature CUDA tools continue to provide best performance. Program summaryProgram title: Swan Catalogue identifier: AEIH_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEIH_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: GNU Public License version 2 No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 17 736 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 131 177 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: C Computer: PC Operating system: Linux RAM: 256 Mbytes Classification: 6.5 External routines: NVIDIA CUDA, OpenCL Nature of problem: Graphical Processing Units (GPUs) from NVIDIA are preferentially programed with the proprietary CUDA programming toolkit. An

Technology development for high temperature logging tools

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veneruso, A.F.; Coquat, J.A.

1979-01-01

A set of prototype, high temperature logging tools (temperature, pressure and flow) were tested successfully to temperatures up to 275/sup 0/C in a Union geothermal well during November 1978 as part of the Geothermal Logging Instrumentation Development Program. This program is being conducted by Sandia Laboratories for the Department of Energy's Division of Geothermal Energy. The progress and plans of this industry based program to develop and apply the high temperature instrumentation technology needed to make reliable geothermal borehole measurements are described. Specifically, this program is upgrading existing sondes for improved high temperature performance, as well as applying new materials (elastomers, polymers, metals and ceramics) and developing component technology such as high temperature cables, cableheads and electronics to make borehole measurements such as formation temperature, flow rate, high resolution pressure and fracture mapping. In order to satisfy critical existing needs, the near term goal is for operation up to 275/sup 0/C and 7000 psi by the end of FY80. The long term goal is for operation up to 350/sup 0/C and 20,000 psi by the end of FY84.

Advanced Vibration Analysis Tool Developed for Robust Engine Rotor Designs

Science.gov (United States)

Min, James B.

2005-01-01

The primary objective of this research program is to develop vibration analysis tools, design tools, and design strategies to significantly improve the safety and robustness of turbine engine rotors. Bladed disks in turbine engines always feature small, random blade-to-blade differences, or mistuning. Mistuning can lead to a dramatic increase in blade forced-response amplitudes and stresses. Ultimately, this results in high-cycle fatigue, which is a major safety and cost concern. In this research program, the necessary steps will be taken to transform a state-of-the-art vibration analysis tool, the Turbo- Reduce forced-response prediction code, into an effective design tool by enhancing and extending the underlying modeling and analysis methods. Furthermore, novel techniques will be developed to assess the safety of a given design. In particular, a procedure will be established for using natural-frequency curve veerings to identify ranges of operating conditions (rotational speeds and engine orders) in which there is a great risk that the rotor blades will suffer high stresses. This work also will aid statistical studies of the forced response by reducing the necessary number of simulations. Finally, new strategies for improving the design of rotors will be pursued.

Development of program for renal function study with quantification analysis of nuclear medicine image

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, Ju Young; Lee, Hyoung Koo; Suh, Tae Suk; Choe, Bo Young; Shinn, Kyung Sub; Chung, Yong An; Kim, Sung Joon; Chung, Soo Kyo

2001-01-01

In this study, we developed a new software tool for the analysis of renal scintigraphy which can be modified more easily by a user who needs to study new clinical applications, and the appropriateness of the results from our program was studied. The analysis tool was programmed with IDL5.2 and designed for use on a personal computer running Windows. For testing the developed tool and studying the appropriateness of the calculated glomerular filtration rate (GFR), 99m Tc-DTPA was adminstered to 10 adults in normal condition. In order to study the appropriateness of the calculated mean transit time (MTT). 99m Tc-DTPA and 99m Tc-MAG3 were administered to 11 adults in normal condition and 22 kidneys were analyzed. All the images were acquired with ORBITOR, the Siemens gamma camera. With the developed tool, we could show dynamic renal images and time activity curve (TAC) in each ROI and calculate clinical parameters of renal function. The results calculated by the developed tool were not different statistically from the results obtained by the Siemens application program (Tmax: p=0.68, Relative Renal Function: p=1.0 GFR: p=0.25) and the developed program proved reasonable. The MTT calculation tool proved to be reasonable by the evaluation of the influence of hydration status on MTT. We have obtained reasonable clinical parameters for the evaluation of renal function with the software tool developed in this study. The developed tool could prove more practical than conventional, commercial programs

Design and Development Tools for the Systems Engineering Experience Accelerator. Volume 1

Science.gov (United States)

2015-04-20

important ones for inclusion in this work. Others include: • Experience concept tools ( storyboarding , learner profile creation, 9 • Context tools...particular scenario (e.g., a particular DoD program) for the experience that supports the desired learning and develop a storyboard for the desired

Bioinformatics tools for development of fast and cost effective simple ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Bioinformatics tools for development of fast and cost effective simple sequence repeat ... comparative mapping and exploration of functional genetic diversity in the ... Already, a number of computer programs have been implemented that aim at ...

Development and content validation of the power mobility training tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Kenyon, Lisa K; Farris, John P; Cain, Brett; King, Emily; VandenBerg, Ashley

2018-01-01

This paper outlines the development and content validation of the power mobility training tool (PMTT), an observational tool designed to assist therapists in developing power mobility training programs for children who have multiple, severe impairments. Initial items on the PMTT were developed based on a literature review and in consultation with therapists experienced in the use of power mobility. Items were trialled in clinical settings, reviewed, and refined. Items were then operationalized and an administration manual detailing scoring for each item was created. Qualitative and quantitative methods were used to establish content validity via a 15 member, international expert panel. The content validity ratio (CVR) was determined for each possible item. Of the 19 original items, 10 achieved minimum required CVR values and were included in the final version of the PMTT. Items related to manoeuvring a power mobility device were merged and an item related to the number of switches used concurrently to operate a power mobility device were added to the PMTT. The PMTT may assist therapists in developing training programs that facilitate the acquisition of beginning power mobility skills in children who have multiple, severe impairments. Implications for Rehabilitation The Power Mobility Training Tool (PMTT) was developed to help guide the development of power mobility intervention programs for children who have multiple, severe impairments. The PMTT can be used with children who access a power mobility device using either a joystick or a switch. Therapists who have limited experience with power mobility may find the PMTT to be helpful in setting up and conducting power mobility training interventions as a feasible aspect of a plan of care for children who have multiple, severe impairments.

A new DoD initiative: the Computational Research and Engineering Acquisition Tools and Environments (CREATE) program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arevalo, S; Atwood, C; Bell, P; Blacker, T D; Dey, S; Fisher, D; Fisher, D A; Genalis, P; Gorski, J; Harris, A; Hill, K; Hurwitz, M; Kendall, R P; Meakin, R L; Morton, S; Moyer, E T; Post, D E; Strawn, R; Veldhuizen, D v; Votta, L G

2008-01-01

In FY2008, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) initiated the Computational Research and Engineering Acquisition Tools and Environments (CREATE) program, a $360M program with a two-year planning phase and a ten-year execution phase. CREATE will develop and deploy three computational engineering tool sets for DoD acquisition programs to use to design aircraft, ships and radio-frequency antennas. The planning and execution of CREATE are based on the 'lessons learned' from case studies of large-scale computational science and engineering projects. The case studies stress the importance of a stable, close-knit development team; a focus on customer needs and requirements; verification and validation; flexible and agile planning, management, and development processes; risk management; realistic schedules and resource levels; balanced short- and long-term goals and deliverables; and stable, long-term support by the program sponsor. Since it began in FY2008, the CREATE program has built a team and project structure, developed requirements and begun validating them, identified candidate products, established initial connections with the acquisition programs, begun detailed project planning and development, and generated the initial collaboration infrastructure necessary for success by its multi-institutional, multidisciplinary teams

Real-Time Engagement Area Development Program (READ-Pro)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Burger, Joseph

2002-01-01

The Real Time Engagement Area Development Program (READ-Pro) is a PC-based prototype system which provides company-level commanders with real-time operational analysis tools to develop ENGAGEMENT AREAS(EA) for direct fire (DF) systems...

Real-Time Engagement Area Development Program (Read-Pro)

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Burger, Joseph

2002-01-01

The Real-Tine Engagement Area Development Program (READ-Pro) is a PC-based prototype system which provides company-level commanders with real-time operational analysis tools to develop engagement areas (RA) for direct fire (DR) systems...

Mentorship programs for faculty development in academic general pediatric divisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Takagishi, Jennifer; Dabrow, Sharon

2011-01-01

Introduction. Mentoring relationships have been shown to support academicians in areas of research, work/life balance, and promotion. Methods. General pediatric division chiefs accessed an electronic survey asking about mentorship relationships, their ability to create a mentorship program, and resources needed. Results. Dyadic mentorship programs were available at 53% of divisions. Peer mentorship programs were available at 27% of divisions. Overall, 84% of chiefs believed that dyadic mentorship would benefit their faculty. 91% of chiefs believed that peer mentorship would benefit their faculty. Chiefs were interested in starting peer (57%) or dyadic (55%) mentorship programs. Few divisions had a peer mentorship program available, whereas 24% already had a dyadic program. 43% of chiefs felt that they had the tools to start a program. Many tools are needed to create a program. Discussion. General pediatric division chiefs acknowledge the benefits of mentoring relationships, and some have programs in place. Many need tools to create them. Pediatric societies could facilitate this critical area of professional development.

Multicenter Validation of a Customizable Scoring Tool for Selection of Trainees for a Residency or Fellowship Program. The EAST-IST Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bosslet, Gabriel T; Carlos, W Graham; Tybor, David J; McCallister, Jennifer; Huebert, Candace; Henderson, Ashley; Miles, Matthew C; Twigg, Homer; Sears, Catherine R; Brown, Cynthia; Farber, Mark O; Lahm, Tim; Buckley, John D

2017-04-01

Few data have been published regarding scoring tools for selection of postgraduate medical trainee candidates that have wide applicability. The authors present a novel scoring tool developed to assist postgraduate programs in generating an institution-specific rank list derived from selected elements of the U.S. Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) application. The authors developed and validated an ERAS and interview day scoring tool at five pulmonary and critical care fellowship programs: the ERAS Application Scoring Tool-Interview Scoring Tool. This scoring tool was then tested for intrarater correlation versus subjective rankings of ERAS applications. The process for development of the tool was performed at four other institutions, and it was performed alongside and compared with the "traditional" ranking methods at the five programs and compared with the submitted National Residency Match Program rank list. The ERAS Application Scoring Tool correlated highly with subjective faculty rankings at the primary institution (average Spearman's r = 0.77). The ERAS Application Scoring Tool-Interview Scoring Tool method correlated well with traditional ranking methodology at all five institutions (Spearman's r = 0.54, 0.65, 0.72, 0.77, and 0.84). This study validates a process for selecting and weighting components of the ERAS application and interview day to create a customizable, institution-specific tool for ranking candidates to postgraduate medical education programs. This scoring system can be used in future studies to compare the outcomes of fellowship training.

COSTMODL - AN AUTOMATED SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT COST ESTIMATION TOOL

Science.gov (United States)

Roush, G. B.

1994-01-01

The cost of developing computer software consumes an increasing portion of many organizations' budgets. As this trend continues, the capability to estimate the effort and schedule required to develop a candidate software product becomes increasingly important. COSTMODL is an automated software development estimation tool which fulfills this need. Assimilating COSTMODL to any organization's particular environment can yield significant reduction in the risk of cost overruns and failed projects. This user-customization capability is unmatched by any other available estimation tool. COSTMODL accepts a description of a software product to be developed and computes estimates of the effort required to produce it, the calendar schedule required, and the distribution of effort and staffing as a function of the defined set of development life-cycle phases. This is accomplished by the five cost estimation algorithms incorporated into COSTMODL: the NASA-developed KISS model; the Basic, Intermediate, and Ada COCOMO models; and the Incremental Development model. This choice affords the user the ability to handle project complexities ranging from small, relatively simple projects to very large projects. Unique to COSTMODL is the ability to redefine the life-cycle phases of development and the capability to display a graphic representation of the optimum organizational structure required to develop the subject project, along with required staffing levels and skills. The program is menu-driven and mouse sensitive with an extensive context-sensitive help system that makes it possible for a new user to easily install and operate the program and to learn the fundamentals of cost estimation without having prior training or separate documentation. The implementation of these functions, along with the customization feature, into one program makes COSTMODL unique within the industry. COSTMODL was written for IBM PC compatibles, and it requires Turbo Pascal 5.0 or later and Turbo

A systematic writing program as a tool in the grief process: part 1.

Science.gov (United States)

Furnes, Bodil; Dysvik, Elin

2010-12-06

The basic aim of this paper is to suggest a flexible and individualized writing program as a tool for use during the grief process of bereaved adults. An open, qualitative approach following distinct steps was taken to gain a broad perspective on the grief and writing processes, as a platform for the writing program. Following several systematic methodological steps, we arrived at suggestions for the initiation of a writing program and its structure and substance, with appropriate guidelines. We believe that open and expressive writing, including free writing and focused writing, may have beneficial effects on a person experiencing grief. These writing forms may be undertaken and systematized through a writing program, with participation in a grief writing group and with diary writing, to achieve optimal results. A structured writing program might be helpful in promoting thought activities and as a tool to increase the coherence and understanding of individuals in the grief process. Our suggested program may also be a valuable guide to future program development and research.

Vdebug: debugging tool for parallel scientific programs. Design report on vdebug

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Katsuyuki; Takemiya, Hiroshi

2000-02-01

We report on a debugging tool called vdebug which supports debugging work for parallel scientific simulation programs. It is difficult to debug scientific programs with an existing debugger, because the volume of data generated by the programs is too large for users to check data in characters. Usually, the existing debugger shows data values in characters. To alleviate it, we have developed vdebug which enables to check the validity of large amounts of data by showing these data values visually. Although targets of vdebug have been restricted to sequential programs, we have made it applicable to parallel programs by realizing the function of merging and visualizing data distributed on programs on each computer node. Now, vdebug works on seven kinds of parallel computers. In this report, we describe the design of vdebug. (author)

DYNAMIC PROGRAMMING – EFFICIENT TOOL FOR POWER SYSTEM EXPANSION PLANNING

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SIMO A.

2015-03-01

Full Text Available The paper isfocusing on dynamic programming use for power system expansion planning (EP – transmission network (TNEP and distribution network (DNEP. The EP problem has been approached from the retrospective and prospective point of view. To achieve this goal, the authors are developing two software-tools in Matlab environment. Two techniques have been tackled: particle swarm optimization (PSO and genetic algorithms (GA. The case study refers to Test 25 buses test power system developed within the Power Systems Department.

APT - NASA ENHANCED VERSION OF AUTOMATICALLY PROGRAMMED TOOL SOFTWARE - STAND-ALONE VERSION

Science.gov (United States)

Premo, D. A.

1994-01-01

The APT code is one of the most widely used software tools for complex numerically controlled (N/C) machining. APT is an acronym for Automatically Programmed Tools and is used to denote both a language and the computer software that processes that language. Development of the APT language and software system was begun over twenty years ago as a U. S. government sponsored industry and university research effort. APT is a "problem oriented" language that was developed for the explicit purpose of aiding the N/C machine tools. Machine-tool instructions and geometry definitions are written in the APT language to constitute a "part program." The APT part program is processed by the APT software to produce a cutter location (CL) file. This CL file may then be processed by user supplied post processors to convert the CL data into a form suitable for a particular N/C machine tool. This June, 1989 offering of the APT system represents an adaptation, with enhancements, of the public domain version of APT IV/SSX8 to the DEC VAX-11/780 for use by the Engineering Services Division of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Enhancements include the super pocket feature which allows concave and convex polygon shapes of up to 40 points including shapes that overlap, that leave islands of material within the pocket, and that have one or more arcs as part of the pocket boundary. Recent modifications to APT include a rework of the POCKET subroutine and correction of an error that prevented the use within a macro of a macro variable cutter move statement combined with macro variable double check surfaces. Former modifications included the expansion of array and buffer sizes to accommodate larger part programs, and the insertion of a few user friendly error messages. The APT system software on the DEC VAX-11/780 is organized into two separate programs: the load complex and the APT processor. The load complex handles the table initiation phase and is usually only run when changes to the

A Prototype for Education Programs using Planetari and Space Centres as Key Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Thompson, L; Brumfitt, A.; Honan, P.

Few hands on space experiments designed for school education allow the students and teachers to participate in the discovery of new science. One particularly experiment which flew on STS107 Columbia was designed specifically to do just this. A key feature of the project was to use a Zoo and a University as key tools in providing through life development and support. The project, "Spiders in Space" ran over a four year period resulted in the student and scientist team publishing over twenty refereed papers on their research findings. Throughout the project teacher and student performance, satisfaction, knowledge, abilities and competency were monitored and critically evaluated. The progressive gathering and feedback was used to improve the program and adapt the learning experience to the student needs and abilities. Based on the experience gained with the Spider Experiment on STS-107, the originating team of scientists and teachers have formulated a structure on which to facilitate the design of similar space education cross discipline projects. The project architecture presented uses as key tools Planetaria, Space science education centres, zoos and Universities in the successful delivery of the programs.The engagement of these key tools facilitates a cost effective and educationally sound support network for thousands of schools to have some ownership of their space program. These key tools provide both continuing professional development for teachers wishing to enter the program and field laboratory support for the student classes engaged in it. The resulting programs are designed to foster collaboration between space research and education on an international scale. The sample new program is presented which demonstrates the application of scientific principles by making students and teachers an integral part of current space research. Issues such as environment, climate control and biological diversity are investigated with a view to providing research outcomes

Toward competency-based curriculum: Application of workplace-based assessment tools in the National Saudi Arabian Anesthesia Training Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Boker, Ama

2016-01-01

The anesthesia training program of the Saudi Commission for health specialties has introduced a developed competency-based anesthesia residency program starting from 2015 with the utilization of the workplace-based assessment (WBA) tools, namely mini-clinical exercises (mini-CEX), direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS), and case-based discussion (CBD). This work aimed to describe the process of development of anesthesia-specific list of mini-CEX, DOPS, and CBD tools within the Saudi Arabian Anesthesia Training Programs. To introduce the main concepts of formative WBA tools and to develop anesthesia-specific applications for each of the selected WBA tools, four 1-day workshops were held at the level of major training committees at eastern (Dammam), western (Jeddah), and central (Riyadh) regions in the Kingdom were conducted. Sixty-seven faculties participated in these workshops. After conduction of the four workshops, the anesthesia-specific applications setting of mini-CEX, DOPS, and CBD tools among the 5-year levels were fully described. The level of the appropriate consultation skills was divided according to the case complexity adopted from the American Society of Anesthesiologists physical classification for adult and obstetric and pediatric patient as well as the type of the targeted anesthetic procedure. WBA anesthesia-specific lists of mini-CEX, DOPS, and CBD forms were easily incorporated first into guidelines to help the first stage of implementation of formative assessment in the Saudi Arabian Anesthesia Residency Program, and this can be helpful to replicate such program within other various training programs in Saudi Arabia and abroad.

Analyse the risks of ad hoc programming in web development and develop a metrics of appropriate tools

OpenAIRE

Gubhaju, Manish; Al-Sherbaz, Ali

2013-01-01

Today the World Wide Web has become one of the most powerful tools for business promotion and social networking. As the use of websites and web applications to promote the businesses has increased drastically over the past few years, the complexity of managing them and protecting them from security threats has become a complicated task for the organizations. On the other hand, most of the web projects are at risk and less secure due to lack of quality programming. Although there are plenty of...

Programming heterogeneous MPSoCs tool flows to close the software productivity gap

CERN Document Server

Castrillón Mazo, Jerónimo

2014-01-01

This book provides embedded software developers with techniques for programmingheterogeneous Multi-Processor Systems-on-Chip (MPSoCs), capable of executing multiple applications simultaneously. It describes a set of algorithms and methodologies to narrow the software productivity gap, as well as an in-depth description of the underlying problems and challenges of today’s programming practices. The authors present four different tool flows: A parallelism extraction flow for applications writtenusing the C programming language, a mapping and scheduling flow for parallel applications, a special mapping flow for baseband applications in the context of Software Defined Radio (SDR) and a final flow for analyzing multiple applications at design time. The tool flows are evaluated on Virtual Platforms (VPs), which mimic different characteristics of state-of-the-art heterogeneous MPSoCs.   • Provides a novel set of algorithms and methodologies for programming heterogeneous Multi-Processor Systems-on-Chip (MPSoCs)...

Developing Tools and Techniques to Increase Communication Effectiveness

Science.gov (United States)

Hayes, Linda A.; Peterson, Doug

1997-01-01

The Public Affairs Office (PAO) of the Johnson Space Center (JSC) is responsible for communicating current JSC Space Program activities as well as goals and objectives to the American Public. As part of the 1996 Strategic Communications Plan, a review of PAO' s current communication procedures was conducted. The 1996 Summer Faculty Fellow performed research activities to support this effort by reviewing current research concerning NASA/JSC's customers' perceptions and interests, developing communications tools which enable PAO to more effectively inform JSC customers about the Space Program, and proposing a process for developing and using consistent messages throughout PAO. Note that this research does not attempt to change or influence customer perceptions or interests but, instead, incorporates current customer interests into PAO's communication process.

Development to requirements for a procedures software tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yasutake, J.Y.; Hachiro Isoda

1993-01-01

In 1989, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the Central Research Institute of the Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI) in Japan initiated a joint research program to investigate various interventions to reduce personnel errors and inefficiencies in the maintenance of nuclear power plants. This program, consisting of several interrelated projects, was initiated because of the mutual recognition of the importance of the human element in the efficient and safe operation of utilities and the continuing need to enhance personnel performance to sustain plant safety and availability. This paper summarizes one of the projects, jointly funded by EPRI and CRIEPI, to analyze the requirements for, and prepare a functional description of, a procedures software tool (PST). The primary objective of this project was to develop a description of the features and functions of a software tool that would help procedure writers to improve the quality of maintenance and testing procedures, thereby enhancing the performance of both procedure writers and maintenance personnel

Development of a software tool using deterministic logic for the optimization of cochlear implant processor programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Govaerts, Paul J; Vaerenberg, Bart; De Ceulaer, Geert; Daemers, Kristin; De Beukelaer, Carina; Schauwers, Karen

2010-08-01

An intelligent agent, Fitting to Outcomes eXpert, was developed to optimize and automate Cochlear implant (CI) programming. The current article describes the rationale, development, and features of this tool. Cochlear implant fitting is a time-consuming procedure to define the value of a subset of the available electric parameters based primarily on behavioral responses. It is comfort-driven with high intraindividual and interindividual variability both with respect to the patient and to the clinician. Its validity in terms of process control can be questioned. Good clinical practice would require an outcome-driven approach. An intelligent agent may help solve the complexity of addressing more electric parameters based on a range of outcome measures. A software application was developed that consists of deterministic rules that analyze the map settings in the processor together with psychoacoustic test results (audiogram, A(section sign)E phoneme discrimination, A(section sign)E loudness scaling, speech audiogram) obtained with that map. The rules were based on the daily clinical practice and the expertise of the CI programmers. The data transfer to and from this agent is either manual or through seamless digital communication with the CI fitting database and the psychoacoustic test suite. It recommends and executes modifications to the map settings to improve the outcome. Fitting to Outcomes eXpert is an operational intelligent agent, the principles of which are described. Its development and modes of operation are outlined, and a case example is given. Fitting to Outcomes eXpert is in use for more than a year now and seems to be capable to improve the measured outcome. It is argued that this novel tool allows a systematic approach focusing on outcome, reducing the fitting time, and improving the quality of fitting. It introduces principles of artificial intelligence in the process of CI fitting.

Graduate nurses' evaluation of mentorship: Development of a new tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Tiew, Lay Hwa; Koh, Catherine S L; Creedy, Debra K; Tam, W S W

2017-07-01

Develop and test an instrument to measure graduate-nurses' perceptions of a structured mentorship program. New graduate nurses may experience difficulties in the transition from student to practitioner. Mentoring is commonly used to support graduates. However, there is a lack of published tools measuring graduate nurses' perceptions of mentorship. As mentoring is resource intensive, development and testing of a validated tool are important to assist in determining program effectiveness. A pretest-posttest interventional design was used. Following a critical review of literature and content experts' input, the 10-item National University Hospital Mentorship Evaluation (NUH ME) instrument was tested with a convenience sample of 83 graduate nurses. Psychometric tests included internal reliability, stability, content validity, and factor analysis. Changed scores were evaluated using paired samples t-test. Seventy-three graduates (88%) out of a possible 83 completed the pre-and post-program survey. Internal reliability was excellent with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.92. Test-retest reliability was stable over time (ICC=0.81). Exploratory factor analysis supported a 1-factor solution explaining 58.2% of variance. Paired samples t-test showed statistical significance between the pre- and post-program scores (pprograms can be an effective recruitment and retention strategy, but are also resource intensive. Measuring new graduates' perceptions of mentoring contributes to program relevance in addressing their personal, professional and clinical skill development needs. As mentoring engages a diverse range of mentors, feedback through measurement may also positively alter organizational learning culture. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

User's guide of parallel program development environment (PPDE). The 2nd edition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueno, Hirokazu; Takemiya, Hiroshi; Imamura, Toshiyuki; Koide, Hiroshi; Matsuda, Katsuyuki; Higuchi, Kenji; Hirayama, Toshio; Ohta, Hirofumi

2000-03-01

The STA basic system has been enhanced to accelerate support for parallel programming on heterogeneous parallel computers, through a series of R and D on the technology of parallel processing. The enhancement has been made through extending the function of the PPDF, Parallel Program Development Environment in the STA basic system. The extended PPDE has the function to make: 1) the automatic creation of a 'makefile' and a shell script file for its execution, 2) the multi-tools execution which makes the tools on heterogeneous computers to execute with one operation a task on a computer, and 3) the mirror composition to reflect editing results of a file on a computer into all related files on other computers. These additional functions will enhance the work efficiency for program development on some computers. More functions have been added to the PPDE to provide help for parallel program development. New functions were also designed to complement a HPF translator and a parallelizing support tool when working together so that a sequential program is efficiently converted to a parallel program. This report describes the use of extended PPDE. (author)

User's guide of parallel program development environment (PPDE). The 2nd edition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueno, Hirokazu; Takemiya, Hiroshi; Imamura, Toshiyuki; Koide, Hiroshi; Matsuda, Katsuyuki; Higuchi, Kenji; Hirayama, Toshio [Center for Promotion of Computational Science and Engineering, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokyo (Japan); Ohta, Hirofumi [Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

2000-03-01

The STA basic system has been enhanced to accelerate support for parallel programming on heterogeneous parallel computers, through a series of R and D on the technology of parallel processing. The enhancement has been made through extending the function of the PPDF, Parallel Program Development Environment in the STA basic system. The extended PPDE has the function to make: 1) the automatic creation of a 'makefile' and a shell script file for its execution, 2) the multi-tools execution which makes the tools on heterogeneous computers to execute with one operation a task on a computer, and 3) the mirror composition to reflect editing results of a file on a computer into all related files on other computers. These additional functions will enhance the work efficiency for program development on some computers. More functions have been added to the PPDE to provide help for parallel program development. New functions were also designed to complement a HPF translator and a paralleilizing support tool when working together so that a sequential program is efficiently converted to a parallel program. This report describes the use of extended PPDE. (author)

Developing tools and strategies for communicating climate change

Science.gov (United States)

Bader, D.; Yam, E. M.; Perkins, L.

2011-12-01

Research indicates that the public views zoos and aquariums as reliable and trusted sources for information on conservation. Additionally, visiting zoos and aquariums helps people reconsider their connections to conservation issues and solutions. The Aquarium of the Pacific, an AZA-accredited institution that serves the most ethnically diverse population of all aquariums in the nation, is using exhibit space, technology, public programming, and staff professional development to present a model for how aquariums can promote climate literacy. Our newest galleries and programs are designed to immerse our visitors in experiences that connect our live animal collection to larger themes on ocean change. The Aquarium is supporting our new programming with a multifaceted staff professional development that exposes our interpretive staff to current climate science and researchers as well as current social science on public perception of climate science. Our staff also leads workshops for scientists; these sessions allow us to examine learning theory and develop tools to communicate science and controversial subjects effectively. Through our partnerships in the science, social science, and informal science education communities, we are working to innovate and develop best practices in climate communication.

Development of Sustainability Assessment Tool for Malaysian hydropower industry: A case study

Science.gov (United States)

Turan, Faiz Mohd; Johan, Kartina; Abu Sofian, Muhammad Irfan

2018-04-01

This research deals with the development of sustainability assessment tools as a medium to assess the performance of a hydropower project compliances towards sustainability practice. Since the increasing needs of implementing sustainability practice, developed countries are utilizing sustainability tools to achieve sustainable development goals. Its inception within ASEAN countries including Malaysia is still low. The problem with most tools developed from other countries is that it is not very comprehensive as well as its implementation factors are not suitable for the local environment that is not quantified. Hence, there is a need to develop a suitable sustainable assessment tool for the Malaysian hydropower industry to comply with the sustainable development goals as a bridging gap between the governor and the practitioner. The steps of achieving this goal is separated into several parts. The first part is to identify sustainable parameters from established tools as a model for comparison to enhance new parameters. The second stage is to convert equivalent quantification value from the model to the new developed tools. The last stage is to develop software program as a mean of gaining energy company feedback with systematic sustainable reporting from the surveyor so as to be able to integrate sustainability assessment, monitoring and reporting for self-improved reporting.

Developing a Graphical User Interface for the ALSS Crop Planning Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Koehlert, Erik

1997-01-01

The goal of my project was to create a graphical user interface for a prototype crop scheduler. The crop scheduler was developed by Dr. Jorge Leon and Laura Whitaker for the ALSS (Advanced Life Support System) program. The addition of a system-independent graphical user interface to the crop planning tool will make the application more accessible to a wider range of users and enhance its value as an analysis, design, and planning tool. My presentation will demonstrate the form and functionality of this interface. This graphical user interface allows users to edit system parameters stored in the file system. Data on the interaction of the crew, crops, and waste processing system with the available system resources is organized and labeled. Program output, which is stored in the file system, is also presented to the user in performance-time plots and organized charts. The menu system is designed to guide the user through analysis and decision making tasks, providing some help if necessary. The Java programming language was used to develop this interface in hopes of providing portability and remote operation.

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

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

2008-09-01

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

New Territorial Development Tools in the Cohesion Policy 2014-2020

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Györgyi Nyikos

2014-12-01

Full Text Available Nowadays an important question is how to use the limited resources available in the most efficient and sustainable way. The assessment of development policy interventions and the question of successful absorption of development funds shifted clearly towards stronger enforcement of the aspects efficiency and effectiveness. There is clearly a need for an integrated approach to deliver an effective and sustainable response. The question is how the new territorial development tools – established by the new cohesion policy regulation for the coming programming period - can fit in these conditions, how can they help to achieve the common goals and response to the integrated approach. Cooperation and in-depth knowledge is required for stakeholders to make use of the new tools in an integrated manner.

Open Tools for Integrated Modelling to Understand SDG development - The OPTIMUS program

Science.gov (United States)

Howells, Mark; Zepeda, Eduardo; Rogner, H. Holger; Sanchez, Marco; Roehrl, Alexander; Cicowiez, Matrin; Mentis, Dimitris; Korkevelos, Alexandros; Taliotis, Constantinos; Broad, Oliver; Alfstad, Thomas

2016-04-01

The recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - a set of 17 measurable and time-bound goals with 169 associated targets for 2030 - are highly inclusive challenges before the world community ranging from eliminating poverty to human rights, inequality, a secure world and protection of the environment. Each individual goal or target by themselves present enormous tasks, taken together they are overwhelming. There strong and weak interlinkages, hence trade-offs and complementarities among goals and targets. Some targets may affect several goals while other goals and targets may conflict or be mutually exclusive (Ref). Meeting each of these requires the judicious exploitation of resource, with energy playing an important role. Such complexity demands to be addressed in an integrated way using systems analysis tools to support informed policy formulation, planning, allocation of scarce resources, monitoring progress, effectiveness and review at different scales. There is no one size fits all methodology that conceivably could include all goal and targets simultaneously. But there are methodologies encapsulating critical subsets of the goal and targets with strong interlinkages with a 'soft' reflection on the weak interlinkages. Universal food security or sustainable energy for all inherently support goals and targets on human rights and equality but possibly at the cost of biodiversity or desertification. Integrated analysis and planning tools are not yet commonplace at national universities - or indeed in many policy making organs. What is needed is a fundamental realignment of institutions and integrations of their planning processes and decision making. We introduce a series of open source tools to support the SDG planning and implementation process. The Global User-friendly CLEW Open Source (GLUCOSE) tool optimizes resource interactions and constraints; The Global Electrification Tool kit (GETit) provides the first global spatially explicit

Composer: Authoring Tool for iTV Programs

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R.L. Guimarães (Rodrigo); R.M.R. Costa; L.F.G. Soares

2008-01-01

htmlabstractThis paper presents Composer, an authoring tool to help creating interactive TV programs for the Brazilian Terrestrial Digital TV System. In Composer, several abstractions are defined creating different document views (structural, temporal, layout and textual). One of these views, the

SPPTOOLS: Programming tools for the IRAF SPP language

Science.gov (United States)

Fitzpatrick, M.

1992-01-01

An IRAF package to assist in SPP code development and debugging is described. SPP is the machine-independent programming language used by virtually all IRAF tasks. Tools have been written to aide both novice and advanced SPP programmers with development and debugging by providing tasks to check the code for the number and type of arguments in all calls to IRAF VOS library procedures, list the calling sequences of IRAF tasks, create a database of identifiers for quick access, check for memory which is not freed, and a source code formatter. Debugging is simplified since the programmer is able to get a better understanding of the structure of his/her code, and IRAF library procedure calls (probably the most common source of errors) are automatically checked for correctness.

Developing a testing tool for a port terminal operating system

OpenAIRE

Perič, Miran

2011-01-01

This thesis describes the approach for development of a testing tool which simulates the terminal operating system. Main result of the thesis is presentation of the approach for the development and operation of the application, which was developed in C# programming language. The application communicates with the port information system by messages exchange. Data is stored on a database. With the support of the application we can test the port information system before of future implem...

Tools and techniques used in US Department of Energy decommissioning programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, R. L.

1988-01-01

Since the decommissioning projects are located at various sites across the United States, a centralized technology transfer program was established to ensure that information on new technologies and techniques developed to support specific tasks is available to all contractors performing similar decommissioning work. This sharing of information avoids duplication of effort and helps to avoid the expenditure of resources on tools or techniques that are not cost effective. This article discusses several of the tools and techniques that have been successfully used for various tasks during the course of decommissioning nuclear facilities. Since decommissioning is labor-intensive work, tools and techniques that reduce either personnel radiation exposure or time required to perform a task are desirable. Other factors that are considered when selecting particular tools or techniques are waste volume reduction, recontamination avoidance, simplicity or operation, and avoiding introduction of large quantities of hazardous/toxic materials that may require special handling and disposal. Finally, the tool, depending on the intended work environment, must be cost effective, easily disposable or easily decontaminated for reuse

The program success story: a valuable tool for program evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lavinghouze, Rene; Price, Ann Webb; Smith, Kisha-Ann

2007-10-01

Success stories are evaluation tools that have been used by professionals across disciplines for quite some time. They are also proving to be useful in promoting health programs and their accomplishments. The increasing popularity of success stories is due to the innovative and effective way that they increase a program's visibility, while engaging potential participants, partners, and funders in public health efforts. From the community level to the federal level, program administrators are using success stories as vehicles for celebrating achievements, sharing challenges, and communicating lessons learned. Success stories are an effective means to move beyond the numbers and connect to readers-with a cause they can relate to and want to join. This article defines success stories and provides an overview of several types of story formats, how success stories can be systematically collected, and how they are used to communicate program success.

Test of user- and system programs coded in real time languages - requirements on program language and testing tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hertlin, J.; Mackert, M.

1979-01-01

In the present paper the functions are presented, which should be part of a test system for user programs in a higher treat time programming language, taking into account time sequences and competitive processes. As can be shown by the problem of testing, use of higher level real time programming languages renders the task of program development essentially easier, however performance of test procedures without appropriate test systems is very difficult. After the presentation of notions and methods for the testing of programs, general requirements on testing tools are described and the test system functions for a program test, beeing uncritical with respect to time, are placed together. Thereby, for every individual function, the interface between the test system, the program under test, and the residual program-generation system (compiler, binder, operating system, delay-time system, and loader) is given too. For the time-critical test, a series of desirable functions are described, which can be implemented with acceptable expense. (orig.) [de

Cross-cultural education in U.S. medical schools: development of an assessment tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Peña Dolhun, Eduardo; Muñoz, Claudia; Grumbach, Kevin

2003-06-01

Medical education is responding to an increasingly diverse population and to regulatory and quality-of-care requirements by developing cross-cultural curricula in health care. This undertaking has proved problematic because there is no consensus on what elements of cross-cultural medicine should be taught. Further, less is known about what is being taught. This study hypothesized that a tool could be developed to assess common themes, concepts, learning objectives, and methods in cross-cultural education. In 2001, 31 U.S. medical schools were invited to provide the researchers all written and/or Web-based materials related to implementing cross-cultural competency in their curricula. A tool was developed to measure teaching methods, skill sets, and eight content areas in cross-cultural education. A total of 19 medical schools supplied their curricular materials. There was considerable variation in approaches to teaching and in the content of cross-cultural education across the schools. Most emphasized teaching general themes, such as the doctor-patient relationship, socioeconomic status, and racism. Most also focused on specific cultural information about the ethnic communities they served. Few schools extensively addressed health care access and language issues. This assessment tool is an important step toward developing a standard nomenclature for measuring the success of cross-cultural education curricula. On the national level, the tool can be used to compare program components and encourage the exchange of effective teaching tools by promoting a common language, which will be essential for developing and implementing curricula, for comparing programs, and evaluating their effects on quality of care.

Development of a high-temperature diagnostics-while-drilling tool.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chavira, David J.; Huey, David (Stress Engineering Services, Inc.); Hetmaniak, Chris (Stress Engineering Services, Inc.); Polsky, Yarom; King, Dennis K.; Jacobson, Ronald David; Blankenship, Douglas Alan; Knudsen, Steven Dell; Henfling, Joseph Anthony; Mansure, Arthur James

2009-01-01

The envisioned benefits of Diagnostics-While-Drilling (DWD) are based on the principle that high-speed, real-time information from the downhole environment will promote better control of the drilling process. Although in practice a DWD system could provide information related to any aspect of exploration and production of subsurface resources, the current DWD system provides data on drilling dynamics. This particular set of new tools provided by DWD will allow quicker detection of problems, reduce drilling flat-time and facilitate more efficient drilling (drilling optimization) with the overarching result of decreased drilling costs. In addition to providing the driller with an improved, real-time picture of the drilling conditions downhole, data generated from DWD systems provides researchers with valuable, high fidelity data sets necessary for developing and validating enhanced understanding of the drilling process. Toward this end, the availability of DWD creates a synergy with other Sandia Geothermal programs, such as the hard-rock bit program, where the introduction of alternative rock-reduction technologies are contingent on the reduction or elimination of damaging dynamic effects. More detailed descriptions of the rationale for the program and early development efforts are described in more detail by others [SAND2003-2069 and SAND2000-0239]. A first-generation low-temperature (LT) DWD system was fielded in a series of proof-of-concept tests (POC) to validate functionality. Using the LT system, DWD was subsequently used to support a single-laboratory/multiple-partner CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) entitled Advanced Drag Bits for Hard-Rock Drilling. The drag-bit CRADA was established between Sandia and four bit companies, and involved testing of a PDC bit from each company [Wise, et al., 2003, 2004] in the same lithologic interval at the Gas Technology Institute (GTI) test facility near Catoosa, OK. In addition, the LT DWD system has

Improve Problem Solving Skills through Adapting Programming Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Shaykhian, Linda H.; Shaykhian, Gholam Ali

2007-01-01

There are numerous ways for engineers and students to become better problem-solvers. The use of command line and visual programming tools can help to model a problem and formulate a solution through visualization. The analysis of problem attributes and constraints provide insight into the scope and complexity of the problem. The visualization aspect of the problem-solving approach tends to make students and engineers more systematic in their thought process and help them catch errors before proceeding too far in the wrong direction. The problem-solver identifies and defines important terms, variables, rules, and procedures required for solving a problem. Every step required to construct the problem solution can be defined in program commands that produce intermediate output. This paper advocates improved problem solving skills through using a programming tool. MatLab created by MathWorks, is an interactive numerical computing environment and programming language. It is a matrix-based system that easily lends itself to matrix manipulation, and plotting of functions and data. MatLab can be used as an interactive command line or a sequence of commands that can be saved in a file as a script or named functions. Prior programming experience is not required to use MatLab commands. The GNU Octave, part of the GNU project, a free computer program for performing numerical computations, is comparable to MatLab. MatLab visual and command programming are presented here.

Development of modeling tools for pin-by-pin precise reactor simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Yan; Li Shu; Li Gang; Zhang Baoyin; Deng Li; Fu Yuanguang

2013-01-01

In order to develop large-scale transport simulation and calculation method (such as simulation of whole reactor core pin-by-pin problem), the Institute of Applied Physics and Computational Mathematics developed the neutron-photon coupled transport code JMCT and the toolkit JCOGIN. Creating physical calculation model easily and efficiently can essentially reduce problem solving time. Currently, lots of visual modeling programs have been developed based on different CAD systems. In this article, the developing idea of a visual modeling tool based on field oriented development was introduced. Considering the feature of physical modeling, fast and convenient operation modules were developed. In order to solve the storage and conversion problems of large scale models, the data structure and conversional algorithm based on the hierarchical geometry tree were designed. The automatic conversion and generation of physical model input file for JMCT were realized. By using this modeling tool, the Dayawan reactor whole core physical model was created, and the transformed file was delivered to JMCT for transport calculation. The results validate the correctness of the visual modeling tool. (authors)

Professional Development through Organizational Assessment: Using APPA's Facilities Management Evaluation Program

Science.gov (United States)

Medlin, E. Lander; Judd, R. Holly

2013-01-01

APPA's Facilities Management Evaluation Program (FMEP) provides an integrated system to optimize organizational performance. The criteria for evaluation not only provide a tool for organizational continuous improvement, they serve as a compelling leadership development tool essential for today's facilities management professional. The senior…

A remote sensing computer-assisted learning tool developed using the unified modeling language

Science.gov (United States)

Friedrich, J.; Karslioglu, M. O.

The goal of this work has been to create an easy-to-use and simple-to-make learning tool for remote sensing at an introductory level. Many students struggle to comprehend what seems to be a very basic knowledge of digital images, image processing and image arithmetic, for example. Because professional programs are generally too complex and overwhelming for beginners and often not tailored to the specific needs of a course regarding functionality, a computer-assisted learning (CAL) program was developed based on the unified modeling language (UML), the present standard for object-oriented (OO) system development. A major advantage of this approach is an easier transition from modeling to coding of such an application, if modern UML tools are being used. After introducing the constructed UML model, its implementation is briefly described followed by a series of learning exercises. They illustrate how the resulting CAL tool supports students taking an introductory course in remote sensing at the author's institution.

Developing a Tool to Assess the Capacity of Out-of-School Time Program Providers to Implement Policy, Systems, and Environmental Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Leeman, Jennifer; Blitstein, Jonathan L; Goetz, Joshua; Moore, Alexis; Tessman, Nell; Wiecha, Jean L

2016-08-11

Little is known about public health practitioners' capacity to change policies, systems, or environments (PSEs), in part due to the absence of measures. To address this need, we partnered with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation (Alliance) to develop and test a theory-derived measure of the capacity of out-of-school time program providers to improve students' level of nutrition and physical activity through changes in PSEs. The measure was developed and tested through an engaged partnership with staff working on the Alliance's Healthy Out-of-School Time (HOST) Initiative. In total, approximately 2,000 sites nationwide are engaged in the HOST Initiative, which serves predominantly high-need children and youths. We partnered with the Alliance to conduct formative work that would help develop a survey that assessed attitudes/beliefs, social norms, external resources/supports, and self-efficacy. The survey was administered to providers of out-of-school time programs who were implementing the Alliance's HOST Initiative. Survey respondents were 185 out-of-school time program providers (53% response rate). Exploratory factor analysis yielded a 4-factor model that explained 44.7% of the variance. Factors pertained to perceptions of social norms (6 items) and self-efficacy to build support and engage a team (4 items) and create (5 items) and implement (3 items) an action plan. We report initial development and factor analysis of a tool that the Alliance can use to assess the capacity of after-school time program providers, which is critical to targeting capacity-building interventions and assessing their effectiveness. Study findings also will inform the development of measures to assess individual capacity to plan and implement other PSE interventions.

Windows Developer Power Tools Turbocharge Windows development with more than 170 free and open source tools

CERN Document Server

Avery, James

2007-01-01

Software developers need to work harder and harder to bring value to their development process in order to build high quality applications and remain competitive. Developers can accomplish this by improving their productivity, quickly solving problems, and writing better code. A wealth of open source and free software tools are available for developers who want to improve the way they create, build, deploy, and use software. Tools, components, and frameworks exist to help developers at every point in the development process. Windows Developer Power Tools offers an encyclopedic guide to m

Co-authorship Network Analysis: A Powerful Tool for Strategic Planning of Research, Development and Capacity Building Programs on Neglected Diseases

Science.gov (United States)

Morel, Carlos Medicis; Serruya, Suzanne Jacob; Penna, Gerson Oliveira; Guimarães, Reinaldo

2009-01-01

Background New approaches and tools were needed to support the strategic planning, implementation and management of a Program launched by the Brazilian Government to fund research, development and capacity building on neglected tropical diseases with strong focus on the North, Northeast and Center-West regions of the country where these diseases are prevalent. Methodology/Principal Findings Based on demographic, epidemiological and burden of disease data, seven diseases were selected by the Ministry of Health as targets of the initiative. Publications on these diseases by Brazilian researchers were retrieved from international databases, analyzed and processed with text-mining tools in order to standardize author- and institution's names and addresses. Co-authorship networks based on these publications were assembled, visualized and analyzed with social network analysis software packages. Network visualization and analysis generated new information, allowing better design and strategic planning of the Program, enabling decision makers to characterize network components by area of work, identify institutions as well as authors playing major roles as central hubs or located at critical network cut-points and readily detect authors or institutions participating in large international scientific collaborating networks. Conclusions/Significance Traditional criteria used to monitor and evaluate research proposals or R&D Programs, such as researchers' productivity and impact factor of scientific publications, are of limited value when addressing research areas of low productivity or involving institutions from endemic regions where human resources are limited. Network analysis was found to generate new and valuable information relevant to the strategic planning, implementation and monitoring of the Program. It afforded a more proactive role of the funding agencies in relation to public health and equity goals, to scientific capacity building objectives and a more

Co-authorship network analysis: a powerful tool for strategic planning of research, development and capacity building programs on neglected diseases.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos Medicis Morel

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: New approaches and tools were needed to support the strategic planning, implementation and management of a Program launched by the Brazilian Government to fund research, development and capacity building on neglected tropical diseases with strong focus on the North, Northeast and Center-West regions of the country where these diseases are prevalent. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Based on demographic, epidemiological and burden of disease data, seven diseases were selected by the Ministry of Health as targets of the initiative. Publications on these diseases by Brazilian researchers were retrieved from international databases, analyzed and processed with text-mining tools in order to standardize author- and institution's names and addresses. Co-authorship networks based on these publications were assembled, visualized and analyzed with social network analysis software packages. Network visualization and analysis generated new information, allowing better design and strategic planning of the Program, enabling decision makers to characterize network components by area of work, identify institutions as well as authors playing major roles as central hubs or located at critical network cut-points and readily detect authors or institutions participating in large international scientific collaborating networks. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Traditional criteria used to monitor and evaluate research proposals or R&D Programs, such as researchers' productivity and impact factor of scientific publications, are of limited value when addressing research areas of low productivity or involving institutions from endemic regions where human resources are limited. Network analysis was found to generate new and valuable information relevant to the strategic planning, implementation and monitoring of the Program. It afforded a more proactive role of the funding agencies in relation to public health and equity goals, to scientific capacity building

Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools Program: Benefits of Improving Air Quality in the School Environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Office of Radiation and Indoor Air.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Indoor Air Quality Tools for Schools (IAQ TfS) Program to help schools prevent, identify, and resolve their IAQ problems. This publication describes the program and its advantages, explaining that through simple, low-cost measures, schools can: reduce IAQ-related health risks and…

Machine Tool Software

Science.gov (United States)

1988-01-01

A NASA-developed software package has played a part in technical education of students who major in Mechanical Engineering Technology at William Rainey Harper College. Professor Hack has been using (APT) Automatically Programmed Tool Software since 1969 in his CAD/CAM Computer Aided Design and Manufacturing curriculum. Professor Hack teaches the use of APT programming languages for control of metal cutting machines. Machine tool instructions are geometry definitions written in APT Language to constitute a "part program." The part program is processed by the machine tool. CAD/CAM students go from writing a program to cutting steel in the course of a semester.

A fast Monte Carlo program for pulsed-neutron capture-gamma tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hovgaard, J.

1992-02-01

A fast model for the pulsed-neutron capture-gamma tool has been developed. It is believed that the program produce valid results even though some approximation have been introduced. A correct γ photon transport simulation, which is under preparation, has for instance not yet been included. Simulations performed so far has shown that the model, with respect to computing time and accuracy, fully lives up to expectations with respect to computing time and accuracy. (au)

Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogeka, G.J.

1991-12-01

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

User's guide of parallel program development environment (PPDE). The 2nd edition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ueno, Hirokazu; Takemiya, Hiroshi; Imamura, Toshiyuki; Koide, Hiroshi; Matsuda, Katsuyuki; Higuchi, Kenji; Hirayama, Toshio [Center for Promotion of Computational Science and Engineering, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, Tokyo (Japan); Ohta, Hirofumi [Hitachi Ltd., Tokyo (Japan)

2000-03-01

The STA basic system has been enhanced to accelerate support for parallel programming on heterogeneous parallel computers, through a series of R and D on the technology of parallel processing. The enhancement has been made through extending the function of the PPDF, Parallel Program Development Environment in the STA basic system. The extended PPDE has the function to make: 1) the automatic creation of a 'makefile' and a shell script file for its execution, 2) the multi-tools execution which makes the tools on heterogeneous computers to execute with one operation a task on a computer, and 3) the mirror composition to reflect editing results of a file on a computer into all related files on other computers. These additional functions will enhance the work efficiency for program development on some computers. More functions have been added to the PPDE to provide help for parallel program development. New functions were also designed to complement a HPF translator and a paralleilizing support tool when working together so that a sequential program is efficiently converted to a parallel program. This report describes the use of extended PPDE. (author)

Simplified tools for measuring retention in care in antiretroviral treatment program in Ethiopia: cohort and current retention in care.

Science.gov (United States)

Assefa, Yibeltal; Worku, Alemayehu; Wouters, Edwin; Koole, Olivier; Haile Mariam, Damen; Van Damme, Wim

2012-01-01

Patient retention in care is a critical challenge for antiretroviral treatment programs. This is mainly because retention in care is related to adherence to treatment and patient survival. It is therefore imperative that health facilities and programs measure patient retention in care. However, the currently available tools, such as Kaplan Meier, for measuring retention in care have a lot of practical limitations. The objective of this study was to develop simplified tools for measuring retention in care. Retrospective cohort data were collected from patient registers in nine health facilities in Ethiopia. Retention in care was the primary outcome for the study. Tools were developed to measure "current retention" in care during a specific period of time for a specific "ART-age group" and "cohort retention" in care among patients who were followed for the last "Y" number of years on ART. "Probability of retention" based on the tool for "cohort retention" in care was compared with "probability of retention" based on Kaplan Meier. We found that the new tools enable to measure "current retention" and "cohort retention" in care. We also found that the tools were easy to use and did not require advanced statistical skills. Both "current retention" and "cohort retention" are lower among patients in the first two "ART-age groups" and "ART-age cohorts" than in subsequent "ART-age groups" and "ART-age cohorts". The "probability of retention" based on the new tools were found to be similar to the "probability of retention" based on Kaplan Meier. The simplified tools for "current retention" and "cohort retention" will enable practitioners and program managers to measure and monitor rates of retention in care easily and appropriately. We therefore recommend that health facilities and programs start to use these tools in their efforts to improve retention in care and patient outcomes.

Simplified tools for measuring retention in care in antiretroviral treatment program in Ethiopia: cohort and current retention in care.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yibeltal Assefa

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Patient retention in care is a critical challenge for antiretroviral treatment programs. This is mainly because retention in care is related to adherence to treatment and patient survival. It is therefore imperative that health facilities and programs measure patient retention in care. However, the currently available tools, such as Kaplan Meier, for measuring retention in care have a lot of practical limitations. The objective of this study was to develop simplified tools for measuring retention in care. METHODS: Retrospective cohort data were collected from patient registers in nine health facilities in Ethiopia. Retention in care was the primary outcome for the study. Tools were developed to measure "current retention" in care during a specific period of time for a specific "ART-age group" and "cohort retention" in care among patients who were followed for the last "Y" number of years on ART. "Probability of retention" based on the tool for "cohort retention" in care was compared with "probability of retention" based on Kaplan Meier. RESULTS: We found that the new tools enable to measure "current retention" and "cohort retention" in care. We also found that the tools were easy to use and did not require advanced statistical skills. Both "current retention" and "cohort retention" are lower among patients in the first two "ART-age groups" and "ART-age cohorts" than in subsequent "ART-age groups" and "ART-age cohorts". The "probability of retention" based on the new tools were found to be similar to the "probability of retention" based on Kaplan Meier. CONCLUSION: The simplified tools for "current retention" and "cohort retention" will enable practitioners and program managers to measure and monitor rates of retention in care easily and appropriately. We therefore recommend that health facilities and programs start to use these tools in their efforts to improve retention in care and patient outcomes.

M4D: a powerful tool for structured programming at assembly level for MODCOMP computers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, R.R.; Basso, R.A.J.

1984-04-01

Structured programming techniques offer numerous benefits for software designers and form the basis of the current high level languages. However, these techniques are generally not available to assembly programmers. The M4D package was therefore developed for a large project to enable the use of structured programming constructs such as DO.WHILE-ENDDO and IF-ORIF-ORIF...-ELSE-ENDIF in the assembly code for MODCOMP computers. Programs can thus be produced that have clear semantics and are considerably easier to read than normal assembly code, resulting in reduced program development and testing effort, and in improved long-term maintainability of the code. This paper describes the M4D structured programming tool as implemented for MODCOMP'S MAX III and MAX IV assemblers, and illustrates the use of the facility with a number of examples

Laboratory Directed Research ampersand Development Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogeka, G.J.; Romano, A.J.

1993-12-01

At Brookhaven National Laboratory the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program is a discretionary research and development tool critical in maintaining the scientific excellence and vitality of the laboratory. It is also a means to stimulate the scientific community, fostering new science and technology ideas, which is the major factor in achieving and maintaining staff excellence, and a means to address national needs, within the overall mission of the Department of Energy and Brookhaven National Laboratory. This report summarizes research which was funded by this program during fiscal year 1993. The research fell in a number of broad technical and scientific categories: new directions for energy technologies; global change; radiation therapies and imaging; genetic studies; new directions for the development and utilization of BNL facilities; miscellaneous projects. Two million dollars in funding supported 28 projects which were spread throughout all BNL scientific departments

Program ELM: A tool for rapid thermal-hydraulic analysis of solid-core nuclear rocket fuel elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walton, J.T.

1992-11-01

This report reviews the state of the art of thermal-hydraulic analysis codes and presents a new code, Program ELM, for analysis of fuel elements. ELM is a concise computational tool for modeling the steady-state thermal-hydraulics of propellant flow through fuel element coolant channels in a nuclear thermal rocket reactor with axial coolant passages. The program was developed as a tool to swiftly evaluate various heat transfer coefficient and friction factor correlations generated for turbulent pipe flow with heat addition which have been used in previous programs. Thus, a consistent comparison of these correlations was performed, as well as a comparison with data from the NRX reactor experiments from the Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applications (NERVA) project. This report describes the ELM Program algorithm, input/output, and validation efforts and provides a listing of the code

Developing security tools of WSN and WBAN networks applications

CERN Document Server

A M El-Bendary, Mohsen

2015-01-01

This book focuses on two of the most rapidly developing areas in wireless technology (WT) applications, namely, wireless sensors networks (WSNs) and wireless body area networks (WBANs). These networks can be considered smart applications of the recent WT revolutions. The book presents various security tools and scenarios for the proposed enhanced-security of WSNs, which are supplemented with numerous computer simulations. In the computer simulation section, WSN modeling is addressed using MATLAB programming language.

Technical Optimization of Cross-Platform Software Development Process quality and Usability of 3rd-Party Tools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yevgueny Kondratyev

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The article exposes developer's point of view on minimizing creation, upgrade, post-release problem solving time for applications and components, targeted to multiple operating systems, while keeping high end product quality and computational performance. Non-uniformity of analogous tools and components, available on different platforms, causes strong impact on developer's productivity. In part., differences in 3rd-party component interfaces, versions, quality of distinct functions, cause frequent switching developer's attention on issues not connected (in principle with the target project. While loss of development performance because of attention specifics is more subjective value, at least physical time spent on tools/components misbehavior compensation and normal tools configuring is measurable. So, the main thesis verified is whether it's possible to increase continuity of the development process by technical improvements only, and by which value. In addition, a novel experimental tool for interactive code execution is described, allowing for deep changes in the working program without its restart. Question under research: minimizing durations of programming-build-test-correct loop and small code parts runs, in part., improving the debugging workflow for the account of combining the interactive editor and the debugger.

Automated Assessment in a Programming Tools Course

Science.gov (United States)

Fernandez Aleman, J. L.

2011-01-01

Automated assessment systems can be useful for both students and instructors. Ranking and immediate feedback can have a strongly positive effect on student learning. This paper presents an experience using automatic assessment in a programming tools course. The proposal aims at extending the traditional use of an online judging system with a…

Ohio Uses Wetlands Program Development Grants to Protect Wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

The wetland water quality standards require the use of ORAM score to determine wetland quality. OEPA has also used these tools to evaluate wetland mitigation projects, develop performance standards for wetland mitigation banks and In Lieu Fee programs an.

Integrating Contemplative Tools into Biomedical Science Education and Research Training Programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rodney R. Dietert

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Academic preparation of science researchers and/or human or veterinary medicine clinicians through the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM curriculum has usually focused on the students (1 acquiring increased disciplinary expertise, (2 learning needed methodologies and protocols, and (3 expanding their capacity for intense, persistent focus. Such educational training is effective until roadblocks or problems arise via this highly-learned approach. Then, the health science trainee may have few tools available for effective problem solving. Training to achieve flexibility, adaptability, and broadened perspectives using contemplative practices has been rare among biomedical education programs. To address this gap, a Cornell University-based program involving formal biomedical science coursework, and health science workshops has been developed to offer science students, researchers and health professionals a broader array of personal, contemplation-based, problem-solving tools. This STEM educational initiative includes first-person exercises designed to broaden perceptional awareness, decrease emotional drama, and mobilize whole-body strategies for creative problem solving. Self-calibration and journaling are used for students to evaluate the personal utility of each exercise. The educational goals are to increase student self-awareness and self-regulation and to provide trainees with value-added tools for career-long problem solving. Basic elements of this educational initiative are discussed using the framework of the Tree of Contemplative Practices.

TU-AB-BRD-04: Development of Quality Management Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomadsen, B. [University of Wisconsin (United States)

2015-06-15

Current quality assurance and quality management guidelines provided by various professional organizations are prescriptive in nature, focusing principally on performance characteristics of planning and delivery devices. However, published analyses of events in radiation therapy show that most events are often caused by flaws in clinical processes rather than by device failures. This suggests the need for the development of a quality management program that is based on integrated approaches to process and equipment quality assurance. Industrial engineers have developed various risk assessment tools that are used to identify and eliminate potential failures from a system or a process before a failure impacts a customer. These tools include, but are not limited to, process mapping, failure modes and effects analysis, fault tree analysis. Task Group 100 of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine has developed these tools and used them to formulate an example risk-based quality management program for intensity-modulated radiotherapy. This is a prospective risk assessment approach that analyzes potential error pathways inherent in a clinical process and then ranks them according to relative risk, typically before implementation, followed by the design of a new process or modification of the existing process. Appropriate controls are then put in place to ensure that failures are less likely to occur and, if they do, they will more likely be detected before they propagate through the process, compromising treatment outcome and causing harm to the patient. Such a prospective approach forms the basis of the work of Task Group 100 that has recently been approved by the AAPM. This session will be devoted to a discussion of these tools and practical examples of how these tools can be used in a given radiotherapy clinic to develop a risk based quality management program. Learning Objectives: Learn how to design a process map for a radiotherapy process Learn how to

TU-AB-BRD-04: Development of Quality Management Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomadsen, B.

2015-01-01

Current quality assurance and quality management guidelines provided by various professional organizations are prescriptive in nature, focusing principally on performance characteristics of planning and delivery devices. However, published analyses of events in radiation therapy show that most events are often caused by flaws in clinical processes rather than by device failures. This suggests the need for the development of a quality management program that is based on integrated approaches to process and equipment quality assurance. Industrial engineers have developed various risk assessment tools that are used to identify and eliminate potential failures from a system or a process before a failure impacts a customer. These tools include, but are not limited to, process mapping, failure modes and effects analysis, fault tree analysis. Task Group 100 of the American Association of Physicists in Medicine has developed these tools and used them to formulate an example risk-based quality management program for intensity-modulated radiotherapy. This is a prospective risk assessment approach that analyzes potential error pathways inherent in a clinical process and then ranks them according to relative risk, typically before implementation, followed by the design of a new process or modification of the existing process. Appropriate controls are then put in place to ensure that failures are less likely to occur and, if they do, they will more likely be detected before they propagate through the process, compromising treatment outcome and causing harm to the patient. Such a prospective approach forms the basis of the work of Task Group 100 that has recently been approved by the AAPM. This session will be devoted to a discussion of these tools and practical examples of how these tools can be used in a given radiotherapy clinic to develop a risk based quality management program. Learning Objectives: Learn how to design a process map for a radiotherapy process Learn how to

Integrating declarative knowledge programming styles and tools for building expert systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barbuceanu, M; Trausan-Matu, S; Molnar, B

1987-01-01

The XRL system reported in this paper is an integrated knowledge programming environment whose major research theme is the investigation of declarative knowledge programming styles and features and of the way they can be effectively integrated and used to support AI programming. This investigation is carried out in the context of the structured-object representation paradigm which provides the glue keeping XRL components together. The paper describes several declarative programming styles and associated support tools available in XRL. These include an instantiation system supporting a generalized view of the ubiquous frame installation process, a description based programming system providing a novel declarative programming style which embeds a mathematical oriented description language in the structured object environment and a transformational interpreter for using it, a semantics oriented programming framework which offers a specific semantic construct based approach supporting maintenance and evolution and a self description and self generation tool which applies the latter approach to XRL itself. 29 refs., 16 figs.

Improving e-book access via a library-developed full-text search tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Foust, Jill E; Bergen, Phillip; Maxeiner, Gretchen L; Pawlowski, Peter N

2007-01-01

This paper reports on the development of a tool for searching the contents of licensed full-text electronic book (e-book) collections. The Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) provides services to the University of Pittsburgh's medical programs and large academic health system. The HSLS has developed an innovative tool for federated searching of its e-book collections. Built using the XML-based Vivísimo development environment, the tool enables a user to perform a full-text search of over 2,500 titles from the library's seven most highly used e-book collections. From a single "Google-style" query, results are returned as an integrated set of links pointing directly to relevant sections of the full text. Results are also grouped into categories that enable more precise retrieval without reformulation of the search. A heuristic evaluation demonstrated the usability of the tool and a web server log analysis indicated an acceptable level of usage. Based on its success, there are plans to increase the number of online book collections searched. This library's first foray into federated searching has produced an effective tool for searching across large collections of full-text e-books and has provided a good foundation for the development of other library-based federated searching products.

Managing design excellence tools during the development of new orthopaedic implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Défossez, Henri J P; Serhan, Hassan

2013-11-01

Design excellence (DEX) tools have been widely used for years in some industries for their potential to facilitate new product development. The medical sector, targeted by cost pressures, has therefore started adopting them. Numerous tools are available; however only appropriate deployment during the new product development stages can optimize the overall process. The primary study objectives were to describe generic tools and illustrate their implementation and management during the development of new orthopaedic implants, and compile a reference package. Secondary objectives were to present the DEX tool investment costs and savings, since the method can require significant resources for which companies must carefully plan. The publicly available DEX method "Define Measure Analyze Design Verify Validate" was adopted and implemented during the development of a new spinal implant. Several tools proved most successful at developing the correct product, addressing clinical needs, and increasing market penetration potential, while reducing design iterations and manufacturing validations. Cost analysis and Pugh Matrix coupled with multi generation planning enabled developing a strong rationale to activate the project, set the vision and goals. improved risk management and product map established a robust technical verification-validation program. Design of experiments and process quantification facilitated design for manufacturing of critical features, as early as the concept phase. Biomechanical testing with analysis of variance provided a validation model with a recognized statistical performance baseline. Within those tools, only certain ones required minimum resources (i.e., business case, multi generational plan, project value proposition, Pugh Matrix, critical To quality process validation techniques), while others required significant investments (i.e., voice of customer, product usage map, improved risk management, design of experiments, biomechanical testing

Mentorship Programs for Faculty Development in Academic General Pediatric Divisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer Takagishi

2011-01-01

Discussion. General pediatric division chiefs acknowledge the benefits of mentoring relationships, and some have programs in place. Many need tools to create them. Pediatric societies could facilitate this critical area of professional development.

Development and validation of an open source quantification tool for DSC-MRI studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Gordaliza, P M; Mateos-Pérez, J M; Montesinos, P; Guzmán-de-Villoria, J A; Desco, M; Vaquero, J J

2015-03-01

This work presents the development of an open source tool for the quantification of dynamic susceptibility-weighted contrast-enhanced (DSC) perfusion studies. The development of this tool is motivated by the lack of open source tools implemented on open platforms to allow external developers to implement their own quantification methods easily and without the need of paying for a development license. This quantification tool was developed as a plugin for the ImageJ image analysis platform using the Java programming language. A modular approach was used in the implementation of the components, in such a way that the addition of new methods can be done without breaking any of the existing functionalities. For the validation process, images from seven patients with brain tumors were acquired and quantified with the presented tool and with a widely used clinical software package. The resulting perfusion parameters were then compared. Perfusion parameters and the corresponding parametric images were obtained. When no gamma-fitting is used, an excellent agreement with the tool used as a gold-standard was obtained (R(2)>0.8 and values are within 95% CI limits in Bland-Altman plots). An open source tool that performs quantification of perfusion studies using magnetic resonance imaging has been developed and validated using a clinical software package. It works as an ImageJ plugin and the source code has been published with an open source license. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of the most used game development tools

OpenAIRE

Soukup, Martin

2017-01-01

This thesis deals with comparison of most used game development tools. Author places game development tools in context of today´s game industry, analyses state of the market and the latest trends in the field of game development tools. The largest part of this thesis is aimed at comparing game development tools, where five tools are selected, overviewed and compared by specified criteria. Author demonstrates several basic features of chosen game development tool on development of a simple And...

The Profile Envision and Splicing Tool (PRESTO): Developing an Atmospheric Wind Analysis Tool for Space Launch Vehicles Using Python

Science.gov (United States)

Orcutt, John M.; Barbre, Robert E., Jr.; Brenton, James C.; Decker, Ryan K.

2017-01-01

Launch vehicle programs require vertically complete atmospheric profiles. Many systems at the ER to make the necessary measurements, but all have different EVR, vertical coverage, and temporal coverage. MSFC Natural Environments Branch developed a tool to create a vertically complete profile from multiple inputs using Python. Forward work: Finish Formal Testing Acceptance Testing, End-to-End Testing. Formal Release

Development of thick wall welding and cutting tools for ITER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakahira, Masataka; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Akou, Kentaro; Koizumi, Koichi

1998-01-01

The Vacuum Vessel, which is a core component of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), is required to be exchanged remotely in a case of accident such as superconducting coil failure. The in-vessel components such as blanket and divertor are planned to be exchanged or fixed. In these exchange or maintenance operations, the thick wall welding and cutting are inevitable and remote handling tools are necessary. The thick wall welding and cutting tools for blanket are under developing in the ITER R and D program. The design requirement is to weld or cut the stainless steel of 70 mm thickness in the narrow space. Tungsten inert gas (TIG) arc welding, plasma cutting and iodine laser welding/cutting are selected as primary option. Element welding and cutting tests, design of small tools to satisfy space requirement, test fabrication and performance tests were performed. This paper reports the tool design and overview of welding and cutting tests. (author)

Development of thick wall welding and cutting tools for ITER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakahira, Masataka; Takahashi, Hiroyuki; Akou, Kentaro; Koizumi, Koichi [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1998-04-01

The Vacuum Vessel, which is a core component of International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), is required to be exchanged remotely in a case of accident such as superconducting coil failure. The in-vessel components such as blanket and divertor are planned to be exchanged or fixed. In these exchange or maintenance operations, the thick wall welding and cutting are inevitable and remote handling tools are necessary. The thick wall welding and cutting tools for blanket are under developing in the ITER R and D program. The design requirement is to weld or cut the stainless steel of 70 mm thickness in the narrow space. Tungsten inert gas (TIG) arc welding, plasma cutting and iodine laser welding/cutting are selected as primary option. Element welding and cutting tests, design of small tools to satisfy space requirement, test fabrication and performance tests were performed. This paper reports the tool design and overview of welding and cutting tests. (author)

Developing a Modeling Tool Using Eclipse

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kirtley, Nick; Waqas Kamal, Ahmad; Avgeriou, Paris

2008-01-01

Tool development using an open source platform provides autonomy to users to change, use, and develop cost-effective software with freedom from licensing requirements. However, open source tool development poses a number of challenges, such as poor documentation and continuous evolution. In this

Using the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool to Assess and Plan for Sustainability

Science.gov (United States)

Mainor, Avia; Moreland-Russell, Sarah; Maier, Ryan C.; Brossart, Laura; Luke, Douglas A.

2014-01-01

Implementing and growing a public health program that benefits society takes considerable time and effort. To ensure that positive outcomes are maintained over time, program managers and stakeholders should plan and implement activities to build sustainability capacity within their programs. We describe a 3-part sustainability planning process that programs can follow to build their sustainability capacity. First, program staff and stakeholders take the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool to measure their program’s sustainability across 8 domains. Next, managers and stakeholders use results from the assessment to inform and prioritize sustainability action planning. Lastly, staff members implement the plan and keep track of progress toward their sustainability goals. Through this process, staff can more holistically address the internal and external challenges and pressures associated with sustaining a program. We include a case example of a chronic disease program that completed the Program Sustainability Assessment Tool and engaged in program sustainability planning. PMID:24456644

Development of a Comprehensive and Interactive Tool to Inform State Violence and Injury Prevention Plans.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilson, Lauren; Deokar, Angela J; Zaesim, Araya; Thomas, Karen; Kresnow-Sedacca, Marcie-Jo

The Center of Disease Control and Prevention's Core State Violence and Injury Prevention Program (Core SVIPP) provides an opportunity for states to engage with their partners to implement, evaluate, and disseminate strategies that lead to the reduction and prevention of injury and violence. Core SVIPP requires awardees to develop or update their state injury and violence plans. Currently, literature informing state planning efforts is limited, especially regarding materials related to injury and violence. Presumably, plans that are higher quality result in having a greater impact on preventing injury and violence, and literature to improve quality would benefit prevention programming. (1) To create a comprehensive injury-specific index to aid in the development and revision of state injury and violence prevention plans, and (2) to assess the reliability and utility of this index. Through an iterative development process, a workgroup of subject matter experts created the Violence and Injury Prevention: Comprehensive Index Tool (VIP:CIT). The tool was pilot tested on 3 state injury and violence prevention plans and assessed for initial usability. Following revisions to the tool (ie, a rubric was developed to further delineate consistent criteria for rating; items were added and clarified), the same state plans were reassessed to test interrater reliability and tool utility. For the second assessment, reliability of the VIP:CIT improved, indicating that the rubric was a useful addition. Qualitative feedback from states suggested that the tool significantly helped guide plan development and communicate about planning processes. The final VIP:CIT is a tool that can help increase plan quality, decrease the research-to-practice gap, and increase connectivity to emerging public health paradigms. The tool provides an example of tailoring guidance materials to reflect academic literature, and it can be easily adapted to other topic areas to promote quality of strategic plans

Developing a Social Media Marketing tool

OpenAIRE

Valova, Olga

2015-01-01

The objective of the thesis is to develop a better, easier to use social media marketing tool that could be utilised in any business. By understanding and analysing how business uses social media as well as currently available social media marketing tools, design a tool with the maximum amount of features, but with a simple and intuitive User Interface. An agile software development life cycle was used throughout the creation of the tool. Qualitative analysis was used to analyse existing ...

Cryogenic Propellant Feed System Analytical Tool Development

Science.gov (United States)

Lusby, Brian S.; Miranda, Bruno M.; Collins, Jacob A.

2011-01-01

The Propulsion Systems Branch at NASA s Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) has developed a parametric analytical tool to address the need to rapidly predict heat leak into propellant distribution lines based on insulation type, installation technique, line supports, penetrations, and instrumentation. The Propellant Feed System Analytical Tool (PFSAT) will also determine the optimum orifice diameter for an optional thermodynamic vent system (TVS) to counteract heat leak into the feed line and ensure temperature constraints at the end of the feed line are met. PFSAT was developed primarily using Fortran 90 code because of its number crunching power and the capability to directly access real fluid property subroutines in the Reference Fluid Thermodynamic and Transport Properties (REFPROP) Database developed by NIST. A Microsoft Excel front end user interface was implemented to provide convenient portability of PFSAT among a wide variety of potential users and its ability to utilize a user-friendly graphical user interface (GUI) developed in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA). The focus of PFSAT is on-orbit reaction control systems and orbital maneuvering systems, but it may be used to predict heat leak into ground-based transfer lines as well. PFSAT is expected to be used for rapid initial design of cryogenic propellant distribution lines and thermodynamic vent systems. Once validated, PFSAT will support concept trades for a variety of cryogenic fluid transfer systems on spacecraft, including planetary landers, transfer vehicles, and propellant depots, as well as surface-based transfer systems. The details of the development of PFSAT, its user interface, and the program structure will be presented.

Generalized Aliasing as a Basis for Program Analysis Tools

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

O'Callahan, Robert

2000-01-01

.... This dissertation describes the design of a system, Ajax, that addresses this problem by using semantics-based program analysis as the basis for a number of different tools to aid Java programmers...

Continued development of modeling tools and theory for RF heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

Mission Research Corporation (MRC) is pleased to present the Department of Energy (DOE) with its renewal proposal to the Continued Development of Modeling Tools and Theory for RF Heating program. The objective of the program is to continue and extend the earlier work done by the proposed principal investigator in the field of modeling (Radio Frequency) RF heating experiments in the large tokamak fusion experiments, particularly the Tokamak Fusion Test Reactor (TFTR) device located at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL). An integral part of this work is the investigation and, in some cases, resolution of theoretical issues which pertain to accurate modeling. MRC is nearing the successful completion of the specified tasks of the Continued Development of Modeling Tools and Theory for RF Heating project. The following tasks are either completed or nearing completion. (1) Anisotropic temperature and rotation upgrades; (2) Modeling for relativistic ECRH; (3) Further documentation of SHOOT and SPRUCE. As a result of the progress achieved under this project, MRC has been urged to continue this effort. Specifically, during the performance of this project two topics were identified by PPPL personnel as new applications of the existing RF modeling tools. These two topics concern (a) future fast-wave current drive experiments on the large tokamaks including TFTR and (c) the interpretation of existing and future RF probe data from TFTR. To address each of these topics requires some modification or enhancement of the existing modeling tools, and the first topic requires resolution of certain theoretical issues to produce self-consistent results. This work falls within the scope of the original project and is more suited to the project's renewal than to the initiation of a new project

Final Report: Correctness Tools for Petascale Computing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mellor-Crummey, John [Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)

2014-10-27

In the course of developing parallel programs for leadership computing systems, subtle programming errors often arise that are extremely difficult to diagnose without tools. To meet this challenge, University of Maryland, the University of Wisconsin—Madison, and Rice University worked to develop lightweight tools to help code developers pinpoint a variety of program correctness errors that plague parallel scientific codes. The aim of this project was to develop software tools that help diagnose program errors including memory leaks, memory access errors, round-off errors, and data races. Research at Rice University focused on developing algorithms and data structures to support efficient monitoring of multithreaded programs for memory access errors and data races. This is a final report about research and development work at Rice University as part of this project.

Setup of the development tools for a small-sized controller built in a robot using Linux

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae Cheol; Jun, Hyeong Seop; Choi, Yu Rak; Kim, Jae Hee

2004-03-01

This report explains a setup method of practical development tools for robot control software programming. Well constituted development tools make a programmer more productive and a program more reliable. We ported a proven operating system to the target board (our robot's controller) to avoid such convention. We selected open source Linux as operating system, because it is free, reliable, flexible and widely used. First, we setup the host computer with Linux, and installed a cross compiler on it. And we ported Linux to the target board and connected to the host computer with ethernet, and setup NFS to both the host and the target. So the target board can use host computer's hard disk as it's own disk. Next, we installed gdb server on the target board and gdb client and DDD to the host computer for debugging the target program in the host computer with graphic environment. Finally, we patched the target board's Linux kernel with another one which have realtime capability. In this way, we can have a realtime embedded hardware controller for a robot with convenient software developing tools. All source programs are edited and compiled on the host computer, and executable codes exist in the NFS mounted directory that can be accessed from target board's directory. We can execute and debugging the code by means of logging into the target through the ethernet or the serial line

Game development tool essentials

CERN Document Server

Berinstein, Paula; Ardolino, Alessandro; Franco, Simon; Herubel, Adrien; McCutchan, John; Nedelcu, Nicusor; Nitschke, Benjamin; Olmstead, Don; Robinet, Fabrice; Ronchi, Christian; Turkowski, Rita; Walter, Robert; Samour, Gustavo

2014-01-01

Offers game developers new techniques for streamlining the critical game tools pipeline. Inspires game developers to share their secrets and improve the productivity of the entire industry. Helps game industry practitioners compete in a hyper-competitive environment.

Improving e-book access via a library-developed full-text search tool*

Science.gov (United States)

Foust, Jill E.; Bergen, Phillip; Maxeiner, Gretchen L.; Pawlowski, Peter N.

2007-01-01

Purpose: This paper reports on the development of a tool for searching the contents of licensed full-text electronic book (e-book) collections. Setting: The Health Sciences Library System (HSLS) provides services to the University of Pittsburgh's medical programs and large academic health system. Brief Description: The HSLS has developed an innovative tool for federated searching of its e-book collections. Built using the XML-based Vivísimo development environment, the tool enables a user to perform a full-text search of over 2,500 titles from the library's seven most highly used e-book collections. From a single “Google-style” query, results are returned as an integrated set of links pointing directly to relevant sections of the full text. Results are also grouped into categories that enable more precise retrieval without reformulation of the search. Results/Evaluation: A heuristic evaluation demonstrated the usability of the tool and a web server log analysis indicated an acceptable level of usage. Based on its success, there are plans to increase the number of online book collections searched. Conclusion: This library's first foray into federated searching has produced an effective tool for searching across large collections of full-text e-books and has provided a good foundation for the development of other library-based federated searching products. PMID:17252065

Developing a learning analytics tool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wahl, Christian; Belle, Gianna; Clemmensen, Anita Lykke

This poster describes how learning analytics and collective intelligence can be combined in order to develop a tool for providing support and feedback to learners and teachers regarding students self-initiated learning activities.......This poster describes how learning analytics and collective intelligence can be combined in order to develop a tool for providing support and feedback to learners and teachers regarding students self-initiated learning activities....

History of a secondary side inspection tooling development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, W.

2012-01-01

This presentation provides a brief history (1980 to present day) of steam generator secondary side tooling requirements, tooling development, tooling available today and how and where this tooling has been implemented for steam generator secondary side inspections. History of Tooling Development discussion covers the relatively short time period from when the SGSS tooling was required and why as well the associated challenges with development through present day; Available Tooling discussion covers the actual tooling available today, locations in the steam generator where the tooling is used and how the tooling works; Implementation discussion covers where in the world this tooling has been deployed as well the benefits the tooling has provided. (author)

Laboratory directed research and development program, FY 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-02-01

The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY 1996 report is compiled from annual reports submitted by principal investigators following the close of the fiscal year. This report describes the projects supported and summarizes their accomplishments. It constitutes a part of the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program planning and documentation process that includes an annual planning cycle, projection selection, implementation, and review. The Berkeley Lab LDRD program is a critical tool for directing the Laboratory's forefront scientific research capabilities toward vital, excellent, and emerging scientific challenges. The program provides the resources for Berkeley Lab scientists to make rapid and significant contributions to critical national science and technology problems. The LDRD program also advances the Laboratory's core competencies, foundations, and scientific capability, and permits exploration of exciting new opportunities. Areas eligible for support include: (1) Work in forefront areas of science and technology that enrich Laboratory research and development capability; (2) Advanced study of new hypotheses, new experiments, and innovative approaches to develop new concepts or knowledge; (3) Experiments directed toward proof of principle for initial hypothesis testing or verification; and (4) Conception and preliminary technical analysis to explore possible instrumentation, experimental facilities, or new devices

Laboratory directed research and development program, FY 1996

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-02-01

The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY 1996 report is compiled from annual reports submitted by principal investigators following the close of the fiscal year. This report describes the projects supported and summarizes their accomplishments. It constitutes a part of the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program planning and documentation process that includes an annual planning cycle, projection selection, implementation, and review. The Berkeley Lab LDRD program is a critical tool for directing the Laboratory`s forefront scientific research capabilities toward vital, excellent, and emerging scientific challenges. The program provides the resources for Berkeley Lab scientists to make rapid and significant contributions to critical national science and technology problems. The LDRD program also advances the Laboratory`s core competencies, foundations, and scientific capability, and permits exploration of exciting new opportunities. Areas eligible for support include: (1) Work in forefront areas of science and technology that enrich Laboratory research and development capability; (2) Advanced study of new hypotheses, new experiments, and innovative approaches to develop new concepts or knowledge; (3) Experiments directed toward proof of principle for initial hypothesis testing or verification; and (4) Conception and preliminary technical analysis to explore possible instrumentation, experimental facilities, or new devices.

Developing a Parametric Urban Design Tool

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Steinø, Nicolai; Obeling, Esben

2014-01-01

Parametric urban design is a potentially powerful tool for collaborative urban design processes. Rather than making one- off designs which need to be redesigned from the ground up in case of changes, parametric design tools make it possible keep the design open while at the same time allowing...... for a level of detailing which is high enough to facilitate an understan- ding of the generic qualities of proposed designs. Starting from a brief overview of parametric design, this paper presents initial findings from the development of a parametric urban design tool with regard to developing a structural...... logic which is flexible and expandable. It then moves on to outline and discuss further development work. Finally, it offers a brief reflection on the potentials and shortcomings of the software – CityEngine – which is used for developing the parametric urban design tool....

Active Participation of Integrated Development Environments in the Teaching of Object-Oriented Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Depradine, Colin; Gay, Glenda

2004-01-01

With the strong link between programming and the underlying technology, the incorporation of computer technology into the teaching of a programming language course should be a natural progression. However, the abstract nature of programming can make such integration a difficult prospect to achieve. As a result, the main development tool, the…

Advancing NOAA NWS Arctic Program Development

Science.gov (United States)

Timofeyeva-Livezey, M. M.; Horsfall, F. M. C.; Meyers, J. C.; Churma, M.; Thoman, R.

2016-12-01

Environmental changes in the Arctic require changes in the way the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) delivers hydrological and meteorological information to prepare the region's societies and indigenous population for emerging challenges. These challenges include changing weather patterns, changes in the timing and extent of sea ice, accelerated soil erosion due to permafrost decline, increasing coastal vulnerably, and changes in the traditional food supply. The decline in Arctic sea ice is opening new opportunities for exploitation of natural resources, commerce, tourism, and military interest. These societal challenges and economic opportunities call for a NOAA integrated approach for delivery of environmental information including climate, water, and weather data, forecasts, and warnings. Presently the NOAA Arctic Task Force provides leadership in programmatic coordination across NOAA line offices. National Weather Service (NWS) Alaska Region and the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) provide the foundational operational hydro-meteorological products and services in the Arctic. Starting in 2016, NOAA's NWS will work toward improving its role in programmatic coordination and development through assembling an NWS Arctic Task Team. The team will foster ties in the Arctic between the 11 NWS national service programs in climate, water, and weather information, as well as between Arctic programs in NWS and other NOAA line offices and external partners. One of the team outcomes is improving decision support tools for the Arctic. The Local Climate Analysis Tool (LCAT) currently has more than 1100 registered users, including NOAA staff and technical partners. The tool has been available online since 2013 (http://nws.weather.gov/lcat/ ). The tool links trusted, recommended NOAA data and analytical capabilities to assess impacts of climate variability and climate change at local levels. A new capability currently being developed will

Modelling raw water quality: development of a drinking water management tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Kübeck, Ch; van Berk, W; Bergmann, A

2009-01-01

Ensuring future drinking water supply requires a tough management of groundwater resources. However, recent practices of economic resource control often does not involve aspects of the hydrogeochemical and geohydraulical groundwater system. In respect of analysing the available quantity and quality of future raw water, an effective resource management requires a full understanding of the hydrogeochemical and geohydraulical processes within the aquifer. For example, the knowledge of raw water quality development within the time helps to work out strategies of water treatment as well as planning finance resources. On the other hand, the effectiveness of planed measurements reducing the infiltration of harmful substances such as nitrate can be checked and optimized by using hydrogeochemical modelling. Thus, within the framework of the InnoNet program funded by Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, a network of research institutes and water suppliers work in close cooperation developing a planning and management tool particularly oriented on water management problems. The tool involves an innovative material flux model that calculates the hydrogeochemical processes under consideration of the dynamics in agricultural land use. The program integrated graphical data evaluation is aligned on the needs of water suppliers.

NASA Educational Product Development and Post-Secondary Program Assessment Planning

Science.gov (United States)

Salmons, Phyllis A.

1999-01-01

Producing "value-added students" involves proactively addressing how successfully students develop their skills, knowledge, and personal, social, and ethical growth due to their association with a program. NASA programs for higher education can certainly be responsive in aiding the academic community strive for quality in terms of "valueadded" students. By identifying essential characteristics of exemplary assessment practices, the standards developed by accrediting agencies serve as guides for developing quality practices and policies. Such a process is an effective tool for communicating the expectations of the educational components of a program to all concerned with the program and its expected results. When standards are connected to student performance, they provide a very compelling argument for refocusing the definition of quality in higher education. By linking standards and performance, student learning and development becomes the starting point for examining program quality. If the multiple stakeholders - faculty, peers, the professional community, addressed assessment issues, then accreditation can be a link among various constituencies, the parties can better understand the needs of each other and develop the necessary trust needed for understanding and support.

EasyInterface: A toolkit for rapid development of GUIs for research prototype tools

OpenAIRE

Doménech, Jesús; Genaim, Samir; Johnsen, Einar Broch; Schlatte, Rudolf

2017-01-01

In this paper we describe EasyInterface, an open-source toolkit for rapid development of web-based graphical user interfaces (GUIs). This toolkit addresses the need of researchers to make their research prototype tools available to the community, and integrating them in a common environment, rapidly and without being familiar with web programming or GUI libraries in general. If a tool can be executed from a command-line and its output goes to the standard output, then in few minutes one can m...

VBMC: a formal verification tool for VHDL program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ajith, K.J.; Bhattacharjee, A.K.

2014-08-01

The design of Control and Instrumentation (C and I) systems used in safety critical applications such as nuclear power plants involves partitioning of the overall system functionality into sub-parts and implementing each sub-part in hardware and/or software as appropriate. With increasing use of programmable devices like FPGA, the hardware subsystems are often implemented in Hardware Description Languages (HDL) like VHDL. Since the functional bugs in such hardware subsystems used in safety critical C and I systems have serious consequences, it is important to use rigorous reasoning to verify the functionalities of the HDL models. This report describes the design of a software tool named VBMC (VHDL Bounded Model Checker). The capability of this tool is in proving/refuting functional properties of hardware designs described in VHDL. VBMC accepts design as a VHDL program file, functional property in PSL, and verification bound (number of cycles of operation) as inputs. It either reports that the design satisfies the functional property for the given verification bound or generates a counterexample providing the reason of violation. In case of satisfaction, the proof holds good for the verification bound. VBMC has been used for the functional verification of FPGA based intelligent I/O boards developed at Reactor Control Division, BARC. (author)

Workshop on Software Development Tools for Petascale Computing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vetter, Jeffrey [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Georgia Inst. of Technology, Atlanta, GA (United States)

2007-08-01

Petascale computing systems will soon be available to the DOE science community. Recent studies in the productivity of HPC platforms point to better software environments as a key enabler to science on these systems. To prepare for the deployment and productive use of these petascale platforms, the DOE science and general HPC community must have the software development tools, such as performance analyzers and debuggers that meet application requirements for scalability, functionality, reliability, and ease of use. In this report, we identify and prioritize the research opportunities in the area of software development tools for high performance computing. To facilitate this effort, DOE hosted a group of 55 leading international experts in this area at the Software Development Tools for PetaScale Computing (SDTPC) Workshop, which was held in Washington, D.C. on August 1 and 2, 2007. Software development tools serve as an important interface between the application teams and the target HPC architectures. Broadly speaking, these roles can be decomposed into three categories: performance tools, correctness tools, and development environments. Accordingly, this SDTPC report has four technical thrusts: performance tools, correctness tools, development environment infrastructures, and scalable tool infrastructures. The last thrust primarily targets tool developers per se, rather than end users. Finally, this report identifies non-technical strategic challenges that impact most tool development. The organizing committee emphasizes that many critical areas are outside the scope of this charter; these important areas include system software, compilers, and I/O.

The Photonovel: A Tool for Development. Program and Training Journal Manual Series Number 4.

Science.gov (United States)

Weaks, Daniel

Designed as a working and teaching tool for development workers, this manual includes the step-by-step process for preparing a photonovel. Chapter 1 introduces the photonovel, a blend of comic book and motion picture that substitutes photographs for the stylized drawings. It lists its advantages and disadvantages as an educational medium and tool…

78 FR 68459 - Medical Device Development Tools; Draft Guidance for Industry, Tool Developers, and Food and Drug...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-14

... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Food and Drug Administration [Docket No. FDA-2013-D-1279] Medical Device Development Tools; Draft Guidance for Industry, Tool Developers, and Food and Drug Administration Staff; Availability AGENCY: Food and Drug Administration, HHS. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Food...

Development of a New Data Tool for Computing Launch and Landing Availability with Respect to Surface Weather

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, K. Lee; Altino, Karen

2008-01-01

The Marshall Space Flight Center Natural Environments Branch has a long history of expertise in the modeling and computation of statistical launch availabilities with respect to weather conditions. Their existing data analysis product, the Atmospheric Parametric Risk Assessment (APRA) tool, computes launch availability given an input set of vehicle hardware and/or operational weather constraints by calculating the climatological probability of exceeding the specified constraint limits, APRA has been used extensively to provide the Space Shuttle program the ability to estimate impacts that various proposed design modifications would have to overall launch availability. The model accounts for both seasonal and diurnal variability at a single geographic location and provides output probabilities for a single arbitrary launch attempt. Recently, the Shuttle program has shown interest in having additional capabilities added to the APRA model, including analysis of humidity parameters, inclusion of landing site weather to produce landing availability, and concurrent analysis of multiple sites, to assist in operational landing site selection. In addition, the Constellation program has also expressed interest in the APRA tool, and has requested several additional capabilities to address some Constellation-specific issues, both in the specification and verification of design requirements and in the development of operations concepts. The combined scope of the requested capability enhancements suggests an evolution of the model beyond a simple revision process. Development has begun for a new data analysis tool that will satisfy the requests of both programs. This new tool, Probabilities of Atmospheric Conditions and Environmental Risk (PACER), will provide greater flexibility and significantly enhanced functionality compared to the currently existing tool.

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

Small machine tools for small workpieces final report of the DFG priority program 1476

CERN Document Server

Sanders, Adam

2017-01-01

This contributed volume presents the research results of the program “Small machine tools for small work pieces” (SPP 1476), funded by the German Research Society (DFG). The book contains the final report of the priority program, presenting novel approached for size-adapted, reconfigurable micro machine tools. The target audience primarily comprises research experts and practitioners in the field of micro machine tools, but the book may also be beneficial for graduate students.

The development of a visualization tool for displaying analysis and test results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Uncapher, W.L.; Ammerman, D.J.; Ludwigsen, J.S.; Wix, S.D.

1995-01-01

The evaluation and certification of packages for transportation of radioactive materials is performed by analysis, testing, or a combination of both. Within the last few years, many transport packages that were certified have used a combination of analysis and testing. The ability to combine and display both kinds of data with interactive graphical tools allows a faster and more complete understanding of the response of the package to these environments. Sandia National Laboratories has developed an initial version of a visualization tool that allows the comparison and display of test and of analytical data as part of a Department of Energy-sponsored program to support advanced analytical techniques and test methodologies. The capability of the tool extends to both mechanical (structural) and thermal data

Strategic Employee Development (SED) Program

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, Johnny; Guevara (Castano), Nathalie; Thorpe, Barbara; Barnett, Rebecca

2017-01-01

As with many other U.S. agencies, succession planning is becoming a critical need for NASA. The primary drivers include (a) NASAs higher-than-average aged workforce with approximately 50 of employees eligible for retirement within 5 years; and (b) employees who need better developmental conversations to increase morale and retention. This problem is particularly concerning for Safety Mission Assurance (SMA) organizations since they traditionally rely on more experienced engineers and specialists to perform their organizations functions.In response to this challenge, the Kennedy Space Center (KSC) SMA organization created the Strategic Employee Development (SED) program. The SED programs goal is to provide a proactive method to counter the primary drivers by creating a deeper bench strength and providing a more comprehensive developmental feedback experience for the employee. The SED is a new succession planning framework that enables customization to any organization, and in this case, specifically for an SMA organization. This is accomplished via the identification of key positions, the corresponding critical competencies, and a process to help managers have relevant and meaningful development conversations with the workforce. As a result of the SED, several tools and products were created that allows management to make better strategic workforce decisions. Although there are opportunities for improvement for the SED program, the most important impact has been on the quality of developmental discussions for employees.

Development of a Screening Tool to Improve Management of the Welfare Caseload in Kentucky

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teresa Donovan

2011-07-01

Full Text Available As part of the evaluation of the welfare program in Kentucky, descriptive and multivariate techniques were used to develop and test a brief screening tool. The purpose of this tool is to identify clients at risk of using 80% or more of the lifetime limit for cash assistance provided through the Kentucky’s Transitional Assistance Program (KTAP. The variables for the screening tool were identified through discriminant analysis and logistic regression using data from the KTAP administrative records and from two surveys: a panel study conducted with a representative group of KTAP recipients, and a point-in-time survey conducted with a representative sample of clients who reached their lifetime limit of cash assistance in 2001. Descriptive analyses using panel data show the stability of measures over time and their ability to set apart the segment of population at risk for high utilization of their available time on KTAP. The predictive value of the screening tool was tested with regression models using the KTAP utilization information available from the administrative records.

Programming Education with a Blocks-Based Visual Language for Mobile Application Development

Science.gov (United States)

Mihci, Can; Ozdener, Nesrin

2014-01-01

The aim of this study is to assess the impact upon academic success of the use of a reference block-based visual programming tool, namely the MIT App Inventor for Android, as an educational instrument for teaching object-oriented GUI-application development (CS2) concepts to students; who have previously completed a fundamental programming course…

Why Thought Experiments Should Be Used as an Educational Tool to Develop Problem-Solving Skills and Creativity of the Gifted Students?

Science.gov (United States)

Tortop, Hasan Said

2016-01-01

Many educational tools that are recommended for the training of normal students are often encountered in programs that do not work very well and are subsequently abandoned. One of the important points that program developers should now consider is that teaching tools are presented in accordance with individual differences. It is seen that the…

Pilot evaluation of a continuing professional development tool for developing leadership skills.

Science.gov (United States)

Patterson, Brandon J; Chang, Elizabeth H; Witry, Matthew J; Garza, Oscar W; Trewet, CoraLynn B

2013-01-01

Strategies are needed to assure essential nonclinical competencies, such as leadership, can be gained using a continuing professional development (CPD) framework. The objective of this study was to explore student pharmacists' utilization and perceived effectiveness of a CPD tool for leadership development in an elective course. Students completed 2 CPD cycles during a semester-long leadership elective using a CPD tool. A questionnaire was used to measure students' perceptions of utility, self-efficacy, and satisfaction in completing CPD cycles when using a tool to aid in this process. The CPD tool was completed twice by 7 students. On average, students spent nearly 5 hours per CPD cycle. More than half (57.1%) scored themselves as successful or very successful in achieving their learning plans, and most (71.4%) found the tool somewhat useful in developing their leadership skills. Some perceived that the tool provided a systematic way to engage in leadership development, whereas others found it difficult to use. In this pilot study, most student pharmacists successfully achieved a leadership development plan and found the CPD tool useful. Providing students with more guidance may help facilitate use and effectiveness of CPD tools. There is a need to continue to develop and refine tools that assist in the CPD of pharmacy practitioners at all levels. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Remote tool development for nuclear dismantling operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Craig, G.; Ferlay, J.C.; Ieracitano, F.

2003-01-01

Remote tool systems to undertake nuclear dismantling operations require careful design and development not only to perform their given duty but to perform it safely within the constraints imposed by harsh environmental conditions. Framatome ANP NUCLEAR SERVICES has for a long time developed and qualified equipment to undertake specific maintenance operations of nuclear reactors. The tool development methodology from this activity has since been adapted to resolve some very challenging reactor dismantling operations which are demonstrated in this paper. Each nuclear decommissioning project is a unique case, technical characterisation data is generally incomplete. The development of the dismantling methodology and associated equipment is by and large an iterative process combining design and simulation with feasibility and validation testing. The first stage of the development process involves feasibility testing of industrial tools and examining adaptations necessary to control and deploy the tool remotely with respect to the chosen methodology and environmental constraints. This results in a prototype tool and deployment system to validate the basic process. The second stage involves detailed design which integrates any remaining technical and environmental constraints. At the end of this stage, tools and deployment systems, operators and operating procedures are qualified on full scale mock ups. (authors)

Field Assessment of Energy Audit Tools for Retrofit Programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Edwards, J.; Bohac, D.; Nelson, C.; Smith, I.

2013-07-01

This project focused on the use of home energy ratings as a tool to promote energy retrofits in existing homes. A home energy rating provides a quantitative appraisal of a home's asset performance, usually compared to a benchmark such as the average energy use of similar homes in the same region. Home rating systems can help motivate homeowners in several ways. Ratings can clearly communicate a home's achievable energy efficiency potential, provide a quantitative assessment of energy savings after retrofits are completed, and show homeowners how they rate compared to their neighbors, thus creating an incentive to conform to a social standard. An important consideration is how rating tools for the retrofit market will integrate with existing home energy service programs. For residential programs that target energy savings only, home visits should be focused on key efficiency measures for that home. In order to gain wide adoption, a rating tool must be easily integrated into the field process, demonstrate consistency and reasonable accuracy to earn the trust of home energy technicians, and have a low monetary cost and time hurdle for homeowners. Along with the Home Energy Score, this project also evaluated the energy modeling performance of SIMPLE and REM/Rate.

Nuclear Human Resources Development Program using Educational Core Simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Yu Sun; Hong, Soon Kwan

2015-01-01

KHNP-CRI(Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co.-Central Research Institute) has redesigned the existing Core Simulator(CoSi) used as a sort of training tools for reactor engineers in operating nuclear power plant to support Nuclear Human Resources Development (NHRD) Program focusing on the nuclear department of Dalat university in Vietnam. This program has been supported by MOTIE in Korea and cooperated with KNA(Korea Nuclear Association for International Cooperation) and HYU(Hanyang University) for enhancing the nuclear human resources of potential country in consideration with Korean Nuclear Power Plant as a next candidate energy sources. KHNP-CRI has provided Edu-CoSi to Dalat University in Vietnam in order to support Nuclear Human Resources Development Program in Vietnam. Job Qualification Certificates Program in KHNP is utilized to design a training course for Vietnamese faculty and student of Dalat University. Successfully, knowhow on lecturing the ZPPT performance, training and maintaining Edu-CoSi hardware are transferred by several training courses which KHNP-CRI provides

Nuclear Human Resources Development Program using Educational Core Simulator

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Choi, Yu Sun; Hong, Soon Kwan [KHNP-CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2015-10-15

KHNP-CRI(Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co.-Central Research Institute) has redesigned the existing Core Simulator(CoSi) used as a sort of training tools for reactor engineers in operating nuclear power plant to support Nuclear Human Resources Development (NHRD) Program focusing on the nuclear department of Dalat university in Vietnam. This program has been supported by MOTIE in Korea and cooperated with KNA(Korea Nuclear Association for International Cooperation) and HYU(Hanyang University) for enhancing the nuclear human resources of potential country in consideration with Korean Nuclear Power Plant as a next candidate energy sources. KHNP-CRI has provided Edu-CoSi to Dalat University in Vietnam in order to support Nuclear Human Resources Development Program in Vietnam. Job Qualification Certificates Program in KHNP is utilized to design a training course for Vietnamese faculty and student of Dalat University. Successfully, knowhow on lecturing the ZPPT performance, training and maintaining Edu-CoSi hardware are transferred by several training courses which KHNP-CRI provides.

Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program. Annual report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ogeka, G.J.

1991-12-01

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

A web-based tool for the Comprehensive Unit-based Safety Program (CUSP).

Science.gov (United States)

Pronovost, Peter J; King, Jay; Holzmueller, Christine G; Sawyer, Melinda; Bivens, Shauna; Michael, Michelle; Haig, Kathy; Paine, Lori; Moore, Dana; Miller, Marlene

2006-03-01

An organization's ability to change is driven by its culture, which in turn has a significant impact on safety. The six-step Comprehensive Unit-Based Safety Program (CUSP) is intended to improve local culture and safety. A Web-based project management tool for CUSP was developed and then pilot tested at two hospitals. HOW ECUSP WORKS: Once a patient safety concern is identified (step 3), a unit-level interdisciplinary safety committee determines issue criticality and starts up the projects (step 4), which are managed using project management tools within eCUSP (step 5). On a project's completion, the results are disseminated through a shared story (step 6). OSF St. Joseph's Medical Center-The Medical Birthing Center (Bloomington, Illinois), identified 11 safety issues, implemented 11 projects, and created 9 shared stories--including one for its Armband Project. The Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore) Medical Progressive Care (MPC4) Unit identified 5 safety issues and implemented 4 ongoing projects, including the intravenous (IV) Tubing Compliance Project. The eCUSP tool's success depends on an organizational commitment to creating a culture of safety.

An "Evidence-Based" Professional Development Program for Physics Teachers Focusing on Knowledge Integration

Science.gov (United States)

Berger, Hana

This dissertation is concerned with the design and study of an evidence-based approach to the professional development of high-school physics teachers responding to the need to develop effective continuing professional development programs (CPD) in domains that require genuine changes in teachers' views, knowledge, and practice. The goals of the thesis were to design an evidence-based model for the CPD program, to implement it with teachers, and to study its influence on teachers' knowledge, views, and practice, as well as its impact on students' learning. The program was developed in three consecutive versions: a pilot, first, and second versions. Based on the pilot version (that was not part of this study), we developed the first version of the program in which we studied difficulties in employing the evidence-based and blended-learning approaches. According to our findings, we modified the strategies for enacting these approaches in the second version of the program. The influence of the program on the teachers and students was studied during the enactment of the second version of the program. The model implemented in the second version of the program was characterized by four main design principles: 1. The KI and evidence aspects are acquired simultaneously in an integrated manner. 2. The guidance of the teachers follows the principles of cognitive apprenticeship both in the evidence and the KI aspects. 3. The teachers experience the innovative activities as learners. 4. The program promotes continuity of teachers' learning through a structured "blended learning" approach. The results of our study show that this version of the program achieved its goals; throughout the program the teachers progressed in their knowledge, views, and practice concerning the knowledge integration, and in the evidence and learner-centered aspects. The results also indicated that students improved their knowledge of physics and knowledge integration skills that were developed

Empirical Tests and Preliminary Results with the Krakatoa Tool for Full Static Program Verification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramírez-de León Edgar Darío

2014-10-01

Full Text Available XJML (Ramírez et al., 2012 is a modular external platform for Verification and Validation of Java classes using the Java Modeling Language (JML through contracts written in XML. One problem faced in the XJML development was how to integrate Full Static Program Verification (FSPV. This paper presents the experiments and results that allowed us to define what tool to embed in XJML to execute FSPV.

Implementation of a Tool to Modify Behavior in a Chronic Disease Management Program

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nicole D. Gillespie

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Chronic diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia continue to be a significant burden on the US health care system. As a result, many healthcare providers are implementing strategies to prevent the incidence of heart disease and other chronic conditions. Among these strategies are proper drug therapy and lifestyle modifications. Behavior change is often the rate-limiting step in the prevention and maintenance of lifestyle modifications. The purpose of this paper is to describe a tool used to guide the progression and assess the effectiveness of a cardiovascular risk reduction program. The tool uses the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change to determine the readiness and confidence to change specific lifestyle behaviors pertinent to cardiovascular health. The tool aids the practitioner in developing a patient-centered plan to implement and maintain lifestyle changes and can be tailored to use in any situation requiring a behavior change on the part of the patient.

Development of a systematic career coaching program for medical students

Science.gov (United States)

2018-01-01

Purpose This study aimed to develop a systematic career-coaching program (SCCP) that can be used by medical teaching schools to address a growing need for career-coaching. The program objectives were to help students (1) develop a comprehensive self-understanding of their aptitudes, interests, and personality traits; (2) explore possible career choices and decide on a career path; and (3) develop the competencies needed to prepare for their future careers. Methods The SCCP was based on the ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) model and decision-making questioning model. Medical professionals, medical education and career counseling experts, and students participated in designing the program. Results The SCCP describes coaching content, tools, operational methods, and appropriate timing, and identifies the professionals and specialists who can offer their expertise in the different coaching phases. It is designed to allow medical schools to offer the program in segments or in its entirety, depending on the curriculum and environment. Conclusion The SCCP represents a viable career-coaching program for medical students that can be applied in part or in its entirety, depending on a medical school’s curriculum and educational environment. PMID:29510607

Development of a systematic career coaching program for medical students

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yera Hur

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Purpose This study aimed to develop a systematic career-coaching program (SCCP that can be used by medical teaching schools to address a growing need for career-coaching. The program objectives were to help students (1 develop a comprehensive self-understanding of their aptitudes, interests, and personality traits; (2 explore possible career choices and decide on a career path; and (3 develop the competencies needed to prepare for their future careers. Methods The SCCP was based on the ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation model and decision-making questioning model. Medical professionals, medical education and career counseling experts, and students participated in designing the program. Results The SCCP describes coaching content, tools, operational methods, and appropriate timing, and identifies the professionals and specialists who can offer their expertise in the different coaching phases. It is designed to allow medical schools to offer the program in segments or in its entirety, depending on the curriculum and environment. Conclusion The SCCP represents a viable career-coaching program for medical students that can be applied in part or in its entirety, depending on a medical school’s curriculum and educational environment.

Development of a systematic career coaching program for medical students.

Science.gov (United States)

Hur, Yera; Cho, A Ra; Kwon, Mihye

2018-03-01

This study aimed to develop a systematic career-coaching program (SCCP) that can be used by medical teaching schools to address a growing need for career-coaching. The program objectives were to help students (1) develop a comprehensive self-understanding of their aptitudes, interests, and personality traits; (2) explore possible career choices and decide on a career path; and (3) develop the competencies needed to prepare for their future careers. The SCCP was based on the ADDIE (analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation) model and decision-making questioning model. Medical professionals, medical education and career counseling experts, and students participated in designing the program. The SCCP describes coaching content, tools, operational methods, and appropriate timing, and identifies the professionals and specialists who can offer their expertise in the different coaching phases. It is designed to allow medical schools to offer the program in segments or in its entirety, depending on the curriculum and environment. The SCCP represents a viable career-coaching program for medical students that can be applied in part or in its entirety, depending on a medical school's curriculum and educational environment.

Identification and implementation of end-user needs during development of a state-of-the-art modeling tool-set - 59069

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seitz, Roger; Williamson, Mark; Gerdes, Kurt; Freshley, Mark; Dixon, Paul; Collazo, Yvette T.; Hubbard, Susan

2012-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) Office of Environmental Management, Technology Innovation and Development is supporting a multi-National Laboratory effort to develop the Advanced Simulation Capability for Environmental Management (ASCEM). ASCEM is an emerging state-of-the-art scientific approach and software infrastructure for understanding and predicting contaminant fate and transport in natural and engineered systems. These modular and open-source high performance computing tools and user interfaces will facilitate integrated approaches that enable standardized assessments of performance and risk for EM cleanup and closure decisions. The ASCEM team recognized that engaging end-users in the ASCEM development process would lead to enhanced development and implementation of the ASCEM tool-sets in the user community. End-user involvement in ASCEM covers a broad spectrum of perspectives, including: performance assessment (PA) and risk assessment practitioners, research scientists, decision-makers, oversight personnel, and regulators engaged in the US DOE cleanup mission. End-users are primarily engaged in ASCEM via the ASCEM User Steering Committee (USC) and the 'user needs interface' task. Future plans also include user involvement in demonstrations of the ASCEM tools. This paper will describe the details of how end users have been engaged in the ASCEM program and will demonstrate how this involvement has strengthened both the tool development and community confidence. ASCEM tools requested by end-users specifically target modeling challenges associated with US DOE cleanup activities. The demonstration activities involve application of ASCEM tools and capabilities to representative problems at DOE sites. Selected results from the ASCEM Phase 1 demonstrations are discussed to illustrate how capabilities requested by end-users were implemented in prototype versions of the ASCEM tool. The ASCEM team engaged a variety of interested parties early in the development

The development of a screening tool for the early identification of risk for suicidal behavior among students in a developing country.

Science.gov (United States)

Vawda, Naseema B M; Milburn, Norweeta G; Steyn, Renier; Zhang, Muyu

2017-05-01

Adolescent suicidal behavior is a public health concern in South Africa. The purpose of this article is to report on the development of a screening tool for teachers to identify South African students who are most at risk for suicidal behavior. This need is addressed within the context of the limited number of mental health professionals available to provide screening and care services in South Africa. Grade 8 students participated by completing sociodemographic questionnaires and self-report psychometric instruments. A screening tool for suicidal behavior was developed using a 4-phase approach. Twelve factors for high-risk suicidal behavior were identified and included in the screening tool. While further research is needed to validate the screening tool, the findings provide a useful preliminary starting point for teachers to refer students at high risk for suicidal behavior to mental health services for treatment. This screening tool is based on factors that were identified as being associated with suicidal behavior from local research on South African adolescents. The tool contributes to research on adolescent mental health, particularly suicidal behavior, in developing low and middle income countries like South Africa, with the aim of creating African prevention and intervention programs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Program Evaluation - Automotive Lightweighting Materials Program Research and Development Projects Assessment of Benefits - Case Studies No. 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, S.

2003-01-23

This report is the second of a series of studies to evaluate research and development (R&D) projects funded by the Automotive Lightweighting Materials (ALM) Program of the Office of Advanced Automotive Technologies (OAAT) of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The objectives of the program evaluation are to assess short-run outputs and long-run outcomes that may be attributable to the ALM R&D projects. The ALM program focuses on the development and validation of advanced technologies that significantly reduce automotive vehicle body and chassis weight without compromising other attributes such as safety, performance, recyclability, and cost. Funded projects range from fundamental materials science research to applied research in production environments. Collaborators on these projects include national laboratories, universities, and private sector firms, such as leading automobile manufacturers and their suppliers. Three ALM R&D projects were chosen for this evaluation: Design and Product Optimization for Cast Light Metals, Durability of Lightweight Composite Structures, and Rapid Tooling for Functional Prototyping of Metal Mold Processes. These projects were chosen because they have already been completed. The first project resulted in development of a comprehensive cast light metal property database, an automotive application design guide, computerized predictive models, process monitoring sensors, and quality assurance methods. The second project, the durability of lightweight composite structures, produced durability-based design criteria documents, predictive models for creep deformation, and minimum test requirements and suggested test methods for establishing durability properties and characteristics of random glass-fiber composites for automotive structural composites. The durability project supported Focal Project II, a validation activity that demonstrates ALM program goals and reduces the lead time for bringing new technology into the marketplace. Focal

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

Algorithms and programming tools for image processing on the MPP:3

Science.gov (United States)

Reeves, Anthony P.

1987-01-01

This is the third and final report on the work done for NASA Grant 5-403 on Algorithms and Programming Tools for Image Processing on the MPP:3. All the work done for this grant is summarized in the introduction. Work done since August 1986 is reported in detail. Research for this grant falls under the following headings: (1) fundamental algorithms for the MPP; (2) programming utilities for the MPP; (3) the Parallel Pascal Development System; and (4) performance analysis. In this report, the results of two efforts are reported: region growing, and performance analysis of important characteristic algorithms. In each case, timing results from MPP implementations are included. A paper is included in which parallel algorithms for region growing on the MPP is discussed. These algorithms permit different sized regions to be merged in parallel. Details on the implementation and peformance of several important MPP algorithms are given. These include a number of standard permutations, the FFT, convolution, arbitrary data mappings, image warping, and pyramid operations, all of which have been implemented on the MPP. The permutation and image warping functions have been included in the standard development system library.

Applying CASE Tools for On-Board Software Development

Science.gov (United States)

Brammer, U.; Hönle, A.

For many space projects the software development is facing great pressure with respect to quality, costs and schedule. One way to cope with these challenges is the application of CASE tools for automatic generation of code and documentation. This paper describes two CASE tools: Rhapsody (I-Logix) featuring UML and ISG (BSSE) that provides modeling of finite state machines. Both tools have been used at Kayser-Threde in different space projects for the development of on-board software. The tools are discussed with regard to the full software development cycle.

Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY98

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hansen, T. [ed.; Chartock, M.

1999-02-05

The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL or Berkeley Lab) Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY 1998 report is compiled from annual reports submitted by principal investigators following the close of the fiscal year. This report describes the supported projects and summarizes their accomplishments. It constitutes a part of the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program planning and documentation process that includes an annual planning cycle, projection selection, implementation, and review. The LBNL LDRD program is a critical tool for directing the Laboratory's forefront scientific research capabilities toward vital, excellent, and emerging scientific challenges. The program provides the resources for LBNL scientists to make rapid and significant contributions to critical national science and technology problems. The LDRD program also advances LBNL's core competencies, foundations, and scientific capability, and permits exploration of exciting new opportunities. All projects are work in forefront areas of science and technology. Areas eligible for support include the following: Advanced study of hypotheses, concepts, or innovative approaches to scientific or technical problems; Experiments and analyses directed toward ''proof of principle'' or early determination of the utility of new scientific ideas, technical concepts, or devices; and Conception and preliminary technical analyses of experimental facilities or devices.

Developing new chemical tools for solvent extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moyer, B.A.; Baes, C.F.; Burns, J.H.; Case, G.N.; Sachleben, R.A.; Bryan, S.A.; Lumetta, G.J.; McDowell, W.J.; Sachleben, R.A.

1993-01-01

Prospects for innovation and for greater technological impact in the field of solvent extraction (SX) seem as bright as ever, despite the maturation of SX as an economically significant separation method and as an important technique in the laboratory. New industrial, environmental, and analytical problems provide compelling motivation for diversifying the application of SX, developing new solvent systems, and seeking improved properties. Toward this end, basic research must be dedicated to enhancing the tools of SX: physical tools for probing the basis of extraction and molecular tools for developing new SX chemistries. In this paper, the authors describe their progress in developing and applying the general tools of equilibrium analysis and of ion recognition in SX. Nearly half a century after the field of SX began in earnest, coordination chemistry continues to provide the impetus for important advancements in understanding SX systems and in controlling SX chemistry. In particular, the physical tools of equilibrium analysis, X-ray crystallography, and spectroscopy are elucidating the molecular basis of SX in unprecedented detail. Moreover, the principles of ion recognition are providing the molecular tools with which to achieve new selectivities and new applications

A comprehensive linear programming tool to optimize formulations of ready-to-use therapeutic foods: An application to Ethiopia

Science.gov (United States)

Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is the standard of care for children suffering from noncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The objective was to develop a comprehensive linear programming (LP) tool to create novel RUTF formulations for Ethiopia. A systematic approach that surveyed inter...

Development of a climate data analysis tool (CDAT)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marlais, S.M.

1997-09-01

The Climate Data Analysis Tool (CDAT) is designed to provide the Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison (PCMDI) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, California, with the capabilities needed to analyze model data with little effort on the part of the scientist, while performing complex mathematical calculations, and graphically displaying the results. This computer software will meet the demanding need of climate scientists by providing the necessary tools to diagnose, validate, and intercompare large observational and global climate model datasets.

Assessing Clinical Trial-Associated Workload in Community-Based Research Programs Using the ASCO Clinical Trial Workload Assessment Tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Good, Marjorie J; Hurley, Patricia; Woo, Kaitlin M; Szczepanek, Connie; Stewart, Teresa; Robert, Nicholas; Lyss, Alan; Gönen, Mithat; Lilenbaum, Rogerio

2016-05-01

Clinical research program managers are regularly faced with the quandary of determining how much of a workload research staff members can manage while they balance clinical practice and still achieve clinical trial accrual goals, maintain data quality and protocol compliance, and stay within budget. A tool was developed to measure clinical trial-associated workload, to apply objective metrics toward documentation of work, and to provide clearer insight to better meet clinical research program challenges and aid in balancing staff workloads. A project was conducted to assess the feasibility and utility of using this tool in diverse research settings. Community-based research programs were recruited to collect and enter clinical trial-associated monthly workload data into a web-based tool for 6 consecutive months. Descriptive statistics were computed for self-reported program characteristics and workload data, including staff acuity scores and number of patient encounters. Fifty-one research programs that represented 30 states participated. Median staff acuity scores were highest for staff with patients enrolled in studies and receiving treatment, relative to staff with patients in follow-up status. Treatment trials typically resulted in higher median staff acuity, relative to cancer control, observational/registry, and prevention trials. Industry trials exhibited higher median staff acuity scores than trials sponsored by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute, academic institutions, or others. The results from this project demonstrate that trial-specific acuity measurement is a better measure of workload than simply counting the number of patients. The tool was shown to be feasible and useable in diverse community-based research settings. Copyright © 2016 by American Society of Clinical Oncology.

Tools for Nanotechnology Education Development Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dorothy Moore

2010-09-27

The overall focus of this project was the development of reusable, cost-effective educational modules for use with the table top scanning electron microscope (TTSEM). The goal of this project's outreach component was to increase students' exposure to the science and technology of nanoscience.

Declarative Parallel Programming in Spreadsheet End-User Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Biermann, Florian

2016-01-01

Spreadsheets are first-order functional languages and are widely used in research and industry as a tool to conveniently perform all kinds of computations. Because cells on a spreadsheet are immutable, there are possibilities for implicit parallelization of spreadsheet computations. In this liter...... can directly apply results from functional array programming to a spreadsheet model of computations.......Spreadsheets are first-order functional languages and are widely used in research and industry as a tool to conveniently perform all kinds of computations. Because cells on a spreadsheet are immutable, there are possibilities for implicit parallelization of spreadsheet computations....... In this literature study, we provide an overview of the publications on spreadsheet end-user programming and declarative array programming to inform further research on parallel programming in spreadsheets. Our results show that there is a clear overlap between spreadsheet programming and array programming and we...

Development and Assessment of a New 3D Neuroanatomy Teaching Tool for MRI Training

Science.gov (United States)

Drapkin, Zachary A.; Lindgren, Kristen A.; Lopez, Michael J.; Stabio, Maureen E.

2015-01-01

A computerized three-dimensional (3D) neuroanatomy teaching tool was developed for training medical students to identify subcortical structures on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) series of the human brain. This program allows the user to transition rapidly between two-dimensional (2D) MRI slices, 3D object composites, and a combined model in…

Development of an assessment tool to measure students′ perceptions of respiratory care education programs: Item generation, item reduction, and preliminary validation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ghazi Alotaibi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Students who perceived their learning environment positively are more likely to develop effective learning strategies, and adopt a deep learning approach. Currently, there is no validated instrument for measuring the educational environment of educational programs on respiratory care (RC. The aim of this study was to develop an instrument to measure students′ perception of the RC educational environment. Materials and Methods: Based on the literature review and an assessment of content validity by multiple focus groups of RC educationalists, potential items of the instrument relevant to RC educational environment construct were generated by the research group. The initial 71 item questionnaire was then field-tested on all students from the 3 RC programs in Saudi Arabia and was subjected to multi-trait scaling analysis. Cronbach′s alpha was used to assess internal consistency reliabilities. Results: Two hundred and twelve students (100% completed the survey. The initial instrument of 71 items was reduced to 65 across 5 scales. Convergent and discriminant validity assessment demonstrated that the majority of items correlated more highly with their intended scale than a competing one. Cronbach′s alpha exceeded the standard criterion of >0.70 in all scales except one. There was no floor or ceiling effect for scale or overall score. Conclusions: This instrument is the first assessment tool developed to measure the RC educational environment. There was evidence of its good feasibility, validity, and reliability. This first validation of the instrument supports its use by RC students to evaluate educational environment.

Development of a metrics dashboard for monitoring involvement in the 340B Drug Pricing Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Karralli, Rusol; Tipton, Joyce; Dumitru, Doina; Scholz, Lisa; Masilamani, Santhi

2015-09-01

An electronic tool to support hospital organizations in monitoring and addressing financial and compliance challenges related to participation in the 340B Drug Pricing Program is described. In recent years there has been heightened congressional and regulatory scrutiny of the federal 340B program, which provides discounted drug prices on Medicaid-covered drugs to safety net hospitals and other 340B-eligible healthcare organizations, or "covered entities." Historically, the 340B program has lacked a metrics-driven reporting framework to help covered entities capture the value of 340B program involvement, community benefits provided to underserved populations, and costs associated with compliance with 340B eligibility requirements. As part of an initiative by a large health system to optimize its 340B program utilization and regulatory compliance efforts, a team of pharmacists led the development of an electronic dashboard tool to help monitor 340B program activities at the system's 340B-eligible facilities. After soliciting input from an array of internal and external 340B program stakeholders, the team designed the dashboard and associated data-entry tools to facilitate the capture and analysis of 340B program-related data in four domains: cost savings and revenue, program maintenance costs, community benefits, and compliance. A large health system enhanced its ability to evaluate and monitor 340B program-related activities through the use of a dashboard tool capturing key metrics on cost savings achieved, maintenance costs, and other aspects of program involvement. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Roadmap for a National Wildland Fire Research and Development Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wagoner, R; Bradley, M M; Lin, R R

2003-02-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research have formed a partnership to facilitate an innovative National Wildfire Research and Development Program. The ultimate purpose of the program will be to establish a deeper scientific understanding of the physics of fire than currently exists, to establish a solid scientific basis for strategic planning and policy making, and to develop and implement a set of advanced, scientifically based decision-making tools for the wildfire management community. The three main components of the program will be wildfire science, societal impacts, and operational applications. Smoke management, prescribed burns, wildfire mitigation and fuels assessment will be cross-cutting themes. We anticipate that this multidisciplinary, interagency program will bridge organizational and institutional barriers, and will be highly collaborative with numerous organizations and agencies, including other national laboratories; universities: federal, state, and county fire agencies; the Environmental Protection Agency; the Federal Emergency Management Agency; and the Western Governor's Association.

The DEVELOP National Program's Strategy for Communicating Applied Science Outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Childs-Gleason, L. M.; Ross, K. W.; Crepps, G.; Favors, J.; Kelley, C.; Miller, T. N.; Allsbrook, K. N.; Rogers, L.; Ruiz, M. L.

2016-12-01

NASA's DEVELOP National Program conducts rapid feasibility projects that enable the future workforce and current decision makers to collaborate and build capacity to use Earth science data to enhance environmental management and policy. The program communicates its results and applications to a broad spectrum of audiences through a variety of methods: "virtual poster sessions" that engage the general public through short project videos and interactive dialogue periods, a "Campus Ambassador Corps" that communicates about the program and its projects to academia, scientific and policy conference presentations, community engagement activities and end-of-project presentations, project "hand-offs" providing results and tools to project partners, traditional publications (both gray literature and peer-reviewed), an interactive website project gallery, targeted brochures, and through multiple social media venues and campaigns. This presentation will describe the various methods employed by DEVELOP to communicate the program's scientific outputs, target audiences, general statistics, community response and best practices.

Development and psychometric testing of the childhood obesity perceptions (COP) survey among African American caregivers: A tool for obesity prevention program planning.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexander, Dayna S; Alfonso, Moya L; Cao, Chunhua

2016-12-01

Currently, public health practitioners are analyzing the role that caregivers play in childhood obesity efforts. Assessing African American caregiver's perceptions of childhood obesity in rural communities is an important prevention effort. This article's objective is to describe the development and psychometric testing of a survey tool to assess childhood obesity perceptions among African American caregivers in a rural setting, which can be used for obesity prevention program development or evaluation. The Childhood Obesity Perceptions (COP) survey was developed to reflect the multidimensional nature of childhood obesity including risk factors, health complications, weight status, built environment, and obesity prevention strategies. A 97-item survey was pretested and piloted with the priority population. After pretesting and piloting, the survey was reduced to 59-items and administered to 135 African American caregivers. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted to test how well the survey items represented the number of Social Cognitive Theory constructs. Twenty items were removed from the original 59-item survey and acceptable internal consistency of the six factors (α=0.70-0.85) was documented for all scales in the final COP instrument. CFA resulted in a less than adequate fit; however, a multivariate Lagrange multiplier test identified modifications to improve the model fit. The COP survey represents a promising approach as a potentially comprehensive assessment for implementation or evaluation of childhood obesity programs. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical thinking skills in midwifery practice: Development of a self-assessment tool for students.

Science.gov (United States)

Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

2017-07-01

Develop and test a tool designed for use by pre-registration midwifery students to self-appraise their critical thinking in practice. A descriptive cohort design was used. All students (n=164) enrolled in a three-year Bachelor of Midwifery program in Queensland, Australia. The staged model for tool development involved item generation, mapping draft items to critical thinking concepts and expert review to test content validity, pilot testing of the tool to a convenience sample of students, and psychometric testing. Students (n=126, 76.8% response rate) provided demographic details, completed the new tool, and five questions from the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire (MSLQ) via an online platform or paper version. A high content validity index score of 0.97 was achieved through expert review. Construct validity via factor analysis revealed four factors: seeks information, reflects on practice, facilitates shared decision making, and evaluates practice. The mean total score for the tool was 124.98 (SD=12.58). Total and subscale scores correlated significantly. The scale achieved good internal reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of 0.92. Concurrent validity with the MSLQ subscale was 0.35 (pcritical thinking in practice. Critical thinking skills are vital for safe and effective midwifery practice. Students' assessment of their critical thinking development throughout their pre-registration programme makes these skills explicit, and could guide teaching innovation to address identified deficits. The availability of a reliable and valid tool assists research into the development of critical thinking in education and practice. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

VBMC: a formal verification tool for VHDL programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ajith, K.J.; Bhattacharjee, A.K.

2014-01-01

The design of Control and Instrumentation (C and I) systems used in safety critical applications such as nuclear power plants involves partitioning of the overall system functionality into subparts and implementing each subpart in hardware and/or software as appropriate. With increasing use of programmable devices like FPGA, the hardware subsystems are often implemented in Hardware Description Languages (HDL) like VHDL. Since the functional bugs in such hardware subsystems used in safety critical C and I systems have disastrous consequences, it is important to use rigorous reasoning to verify the functionalities of the HDL models. This paper describes an indigenously developed software tool named VBMC (VHDL Bounded Model Checker) for mathematically proving/refuting functional properties of hardware designs described in VHDL. VBMC accepts hardware design as VHDL program file, functional property in PSL, and verification bound (number of cycles of operation) as inputs. It either reports that the design satisfies the functional property for the given verification bound or generates a counter example providing the reason of violation. In case of satisfaction, the proof holds good for the verification bound. VBMC has been used for the functional verification of FPGA based intelligent I/O boards developed at Reactor Control Division, BARC. (author)

Development of RCM methodology and tools for EDF nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacquot, J.P.; Bouchet, J.L.; Despujols, A.; Dewailly, J.; Martin-Mattei, C.

1995-01-01

In 1990, EDF launched a Reliability-Centered Maintenance project for its nuclear plants. This 'OMF' project aims at developing methods and tools for analysis and in the first phase, applying these to one initial system (the pilot study). The results of the pilot study have confirmed the advantages of the 'OMF' analytical method: the prospects for the approach on an industrial scale are extremely promising. It should be noted that the precision of our 'OMF' analysis is not doubt superior to that common in other industrial domains (MSG/RCM analysis). The particular approach implies analysis of systems and components and, most importantly, integration of operation feedback, with a view to developing a rigorous maintenance program which can constantly be updated. In addition to the defining and implementing the method, the review of designing software aids has begun. The pilot study clearly pointed up the need for such aids in handling the necessary volume of information and assisting experts in their analysis. The EDF 'OMF' workstation (and its environment) will be used not only in preparing the 'initial' maintenance program but also in updating it during the 'living' program phase. (author)

Development of RCM methodology and tools for EDF nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacquot, J.P.; Bouchet, J.L.; Despujols, A.; Dewailly, J.; Martin-Mattei, C. [Electricite de France, 78 - Chatou (France)

1995-12-31

In 1990, EDF launched a Reliability-Centered Maintenance project for its nuclear plants. This `OMF` project aims at developing methods and tools for analysis and in the first phase, applying these to one initial system (the pilot study). The results of the pilot study have confirmed the advantages of the `OMF` analytical method: the prospects for the approach on an industrial scale are extremely promising. It should be noted that the precision of our `OMF` analysis is not doubt superior to that common in other industrial domains (MSG/RCM analysis). The particular approach implies analysis of systems and components and, most importantly, integration of operation feedback, with a view to developing a rigorous maintenance program which can constantly be updated. In addition to the defining and implementing the method, the review of designing software aids has begun. The pilot study clearly pointed up the need for such aids in handling the necessary volume of information and assisting experts in their analysis. The EDF `OMF` workstation (and its environment) will be used not only in preparing the `initial` maintenance program but also in updating it during the `living` program phase. (author) 4 refs.

Systematic Review: Concept and Tool Development with Application in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Assessment Process

Science.gov (United States)

Systematic Review: Concept and tool development with application to the National Toxicology Program (NTP) and the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) Assessment Processes. There is growing interest within the environmental health community to incorporate systematic review m...

Instrumentation development for the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) borehole plugging program (BHP)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cook, C.W.

1979-11-01

This report discusses the instrumentation development needs of the borehole testing program as it now exists. Although requirements may change as the program progresses, the items indicated are basic to any borehole plugging program. Instrumentation is discussed both for the plug environment and for the plug itself. For the plug environment, a probe for measuring the disturbed region and a coordinate logging tool are required. For the plug itself, instrumentation includes measurements above, within, and below the plug. Instrumentation for most measurements above the plug is currently available; for measurements within and below the plug, however, further development is required. Specifically, resistivity, induction, and acoustic probes; an in situ stressmeter; and a hardwire, feedthrough system need to be developed

Developing a 300C Analog Tool for EGS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Normann, Randy

2015-03-23

This paper covers the development of a 300°C geothermal well monitoring tool for supporting future EGS (enhanced geothermal systems) power production. This is the first of 3 tools planed. This is an analog tool designed for monitoring well pressure and temperature. There is discussion on 3 different circuit topologies and the development of the supporting surface electronics and software. There is information on testing electronic circuits and component. One of the major components is the cable used to connect the analog tool to the surface.

ePORT, NASA's Computer Database Program for System Safety Risk Management Oversight (Electronic Project Online Risk Tool)

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Paul W.

2008-01-01

ePORT (electronic Project Online Risk Tool) provides a systematic approach to using an electronic database program to manage a program/project risk management processes. This presentation will briefly cover the standard risk management procedures, then thoroughly cover NASA's Risk Management tool called ePORT. This electronic Project Online Risk Tool (ePORT) is a web-based risk management program that provides a common framework to capture and manage risks, independent of a programs/projects size and budget. It is used to thoroughly cover the risk management paradigm providing standardized evaluation criterion for common management reporting, ePORT improves Product Line, Center and Corporate Management insight, simplifies program/project manager reporting, and maintains an archive of data for historical reference.

The Father Friendly Initiative within Families: Using a logic model to develop program theory for a father support program.

Science.gov (United States)

Gervais, Christine; de Montigny, Francine; Lacharité, Carl; Dubeau, Diane

2015-10-01

The transition to fatherhood, with its numerous challenges, has been well documented. Likewise, fathers' relationships with health and social services have also begun to be explored. Yet despite the problems fathers experience in interactions with healthcare services, few programs have been developed for them. To explain this, some authors point to the difficulty practitioners encounter in developing and structuring the theory of programs they are trying to create to promote and support father involvement (Savaya, R., & Waysman, M. (2005). Administration in Social Work, 29(2), 85), even when such theory is key to a program's effectiveness (Chen, H.-T. (2005). Practical program evaluation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications). The objective of the present paper is to present a tool, the logic model, to bridge this gap and to equip practitioners for structuring program theory. This paper addresses two questions: (1) What would be a useful instrument for structuring the development of program theory in interventions for fathers? (2) How would the concepts of a father involvement program best be organized? The case of the Father Friendly Initiative within Families (FFIF) program is used to present and illustrate six simple steps for developing a logic model that are based on program theory and demonstrate its relevance. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing GIS based decision-making tools in case of radiological contamination of agricultural soil

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2010-01-01

A set of supporting tools to help take remedial decisions in case of radiological contamination of agricultural produce is being developed within the EURANOS project. The tools are created in the ArcGIS environment in the Python programming language. So far, a simple model to estimate biomass in the contaminated area has been set up. This module will make it possible to estimate additional parameters, such as activity per kg or amount of waste created, which are useful when taking decision regarding premature crops harvesting. Areas where no remedial action is required can be also identified, of course

Development of Simulator Configuration Tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nedrelid, Olav; Pettersen, Geir

1996-01-01

The main objective of the development of a Simulator Configuration Tool (SCT) is to achieve faster and more efficient production of dynamic simulators. Through application of versatile graphical interfaces, the simulator builder should be able to configure different types of simulators including full-scope process simulators. The SCT should be able to serve different simulator environments. The configuration tool communicates with simulator execution environments through a TCP/IP-based interface, Communication with a Model Server System developed at Institutt for energiteknikk has been established and used as test case. The system consists of OSF/Motif dialogues for operations requiring textual input, list selections etc., and uses the Picasso-3 User Interface Management System to handle presentation of static and dynamic graphical information. (author)

Automatic Parallelization Tool: Classification of Program Code for Parallel Computing

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Basthikodi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Performance growth of single-core processors has come to a halt in the past decade, but was re-enabled by the introduction of parallelism in processors. Multicore frameworks along with Graphical Processing Units empowered to enhance parallelism broadly. Couples of compilers are updated to developing challenges forsynchronization and threading issues. Appropriate program and algorithm classifications will have advantage to a great extent to the group of software engineers to get opportunities for effective parallelization. In present work we investigated current species for classification of algorithms, in that related work on classification is discussed along with the comparison of issues that challenges the classification. The set of algorithms are chosen which matches the structure with different issues and perform given task. We have tested these algorithms utilizing existing automatic species extraction toolsalong with Bones compiler. We have added functionalities to existing tool, providing a more detailed characterization. The contributions of our work include support for pointer arithmetic, conditional and incremental statements, user defined types, constants and mathematical functions. With this, we can retain significant data which is not captured by original speciesof algorithms. We executed new theories into the device, empowering automatic characterization of program code.

Systems Prototyping with Fourth Generation Tools.

Science.gov (United States)

Sholtys, Phyllis

1983-01-01

The development of information systems using an engineering approach that uses both traditional programing techniques and fourth generation software tools is described. Fourth generation applications tools are used to quickly develop a prototype system that is revised as the user clarifies requirements. (MLW)

Exploratory research for the development of a computer aided software design environment with the software technology program

Science.gov (United States)

Hardwick, Charles

1991-01-01

Field studies were conducted by MCC to determine areas of research of mutual interest to MCC and JSC. NASA personnel from the Information Systems Directorate and research faculty from UHCL/RICIS visited MCC in Austin, Texas to examine tools and applications under development in the MCC Software Technology Program. MCC personnel presented workshops in hypermedia, design knowledge capture, and design recovery on site at JSC for ISD personnel. The following programs were installed on workstations in the Software Technology Lab, NASA/JSC: (1) GERM (Graphic Entity Relations Modeler); (2) gIBIS (Graphic Issues Based Information System); and (3) DESIRE (Design Recovery tool). These applications were made available to NASA for inspection and evaluation. Programs developed in the MCC Software Technology Program run on the SUN workstation. The programs do not require special configuration, but they will require larger than usual amounts of disk space and RAM to operate properly.

A Tangible Programming Tool for Children to Cultivate Computational Thinking

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Danli; Liu, Zhen

2014-01-01

Game and creation are activities which have good potential for computational thinking skills. In this paper we present T-Maze, an economical tangible programming tool for children aged 5–9 to build computer programs in maze games by placing wooden blocks. Through the use of computer vision technology, T-Maze provides a live programming interface with real-time graphical and voice feedback. We conducted a user study with 7 children using T-Maze to play two levels of maze-escape games and create their own mazes. The results show that T-Maze is not only easy to use, but also has the potential to help children cultivate computational thinking like abstraction, problem decomposition, and creativity. PMID:24719575

A Tangible Programming Tool for Children to Cultivate Computational Thinking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Danli Wang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Game and creation are activities which have good potential for computational thinking skills. In this paper we present T-Maze, an economical tangible programming tool for children aged 5–9 to build computer programs in maze games by placing wooden blocks. Through the use of computer vision technology, T-Maze provides a live programming interface with real-time graphical and voice feedback. We conducted a user study with 7 children using T-Maze to play two levels of maze-escape games and create their own mazes. The results show that T-Maze is not only easy to use, but also has the potential to help children cultivate computational thinking like abstraction, problem decomposition, and creativity.

Artificial intelligence tool development and applications to nuclear power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naser, J.A.

1987-01-01

Two parallel efforts are being performed at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) to help the electric utility industry take advantage of the expert system technology. The first effort is the development of expert system building tools, which are tailored to electric utility industry applications. The second effort is the development of expert system applications. These two efforts complement each other. The application development tests the tools and identifies additional tool capabilities that are required. The tool development helps define the applications that can be successfully developed. Artificial intelligence, as demonstrated by the developments described is being established as a credible technological tool for the electric utility industry. The challenge to transferring artificial intelligence technology and an understanding of its potential to the electric utility industry is to gain an understanding of the problems that reduce power plant performance and identify which can be successfully addressed using artificial intelligence

Methodologies and Tools for Tuning Parallel Programs: 80% Art, 20% Science, and 10% Luck

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Jerry C.; Bailey, David (Technical Monitor)

1996-01-01

The need for computing power has forced a migration from serial computation on a single processor to parallel processing on multiprocessors. However, without effective means to monitor (and analyze) program execution, tuning the performance of parallel programs becomes exponentially difficult as program complexity and machine size increase. In the past few years, the ubiquitous introduction of performance tuning tools from various supercomputer vendors (Intel's ParAide, TMC's PRISM, CRI's Apprentice, and Convex's CXtrace) seems to indicate the maturity of performance instrumentation/monitor/tuning technologies and vendors'/customers' recognition of their importance. However, a few important questions remain: What kind of performance bottlenecks can these tools detect (or correct)? How time consuming is the performance tuning process? What are some important technical issues that remain to be tackled in this area? This workshop reviews the fundamental concepts involved in analyzing and improving the performance of parallel and heterogeneous message-passing programs. Several alternative strategies will be contrasted, and for each we will describe how currently available tuning tools (e.g. AIMS, ParAide, PRISM, Apprentice, CXtrace, ATExpert, Pablo, IPS-2) can be used to facilitate the process. We will characterize the effectiveness of the tools and methodologies based on actual user experiences at NASA Ames Research Center. Finally, we will discuss their limitations and outline recent approaches taken by vendors and the research community to address them.

Development of the major trauma case review tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, Kate; Mitchell, Rebecca; McCarthy, Amy; Wilson, Kellie; Van, Connie; Kennedy, Belinda; Tall, Gary; Holland, Andrew; Foster, Kim; Dickinson, Stuart; Stelfox, Henry T

2017-02-28

As many as half of all patients with major traumatic injuries do not receive the recommended care, with variance in preventable mortality reported across the globe. This variance highlights the need for a comprehensive process for monitoring and reviewing patient care, central to which is a consistent peer-review process that includes trauma system safety and human factors. There is no published, evidence-informed standardised tool that considers these factors for use in adult or paediatric trauma case peer-review. The aim of this research was to develop and validate a trauma case review tool to facilitate clinical review of paediatric trauma patient care in extracting information to facilitate monitoring, inform change and enable loop closure. Development of the trauma case review tool was multi-faceted, beginning with a review of the trauma audit tool literature. Data were extracted from the literature to inform iterative tool development using a consensus approach. Inter-rater agreement was assessed for both the pilot and finalised versions of the tool. The final trauma case review tool contained ten sections, including patient factors (such as pre-existing conditions), presenting problem, a timeline of events, factors contributing to the care delivery problem (including equipment, work environment, staff action, organizational factors), positive aspects of care and the outcome of panel discussion. After refinement, the inter-rater reliability of the human factors and outcome components of the tool improved with an average 86% agreement between raters. This research developed an evidence-informed tool for use in paediatric trauma case review that considers both system safety and human factors to facilitate clinical review of trauma patient care. This tool can be used to identify opportunities for improvement in trauma care and guide quality assurance activities. Validation is required in the adult population.

Development of a core management tool for MYRRHA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jalůvka, David; Van den Eynde, Gert; Vandewalle, Stefan

2013-01-01

Highlights: • An in-core fuel management tool is being developed for the flexible irradiation machine MYRRHA. • Specific issues of the MYRRHA in-core fuel management are briefly discussed. • The tool addresses the loading pattern optimization problem. • Illustrative in-core fuel management optimization problems are solved using the tool. - Abstract: MYRRHA is an advanced multi-purpose irradiation facility under development at SCK• CEN in Mol, Belgium. In order to ensure an economical and safe operation of the reactor, an in-core fuel management tool is being developed within the project to address the loading pattern optimization problem. In the paper, the current version of the tool – its architecture and design, unique features, and the field of its application, are presented. In the second part of the paper, the tool’s capabilities are demonstrated on simple MYRRHA in-core fuel management optimization problems

Scheme Program Documentation Tools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nørmark, Kurt

2004-01-01

are separate and intended for different documentation purposes they are related to each other in several ways. Both tools are based on XML languages for tool setup and for documentation authoring. In addition, both tools rely on the LAML framework which---in a systematic way---makes an XML language available...... as named functions in Scheme. Finally, the Scheme Elucidator is able to integrate SchemeDoc resources as part of an internal documentation resource....

Methods and tools for analysis and optimization of power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Assadi, Mohsen

2000-09-01

The most noticeable advantage of the introduction of the computer-aided tools in the field of power generation, has been the ability to study the plant's performance prior to the construction phase. The results of these studies have made it possible to change and adjust the plant layout to match the pre-defined requirements. Further development of computers in recent years has opened up for implementation of new features in the existing tools and also for the development of new tools for specific applications, like thermodynamic and economic optimization, prediction of the remaining component life time, and fault diagnostics, resulting in improvement of the plant's performance, availability and reliability. The most common tools for pre-design studies are heat and mass balance programs. Further thermodynamic and economic optimization of plant layouts, generated by the heat and mass balance programs, can be accomplished by using pinch programs, exergy analysis and thermoeconomics. Surveillance and fault diagnostics of existing systems can be performed by using tools like condition monitoring systems and artificial neural networks. The increased number of tools and their various construction and application areas make the choice of the most adequate tool for a certain application difficult. In this thesis the development of different categories of tools and techniques, and their application area are reviewed and presented. Case studies on both existing and theoretical power plant layouts have been performed using different commercially available tools to illuminate their advantages and shortcomings. The development of power plant technology and the requirements for new tools and measurement systems have been briefly reviewed. This thesis contains also programming techniques and calculation methods concerning part-load calculations using local linearization, which has been implemented in an inhouse heat and mass balance program developed by the author

Earth Sciences Data and Information System (ESDIS) program planning and evaluation methodology development

Science.gov (United States)

Dickinson, William B.

1995-01-01

An Earth Sciences Data and Information System (ESDIS) Project Management Plan (PMP) is prepared. An ESDIS Project Systems Engineering Management Plan (SEMP) consistent with the developed PMP is also prepared. ESDIS and related EOS program requirements developments, management and analysis processes are evaluated. Opportunities to improve the effectiveness of these processes and program/project responsiveness to requirements are identified. Overall ESDIS cost estimation processes are evaluated, and recommendations to improve cost estimating and modeling techniques are developed. ESDIS schedules and scheduling tools are evaluated. Risk assessment, risk mitigation strategies and approaches, and use of risk information in management decision-making are addressed.

Development of computerized risk management tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kil Yoo Kim; Mee Jung Hwang; Seung Cheol Jang; Sang Hoon Han; Tae Woon Kim

1997-01-01

The author describes the kinds of efforts for the development of computerized risk management tool; (1) development of a risk monitor, Risk Monster, (2) improvement of McFarm (Missing Cutsets Finding Algorithm for Risk Monitor) and finally (3) development of reliability database management system, KwDBMan. Risk Monster supports for plant operators and maintenance schedulers to monitor plant risk and to avoid high peak risk by rearranging maintenance work schedule. Improved McFarm significantly improved calculation speed of Risk Monster for the cases of supporting system OOS (Out Of Service). KwDBMan manages event data, generic data and CCF (Common Cause Failure) data to support Risk Monster as well as PSA tool, KIRAP (KAERI Integrated Reliability Analysis Package)

Tailored and integrated Web-based tools for improving psychosocial outcomes of cancer patients: the DoTTI development framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Smits, Rochelle; Bryant, Jamie; Sanson-Fisher, Rob; Tzelepis, Flora; Henskens, Frans; Paul, Christine; Stevenson, William

2014-03-14

Effective communication with cancer patients and their families about their disease, treatment options, and possible outcomes may improve psychosocial outcomes. However, traditional approaches to providing information to patients, including verbal information and written booklets, have a number of shortcomings centered on their limited ability to meet patient preferences and literacy levels. New-generation Web-based technologies offer an innovative and pragmatic solution for overcoming these limitations by providing a platform for interactive information seeking, information sharing, and user-centered tailoring. The primary goal of this paper is to discuss the advantages of comprehensive and iterative Web-based technologies for health information provision and propose a four-phase framework for the development of Web-based information tools. The proposed framework draws on our experience of constructing a Web-based information tool for hematological cancer patients and their families. The framework is based on principles for the development and evaluation of complex interventions and draws on the Agile methodology of software programming that emphasizes collaboration and iteration throughout the development process. The DoTTI framework provides a model for a comprehensive and iterative approach to the development of Web-based informational tools for patients. The process involves 4 phases of development: (1) Design and development, (2) Testing early iterations, (3) Testing for effectiveness, and (4) Integration and implementation. At each step, stakeholders (including researchers, clinicians, consumers, and programmers) are engaged in consultations to review progress, provide feedback on versions of the Web-based tool, and based on feedback, determine the appropriate next steps in development. This 4-phase framework is evidence-informed and consumer-centered and could be applied widely to develop Web-based programs for a diverse range of diseases.

Preprocessor for RELAP5 code, nuclear reactor thermal hydraulics accident analysis program, using Microsoft MS-EXCEL tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biaty, Patricia Andrea Paladino; Sabundjian, Gaiane

2005-01-01

The thermal hydraulic study in accidents and transients analyses in nuclear power plants is realized with some special tools. These programs use the best estimate analyses and have been developed to simulate accidents and transients in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR) and auxiliary systems. The RELAP5 code has been used as tool to licensing the nuclear facilities in our country, which is the objective of this study. The main problem when RELAP5 code is used is a lot of information necessary to simulate thermal hydraulic accidents. Moreover, there is the necessity of a reasonable amount of mathematical operations to calculation of the geometry of the components existents. Therefore, in order to facilitate the manipulation of this information, it is necessary the developing a friendly preprocessor for attainment of the mathematical calculations for RELAP5 code. One of the tools used for some of these calculations is the MS-EXCEL, which will be used in this work. (author)

Development of computer program for estimating decommissioning cost - 59037

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Hak-Soo; Park, Jong-Kil

2012-01-01

The programs for estimating the decommissioning cost have been developed for many different purposes and applications. The estimation of decommissioning cost is required a large amount of data such as unit cost factors, plant area and its inventory, waste treatment, etc. These make it difficult to use manual calculation or typical spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel. The cost estimation for eventual decommissioning of nuclear power plants is a prerequisite for safe, timely and cost-effective decommissioning. To estimate the decommissioning cost more accurately and systematically, KHNP, Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power Co. Ltd, developed a decommissioning cost estimating computer program called 'DeCAT-Pro', which is Decommission-ing Cost Assessment Tool - Professional. (Hereinafter called 'DeCAT') This program allows users to easily assess the decommissioning cost with various decommissioning options. Also, this program provides detailed reporting for decommissioning funding requirements as well as providing detail project schedules, cash-flow, staffing plan and levels, and waste volumes by waste classifications and types. KHNP is planning to implement functions for estimating the plant inventory using 3-D technology and for classifying the conditions of radwaste disposal and transportation automatically. (authors)

Crosscutting Development- EVA Tools and Geology Sample Acquisition

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Exploration to all destinations has at one time or another involved the acquisition and return of samples and context data. Gathered at the summit of the highest mountain, the floor of the deepest sea, or the ice of a polar surface, samples and their value (both scientific and symbolic) have been a mainstay of Earthly exploration. In manned spaceflight exploration, the gathering of samples and their contextual information has continued. With the extension of collecting activities to spaceflight destinations comes the need for geology tools and equipment uniquely designed for use by suited crew members in radically different environments from conventional field geology. Beginning with the first Apollo Lunar Surface Extravehicular Activity (EVA), EVA Geology Tools were successfully used to enable the exploration and scientific sample gathering objectives of the lunar crew members. These early designs were a step in the evolution of Field Geology equipment, and the evolution continues today. Contemporary efforts seek to build upon and extend the knowledge gained in not only the Apollo program but a wealth of terrestrial field geology methods and hardware that have continued to evolve since the last lunar surface EVA. This paper is presented with intentional focus on documenting the continuing evolution and growing body of knowledge for both engineering and science team members seeking to further the development of EVA Geology. Recent engineering development and field testing efforts of EVA Geology equipment for surface EVA applications are presented, including the 2010 Desert Research and Technology Studies (Desert RATs) field trial. An executive summary of findings will also be presented, detailing efforts recommended for exotic sample acquisition and pre-return curation development regardless of planetary or microgravity destination.

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.

IAEA Nuclear Security Human Resource Development Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braunegger-Guelich, A.

2009-01-01

The IAEA is at the forefront of international efforts to strengthen the world's nuclear security framework. The current Nuclear Security Plan for 2006-2009 was approved by the IAEA Board of Governors in September 2005. This Plan has three main points of focus: needs assessment, prevention, detection and response. Its overall objective is to achieve improved worldwide security of nuclear and other radioactive material in use, storage and transport, and of their associated facilities. This will be achieved, in particular, through the provision of guidelines and recommendations, human resource development, nuclear security advisory services and assistance for the implementation of the framework in States, upon request. The presentation provides an overview of the IAEA nuclear security human resource development program that is divided into two parts: training and education. Whereas the training program focuses on filling gaps between the actual performance of personnel working in the area of nuclear security and the required competencies and skills needed to meet the international requirements and recommendations described in UN and IAEA documents relating to nuclear security, the Educational Program in Nuclear Security aims at developing nuclear security experts and specialists, at fostering a nuclear security culture and at establishing in this way sustainable knowledge in this field within a State. The presentation also elaborates on the nuclear security computer based learning component and provides insights into the use of human resource development as a tool in achieving the IAEA's long term goal of improving sustainable nuclear security in States. (author)

Game-based programming towards developing algorithmic thinking skills in primary education

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hariklia Tsalapatas

2012-06-01

Full Text Available This paper presents cMinds, a learning intervention that deploys game-based visual programming towards building analytical, computational, and critical thinking skills in primary education. The proposed learning method exploits the structured nature of programming, which is inherently logical and transcends cultural barriers, towards inclusive learning that exposes learners to algorithmic thinking. A visual programming environment, entitled ‘cMinds Learning Suite’, has been developed aimed for classroom use. Feedback from the deployment of the learning methods and tools in classrooms in several European countries demonstrates elevated learner motivation for engaging in logical learning activities, fostering of creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit, and promotion of problem-solving capacity

Competition as an Effective Tool in Developing Social Marketing Programs: Driving Behavior Change through Online Activities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corina ŞERBAN

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Nowadays, social marketing practices represent an important part of people’s lives. Consumers’ understanding of the need for change has become the top priority for social organizations worldwide. As a result, the number of social marketing programs has increased, making people reflect more on their behaviors and on the need to take action. Competition in social marketing can bring many benefits. The more programs initiated, the more people will start to involve in society’s problems, hereby contributing to beneficial causes. However, social organizations are in the search for competitive advantages to differentiate them on the market. This paper aims to present the role of online communication in driving competitive advantage for social organizations. Using the structural equation model, the paper describes the relations between four characteristics of the online communication: credibility, attractiveness, persuasion and promotion and then presents the correlations between these variables and website competitiveness. The resulting model shows that owning a competitive advantage in social marketing can bring many advantages to both the non-profit organization and the consumer. Therefore, the online environment can be considered a good solution for better serving consumers’ social needs. Its contribution is significant especially in programs for children and adolescents, since teenagers spend more time on the Internet than adults and are more open to using the online channels of communication. In conclusion, this article opens new opportunities for social marketers to address society’s problems and supports the integration of the online communication tools in the competition strategy.

Development of an Application Programming Interface for Depletion Analysis (APIDA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lago, Daniel; Rahnema, Farzad

2017-01-01

Highlights: • APIDA an Application Programming Interface tool for Depletion Analysis. • APIDA employs a matrix exponential method and a linear chain method. • A burnup solver to couple to neutron transport solvers in lattice depletion or reactor core analysis codes. - Abstract: A new utility has been developed with extensive capabilities in identifying nuclide decay and transmutation characteristics, allowing for accurate and efficient tracking of the change in isotopic concentrations in nuclear reactor fuel over time when coupled with a transport solution method. This tool, named the Application Programming Interface for Depletion Analysis (APIDA), employs both a matrix exponential method and a linear chain method to solve for the end-of-time-step nuclide concentrations for all isotopes relevant to nuclear reactors. The Chebyshev Rational Approximation Method (CRAM) was utilized to deal with the ill-conditioned matrices generated during lattice depletion calculations, and a complex linear chain solver was developed to handle isotopes reduced from the burnup matrix due to either radioactive stability or a sufficiently low neutron-induced reaction cross section. The entire tool is housed in a robust but simple application programming interface (API). The development of this API allows other codes, particularly numerical neutron transport solvers, to incorporate APIDA as the burnup solver in a lattice depletion code or reactor core analysis code in memory, without the need to write or read from the hard disk. The APIDA code was benchmarked using several decay and transmutation chains. Burnup solutions produced by APIDA were shown to provide material concentrations comparable to the analytically solved Bateman equations – well below 0.01% relative error for even the most extreme cases using isotopes with vastly different decay constants. As a first order demonstration of the API, APIDA was coupled with the transport solver in the SERPENT code for a fuel pin

Software Development Methods and Tools: a New Zealand study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chris Phillips

2005-05-01

Full Text Available This study is a more detailed follow-up to a preliminary investigation of the practices of software engineers in New Zealand. The focus of this study is on the methods and tools used by software developers in their current organisation. The project involved detailed questionnaires being piloted and sent out to several hundred software developers. A central part of the research involved the identification of factors affecting the use and take-up of existing software development tools in the workplace. The full spectrum of tools from fully integrated I-CASE tools to individual software applications, such as drawing tools was investigated. This paper describes the project and presents the findings.

2017 SmartWay Logistics Tool Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

This EPA presentation provides information on the SmartWay Logistics Carrier Tool: its background and development, participation in the program, application process, emission metrics, tool demonstration, data collection, and schedule for 2017.

Evaluating Effectiveness of Pair Programming as a Teaching Tool in Programming Courses

Science.gov (United States)

Faja, Silvana

2014-01-01

This study investigates the effectiveness of pair programming on student learning and satisfaction in introductory programming courses. Pair programming, used in the industry as a practice of an agile development method, can be adopted in classroom settings to encourage peer learning, increase students' social skills, and enhance student…

Neuro-linguistic programming as a communication tool for management

OpenAIRE

2014-01-01

M.Com. (Business Management) The outcome of the study was to explore the use of neuro linguistic programming as a communication tool that enhances communication in the workplace, and the results revealed that NLP business communications differ from the usual workplace communications. They involve communications that identify explicit and achievable outcomes, use sensory awareness to notice responses and flexibly alter behaviour to achieve outcomes. Participants were noticing and discoverin...

Computer programing for geosciences: Teach your students how to make tools

Science.gov (United States)

Grapenthin, Ronni

2011-12-01

When I announced my intention to pursue a Ph.D. in geophysics, some people gave me confused looks, because I was working on a master's degree in computer science at the time. My friends, like many incoming geoscience graduate students, have trouble linking these two fields. From my perspective, it is pretty straightforward: Much of geoscience evolves around novel analyses of large data sets that require custom tools—computer programs—to minimize the drudgery of manual data handling; other disciplines share this characteristic. While most faculty adapted to the need for tool development quite naturally, as they grew up around computer terminal interfaces, incoming graduate students lack intuitive understanding of programing concepts such as generalization and automation. I believe the major cause is the intuitive graphical user interfaces of modern operating systems and applications, which isolate the user from all technical details. Generally, current curricula do not recognize this gap between user and machine. For students to operate effectively, they require specialized courses teaching them the skills they need to make tools that operate on particular data sets and solve their specific problems. Courses in computer science departments are aimed at a different audience and are of limited help.

Development of bore tools for pipe inspection

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oka, Kiyoshi; Nakahira, Masataka; Taguchi, Kou; Ito, Akira [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1998-04-01

In the International Thermonuclear Reactor (ITER), replacement and maintenance on in-vessel components requires that all cooling pipes connected be cut and removed, that a new component be installed, and that all cooling pipes be rewelded. After welding is completed, welded area must be inspected for soundness. These tasks require a new work concept for securing shielded area and access from narrow ports. Tools had to be developed for nondestructive inspection and leak testing to evaluate pipe welding soundness by accessing areas from inside pipes using autonomous locomotion welding and cutting tools. A system was proposed for nondestructive inspection of branch pipes and the main pipe after passing through pipe curves, the same as for welding and cutting tool development. Nondestructive inspection and leak testing sensors were developed and the basic parameters were obtained. In addition, the inspection systems which can move inside pipes and conduct the nondestructive inspection and the leak testing were developed. In this paper, an introduction will be given to the current situation concerning the development of nondestructive inspection and leak testing machines for the branch pipes. (author)

Specialized case tools for the development of the accounting ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The paper presents an approach to building specialized CASE tools for the development of accounting applications. These tools form an integrated development environment allowing the computer aided development of the different applications in this field. This development environment consists of a formula interpreter, ...

Setting UP a decontamination and dismantling (D and D) scenario - methodology and tools developed leopard

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pradoura, F.

2009-01-01

At the AREVA NC La Hague site, the former nuclear spent fuel reprocessing plant UP2-400 was shutdown on December 30, 2003. Since then, the cleaning up and dismantling activities have been carried by the DV/PRO project, which is the program management organization settled by AREVA NC, for valorization projects. SGN, part of the AREVA NC Engineering Business Unit, operates as the main contractor of the DV/PRO project and provides project management services related to decommissioning and waste management. Hence, SGN is in charge of building D and D's scenarios for all the facilities of the UP2-400 plant, in compliance with safety, technical and financial requirements. Main outputs are logic diagrams, block flow diagrams, wastes and effluents throughputs. In order to meet with AREVA NC's requirements and expectations, SGN developed specific process and tools methods adapted to the scale and complexity of decommissioning a plant with several facilities, with different kind of processes (chemical, mechanical), some of which are in operation and other being dismantled. Considering the number of technical data and inputs to be managed, this methodology leads to complex outputs such as schedules, throughputs, work packages... The development, the maintenance and the modification of these outputs become more and more difficult with the complexity and the size of the plant considered. To cope with these issues, SGN CDE/DEM UP2-400 project team has developed a dedicated tool to assist and optimize in elaborating D and D scenarios. This tool is named LEOPARD (Logiciel d'Elaboration et d'Optimisation des Programmes d'Assainissement Radiologique et de Demantelement) (Software for the Development and Optimization of Radiological Clean up and Dismantling Programs). The availability of this tool allowed the rapid construction of a test case (demonstrator) that has convinced DV/PRO of its numerous advantages and of the future further development potentials. Presentations of LEOPARD

Application of the enterprise management tools Lean Six Sigma and PMBOK in developing a program of research management.

Science.gov (United States)

Hors, Cora; Goldberg, Anna Carla; Almeida, Ederson Haroldo Pereira de; Babio Júnior, Fernando Galan; Rizzo, Luiz Vicente

2012-01-01

Introduce a program for the management of scientific research in a General Hospital employing the business management tools Lean Six Sigma and PMBOK for project management in this area. The Lean Six Sigma methodology was used to improve the management of the institution's scientific research through a specific tool (DMAIC) for identification, implementation and posterior analysis based on PMBOK practices of the solutions found. We present our solutions for the management of institutional research projects at the Sociedade Beneficente Israelita Brasileira Albert Einstein. The solutions were classified into four headings: people, processes, systems and organizational culture. A preliminary analysis of these solutions showed them to be completely or partially compliant to the processes described in the PMBOK Guide. In this post facto study, we verified that the solutions drawn from a project using Lean Six Sigma methodology and based on PMBOK enabled the improvement of our processes dealing with the management of scientific research carried out in the institution and constitutes a model to contribute to the search of innovative science management solutions by other institutions dealing with scientific research in Brazil.

Multiprocessor programming environment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, M.B.; Fornaro, R.

1988-12-01

Programming tools and techniques have been well developed for traditional uniprocessor computer systems. The focus of this research project is on the development of a programming environment for a high speed real time heterogeneous multiprocessor system, with special emphasis on languages and compilers. The new tools and techniques will allow a smooth transition for programmers with experience only on single processor systems.

The development of a taste education program for preschoolers and evaluation of a program by parents and childcare personnel.

Science.gov (United States)

Shon, Choengmin; Park, Young; Ryou, Hyunjoo; Na, Woori; Choi, Kyungsuk

2012-10-01

The change in people's dietary life has led to an increase in an intake of processed foods and food chemicals, raising awareness about taste education for preschoolers whose dietary habits start to grow. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and satisfaction of parents and childcare personnel after developing a taste education program and demonstrating it in class. A part of the curriculum developed by Piusais and Pierre was referred for the program. After educating 524 preschoolers in child care facilities in Seoul, a satisfaction survey was conducted on the program. The data in this study were analyzed using SPSS 14.0. Statistical analysis was conducted based on the frequency after collecting the data. Mean ± SD used to determine satisfaction with taste education, with preferences marked on a five-point scale and the alpha was set at 0.05. The program includes five teachers' guides with subjects of sweetness, saltiness, sourness, bitterness and harmony of flavor, and ten kinds of teaching tools. For the change in parents' recognition of the need for taste education based on five-point scale, the average of 4.06 ± 0.62 before the program has significantly increased to 4.32 ± 0.52 (P facilities, the average scores for education method, education effect, education contents and nutritionists, and teaching tools were at 4.15 ± 0.63, 3.91 ± 0.50, 4.18 ± 0.50, and 3.80 ± 0.56 respectively. In addition, the need for a continuous taste education scored 4.42 ± 0.67. This program has created a positive change in preschoolers' dietary life, therefore the continuation and propagation of the taste education program should be considered.

Evaluating Value Chain Development Programs: Assessing Effectiveness, Efficiency, and Equity Effects of Contract Choice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ruben, R.

2015-01-01

Provides insights regarding the possible procedures for assessing welfare, efficiency, and equity effects of value chain development (VCD) programs, taking advantage of available analytical tools derived from impact analysis, transaction cost theory, and contract choice approaches and briefly

The Capability Portfolio Analysis Tool (CPAT): A Mixed Integer Linear Programming Formulation for Fleet Modernization Analysis (Version 2.0.2).

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Waddell, Lucas [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Muldoon, Frank [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Henry, Stephen Michael [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hoffman, Matthew John [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Zwerneman, April Marie [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Backlund, Peter [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Melander, Darryl J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Lawton, Craig R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Rice, Roy Eugene [Teledyne Brown Engineering, Huntsville, AL (United States)

2017-09-01

In order to effectively plan the management and modernization of their large and diverse fleets of vehicles, Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems (PEO GCS) and Program Executive Office Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS) commis- sioned the development of a large-scale portfolio planning optimization tool. This software, the Capability Portfolio Analysis Tool (CPAT), creates a detailed schedule that optimally prioritizes the modernization or replacement of vehicles within the fleet - respecting numerous business rules associated with fleet structure, budgets, industrial base, research and testing, etc., while maximizing overall fleet performance through time. This paper contains a thor- ough documentation of the terminology, parameters, variables, and constraints that comprise the fleet management mixed integer linear programming (MILP) mathematical formulation. This paper, which is an update to the original CPAT formulation document published in 2015 (SAND2015-3487), covers the formulation of important new CPAT features.

The Adopt-a-Herring program as a fisheries conservation tool

Science.gov (United States)

Frank, Holly J.; Mather, Martha E.; Muth, Robert M.; Pautzke, Sarah M.; Smith, Joseph M.; Finn, John T.

2009-01-01

Successful conservation depends on a scientifically literate public. We developed the adopt-a-Herring program to educate nonscientists about fisheries and watershed restoration. this interactive educational and outreach project encouraged coastal residents to be involved in local watershed restoration. In the northeastern United States, river herring (Alosa spp.) are an important component of many coastal watersheds and often are the object of conservation efforts. In order to understand river herring spawning behavior and to improve the effectiveness of restoration efforts, our research tracked these fish via radiotelemetry in the Ipswich River, Massachusetts. In our adopt-a-Herring Program, participating stakeholder organizations adopted and named individual tagged river herring and followed their movements online. We also made information available to our adopters on our larger research goals, the mission and activities of other research and management agencies, examples of human actions that adversely affect watersheds, and opportunities for proactive conservation. Research results were communicated to adopters through our project web page and end-of-the-season summary presentations. Both tools cultivated a personal interest in river herring, stimulated discussion about fisheries and watershed restoration, educated participants about the goals and methods of scientists in general, and initiated critical thinking about human activities that advance or impede sustainability.

Automatic Program Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Automatic Program Development is a tribute to Robert Paige (1947-1999), our accomplished and respected colleague, and moreover our good friend, whose untimely passing was a loss to our academic and research community. We have collected the revised, updated versions of the papers published in his...... honor in the Higher-Order and Symbolic Computation Journal in the years 2003 and 2005. Among them there are two papers by Bob: (i) a retrospective view of his research lines, and (ii) a proposal for future studies in the area of the automatic program derivation. The book also includes some papers...... by members of the IFIP Working Group 2.1 of which Bob was an active member. All papers are related to some of the research interests of Bob and, in particular, to the transformational development of programs and their algorithmic derivation from formal specifications. Automatic Program Development offers...

Design and development of progressive tool for manufacturing washer

Science.gov (United States)

Annigeri, Ulhas K.; Raghavendra Ravi Kiran, K.; Deepthi, Y. P.

2017-07-01

In a progressive tool the raw material is worked at different station to finally fabricate the component. A progressive tool is a lucrative tool for mass production of components. A lot of automobile and other transport industries develop progressive tool for the production of components. The design of tool involves lot of planning and the same amount of skill of process planning is required in the fabrication of the tool. The design also involves use of thumb rules and standard elements as per experience gained in practice. Manufacturing the press tool is a laborious task as special jigs and fixtures have to be designed for the purpose. Assembly of all the press tool elements is another task where use of accurate measuring instruments for alignment of various tool elements is important. In the present study, design and fabrication of progressive press tool for production of washer has been developed and the press tool has been tried out on a mechanical type of press. The components produced are to dimensions.

Research and development program for PWR safety at the CEA reactor thermal hydraulics laboratories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard, M.

1995-01-01

Since the start of the French electronuclear program, the three partners Fermate, EDF and Cea (DRN and IPSN) have devoted considerable effort to research and development for safety issues. In particular an important program on thermal hydraulics was initiated at the beginning of the seventies. It is illustrated by the development of the CATHARE thermalhydraulic safety code which includes physical models derived from a large experimental support program and the construction of the BETHSY integral facility which is aimed to assess both the CATHARE code and the physical relevance of the accident management procedures to be applied on reactors. The state of the art on this program is described with particular emphasis on the capabilities and the assessment of the last version of CATHARE and the lessons drawn from 50 BETHSY tests performed so far. The future plans for safety research cover the following strategy: - to solve the few problems identified on present computing tools and extend the assessment - to solve the few problems identified on present computing tools and extend the assessment - to perform safety studies on the basis of plant operation feedback - to contribute to treating the safety issues related to the future reactors and in particular the case of severe accidents which have to be taken into account from the design stage. The program on severe accidents is aimed to support the design studies performed by the industrial partners and to provide computing tools which model the various phases of severe accidents and will be validated on experiments performed with real and simulating materials. The main lines of the program are: - the development of the TOLBIAC 3D code for the thermal hydraulics of core melt pools, which will be validated against the Bali experiment presently under construction - the Sultan experiment, to study the capability of cooling by external flooding of the reactor vessel - the development of the MC-3D code for core melt

Cleaner production - a tool for sustainable environmental development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, I.; Batool, S.

2005-01-01

Industrial Development and Production with no regard for environmental impacts creates water and air pollution, soil degradation, and large-scale global impacts such as acid rain, global warming and ozone depletion. To create more sustainable methods of industrial production, there needs to be a shift in attitudes away from control towards pollution prevention and management. Cleaner Production (CP) refers to a management process that seeks out and eliminates the causes of pollution, waste generation and resource consumption at their source through input reductions or substitutions, pollution prevention, internal recycling and more efficient production technology and processes for sustainable environmental development. The objective of cleaner production is to avoid generating pollution in the first place, which frequently cuts costs, reduces risks associated with liability, and identifies new market opportunities. Introducing cleaner production has become a goal to improve the competitiveness through increased eco-efficiency. CP is a business strategy for enhancing productivity and environmental performance for overall socio-economic development. The environmental and economic benefits can only be achieved by implementing cleaner production tools. The CP assessment methodology is used to systematically identify and evaluate the waste minimization opportunities and facilitate their implementation in industries. It refers to how goods and services are produced with the minimum environmental impact under present technological and economic limits. CP shares characteristics with many environmental management tools such as Environmental Assessment or Design for Environment by including them among the technological options for reducing material and energy intensiveness in production, as well as facilitating ruse trough remanufacturing and recycling. It is thus an extension of the total quality management process. The CP program has been successfully implemented in

Development of a Computer Program (CASK) for the Analysis of Logistics and Transportation Cost of the Spent Fuels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cha, Jeong-Hun; Choi, Heui-Joo; Cho, Dong-Keun; Kim, Seong-Ki; Lee, Jong-Youl; Choi, Jong-Won

2008-07-01

The cost for the spent fuel management includes the costs for the interim storage, the transportation, and the permanent disposal of the spent fuels. The CASK(Cost and logistics Analysis program for Spent fuel transportation in Korea) program is developed to analyze logistics and transportation cost of the spent fuels. And the total amount of PWR spent fuels stored in four nuclear plant sites, a centralized interim storage facility near coast and a permanent disposal facility near the interim storage facility are considered in this program. The CASK program is developed by using Visual Basic language and coupled with an excel sheet. The excel sheet shows a change of logistics and transportation cost. Also transportation unit cost is easily changed in the excel sheet. The scopes of the report are explanation of parameters in the CASK program and a preliminary calculation. We have developed the CASK version 1.0 so far, and will update its parameters in transportation cost and transportation scenario. Also, we will incorporate it into the program which is used for the projection of spent fuels from the nuclear power plants. Finally, it is expected that the CASK program could be a part of the cost estimation tools which are under development at KAERI. And this program will be a very useful tool for the establishment of transportation scenario and transportation cost in Korean situations

On a Pathway Towards Thriving: Evaluating the Effectiveness of Tools to Promote Positive Development and Intentional Self Regulation in Youth

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edmond P. Bowers

2013-12-01

Full Text Available This article provides initial data about the reliability and validity of tools aimed at promoting youth intentional self regulation (ISR within mentoring programs. Based on the translation of the theory-based research about ISR and youth thriving conducted within the 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (PYD, the GPS to Success tools use the metaphor of a car’s GPS navigational system to enhance goal-directed behaviors among youth. The core GPS tools are “growth grids,” designed to help mentors appraise ISR skill development and to link these skills to other grids assessing the Five Cs of PYD and Contribution. Data from 152 mentor and youth pairs from 4-H program sites in Oregon and North Carolina indicated that the growth grids were generally reliable. Although validity evidence was mixed, rubrics for “G” and “P” and for a global GPS score were related to a well-validated measure of ISR.

Study Abroad Programs as Tools of Internationalization: Which Factors Influence Hungarian Business Students to Participate?

Science.gov (United States)

Huják, Janka

2015-01-01

The internationalization of higher education has been on the agenda for decades now all over the world. Study abroad programs are undoubtedly tools of the internationalization endeavors. The ERASMUS Student Mobility Program is one of the flagships of the European Union's educational exchange programs implicitly aiming for the internationalization…

Psi4NumPy: An Interactive Quantum Chemistry Programming Environment for Reference Implementations and Rapid Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Daniel G A; Burns, Lori A; Sirianni, Dominic A; Nascimento, Daniel R; Kumar, Ashutosh; James, Andrew M; Schriber, Jeffrey B; Zhang, Tianyuan; Zhang, Boyi; Abbott, Adam S; Berquist, Eric J; Lechner, Marvin H; Cunha, Leonardo A; Heide, Alexander G; Waldrop, Jonathan M; Takeshita, Tyler Y; Alenaizan, Asem; Neuhauser, Daniel; King, Rollin A; Simmonett, Andrew C; Turney, Justin M; Schaefer, Henry F; Evangelista, Francesco A; DePrince, A Eugene; Crawford, T Daniel; Patkowski, Konrad; Sherrill, C David

2018-06-11

Psi4NumPy demonstrates the use of efficient computational kernels from the open-source Psi4 program through the popular NumPy library for linear algebra in Python to facilitate the rapid development of clear, understandable Python computer code for new quantum chemical methods, while maintaining a relatively low execution time. Using these tools, reference implementations have been created for a number of methods, including self-consistent field (SCF), SCF response, many-body perturbation theory, coupled-cluster theory, configuration interaction, and symmetry-adapted perturbation theory. Furthermore, several reference codes have been integrated into Jupyter notebooks, allowing background, underlying theory, and formula information to be associated with the implementation. Psi4NumPy tools and associated reference implementations can lower the barrier for future development of quantum chemistry methods. These implementations also demonstrate the power of the hybrid C++/Python programming approach employed by the Psi4 program.

Information technology tools for curriculum development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

McKenney, Susan; Nieveen, N.M.; Strijker, A.; Voogt, Joke; Knezek, Gerald

2008-01-01

The widespread introduction and use of computers in the workplace began in the early 1990s. Since then, computer-based tools have been developed to support a myriad of task types, including the complex process of curriculum development. This chapter begins by briefly introducing two concepts that

Development of GoldSim Program Template for Safety Assessment of an LILW Disposal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Youn Myoung; Jeong, Jong Tae

2010-08-01

A modeling study and development of a methodology, by which an assessment of safety and performance for a low- and intermediate level radioactive waste (LILW) repository could be effectively made has been carried out. With normal or abnormal nuclide release cases associated with the various FEPs and scenarios involved in the performance of the proposed repository in view of nuclide transport and transfer both in geosphere and biosphere, a total system performance assessment (TSPA) program has been developed by utilizing a commercial development tool program, GoldSim. The report especially deals much with a detailed conceptual modeling scheme by which a GoldSim program modules, all of which are integrated into a TSPA program template were able to be developed. Degradation effects of the near-field such manmade barriers as waste container and the silo on the performance of the repository are also modeled and quantitatively and deterministically/probabilistically evaluated with input data set currently available or assumed. In-depth system models that are conceptually and rather practically described and then ready for implementing into a GoldSim TSPA program are introduced with illustrations. The GoldSim TSPA template program developed through this study is expected to be successfully applied to the post closure safety assessment required for an LILW repository such as Gyeongju repository

PISCES: A Tool for Predicting Software Testability

Science.gov (United States)

Voas, Jeffrey M.; Miller, Keith W.; Payne, Jeffery E.

1991-01-01

Before a program can fail, a software fault must be executed, that execution must alter the data state, and the incorrect data state must propagate to a state that results directly in an incorrect output. This paper describes a tool called PISCES (developed by Reliable Software Technologies Corporation) for predicting the probability that faults in a particular program location will accomplish all three of these steps causing program failure. PISCES is a tool that is used during software verification and validation to predict a program's testability.

Developing a tool to preserve eye contact with patients undergoing colonoscopy for pain monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niv Y

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Yaron Niv, Yossi TalDepartment of Gastroenterology, Rabin Medical Center, Tel Aviv University, IsraelAbstract: Colonoscopy has become the leading procedure for early detection and prevention of colorectal cancer. Patients’ experience of colonic endoscopic procedures is scarcely reported, even though it is considered a major factor in colorectal cancer screening participation. Pain due to air inflation or stretching the colon with an endoscope is not rare during examination and may be the main obstacle to cooperation and participation in a screening program. We propose a four-stage study for developing a tool dedicated to pain monitoring during colonoscopy, as follows: (1 comparison of patient, nurse, and endoscopist questionnaire responses about patient pain and technical details of the procedure using the PAINAD tool during colonoscopy; (2 observation of the correlation between patients’ facial expressions and other parameters (using the short PAINAD; (3 development of a device for continuous monitoring of the patient’s facial expression during the procedure; (4 assessment of the usability of such a tool and its contribution to the outcomes of colonoscopy procedures. Early intervention by the staff performing the procedure, in reaction to alerts encoded by this tool, may prevent adverse events during the procedure.Keywords: pain scoring, colonoscopy, pain monitoring, facial expression

Development of an Evaluation Tool for Online Food Safety Training Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Neal, Jack A., Jr.; Murphy, Cheryl A.; Crandall, Philip G.; O'Bryan, Corliss A.; Keifer, Elizabeth; Ricke, Steven C.

2011-01-01

The objective of this study was to provide the person in charge and food safety instructors an assessment tool to help characterize, identify strengths and weaknesses, determine the completeness of the knowledge gained by the employee, and evaluate the level of content presentation and usability of current retail food safety training platforms. An…

Development of a tool for evaluating multimedia for surgical education.

Science.gov (United States)

Coughlan, Jane; Morar, Sonali S

2008-09-01

Educational multimedia has been designed to provide surgical trainees with expert operative information outside of the operating theater. The effectiveness of multimedia (e.g., CD-ROMs) for learning has been a common research topic since the 1990s. To date, however, little discussion has taken place on the mechanisms to evaluate the quality of multimedia-driven teaching. This may be because of a lack of research into the development of appropriate tools for evaluating multimedia, especially for surgical education. This paper reports on a small-scale pilot and exploratory study (n = 12) that developed a tool for surgical multimedia evaluation. The validity of the developed tool was established through adaptation of an existing tool, which was reviewed using experts in surgery, usability, and education. The reliability of the developed tool was tested with surgical trainees who used it to assess a multimedia CD-ROM created for teaching basic surgical skills. The findings contribute to an understanding of surgical trainees' experience of using educational multimedia, in terms of characteristics of the learning material for interface design and content and the process of developing evaluation tools, in terms of inclusion of appropriate assessment criteria. The increasing use of multimedia in medical education necessitates the development of standardized tools for determining the quality of teaching and learning. Little research exists into the development of such tools and so the present work stimulates discussion on how to evaluate surgical training.

Water Loss Management: Tools and Methods for Developing Countries

OpenAIRE

Mutikanga, H.E.

2012-01-01

Water utilities in developing countries are struggling to provide customers with a reliable level of service due to their peculiar water distribution characteristics including poorly zoned networks with irregular supply operating under restricted budgets. These unique conditions demand unique tools and methods for water loss control. Water loss management: Tools and Methods for Developing Countries provide a decision support toolbox (appropriate tools and methodologies) for assessing, quantif...

ICT tools for curriculum development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

McKenney, Susan; Nieveen, N.M.; van den Akker, J.J.H.; Kuiper, W.J.A.M.; Hameyer, U.

2003-01-01

Along with others in this book, this chapter examines a recent trend in curriculum development, namely, employing the computer to support this complex process. Not to be confused with the vast majority of ICT tools for education, which support the teachers and learners more directly, this discussion

Long range manipulator development and experiments with dismantling tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mueller, K.

1993-01-01

An existing handling system (EMIR) was used as a carrier system for various tools for concrete dismantling and radiation protection monitoring. It combined the advantages of long reach and high payload with highly dexterous kinematics. This system was enhanced mechanically to allow the use of different tools. Tool attachment devices for automatic tool exchange were investigated as well as interfaces (electric, hydraulic, compressed air, cooling water and signals). The control system was improved with regard to accuracy and sensor data processing. Programmable logic controller functions for tool control were incorporated. A free field mockup of the EMIR was build that allowed close simulation of dismantling scenarios without radioactive inventory. Aged concrete was provided for the integration tests. The development scheduled included the basic concept investigation; the development of tools and sensors; the EMIR hardware enhancement including a tool exchange; the adaption of tools and mockup and the final evaluation of the system during experiments

Development of Virtual Environment under Member State Support Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koh, Byungmarn; Lee, Nayoung

2013-01-01

Member State Support Program (MSSP) is comprised of various programs such as development of safeguards approach, training, information analysis and so on. Each support programs would be evaluated biennially through coordinators' meeting. IAEA publish 'Development and Implementation Support Programme for Nuclear Verification' so that the member state can review it. In the program, IAEA specify the need to develop the virtual reality based training tools. The objective of this project is to develop comprehensive training software dedicated to verification activities in the field based on the virtual environment. The training for the IAEA inspector is indispensable to maintain or improve their verification capability and to be prepared for the inspection of the complicated facilities. However, the grabbing of the available facility is not easy due to following limitations such as security, confidentiality, interference of the commercial operation and so on. Therefore, the virtual environment, which can replace a real facility, is required for the IAEA training. The objective of this software is to support the IAEA's verification capability. It is useful for the trainer and trainee to better understand how nuclear materials are processed in the fuel fabrication facility and what kind safeguards approaches are needed at each process before inspections. The final product will be integrated in the IAEA safeguards training courses to improve the efficiency of the safeguards training. Also we are going to make a decision if additional projects such as CANDU fuel parts or other facilities depending on evaluation results at the IAEA training course will be held on Korea in this year

Development of Virtual Environment under Member State Support Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koh, Byungmarn; Lee, Nayoung [Korea Institute of Nuclear Non-proliferation and Control, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2013-05-15

Member State Support Program (MSSP) is comprised of various programs such as development of safeguards approach, training, information analysis and so on. Each support programs would be evaluated biennially through coordinators' meeting. IAEA publish 'Development and Implementation Support Programme for Nuclear Verification' so that the member state can review it. In the program, IAEA specify the need to develop the virtual reality based training tools. The objective of this project is to develop comprehensive training software dedicated to verification activities in the field based on the virtual environment. The training for the IAEA inspector is indispensable to maintain or improve their verification capability and to be prepared for the inspection of the complicated facilities. However, the grabbing of the available facility is not easy due to following limitations such as security, confidentiality, interference of the commercial operation and so on. Therefore, the virtual environment, which can replace a real facility, is required for the IAEA training. The objective of this software is to support the IAEA's verification capability. It is useful for the trainer and trainee to better understand how nuclear materials are processed in the fuel fabrication facility and what kind safeguards approaches are needed at each process before inspections. The final product will be integrated in the IAEA safeguards training courses to improve the efficiency of the safeguards training. Also we are going to make a decision if additional projects such as CANDU fuel parts or other facilities depending on evaluation results at the IAEA training course will be held on Korea in this year.

Employability Skills Assessment Tool Development

Science.gov (United States)

Rasul, Mohamad Sattar; Rauf, Rose Amnah Abd; Mansor, Azlin Norhaini; Puvanasvaran, A. P.

2012-01-01

Research nationally and internationally found that technical graduates are lacking in employability skills. As employability skills are crucial in outcome-based education, the main goal of this research is to develop an Employability Skill Assessment Tool to help students and lecturers produce competent graduates in employability skills needed by…

European Institutional and Organisational Tools for Maritime Human Resources Development

OpenAIRE

Dragomir Cristina

2012-01-01

Seafarers need to continuously develop their career, at all stages of their professional life. This paper presents some tools of institutional and organisational career development. At insitutional level there are presented vocational education and training tools provided by the European Union institutions while at organisational level are exemplified some tools used by private crewing companies for maritime human resources assessment and development.

Development and Application of a Tool for Optimizing Composite Matrix Viscoplastic Material Parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Murthy, Pappu L. N.; Naghipour Ghezeljeh, Paria; Bednarcyk, Brett A.

2018-01-01

This document describes a recently developed analysis tool that enhances the resident capabilities of the Micromechanics Analysis Code with the Generalized Method of Cells (MAC/GMC) and its application. MAC/GMC is a composite material and laminate analysis software package developed at NASA Glenn Research Center. The primary focus of the current effort is to provide a graphical user interface (GUI) capability that helps users optimize highly nonlinear viscoplastic constitutive law parameters by fitting experimentally observed/measured stress-strain responses under various thermo-mechanical conditions for braided composites. The tool has been developed utilizing the MATrix LABoratory (MATLAB) (The Mathworks, Inc., Natick, MA) programming language. Illustrative examples shown are for a specific braided composite system wherein the matrix viscoplastic behavior is represented by a constitutive law described by seven parameters. The tool is general enough to fit any number of experimentally observed stress-strain responses of the material. The number of parameters to be optimized, as well as the importance given to each stress-strain response, are user choice. Three different optimization algorithms are included: (1) Optimization based on gradient method, (2) Genetic algorithm (GA) based optimization and (3) Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). The user can mix and match the three algorithms. For example, one can start optimization with either 2 or 3 and then use the optimized solution to further fine tune with approach 1. The secondary focus of this paper is to demonstrate the application of this tool to optimize/calibrate parameters for a nonlinear viscoplastic matrix to predict stress-strain curves (for constituent and composite levels) at different rates, temperatures and/or loading conditions utilizing the Generalized Method of Cells. After preliminary validation of the tool through comparison with experimental results, a detailed virtual parametric study is

PT-SAFE: a software tool for development and annunciation of medical audible alarms.

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Christopher L; McNeer, Richard R

2012-03-01

Recent reports by The Joint Commission as well as the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation have indicated that medical audible alarm effectiveness needs to be improved. Several recent studies have explored various approaches to improving the audible alarms, motivating the authors to develop real-time software capable of comparing such alarms. We sought to devise software that would allow for the development of a variety of audible alarm designs that could also integrate into existing operating room equipment configurations. The software is meant to be used as a tool for alarm researchers to quickly evaluate novel alarm designs. A software tool was developed for the purpose of creating and annunciating audible alarms. The alarms consisted of annunciators that were mapped to vital sign data received from a patient monitor. An object-oriented approach to software design was used to create a tool that is flexible and modular at run-time, can annunciate wave-files from disk, and can be programmed with MATLAB by the user to create custom alarm algorithms. The software was tested in a simulated operating room to measure technical performance and to validate the time-to-annunciation against existing equipment alarms. The software tool showed efficacy in a simulated operating room environment by providing alarm annunciation in response to physiologic and ventilator signals generated by a human patient simulator, on average 6.2 seconds faster than existing equipment alarms. Performance analysis showed that the software was capable of supporting up to 15 audible alarms on a mid-grade laptop computer before audio dropouts occurred. These results suggest that this software tool provides a foundation for rapidly staging multiple audible alarm sets from the laboratory to a simulation environment for the purpose of evaluating novel alarm designs, thus producing valuable findings for medical audible alarm standardization.

Interactive Media and Simulation Tools for Technical Training

Science.gov (United States)

Gramoll, Kurt

1997-01-01

Over the last several years, integration of multiple media sources into a single information system has been rapidly developing. It has been found that when sound, graphics, text, animations, and simulations are skillfully integrated, the sum of the parts exceeds the individual parts for effective learning. In addition, simulations can be used to design and understand complex engineering processes. With the recent introduction of many high-level authoring, animation, modeling, and rendering programs for personal computers, significant multimedia programs can be developed by practicing engineers, scientists and even managers for both training and education. However, even with these new tools, a considerable amount of time is required to produce an interactive multimedia program. The development of both CD-ROM and Web-based programs are discussed in addition to the use of technically oriented animations. Also examined are various multimedia development tools and how they are used to develop effective engineering education courseware. Demonstrations of actual programs in engineering mechanics are shown.

The development of a practical tool for risk assessment of manual work – the HAT-tool

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kraker, H. de; Douwes, M.

2008-01-01

For the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment we developed a tool to assess the risks of developing complaints of the arm, neck or shoulders during manual work. The tool was developed for every type of organization and is easy to use, does not require measurements other than time and can

An Empirical Study of the Change Project as Both Teaching Tool and Outcome of an Educational Leadership Development Program.

Science.gov (United States)

King, Jean A.; Schleisman, Jane; Kistler, Susan

The Bush Foundation's leadership-development programs are an important source of inservice leadership training in Minnesota. The extent to which these programs influence pre-collegiate education is explored. The paper draws on a longitudinal study that asked two basic questions: what are the long-term effects of the Bush Leadership Programs on…

Embedded Systems Development Tools: A MODUS-oriented Market Overview

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Loupis Michalis

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Background: The embedded systems technology has perhaps been the most dominating technology in high-tech industries, in the past decade. The industry has correctly identified the potential of this technology and has put its efforts into exploring its full potential. Objectives: The goal of the paper is to explore the versatility of the application in the embedded system development based on one FP7-SME project. Methods/Approach: Embedded applications normally demand high resilience and quality, as well as conformity to quality standards and rigid performance. As a result embedded system developers have adopted software methods that yield high quality. The qualitative approach to examining embedded systems development tools has been applied in this work. Results: This paper presents a MODUS-oriented market analysis in the domains of Formal Verification tools, HW/SW co-simulation tools, Software Performance Optimization tools and Code Generation tools. Conclusions: The versatility of applications this technology serves is amazing. With all this performance potential, the technology has carried with itself a large number of issues which the industry essentially needs to resolve to be able to harness the full potential contained. The MODUS project toolset addressed four discrete domains of the ESD Software Market, in which corresponding open tools were developed

Predicting Wanton Assault in a General Youth Sample via the HEW Youth Development Model's Community Program Impact Scales, Age and Sex.

Science.gov (United States)

Truckenmiller, James L.

The former HEW National Strategy for Youth Development Model was a community-based planning and procedural tool designed to enhance positive youth development and prevent delinquency through a process of youth needs assessment, development of targeted programs, and program impact evaluation. A series of 12 Impact Scales most directly reflect the…

Clean Energy Finance Tool

Science.gov (United States)

State and local governments interested in developing a financing program can use this Excel tool to support energy efficiency and clean energy improvements for large numbers of buildings within their jurisdiction.

iOS Game Development using SpriteKit Framework with Swift Programming Language

OpenAIRE

Gurung, Lal

2016-01-01

iOS is a mobile operating system for Apple manufactured phones and tablets. Mobile Gaming Industries are growing very fast, and compatibility with iOS is becoming very popular among game developers. The aim of this Bachelor’s thesis was to find the best available game development tools for iOS platform. The 2D game named Lapland was developed using Apple’s own native framework, SpriteKit. The game was written with the SpriteKit programming language. The combination of SpriteKit and Swift...

Tools for Economic Analysis of Patient Management Interventions in Heart Failure Cost-Effectiveness Model: A Web-based program designed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of disease management programs in heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Reed, Shelby D; Neilson, Matthew P; Gardner, Matthew; Li, Yanhong; Briggs, Andrew H; Polsky, Daniel E; Graham, Felicia L; Bowers, Margaret T; Paul, Sara C; Granger, Bradi B; Schulman, Kevin A; Whellan, David J; Riegel, Barbara; Levy, Wayne C

2015-11-01

Heart failure disease management programs can influence medical resource use and quality-adjusted survival. Because projecting long-term costs and survival is challenging, a consistent and valid approach to extrapolating short-term outcomes would be valuable. We developed the Tools for Economic Analysis of Patient Management Interventions in Heart Failure Cost-Effectiveness Model, a Web-based simulation tool designed to integrate data on demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics; use of evidence-based medications; and costs to generate predicted outcomes. Survival projections are based on a modified Seattle Heart Failure Model. Projections of resource use and quality of life are modeled using relationships with time-varying Seattle Heart Failure Model scores. The model can be used to evaluate parallel-group and single-cohort study designs and hypothetical programs. Simulations consist of 10,000 pairs of virtual cohorts used to generate estimates of resource use, costs, survival, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios from user inputs. The model demonstrated acceptable internal and external validity in replicating resource use, costs, and survival estimates from 3 clinical trials. Simulations to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of heart failure disease management programs across 3 scenarios demonstrate how the model can be used to design a program in which short-term improvements in functioning and use of evidence-based treatments are sufficient to demonstrate good long-term value to the health care system. The Tools for Economic Analysis of Patient Management Interventions in Heart Failure Cost-Effectiveness Model provides researchers and providers with a tool for conducting long-term cost-effectiveness analyses of disease management programs in heart failure. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metrics Evolution in an Energy Research and Development Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dixon, Brent

2011-01-01

All technology programs progress through three phases: Discovery, Definition, and Deployment. The form and application of program metrics needs to evolve with each phase. During the discovery phase, the program determines what is achievable. A set of tools is needed to define program goals, to analyze credible technical options, and to ensure that the options are compatible and meet the program objectives. A metrics system that scores the potential performance of technical options is part of this system of tools, supporting screening of concepts and aiding in the overall definition of objectives. During the definition phase, the program defines what specifically is wanted. What is achievable is translated into specific systems and specific technical options are selected and optimized. A metrics system can help with the identification of options for optimization and the selection of the option for deployment. During the deployment phase, the program shows that the selected system works. Demonstration projects are established and classical systems engineering is employed. During this phase, the metrics communicate system performance. This paper discusses an approach to metrics evolution within the Department of Energy's Nuclear Fuel Cycle R and D Program, which is working to improve the sustainability of nuclear energy.

Using Case Study Videos as an Effective Active Learning Tool to Teach Software Development Best Practices (Invited Paper

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sushil Acharya

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The fundamental challenge to a solution to improve software quality is in the people and processes that develop software products. Imparting real world experiences in software development best practices to undergraduate students is often a challenge due to the lack of effective learning tools. This pedagogical requirement is important because graduates are expected to develop software that meets rigorous quality standards. Certain best practices are difficult to comprehend by course lectures alone and are enhanced with supplemental learning tools. Realizing the necessity of such teaching tools, we designed and developed six (6 delivery hours of case study videos for use in courses that impart knowledge on Software Verification & Validation (SV&V topics viz. requirements engineering, and software reviews. We see case study videos as an effective active learning tool in our flipped classroom approach. We present our design of the case study video in its generic components envisioning how it may be used in general. To evaluate our active learning tools we mapped the learning objectives of the case Study videos to the expected learning outcomes for ABET accreditation of an undergraduate engineering program. Our implementation has been disseminated to partner institutions. Results of delivery in a faculty workshop and in two different university courses are shared.

Advanced reach tool (ART) : Development of the mechanistic model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fransman, W.; Tongeren, M. van; Cherrie, J.W.; Tischer, M.; Schneider, T.; Schinkel, J.; Kromhout, H.; Warren, N.; Goede, H.; Tielemans, E.

2011-01-01

This paper describes the development of the mechanistic model within a collaborative project, referred to as the Advanced REACH Tool (ART) project, to develop a tool to model inhalation exposure for workers sharing similar operational conditions across different industries and locations in Europe.

Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development Program: Korean Education Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Sung Yeol; Hwang, Il Soon; Kim, Si Hwan

2009-01-01

Many countries have decided nuclear power for next energy resources as one of the long-term energy supply options. IAEA projected nuclear power expansion up to 2030 reaching between 447 GWe and 691 GWe compared to 370 GWe and 2660 TWh at the end of 2006. Both low and high projection is accompanied with new nuclear power plant constructions respectively 178 and 357, about 11 units per year, and most new construction is in North America, the Far East, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. During the last forty years, thirty three countries have established commercial nuclear power programs but only some of them have developed comprehensive and large scale peaceful nuclear power infrastructure. Although various cooperation and guidance program of nuclear power infrastructure, developing appropriate environment and infrastructure of nuclear power plant is still challenging problems for developing countries launching nuclear power program. With increasing the demand of safety and safeguard from international society, creating appropriate infrastructure becomes essential requirements in national nuclear power program. In the viewpoint of developing countries, without sufficient explanation and proper guidance, infrastructure could be seen only as another barrier in its nuclear power program. The importance of infrastructure development would be obscured by ostensible business and infrastructure program can result in increasing entering barriers to peaceful nuclear power application field without benefits to developing countries and international community. To avoid this situation by providing enough explanation and realistic case example and cooperate with the countries wanting to establish comprehensive nuclear power infrastructure in the peaceful applications, we are creating the education program of infrastructure development with basic guidelines of the IAEA infrastructure series and Korean experiences from least developed country to advanced country

Seductive Atmospheres: Using tools to effectuate spaces for Leadership Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Elmholdt, Kasper Trolle; Clausen, Rune Thorbjørn; Madsen, Mona T

2018-01-01

Hospital, this study investigates how a business game is used as a tool to effectuate episodic spaces for leadership development. The study reveals three tool affordances and discusses how they enable and constrain episodic spaces for development and further develops the notion of seductive atmospheres......This study applies an affordance lens to understand the use of management tools and how atmospheres for change and development are created and exploited. Drawing on an ethnographic case study of a consultant-facilitated change intervention among a group of research leaders at a Danish Public...... as an important mechanism. The article suggests that a broader understanding of the use of tools and the role of atmospheres is essential for understanding how episodic spaces for development come to work in relation to organizational change and development....

MC/DC and Toggle Coverage Measurement Tool for FBD Program Simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Eui Sub; Jung, Se Jin; Kim, Jae Yeob; Yoo, Jun Beom [Konkuk University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

The functional verification of FBD program can be implemented with various techniques such as testing and simulation. Simulation is preferable to verify FBD program, because it replicates operation of the PLC as well. The PLC is executed repeatedly as long as the controlled system is running based on scan time. Likewise, the simulation technique operates continuously and sequentially. Although engineers try to verify the functionality wholly, it is difficult to find residual errors in the design. Even if 100% functional coverage is accomplished, code coverage have 50%, which might indicate that the scenario is missing some key features of the design. Unfortunately, errors and bugs are often found in the missing points. To assure a high quality of functional verification, code coverage is important as well as functional coverage. We developed a pair tool 'FBDSim' and 'FBDCover' for FBD simulation and coverage measurement. The 'FBDSim' automatically simulates a set of FBD simulation scenarios. While the 'FBDSim' simulates the FBD program, it calculates the MC/DC and Toggle coverage and identifies unstimulated points. After FBD simulation is done, the 'FBDCover' reads the coverage results and shows the coverage with graphical feature and uncovered points with tree feature. The coverages and uncovered points can help engineers to improve the quality of simulation. We slightly dealt with the both coverages, but the coverage is dealt with more concrete and rigorous manner.

Development of a fast running accident analysis computer program for use in a simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cacciabue, P.C.

1985-01-01

This paper describes how a reactor safety nuclear computer program can be modified and improved with the aim of reaching a very fast running tool to be used as a physical model in a plant simulator, without penalizing the accuracy of results. It also discusses some ideas on how the physical theoretical model can be combined to a driving statistical tool for the build up of the entire package of software to be implemented in the simulator for risk and reliability analysis. The approach to the problem, although applied to a specific computer program, can be considered quite general if an already existing and well tested code is being used for the purpose. The computer program considered is ALMOD, originally developed for the analysis of the thermohydraulic and neutronic behaviour of the reactor core, primary circuit and steam generator during operational and special transients. (author)

Development of the COMPRE-A Program for Evaluating Proliferation Resistance (PR) and Physical Protection (PP) of the Nuclear Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Sukhoon; Kim, Juyub; Shin, Kwangyoung [FNC Technology Co., Yongin (Korea, Republic of); Seo, Janghoon; Jang, Sungsoon; Yoo, Hosik [Korea Institute of Nuclear Non-proliferation and Control, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

In order to make up for the limitation inherent in these methodologies, a new methodology called 'Comprehensive Methodology for PR and PP Evaluation (COMPRE)' is being developed by the Korea Institute of Nuclear Non-proliferation and Control (KINAC). Currently, a project for improving a computational program implementing the COMPRE methodology is ongoing in KINAC, and the 'COMPRE-A (i.e. COMPRE-Advanced model)' program was developed as part of this project. This paper describes details of the COMPRE-A program developed for establishing the platform corresponding to features of the evaluation factor derived for COMPRE, and for enhancing easiness of the result analysis through embodying the visualization and comparison tools for the evaluation result. As part of the project for improving a computational program implementing the COMPRE methodology, the COMPRE-A program was developed. This program provides not only the platform corresponding to features of the evaluation factor derived for COMPRE but also the visualization and comparison tools for enhancing easiness of the result analysis. The V and V for the developed program was performed through comparison with the result obtained by using MS-Excel for a sample case consisting of three (3) measures, six (6) sections and twenty-six (26) attributes. From the comparison result, it was confirmed that the risk in aspects of PR and PP at nuclear facilities could be quantitatively evaluated within the acceptable range using the COMPRE-A program.

Household income and expenditure surveys: a tool for accelerating the development of evidence-based fortification programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiedler, John L; Smitz, Marc-Francois; Dupriez, Olivier; Friedman, Jed

2008-12-01

One-third of the world's population suffers from micronutrient deficiencies due primarily to inadequate dietary intake. Food fortification is often touted as the most promising short- to medium-term strategy for combating these deficiencies. Despite its appealing characteristics, progress in fortification has been slow. To assess the potential of household food-purchase data to fill the food-consumption information gap, which has been an important factor contributing to the slow growth of fortification programs. Household income and expenditure survey (HIES) data about: (a) a population's distribution of apparent household consumption, which are essential to setting safe fortification levels, (b) the proportion of households purchasing "fortifiable" food, and (c) the quantity of food being purchased were used to proxy food-consumption data and develop suggested fortification levels. The usefulness of the approach in addressing several common fortification program design issues is demonstrated. HIES-based suggested fortification levels are juxtaposed with ones developed using the most common current approach, which relies upon Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Food Balance Sheets. Despite its limitations, the use of HIES data constitutes a generally unexploited opportunity to address the food-consumption information gap by using survey data that nearly every country of the world is already routinely collecting. HIES data enable the design of fortification programs to become more based on country-specific data and less on general rules of thumb. The more routine use of HIES data constitutes a first step in improving the precision of fortification feasibility analyses and improving estimates of the coverage, costs, and impact of fortification programs.

Development of a Nursing Handoff Tool: A Web-Based Application to Enhance Patient Safety

Science.gov (United States)

Goldsmith, Denise; Boomhower, Marc; Lancaster, Diane R.; Antonelli, Mary; Kenyon, Mary Anne Murphy; Benoit, Angela; Chang, Frank; Dykes, Patricia C.

2010-01-01

Dynamic and complex clinical environments present many challenges for effective communication among health care providers. The omission of accurate, timely, easily accessible vital information by health care providers significantly increases risk of patient harm and can have devastating consequences for patient care. An effective nursing handoff supports the standardized transfer of accurate, timely, critical patient information, as well as continuity of care and treatment, resulting in enhanced patient safety. The Brigham and Women’s/Faulkner Hospital Healthcare Information Technology Innovation Program (HIP) is supporting the development of a web based nursing handoff tool (NHT). The goal of this project is to develop a “proof of concept” handoff application to be evaluated by nurses on the inpatient intermediate care units. The handoff tool would enable nurses to use existing knowledge of evidence-based handoff methodology in their everyday practice to improve patient care and safety. In this paper, we discuss the results of nursing focus groups designed to identify the current state of handoff practice as well as the functional and data element requirements of a web based Nursing Handoff Tool (NHT). PMID:21346980

Bringing Automated Model Checking to PLC Program Development - A CERN Case Study

CERN Document Server

Fernandez Adiego, B; Tournier, J-C; Blanco Vinuela, E; Gonzalez Suarez, V M

2014-01-01

Verification of critical software is a high priority but a challenging task for industrial control systems. Model checking appears to be an appropriate approach for this purpose. However, this technique is not widely used in industry yet, due to some obstacles. The main obstacles encountered when trying to apply formal verification techniques at industrial installations are the difficulty of creating models out of PLC programs and defining formally the specification requirements. In addition, models produced out of real-life programs have a huge state space, thus preventing the verification due to performance issues. Our work at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) focuses on developing efficient automatic verification methods for industrial critical installations based on PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) control systems. In this paper, we present a tool generating automatically formal models out of PLC code. The tool implements a general methodology which can support several input languages, ...

The development of a post occupancy evaluation tool for primary schools: learner comfort assessment tool (LCAT)

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Motsatsi, L

2015-12-01

Full Text Available in order to facilitate teaching and learning. The aim of this study was to develop a Post Occupational Evaluation (POE) tool to assess learner comfort in relation to indoor environmental quality in the classroom. The development of POE tool followed a...

Building Automatic Grading Tools for Basic of Programming Lab in an Academic Institution

Science.gov (United States)

Harimurti, Rina; Iwan Nurhidayat, Andi; Asmunin

2018-04-01

The skills of computer programming is a core competency that must be mastered by students majoring in computer sciences. The best way to improve this skill is through the practice of writing many programs to solve various problems from simple to complex. It takes hard work and a long time to check and evaluate the results of student labs one by one, especially if the number of students a lot. Based on these constrain, web proposes Automatic Grading Tools (AGT), the application that can evaluate and deeply check the source code in C, C++. The application architecture consists of students, web-based applications, compilers, and operating systems. Automatic Grading Tools (AGT) is implemented MVC Architecture and using open source software, such as laravel framework version 5.4, PostgreSQL 9.6, Bootstrap 3.3.7, and jquery library. Automatic Grading Tools has also been tested for real problems by submitting source code in C/C++ language and then compiling. The test results show that the AGT application has been running well.

Monitoring Compliance to Promote Quality Assurance: Development of a Mental Health Clinical Chart Audit Tool in Belize, 2013.

Science.gov (United States)

Winer, Rachel A; Bennett, Eleanor; Murillo, Illouise; Schuetz-Mueller, Jan; Katz, Craig L

2015-09-01

Belize trained psychiatric nurse practitioners (PNPs) in the early 1990s to provide mental health services throughout the country. Despite overwhelming success, the program is limited by lack of monitoring, evaluation, and surveillance. To promote quality assurance, we developed a chart audit tool to monitor mental healthcare delivery compliance for initial psychiatric assessment notes completed by PNPs. After reviewing the Belize Health Information System electronic medical record system, we developed a clinical audit tool to capture 20 essential components for initial assessment clinical notes. The audit tool was then piloted for initial assessment notes completed during July through September of 2013. One hundred and thirty-four initial psychiatric interviews were audited. The average chart score among all PNPs was 9.57, ranging from 3 to 15. Twenty-three charts-or 17.2%-had a score of 14 or higher and met a 70% compliance benchmark goal. Among indicators most frequently omitted included labs ordered and named (15.7%) and psychiatric diagnosis (21.6%). Explicit statement of medications initiated with dose and frequency occurred in 47.0% of charts. Our findings provide direction for training and improvement, such as emphasizing the importance of naming labs ordered, medications and doses prescribed, and psychiatric diagnoses in initial assessment clinical notes. We hope this initial assessment helps enhance mental health delivery compliance by prompting creation of BHIS templates, development of audits tools for revisit follow-up visits, and establishment of corrective actions for low-scoring practitioners. These efforts may serve as a model for implementing quality assurance programming in other low resource settings.

A Simulation Tool for tccp Programs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María-del-Mar Gallardo

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The Timed Concurrent Constraint Language tccp is a declarative synchronous concurrent language, particularly suitable for modelling reactive systems. In tccp, agents communicate and synchronise through a global constraint store. It supports a notion of discrete time that allows all non-blocked agents to proceed with their execution simultaneously. In this paper, we present a modular architecture for the simulation of tccp programs. The tool comprises three main components. First, a set of basic abstract instructions able to model the tccp agent behaviour, the memory model needed to manage the active agents and the state of the store during the execution. Second, the agent interpreter that executes the instructions of the current agent iteratively and calculates the new agents to be executed at the next time instant. Finally, the constraint solver components which are the modules that deal with constraints. In this paper, we describe the implementation of these components and present an example of a real system modelled in tccp.

Some key issues in the development of ergonomic intervention tools

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Edwards, Kasper; Winkel, Jørgen

2016-01-01

Literature reviews suggest that tools facilitating the ergonomic intervention processes should be integrated into rationalization tools, particular if such tools are participative. Such a Tool has recently been developed as an add-in module to the Lean tool “Value Stream Mapping” (VSM). However...

Simulator program as a form of implementation of electronic teaching tools for self-study of foreign students at the stage of pre-university training

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andriy O. Savel'ev

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Questions of empowerment the organization of classroom and extracurricular self-study of foreign students at the stage of pre-university training through the implementation of electronic teaching tools as a component of computer training facilities in educational process are considered. Classification of modern electronic teaching tools as a component of computer hardware training, developed on the basis of modern information and communication technologies is offered. Version of program-simulator "Introductory course" is offered. The program is created by means of WEB-programming and uses training material of introductory course. Introductory course is one of the most important elements of teaching of scientific style of speech within the language training for the foreign students at the preparatory faculty.

Fernald Silo Remote Retrieval Tool Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varma, V.K.

2004-01-01

A long-reach tool was developed to remove discrete objects from the silos at the Fernald Environmental Management Project in Ohio. If they are not removed, these objects can potentially cause problems during the retrieval and transfer of waste from the silos. Most of the objects are on top of the Bentogrout cap inside the silos at or near the primary opening into the tank and will therefore require only vertical lifting. The objects are located about 20 ft from the top of the silo. Although most of the objects can be retrieved from 20 ft, the long-reach tool was designed to for a reach up to 40 ft in case objects roll towards the walls of the tank or need to be removed during heel retrieval operations. This report provides a detailed description of the tool that was developed, tested, and demonstrated at the Tanks Technology Cold Test Facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Scaffolding was erected over two experimental cells to simulate the 40-ft maximum working depth anticipated in the silos at Fernald. Plastic bottles and plastic sheeting simulated the debris that could be encountered during waste retrieval operations

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.

Programming Models and Tools for Intelligent Embedded Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sørensen, Peter Verner Bojsen

Design automation and analysis tools targeting embedded platforms, developed using a component-based design approach, must be able to reason about the capabilities of the platforms. In the general case where nothing is assumed about the components comprising a platform or the platform topology...... is used for checking the consistency of a design with respect to the availablity of services and resources. In the second application, a tool for automatically implementing the communication infrastructure of a process network application, the Service Relation Model is used for analyzing the capabilities...

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…

Development of An Automatic Verification Program for Thermal-hydraulic System Codes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, J. Y.; Ahn, K. T.; Ko, S. H.; Kim, Y. S.; Kim, D. W. [Pusan National University, Busan (Korea, Republic of); Suh, J. S.; Cho, Y. S.; Jeong, J. J. [System Engineering and Technology Co., Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2012-05-15

As a project activity of the capstone design competitive exhibition, supported by the Education Center for Green Industry-friendly Fusion Technology (GIFT), we have developed a computer program which can automatically perform non-regression test, which is needed repeatedly during a developmental process of a thermal-hydraulic system code, such as the SPACE code. A non-regression test (NRT) is an approach to software testing. The purpose of the non-regression testing is to verify whether, after updating a given software application (in this case, the code), previous software functions have not been compromised. The goal is to prevent software regression, whereby adding new features results in software bugs. As the NRT is performed repeatedly, a lot of time and human resources will be needed during the development period of a code. It may cause development period delay. To reduce the cost and the human resources and to prevent wasting time, non-regression tests need to be automatized. As a tool to develop an automatic verification program, we have used Visual Basic for Application (VBA). VBA is an implementation of Microsoft's event-driven programming language Visual Basic 6 and its associated integrated development environment, which are built into most Microsoft Office applications (In this case, Excel)

Development of An Automatic Verification Program for Thermal-hydraulic System Codes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J. Y.; Ahn, K. T.; Ko, S. H.; Kim, Y. S.; Kim, D. W.; Suh, J. S.; Cho, Y. S.; Jeong, J. J.

2012-01-01

As a project activity of the capstone design competitive exhibition, supported by the Education Center for Green Industry-friendly Fusion Technology (GIFT), we have developed a computer program which can automatically perform non-regression test, which is needed repeatedly during a developmental process of a thermal-hydraulic system code, such as the SPACE code. A non-regression test (NRT) is an approach to software testing. The purpose of the non-regression testing is to verify whether, after updating a given software application (in this case, the code), previous software functions have not been compromised. The goal is to prevent software regression, whereby adding new features results in software bugs. As the NRT is performed repeatedly, a lot of time and human resources will be needed during the development period of a code. It may cause development period delay. To reduce the cost and the human resources and to prevent wasting time, non-regression tests need to be automatized. As a tool to develop an automatic verification program, we have used Visual Basic for Application (VBA). VBA is an implementation of Microsoft's event-driven programming language Visual Basic 6 and its associated integrated development environment, which are built into most Microsoft Office applications (In this case, Excel)

Quality Assurance Project Plan Development Tool

Science.gov (United States)

This tool contains information designed to assist in developing a Quality Assurance (QA) Project Plan that meets EPA requirements for projects that involve surface or groundwater monitoring and/or the collection and analysis of water samples.

Effectiveness of operation tools developed by KEKB operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugino, K.; Satoh, Y.; Kitabayashi, T.

2004-01-01

The main tasks of KEKB (High Energy Accelerator Research Organization B-physics) operators are beam tuning and injection, operation logging, monitoring of accelerator conditions and safety management. New beam tuning methods are frequently applied to KEKB in order to accomplish high luminosity. In such a situation, various operation tools have been developed by the operators to realize efficient operation. In this paper, we describe effectiveness of tools developed by the operators. (author)

Process development and tooling design for intrinsic hybrid composites

Science.gov (United States)

Riemer, M.; Müller, R.; Drossel, W. G.; Landgrebe, D.

2017-09-01

Hybrid parts, which combine the advantages of different material classes, are moving into the focus of lightweight applications. This development is amplified by their high potential for usage in the field of crash relevant structures. By the current state of the art, hybrid parts are mainly made in separate, subsequent forming and joining processes. By using the concept of an intrinsic hybrid, the shaping of the part and the joining of the different materials are performed in a single process step for shortening the overall processing time and thereby the manufacturing costs. The investigated hybrid part is made from continuous fibre reinforced plastic (FRP), in which a metallic reinforcement structure is integrated. The connection between these layered components is realized by a combination of adhesive bonding and a geometrical form fit. The form fit elements are intrinsically generated during the forming process. This contribution regards the development of the forming process and the design of the forming tool for the single step production of a hybrid part. To this end a forming tool, which combines the thermo-forming and the metal forming process, is developed. The main challenge by designing the tool is the temperature management of the tool elements for the variothermal forming process. The process parameters are determined in basic tests and finite element (FE) simulation studies. On the basis of these investigations a control concept for the steering of the motion axes and the tool temperature is developed. Forming tests are carried out with the developed tool and the manufactured parts are analysed by computer assisted tomography (CT) scans.

HyPro: A Financial Tool for Simulating Hydrogen Infrastructure Development, Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brian D. James, Peter O. Schmidt, Julie Perez

2008-12-01

This report summarizes a multi-year Directed Technologies Inc. (DTI) project to study the build-out of hydrogen production facilities during the transition from gasoline internal combustion engine vehicle to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The primary objectives of the project are to develop an enhanced understanding of hydrogen production issues during the transition period (out to 2050) and to develop recommendations for the DOE on areas of further study. These objectives are achieved by conducting economic and scenario analysis to predict how industry would provide the hydrogen production, delivery and dispensing capabilities necessary to satisfy increased hydrogen demand. The primary tool used for the analysis is a custom created MatLab simulation tool entitled HyPro (short for Hydrogen Production). This report describes the calculation methodology used in HyPro, the baseline assumptions, the results of the baseline analysis and several corollary studies. The appendices of this report included a complete listing of model assumptions (capital costs, efficiencies, feedstock prices, delivery distances, etc.) and a step-by-step manual on the specific operation of the HyPro program. This study was made possible with funding from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

A weekend program model for faculty development with primary care physicians.

Science.gov (United States)

Gjerde, Craig L; Kokotailo, Patricia; Olson, Curtis A; Hla, Khin Mae

2004-01-01

Medical teachers are expected to be proficient at teaching students and residents about the changing health care system. The University of Wisconsin established a faculty development fellowship program to better prepare clinical teachers in family medicine, general pediatrics, and general internal medicine. This paper describes our fellowship program, presents data on program accomplishments, and discusses what we have learned. We developed a year-long series of five weekend workshops. A core group of faculty provided 2- to 4- hour sessions on topics including evidence-based medicine, physician leadership, advocacy, doctor-patient communication, quality, technology tools, and teaching skills. Evaluation data were used to shape the program, make improvements, and assess impact. Fellows self-assessed their ability to perform skills at the beginning and ending of the year; paired t tests were used to compare these changes. Attendance and program completion rates were more than 94% for the 84 fellows taught over 6 years. Individual sessions and the overall program were well-rated by fellows. Participants reported improvements in targeted skills; statistical analyses confirmed many significant pre-post improvements. To obtain high ratings, faculty must apply adult learning and active learning principles; lectures were not well tolerated. Initial technology skills were often low; computer labs needed many helpers. Participants needed extensive faculty support on their projects. It facilitated coordination and learning to have a core group of fellowship faculty who did most of the teaching. Graduates have become enthusiastic recruiters for new fellows. Our 5-weekend program has proven to be an effective faculty development model.

The Depression Inventory Development Workgroup: A Collaborative, Empirically Driven Initiative to Develop a New Assessment Tool for Major Depressive Disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Vaccarino, Anthony L; Evans, Kenneth R; Kalali, Amir H; Kennedy, Sidney H; Engelhardt, Nina; Frey, Benicio N; Greist, John H; Kobak, Kenneth A; Lam, Raymond W; MacQueen, Glenda; Milev, Roumen; Placenza, Franca M; Ravindran, Arun V; Sheehan, David V; Sills, Terrence; Williams, Janet B W

2016-01-01

The Depression Inventory Development project is an initiative of the International Society for CNS Drug Development whose goal is to develop a comprehensive and psychometrically sound measurement tool to be utilized as a primary endpoint in clinical trials for major depressive disorder. Using an iterative process between field testing and psychometric analysis and drawing upon expertise of international researchers in depression, the Depression Inventory Development team has established an empirically driven and collaborative protocol for the creation of items to assess symptoms in major depressive disorder. Depression-relevant symptom clusters were identified based on expert clinical and patient input. In addition, as an aid for symptom identification and item construction, the psychometric properties of existing clinical scales (assessing depression and related indications) were evaluated using blinded datasets from pharmaceutical antidepressant drug trials. A series of field tests in patients with major depressive disorder provided the team with data to inform the iterative process of scale development. We report here an overview of the Depression Inventory Development initiative, including results of the third iteration of items assessing symptoms related to anhedonia, cognition, fatigue, general malaise, motivation, anxiety, negative thinking, pain and appetite. The strategies adopted from the Depression Inventory Development program, as an empirically driven and collaborative process for scale development, have provided the foundation to develop and validate measurement tools in other therapeutic areas as well.

[COMETE: a tool to develop psychosocial competences in patient education].

Science.gov (United States)

Saugeron, Benoit; Sonnier, Pierre; Marchais, Stéphanie

2016-01-01

This article presents a detailed description of the development and use of the COMETE tool. The COMETE tool is designed to help medical teams identify, develop or evaluate psychosocial skills in patient education and counselling. This tool, designed in the form of a briefcase, proposes methodological activities and cards that assess psychosocial skills during a shared educational assessment, group meetings or during an individual evaluation. This tool is part of a support approach for medical teams caring for patients with chronic diseases.

Predicting Vandalism in a General Youth Sample via the HEW Youth Development Model's Community Program Impact Scales, Age, and Sex.

Science.gov (United States)

Truckenmiller, James L.

The former HEW National Strategy for Youth Development model was a community-based planning and procedural tool to enhance and to prevent delinquency through a process of youth needs assessments, needs targeted programs, and program impact evaluation. The program's 12 Impact Scales have been found to have acceptable reliabilities, substantial…

Development and implementation of a hospital-based patient safety program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frush, Karen S.; Alton, Michael; Frush, Donald P.

2006-01-01

Evidence from numerous studies indicates that large numbers of patients are harmed by medical errors while receiving health-care services in the United States today. The 1999 Institute of Medicine report on medical errors recommended that hospitals and health-care agencies ''establish safety programs to act as a catalyst for the development of a culture of safety'' [1]. In this article, we describe one approach to successful implementation of a hospital-based patient safety program. Although our experience at Duke University Health System will be used as an example, the needs, principles, and solutions can apply to a variety of other health-care practices. Key components include the development of safety teams, provision of tools that teams can use to support an environment of safety, and ongoing program modification to meet patient and staff needs and respond to changing priorities. By moving patient safety to the forefront of all that we do as health-care providers, we can continue to improve our delivery of health care to children and adults alike. This improvement is fostered when we enhance the culture of safety, develop a constant awareness of the possibility of human and system errors in the delivery of care, and establish additional safeguards to intercept medical errors in order to prevent harm to patients. (orig.)

Activity-Centred Tool Integration

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Klaus Marius

2003-01-01

This paper is concerned with integration of heterogeneous tools for system development. We argue that such tools should support concrete activities (e.g., programming, unit testing, conducting workshops) in contrast to abstract concerns (e.g., analysis, design, implementation). A consequence of t...... of this is that tools — or components —that support activities well should be integrated in ad-hoc, dynamic, and heterogeneous ways. We present a peer-to-peer architecture for this based on type-based publish subscribe and give an example of its use....

Market research companies and new product development tools

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijssen, E.J.; Frambach, R.T.

1998-01-01

This research investigates (1) the share of new product development (NPD) research services in market research (MR) companies’ turnover, (2) MR companies’ awareness and use of NPD tools and the modifications made to these NPD tools, and (3) MR company managers’ perceptions of the influence of client

Market research companies and new product development tools

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nijssen, Edwin J.; Frambach, Ruud T.

1998-01-01

This research investigates (1) the share of new product development (NPD) research services in market research (MR) companies' turnover, (2) MR companies' awareness and use of NPD tools and the modifications made to these NPD tools, and (3) MR company managers' perceptions of the influence of client

Cost-Effective CNC Part Program Verification Development for Laboratory Instruction.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Joseph C.; Chang, Ted C.

2000-01-01

Describes a computer numerical control program verification system that checks a part program before its execution. The system includes character recognition, word recognition, a fuzzy-nets system, and a tool path viewer. (SK)

Applying New Diabetes Teaching Tools in Health-Related Extension Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Grenci, Alexandra

2010-01-01

In response to the emerging global diabetes epidemic, health educators are searching for new and better education tools to help people make positive behavior changes to successfully prevent or manage diabetes. Conversation Maps[R] are new learner-driven education tools that have been developed to empower individuals to improve their health…

Development of a computer program for the cost analysis of spent fuel management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Heui Joo; Lee, Jong Youl; Choi, Jong Won; Cha, Jeong Hun; Whang, Joo Ho

2009-01-01

So far, a substantial amount of spent fuels have been generated from the PWR and CANDU reactors. They are being temporarily stored at the nuclear power plant sites. It is expected that the temporary storage facility will be full of spent fuels by around 2016. The government plans to solve the problem by constructing an interim storage facility soon. The radioactive management act was enacted in 2008 to manage the spent fuels safety in Korea. According to the act, the radioactive waste management fund which will be used for the transportation, interim storage, and the final disposal of spent fuels has been established. The cost for the management of spent fuels is surprisingly high and could include a lot of uncertainty. KAERI and Kyunghee University have developed cost estimation tools to evaluate the cost for a spent fuel management based on an engineering design and calculation. It is not easy to develop a tool for a cost estimation under the situation that the national policy on a spent fuel management has not yet been fixed at all. Thus, the current version of the computer program is based on the current conceptual design of each management system. The main purpose of this paper is to introduce the computer program developed for the cost analysis of a spent fuel management. In order to show the application of the program, a spent fuel management scenario is prepared, and the cost for the scenario is estimated

Nuclear imaging drug development tools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buchanan, L.; Jurek, P.; Redshaw, R.

2007-01-01

This article describes the development of nuclear imaging as an enabling technology in the pharmaceutical industry. Molecular imaging is maturing into an important tool with expanding applications from validating that a drug reaches the intended target through to market launch of a new drug. Molecular imaging includes anatomical imaging of organs or tissues, computerized tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound.

LETOS -- A Lightweight Execution Tool for Operational Semantics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hartel, Pieter H.

A simple tool is proposed to aid in the development of operational semantics. The tool supports publication quality rendering using LATEX execution and animation using a functional programming system and derivation tree browsing using Netscape. The tool has been implemented and it has been used on a

An Introduction to Intelligent Processing Programs Developed by the Air Force Manufacturing Technology Directorate

Science.gov (United States)

Sampson, Paul G.; Sny, Linda C.

1992-01-01

The Air Force has numerous on-going manufacturing and integration development programs (machine tools, composites, metals, assembly, and electronics) which are instrumental in improving productivity in the aerospace industry, but more importantly, have identified strategies and technologies required for the integration of advanced processing equipment. An introduction to four current Air Force Manufacturing Technology Directorate (ManTech) manufacturing areas is provided. Research is being carried out in the following areas: (1) machining initiatives for aerospace subcontractors which provide for advanced technology and innovative manufacturing strategies to increase the capabilities of small shops; (2) innovative approaches to advance machine tool products and manufacturing processes; (3) innovative approaches to advance sensors for process control in machine tools; and (4) efforts currently underway to develop, with the support of industry, the Next Generation Workstation/Machine Controller (Low-End Controller Task).

A Software Tool to Visualize Verbal Protocols to Enhance Strategic and Metacognitive Abilities in Basic Programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos A. Arévalo

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Learning to program is difficult for many first year undergraduate students. Instructional strategies of traditional programming courses tend to focus on syntactic issues and assigning practice exercises using the presentation-examples-practice formula and by showing the verbal and visual explanation of a teacher during the “step by step” process of writing a computer program. Cognitive literature regarding the mental processes involved in programming suggests that the explicit teaching of certain aspects such as mental models, strategic knowledge and metacognitive abilities, are critical issues of how to write and assemble the pieces of a computer program. Verbal protocols are often used in software engineering as a technique to record the short term cognitive process of a user or expert in evaluation or problem solving scenarios. We argue that verbal protocols can be used as a mechanism to explicitly show the strategic and metacognitive process of an instructor when writing a program. In this paper we present an Information System Prototype developed to store and visualize worked examples derived from transcribed verbal protocols during the process of writing introductory level programs. Empirical data comparing the grades obtained by two groups of novice programming students, using ANOVA, indicates a statistically positive difference in performance in the group using the tool, even though these results still cannot be extrapolated to general population, given the reported limitations of this study.

Estimating the Impacts of Direct Load Control Programs Using GridPIQ, a Web-Based Screening Tool

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pal, Seemita; Thayer, Brandon L.; Barrett, Emily L.; Studarus, Karen E.

2017-11-13

In direct load control (DLC) programs, utilities can curtail the demand of participating loads to contractually agreed-upon levels during periods of critical peak load, thereby reducing stress on the system, generation cost, and required transmission and generation capacity. Participating customers receive financial incentives. The impacts of implementing DLC programs extend well beyond peak shaving. There may be a shift of load proportional to the interrupted load to the times before or after a DLC event, and different load shifts have different consequences. Tools that can quantify the impacts of such programs on load curves, peak demand, emissions, and fossil fuel costs are currently lacking. The Grid Project Impact Quantification (GridPIQ) screening tool includes a Direct Load Control module, which takes into account project-specific inputs as well as the larger system context in order to quantify the impacts of a given DLC program. This allows users (utilities, researchers, etc.) to test and compare different program specifications and their impacts.

No Code Required Giving Users Tools to Transform the Web

CERN Document Server

Cypher, Allen; Lau, Tessa; Nichols, Jeffrey

2010-01-01

Revolutionary tools are emerging from research labs that enable all computer users to customize and automate their use of the Web without learning how to program. No Code Required takes cutting edge material from academic and industry leaders - the people creating these tools -- and presents the research, development, application, and impact of a variety of new and emerging systems. *The first book since Web 2.0 that covers the latest research, development, and systems emerging from HCI research labs on end user programming tools *Featuring contributions from the creators of Adobe's Zoet

SASD-tools for program design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gather, K.S.

1989-01-01

An overview of Structured Analysis Structured Design (SASD) methodology is given. Some emphasis is put on the time needed to start in a HEP environment with software design methodologies, and on the motivation for SASD. The need for tools is indicated, and examples of their usefulness in analysis and design steps are discussed. Limitations of certain design methods are indicated and additional tools are briefly discussed. Criteria for the selection of tools to be used in large systems design are discussed, and some attention is given to implications for management structures. (orig.)

Indigenous youth-developed self-assessment: The Personal Balance Tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Barraza, Rachelle; Bartgis, Jami

2016-01-01

The Fresno American Indian Health Project (FAIHP) Youth Council developed and pilot tested a strength-based, holistic, and youth-friendly self-assessment tool grounded in the Medicine Wheel, a framework and theoretical orientation for teaching wellness in many tribal communities. This paper summarizes the development of the Youth Personal Balance Tool and the methods used for tool revisions through two separate pilot studies and ongoing process evaluations across 3 years. Using a community-based participatory evaluation model, FAIHP leveraged community resources to implement an annual youth Gathering of Native Americans to support youth in healing from historical and intergenerational trauma and restoring communities to balance by making them a part of the solution. This tool is one of many outcomes of their work. The Youth Council is offering the tool as a gift (in line with the cultural value of generosity) to other Indigenous communities that are searching for culturally competent self-assessment tools for youth. The authors believe this tool has the potential to progress the field in strength-based, holistic, youth-friendly assessment as a culturally competent method for Indigenous evaluation and research.

Program summary for the Civilian Reactor Development Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-07-01

This Civilian Reactor Development Program document has the prime purpose of summarizing the technical programs supported by the FY 1983 budget request. This section provides a statement of the overall program objectives and a general program overview. Section II presents the technical programs in a format intended to show logical technical interrelationships, and does not necessarily follow the structure of the formal budget presentation. Section III presents the technical organization and management structure of the program

A New Internet Tool for Automatic Evaluation in Control Systems and Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Munoz de la Pena, D.; Gomez-Estern, F.; Dormido, S.

2012-01-01

In this paper we present a web-based innovative education tool designed for automating the collection, evaluation and error detection in practical exercises assigned to computer programming and control engineering students. By using a student/instructor code-fusion architecture, the conceptual limits of multiple-choice tests are overcome by far.…

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)

Agent-based modeling as a tool for program design and evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawlor, Jennifer A; McGirr, Sara

2017-12-01

Recently, systems thinking and systems science approaches have gained popularity in the field of evaluation; however, there has been relatively little exploration of how evaluators could use quantitative tools to assist in the implementation of systems approaches therein. The purpose of this paper is to explore potential uses of one such quantitative tool, agent-based modeling, in evaluation practice. To this end, we define agent-based modeling and offer potential uses for it in typical evaluation activities, including: engaging stakeholders, selecting an intervention, modeling program theory, setting performance targets, and interpreting evaluation results. We provide demonstrative examples from published agent-based modeling efforts both inside and outside the field of evaluation for each of the evaluative activities discussed. We further describe potential pitfalls of this tool and offer cautions for evaluators who may chose to implement it in their practice. Finally, the article concludes with a discussion of the future of agent-based modeling in evaluation practice and a call for more formal exploration of this tool as well as other approaches to simulation modeling in the field. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CATEGORIES AND TOOLS FOR MANAGING THE INTEGRATED PROJECTS AND PROGRAMS OF INNOVATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF GEOTRIONS IN RUSSIA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chudin Anatoly Andreyevich

2013-05-01

Full Text Available "An integrated approach to managing the development of the innovative three-component systems, including "population” (social sphere, economy (industrial sphere, and territory (regional sphere, has been developed." These spheres of innovative development have the earth coordinates, are linked non-continuously but inseparably, so they can be analyzed only comprehensively. Following N.D. Matrusov [1] we will call them geotrions. The most important problems in geotrion management are considered in many researches, including [2, 3, 4]. The developed approach serves to overcome many obstacles to the effective development of the innovation process in Russia. The work identifies its basic categories, tools and technologies. The developed approach has revealed the minimum full table of the most significant parameters in the management of the innovation process in the geotrion (parameters of the order and integral parameters of the interaction between the processes, which provided a simple model and the effectiveness of management, through the use of its own power.

Developing e-marketing tools : Case company: CASTA Ltd.

OpenAIRE

Nguyen, Chi

2014-01-01

This Bachelor’s thesis topic is developing e-marketing tools for the B2C sector of CASTA Ltd. The final outcome is a set of online marketing tools guidelines that can improve business activities, especially marketing effectiveness. Based on the company’s status as a novice in online marketing field, the thesis will focus on the basic level of three specific online marketing tools, instead of covering the whole e-marketing subject. The theoretical framework first describes the concept of e...

Development of configuration risk management tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masuda, Takahiro; Doi, Eiji

2003-01-01

Tokyo Electric Power Company (referred to as TEPCO hereinafter), and other Japanese utilities as well, have been trying to improve the capacity factor of their Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs) through modernization of Operation and Maintenance strategy. TEPCO intends to apply risk information to O and M field with maintaining or even improving both safety and production efficiency. Under these situations, TEPCO with some BWR utilities started to develop a Configuration Risk Management (CRM) tool that can estimate risk in various plant conditions due to configuration changes during outage. Moreover, we also intend to apply CRM to on-line maintenance (OLM) in the near future. This tool can calculate the Core Damage Frequency (CDF) according to given plant condition, such as SSCs availability, decay heat level and the inventory of coolant in both outage state and full-power operation. From deterministic viewpoint, whether certain configuration meet the related requirements of Technical Specifications. User-friendly interface is one of the important features of this tool because this enables the site engineers with little experience in PSA to quantify and utilize the risk information by this tool. (author)

Developing a mapping tool for tablets

Science.gov (United States)

Vaughan, Alan; Collins, Nathan; Krus, Mike

2014-05-01

Digital field mapping offers significant benefits when compared with traditional paper mapping techniques in that it provides closer integration with downstream geological modelling and analysis. It also provides the mapper with the ability to rapidly integrate new data with existing databases without the potential degradation caused by repeated manual transcription of numeric, graphical and meta-data. In order to achieve these benefits, a number of PC-based digital mapping tools are available which have been developed for specific communities, eg the BGS•SIGMA project, Midland Valley's FieldMove®, and a range of solutions based on ArcGIS® software, which can be combined with either traditional or digital orientation and data collection tools. However, with the now widespread availability of inexpensive tablets and smart phones, a user led demand for a fully integrated tablet mapping tool has arisen. This poster describes the development of a tablet-based mapping environment specifically designed for geologists. The challenge was to deliver a system that would feel sufficiently close to the flexibility of paper-based geological mapping while being implemented on a consumer communication and entertainment device. The first release of a tablet-based geological mapping system from this project is illustrated and will be shown as implemented on an iPad during the poster session. Midland Valley is pioneering tablet-based mapping and, along with its industrial and academic partners, will be using the application in field based projects throughout this year and will be integrating feedback in further developments of this technology.

Evaluation and selection of CASE tool for SMART OTS development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, K. O; Seo, S. M.; Seo, Y. S.; Koo, I. S.; Jang, M. H.

1999-01-01

CASE(Computer-Aided Software Engineering) tool is a software that aids in software engineering activities such as requirement analysis, design, testing, configuration management, and project management. The evaluation and selection of commercial CASE tools for the specific software development project is not a easy work because the technical ability of an evaluator and the maturity of a software development organization are required. In this paper, we discuss selection strategies, characteristic survey, evaluation criteria, and the result of CASE tool selection for the development of SMART(System-integrated Modular Advanced ReacTor) OTS(Operator Training Simulator)

A Tool for Conceptualising in PSS development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Matzen, Detlef; McAloone, Timothy Charles

2006-01-01

This paper introduces a tool for conceptualising in the development of product/servicesystems (PSS), based upon the modelling of service activities. Our argumentation is built on two previous articles by the same author, previously presented at the 16. Symposium “Design for X” [1] and the 9th Int...... the integrated consideration of the customers’ activities, possible PSS offerings and beneficial partnering options (i.e. between different supplier companies) within the delivery value chain.......This paper introduces a tool for conceptualising in the development of product/servicesystems (PSS), based upon the modelling of service activities. Our argumentation is built on two previous articles by the same author, previously presented at the 16. Symposium “Design for X” [1] and the 9th...... International Design Conference [2]. In this contribution, we take the step from a fundamental understanding of the phenomenon to creating a normative exploitation of this understanding for PSS concept development. The developed modelling technique is based on the Customer Activity Cycle (CAC) model...

The development of tool manufacture in humans: what helps young children make innovative tools?

Science.gov (United States)

Chappell, Jackie; Cutting, Nicola; Apperly, Ian A; Beck, Sarah R

2013-11-19

We know that even young children are proficient tool users, but until recently, little was known about how they make tools. Here, we will explore the concepts underlying tool making, and the kinds of information and putative cognitive abilities required for children to manufacture novel tools. We will review the evidence for novel tool manufacture from the comparative literature and present a growing body of data from children suggesting that innovation of the solution to a problem by making a tool is a much more challenging task than previously thought. Children's difficulty with these kinds of tasks does not seem to be explained by perseveration with unmodified tools, difficulty with switching to alternative strategies, task pragmatics or issues with permission. Rather, making novel tools (without having seen an example of the required tool within the context of the task) appears to be hard, because it is an example of an 'ill-structured problem'. In this type of ill-structured problem, the starting conditions and end goal are known, but the transformations and/or actions required to get from one to the other are not specified. We will discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the development of problem-solving in humans and other animals.

The development of tool manufacture in humans: what helps young children make innovative tools?

Science.gov (United States)

Chappell, Jackie; Cutting, Nicola; Apperly, Ian A.; Beck, Sarah R.

2013-01-01

We know that even young children are proficient tool users, but until recently, little was known about how they make tools. Here, we will explore the concepts underlying tool making, and the kinds of information and putative cognitive abilities required for children to manufacture novel tools. We will review the evidence for novel tool manufacture from the comparative literature and present a growing body of data from children suggesting that innovation of the solution to a problem by making a tool is a much more challenging task than previously thought. Children's difficulty with these kinds of tasks does not seem to be explained by perseveration with unmodified tools, difficulty with switching to alternative strategies, task pragmatics or issues with permission. Rather, making novel tools (without having seen an example of the required tool within the context of the task) appears to be hard, because it is an example of an ‘ill-structured problem’. In this type of ill-structured problem, the starting conditions and end goal are known, but the transformations and/or actions required to get from one to the other are not specified. We will discuss the implications of these findings for understanding the development of problem-solving in humans and other animals. PMID:24101620

A comprehensive linear programming tool to optimize formulations of ready-to-use therapeutic foods: an application to Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Kelsey N; Adams, Katherine P; Vosti, Stephen A; Ordiz, M Isabel; Cimo, Elizabeth D; Manary, Mark J

2014-12-01

Ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) is the standard of care for children suffering from noncomplicated severe acute malnutrition (SAM). The objective was to develop a comprehensive linear programming (LP) tool to create novel RUTF formulations for Ethiopia. A systematic approach that surveyed international and national crop and animal food databases was used to create a global and local candidate ingredient database. The database included information about each ingredient regarding nutrient composition, ingredient category, regional availability, and food safety, processing, and price. An LP tool was then designed to compose novel RUTF formulations. For the example case of Ethiopia, the objective was to minimize the ingredient cost of RUTF; the decision variables were ingredient weights and the extent of use of locally available ingredients, and the constraints were nutritional and product-quality related. Of the new RUTF formulations found by the LP tool for Ethiopia, 32 were predicted to be feasible for creating a paste, and these were prepared in the laboratory. Palatable final formulations contained a variety of ingredients, including fish, different dairy powders, and various seeds, grains, and legumes. Nearly all of the macronutrient values calculated by the LP tool differed by <10% from results produced by laboratory analyses, but the LP tool consistently underestimated total energy. The LP tool can be used to develop new RUTF formulations that make more use of locally available ingredients. This tool has the potential to lead to production of a variety of low-cost RUTF formulations that meet international standards and thereby potentially allow more children to be treated for SAM. © 2014 American Society for Nutrition.

Basic Botany On-Line: A Training Tool for the Master Gardener Program.

Science.gov (United States)

VanDerZanden, Ann Marie; Rost, Bob; Eckel, Rick

2002-01-01

A noncredit, online training module on botany was offered to participants in the Oregon Master Gardener program. The 48 participants felt the module was a useful training tool. They also noted that the convenience of completing the material at their own pace and during a time that fit into their schedule. (SK)

Software Engineering Tools for Scientific Models

Science.gov (United States)

Abrams, Marc; Saboo, Pallabi; Sonsini, Mike

2013-01-01

Software tools were constructed to address issues the NASA Fortran development community faces, and they were tested on real models currently in use at NASA. These proof-of-concept tools address the High-End Computing Program and the Modeling, Analysis, and Prediction Program. Two examples are the NASA Goddard Earth Observing System Model, Version 5 (GEOS-5) atmospheric model in Cell Fortran on the Cell Broadband Engine, and the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS) coupled atmosphere- ocean model called ModelE, written in fixed format Fortran.

Database development tool DELPHI and its application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma Mei

2000-01-01

The authors described the progress of the software development technologies and tools, the features and performances of Borland Delphi and a software development instance which is the Management Information System of Tank region storage and transportation control center for Zhenhai Refining and Chemical CO., Ltd. in the Zhejiang province

What Parents Really Think about Their Feeding Practices and Behaviors: Lessons Learned from the Development of a Parental Feeding Assessment Tool

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephanie L. Sitnick

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Interest in the role that parenting assumes in child obesity has increased the need for valid and reliable screening tools that are specific for populations targeted by programming efforts. While low-income families comprise a large audience for Cooperative Extension obesity prevention programs, valid and reliable self-administered parenting assessments for this population are lacking. Development of such tools requires understanding low-income parents’ interpretations of questions related to their parenting. The current paper reports on interviews conducted with low-income parents (N = 44 of 3- to 5-year-old children during the development of a tool to assess parenting in the context of feeding. Interviews revealed areas of potential discrepancy between parents’ and researchers’ interpretations of items that may affect parents’ responses and subsequent measurement validity when used in Cooperative Extension community intervention setting. Three themes emerged that may interfere with valid and reliable assessments of constructs: fear of being labeled a “harsh parent,” response bias due to previous knowledge, and discrepancy in interpretation of the intended construct. Results highlight complexities of constructing parent-report assessments of parenting for low-income audiences, and potential hazards of using research-focused tools with high respondent burden. Guidelines for educators assessing parents’ feeding behaviors are presented.

Software Development Methods and Tools: a New Zealand study

OpenAIRE

Chris Phillips; Elizabeth Kemp; Duncan Hedderley

2005-01-01

This study is a more detailed follow-up to a preliminary investigation of the practices of software engineers in New Zealand. The focus of this study is on the methods and tools used by software developers in their current organisation. The project involved detailed questionnaires being piloted and sent out to several hundred software developers. A central part of the research involved the identification of factors affecting the use and take-up of existing software development tools in the wo...

Correlation signatures of wet soils and snows. [algorithm development and computer programming

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, M. R.

1972-01-01

Interpretation, analysis, and development of algorithms have provided the necessary computational programming tools for soil data processing, data handling and analysis. Algorithms that have been developed thus far, are adequate and have been proven successful for several preliminary and fundamental applications such as software interfacing capabilities, probability distributions, grey level print plotting, contour plotting, isometric data displays, joint probability distributions, boundary mapping, channel registration and ground scene classification. A description of an Earth Resources Flight Data Processor, (ERFDP), which handles and processes earth resources data under a users control is provided.

Development of remote handling tools for glove box

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomita, Yutaka; Nemoto, Takeshi; Denuma, Akio; Todokoro, Akio

1996-01-01

For a part of advanced nuclear fuel recycling technology development, we will separate and recover Americium from the MOX fuel scrap by solvent extraction. When we carry this examination, reduction of exposure from Americium-241 is one of important problems. To solve this problem fundamentally, we studied many joints type of the remote handling tools for glove box and produced a trial production machine. Also, we carried out basic function examinations of it. As a result, we got the prospect of development of the remote handling tools which could treat Americium in glove box. (author)

Development of the static analyzer ANALYSIS/EX for FORTRAN programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osanai, Seiji; Yokokawa, Mitsuo

1993-08-01

The static analyzer 'ANALYSIS' is the software tool for analyzing tree structure and COMMON regions of a FORTRAN program statically. With the installation of the new FORTRAN compiler, FORTRAN77EX(V12), to the computer system at JAERI, a new version of ANALYSIS, 'ANALYSIS/EX', has been developed to enhance its analyzing functions. In addition to the conventional functions of ANALYSIS, the ANALYSIS/EX is capable of analyzing of FORTRAN programs written in the FORTRAN77EX(V12) language grammar such as large-scale nuclear codes. The analyzing function of COMMON regions are also improved so as to obtain the relation between variables in COMMON regions in more detail. In this report, results of improvement and enhanced functions of the static analyzer ANALYSIS/EX are presented. (author)

Developing a Conceptual Design Engineering Toolbox and its Tools

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. W. Vroom

2004-01-01

Full Text Available In order to develop a successful product, a design engineer needs to pay attention to all relevant aspects of that product. Many tools are available, software, books, websites, and commercial services. To unlock these potentially useful sources of knowledge, we are developing C-DET, a toolbox for conceptual design engineering. The idea of C-DET is that designers are supported by a system that provides them with a knowledge portal on one hand, and a system to store their current work on the other. The knowledge portal is to help the designer to find the most appropriate sites, experts, tools etc. at a short notice. Such a toolbox offers opportunities to incorporate extra functionalities to support the design engineering work. One of these functionalities could be to help the designer to reach a balanced comprehension in his work. Furthermore C-DET enables researchers in the area of design engineering and design engineers themselves to find each other or their work earlier and more easily. Newly developed design tools that can be used by design engineers but have not yet been developed up to a commercial level could be linked to by C-DET. In this way these tools can be evaluated in an early stage by design engineers who would like to use them. This paper describes the first prototypes of C-DET, an example of the development of a design tool that enables designers to forecast the use process and an example of the future functionalities of C-DET such as balanced comprehension.

Development and application of the PCRELAP5 - Data Calculation Program for RELAP 5 Code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvestre, Larissa J.B.; Sabundjian, Gaianê

2017-01-01

Nuclear accidents in the world led to the establishment of rigorous criteria and requirements for nuclear power plant operations by the international regulatory bodies. By using specific computer programs, simulations of various accidents and transients likely to occur at any nuclear power plant are required for certifying and licensing a nuclear power plant. Some sophisticated computational tools have been used such as the Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program (RELAP5), which is the most widely used code for the thermo-hydraulic analysis of accidents and transients in nuclear reactors in Brazil and worldwide. A major difficulty in the simulation by using RELAP5 code is the amount of information required for the simulation of thermal-hydraulic accidents or transients. Thus, for those calculations performance and preparation of RELAP5 input data, a friendly mathematical preprocessor was designed. The Visual Basic for Application (VBA) for Microsoft Excel demonstrated to be an effective tool to perform a number of tasks in the development of the program. In order to meet the needs of RELAP5 users, the RELAP5 Calculation Program (Programa de Cálculo do RELAP5 – PCRELAP5) was designed. The components of the code were codified; all entry cards including the optional cards of each one have been programmed. An English version for PCRELAP5 was provided. Furthermore, a friendly design was developed in order to minimize the time of preparation of input data and errors committed by users. The final version of this preprocessor was successfully applied for Safety Injection System (SIS) of Angra-2. (author)

Development and application of the PCRELAP5 - Data Calculation Program for RELAP 5 Code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silvestre, Larissa J.B.; Sabundjian, Gaianê, E-mail: larissajbs@usp.br, E-mail: gdjian@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2017-07-01

Nuclear accidents in the world led to the establishment of rigorous criteria and requirements for nuclear power plant operations by the international regulatory bodies. By using specific computer programs, simulations of various accidents and transients likely to occur at any nuclear power plant are required for certifying and licensing a nuclear power plant. Some sophisticated computational tools have been used such as the Reactor Excursion and Leak Analysis Program (RELAP5), which is the most widely used code for the thermo-hydraulic analysis of accidents and transients in nuclear reactors in Brazil and worldwide. A major difficulty in the simulation by using RELAP5 code is the amount of information required for the simulation of thermal-hydraulic accidents or transients. Thus, for those calculations performance and preparation of RELAP5 input data, a friendly mathematical preprocessor was designed. The Visual Basic for Application (VBA) for Microsoft Excel demonstrated to be an effective tool to perform a number of tasks in the development of the program. In order to meet the needs of RELAP5 users, the RELAP5 Calculation Program (Programa de Cálculo do RELAP5 – PCRELAP5) was designed. The components of the code were codified; all entry cards including the optional cards of each one have been programmed. An English version for PCRELAP5 was provided. Furthermore, a friendly design was developed in order to minimize the time of preparation of input data and errors committed by users. The final version of this preprocessor was successfully applied for Safety Injection System (SIS) of Angra-2. (author)

LABORATORY DIRECTED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM ASSESSMENT FOR FY 2006.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

FOX,K.J.

2006-01-01

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a multidisciplinary laboratory that carries out basic and applied research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, and in selected energy technologies. It is managed by Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC, (BSA) under contract with the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE). BNL's total annual budget has averaged about $460 million. There are about 2,500 employees, and another 4,500 guest scientists and students who come each year to use the Laboratory's facilities and work with the staff. The BNL Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program reports its status to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) annually in March, as required by DOE Order 413.2B, ''Laboratory Directed Research and Development,'' April 19,2006, and the Roles, Responsibilities, and Guidelines for Laboratory Directed Research and Development at the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Laboratories dated June 13,2006. The goals and' objectives of BNL's LDRD Program can be inferred from the Program's stated purposes. These are to (1) encourage and support the development of new ideas and technology, (2) promote the early exploration and exploitation of creative and innovative concepts, and (3) develop new ''fundable'' R&D projects and programs. The emphasis is clearly articulated by BNL to be on supporting exploratory research ''which could lead to new programs, projects, and directions'' for the Laboratory. As one of the premier scientific laboratories of the DOE, BNL must continuously foster groundbreaking scientific research. At Brookhaven National Laboratory one such method is through its LDRD Program. This discretionary research and development tool is critical in maintaining the scientific excellence and long-term vitality of the Laboratory. Additionally, it is a means to stimulate the scientific community and foster new

Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program Assessment for FY 2007

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Newman,L.; Fox, K.J.

2007-12-31

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a multidisciplinary laboratory that carries out basic and applied research in the physical, biomedical, and environmental sciences, and in selected energy technologies. It is managed by Brookhaven Science Associates, LLC, (BSA) under contract with the U. S. Department of Energy (DOE). BNL's Fiscal Year 2007 spending was $515 million. There are approximately 2,600 employees, and another 4,500 guest scientists and students who come each year to use the Laboratory's facilities and work with the staff. The BNL Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) Program reports its status to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) annually in March, as required by DOE Order 413.2B, 'Laboratory Directed Research and Development', April 19, 2006, and the Roles, Responsibilities, and Guidelines for Laboratory Directed Research and Development at the Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration Laboratories dated June 13, 2006. The goals and objectives of BNL's LDRD Program can be inferred from the Program's stated purposes. These are to (1) encourage and support the development of new ideas and technology, (2) promote the early exploration and exploitation of creative and innovative concepts, and (3) develop new 'fundable' R&D projects and programs. The emphasis is clearly articulated by BNL to be on supporting exploratory research 'which could lead to new programs, projects, and directions' for the Laboratory. As one of the premier scientific laboratories of the DOE, BNL must continuously foster groundbreaking scientific research. At Brookhaven National Laboratory one such method is through its LDRD Program. This discretionary research and development tool is critical in maintaining the scientific excellence and long-term vitality of the Laboratory. Additionally, it is a means to stimulate the scientific community and foster new science and technology ideas, which

Development and Evaluation of a Computer-Based, Self-Management Tool for People Recently Diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alison O. Booth

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Aim. The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a computer-based, dietary, and physical activity self-management program for people recently diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Methods. The computer-based program was developed in conjunction with the target group and evaluated in a 12-week randomised controlled trial (RCT. Participants were randomised to the intervention (computer-program or control group (usual care. Primary outcomes were diabetes knowledge and goal setting (ADKnowl questionnaire, Diabetes Obstacles Questionnaire (DOQ measured at baseline and week 12. User feedback on the program was obtained via a questionnaire and focus groups. Results. Seventy participants completed the 12-week RCT (32 intervention, 38 control, mean age 59 (SD years. After completion there was a significant between-group difference in the “knowledge and beliefs scale” of the DOQ. Two-thirds of the intervention group rated the program as either good or very good, 92% would recommend the program to others, and 96% agreed that the information within the program was clear and easy to understand. Conclusions. The computer-program resulted in a small but statistically significant improvement in diet-related knowledge and user satisfaction was high. With some further development, this computer-based educational tool may be a useful adjunct to diabetes self-management. This trial is registered with clinicaltrials.gov NCT number NCT00877851.

DevLore - A Firmware Library and Web-Based Configuration Control Tool for Accelerator Systems Under Constant Development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richard Evans; Kevin Jordan; Deborah Gruber; Daniel Sexton

2005-01-01

The Free Electron Laser Project at Jefferson Lab is based on a comparatively small accelerator driver. As it's systems continues to grow and evolve, strict configuration control has not been a programmatic goal. Conversely, as the IR-Demo FEL and the 10kW IR FEL have been built and operated, hardware and software changes have been regular part of the machine development process. With relatively small component counts for sub-systems, changes occur without requiring much formal documentation and in-situ alterations are common-place in the name of supporting operations. This paper presents an overview of the web-based software tool called DevLore which was first developed to be a library for embedded programming and then became a tremendously effective tool for tracking all changes made to the machine hardware and software

Resources for Developing Acquaintance Rape Prevention Programs for Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Earle, James P.; Nies, Charles T.

1994-01-01

Provides an annotated bibliography of videos and printed materials that may be used as educational tools in rape prevention programs. Focuses on sources that are aimed directly at men. Also outlines the use of consultants or lecturers as one of many resources in the construction and implementation of rape prevention programs. (KW)

Introduction of blended learning in a master program: Developing an integrative mixed method evaluation framework.

Science.gov (United States)

Chmiel, Aviva S; Shaha, Maya; Schneider, Daniel K

2017-01-01

The aim of this research is to develop a comprehensive evaluation framework involving all actors in a higher education blended learning (BL) program. BL evaluation usually either focuses on students, faculty, technological or institutional aspects. Currently, no validated comprehensive monitoring tool exists that can support introduction and further implementation of BL in a higher education context. Starting from established evaluation principles and standards, concepts that were to be evaluated were firstly identified and grouped. In a second step, related BL evaluation tools referring to students, faculty and institutional level were selected. This allowed setting up and implementing an evaluation framework to monitor the introduction of BL during two succeeding recurrences of the program. The results of the evaluation allowed documenting strengths and weaknesses of the BL format in a comprehensive way, involving all actors. It has led to improvements at program, faculty and course level. The evaluation process and the reporting of the results proved to be demanding in time and personal resources. The evaluation framework allows measuring the most significant dimensions influencing the success of a BL implementation at program level. However, this comprehensive evaluation is resource intensive. Further steps will be to refine the framework towards a sustainable and transferable BL monitoring tool that finds a balance between comprehensiveness and efficiency. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LFR Development: Italian Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarantino, M.

2011-01-01

Conclusions: ⇨ ENEA has one of the most relevant EU R&D infrastructures for HLM technological development; ⇨ ENEA is strongly involved in the EU R&D programs supporting the development of sub-critical (ADS) and critical lead cooled reactors (LFR - Gen. IV); ⇨ Large experimental program ranging from HLM thermalhydraulic to large scale experiment has been implemented in Italy, partially funded by the National Program; ⇨ Large competencies are available related to Safety Assessment, System Design, Core Design & Optimization; ⇨ ENEA is able to cooperate with other laboratories in order to promote the growth and diffusion of the technology for nuclear application

Development of an Automated Security Risk Assessment Methodology Tool for Critical Infrastructures.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaeger, Calvin Dell; Roehrig, Nathaniel S.; Torres, Teresa M.

2008-12-01

This document presents the security automated Risk Assessment Methodology (RAM) prototype tool developed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL). This work leverages SNL's capabilities and skills in security risk analysis and the development of vulnerability assessment/risk assessment methodologies to develop an automated prototype security RAM tool for critical infrastructures (RAM-CITM). The prototype automated RAM tool provides a user-friendly, systematic, and comprehensive risk-based tool to assist CI sector and security professionals in assessing and managing security risk from malevolent threats. The current tool is structured on the basic RAM framework developed by SNL. It is envisioned that this prototype tool will be adapted to meet the requirements of different CI sectors and thereby provide additional capabilities.

Development of bore tools for pipe welding and cutting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oka, Kiyoshi; Ito, Akira; Takiguchi, Yuji

1998-01-01

In the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), in-vessel components replacement and maintenance requires that connected cooling pipes be cut and removed beforehand and that new components be installed to which cooling pipes must be rewelded. All welding must be inspected for soundness after completion. These tasks require a new task concept for ensuring shielded areas and access from narrow ports. Thus, it became necessary to develop autonomous locomotion welding and cutting tools for branch and main pipes to weld pipes by in-pipe access; a system was proposed that cut and welded branch and main pipes after passing inside pipe curves, and elemental technologies developed. This paper introduces current development in tools for welding and cutting branch pipes and other tools for welding and cutting the main pipe. (author)

Development of bore tools for pipe welding and cutting

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oka, Kiyoshi; Ito, Akira; Takiguchi, Yuji [Japan Atomic Energy Research Inst., Tokai, Ibaraki (Japan). Tokai Research Establishment

1998-04-01

In the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), in-vessel components replacement and maintenance requires that connected cooling pipes be cut and removed beforehand and that new components be installed to which cooling pipes must be rewelded. All welding must be inspected for soundness after completion. These tasks require a new task concept for ensuring shielded areas and access from narrow ports. Thus, it became necessary to develop autonomous locomotion welding and cutting tools for branch and main pipes to weld pipes by in-pipe access; a system was proposed that cut and welded branch and main pipes after passing inside pipe curves, and elemental technologies developed. This paper introduces current development in tools for welding and cutting branch pipes and other tools for welding and cutting the main pipe. (author)

Development of a tool of probabilistic safety analysis for advanced nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hidalgo H, F.E.; Fran N, P.

2007-01-01

It is developing a tool to explain in a simple way in that it consists the Probabilistic Safety Analysis (APS) and at the same time to facilitate the comparison among the different designs of advanced nuclear reactors starting from their safety systems. This tool for teaching contemplates all the workspaces in an APS, but it is deepened only in what is the development of accident sequences and systems models. At the moment its have incorporated three types of advanced reactors, ABWR, ESBWR, and the HTGR and they are compared among if and with a BWR like that of Laguna Verde. This tool is carried out in Visual Basic code because it is a platform that can be used in any Windows atmosphere and for their easy programming. The system includes a tree of events developed for this purpose for a research HTGR built in Japan (HTTR) to have a point of comparison of the same one with other reactors of previous generations. It is that in the fourth generation reactors the measure of frequency of core damage doesn't make the same sense that for reactors of previous generations, which is due to its passive safety systems and its design type of the fuel, that which makes indispensable the development of another type of risk measure. The tree of events is presented for the initiator event 'the rupture of the main pipe' that causes the depressurization of the HTTR reactor. In this article it was concluded that it is necessary to evaluate the accident until reaching to the liberation of fission products that one knows in APS like an APS study level 1 and level 2 together. The final states developed starting from the possible phenomena that happen in these scenarios are presented. For this, its are considered flaws of all the mitigation systems that intervene in this accident. The tree of events developed for this work and the definition of the final states contributes to the development of as carrying out an APS for fourth generation reactors, with the purpose of developing an APS

Development and implementation of a comprehensive quality assurance program at a community endoscopy facility.

Science.gov (United States)

Hilsden, Robert Jay; Rostom, Alaa; Dubé, Catherine; Pontifex, Darlene; McGregor, S Elizabeth; Bridges, Ronald J

2011-10-01

Quality assurance (QA) is a process that includes the systematic evaluation of a service, institution of improvements and ongoing evaluation to ensure that effective changes were made. QA is a fundamental component of any organized colorectal cancer screening program. However, it should play an equally important role in opportunistic screening. Establishing the processes and procedures for a comprehensive QA program can be a daunting proposition for an endoscopy unit. The present article describes the steps taken to establish a QA program at the Forzani & MacPhail Colon Cancer Screening Centre (Calgary, Alberta) - a colorectal cancer screening centre and nonhospital endoscopy unit that is dedicated to providing colorectal cancer screening-related colonoscopies. Lessons drawn from the authors' experience may help others develop their own initiatives. The Global Rating Scale, a quality assessment and improvement tool developed for the gastrointestinal endoscopy services of the United Kingdom's National Health Service, was used as the framework to develop the QA program. QA activities include monitoring the patient experience through surveys, creating endoscopist report cards on colonoscopy performance, tracking and evaluating adverse events and monitoring wait times.

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Programs in the Classroom: Teacher Use, Equity, and Learning Tools

Science.gov (United States)

Fincher, Derrel

2016-01-01

This study explores teacher perceptions of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs in the classroom, with a focus on teacher use, student equity of access, and student ability to use their devices as learning tools. While one-to-one laptop programs (students assigned identical school-owned laptop or tablet) has an extensive body of literature behind…

The development of Sonic Pi and its use in educational partnerships: Co-creating pedagogies for learning computer programming

OpenAIRE

Aaron, S; Blackwell, Alan Frank; Burnard, Pamela Anne

2017-01-01

Sonic Pi is a new open source software tool and platform originally developed for the Raspberry Pi computer, designed to enable school children to learn programming by creating music. In this article we share insights from a scoping study on the development of Sonic Pi and its use in educational partnerships. Our findings draw attention to the importance of collaborative relationships between teacher and computer scientist and the value of creative pedagogies for learning computer programming...

Cost-benefit study of consumer product take-back programs using IBM's WIT reverse logistics optimization tool

Science.gov (United States)

Veerakamolmal, Pitipong; Lee, Yung-Joon; Fasano, J. P.; Hale, Rhea; Jacques, Mary

2002-02-01

In recent years, there has been increased focus by regulators, manufacturers, and consumers on the issue of product end of life management for electronics. This paper presents an overview of a conceptual study designed to examine the costs and benefits of several different Product Take Back (PTB) scenarios for used electronics equipment. The study utilized a reverse logistics supply chain model to examine the effects of several different factors in PTB programs. The model was done using the IBM supply chain optimization tool known as WIT (Watson Implosion Technology). Using the WIT tool, we were able to determine a theoretical optimal cost scenario for PTB programs. The study was designed to assist IBM internally in determining theoretical optimal Product Take Back program models and determining potential incentives for increasing participation rates.

Promoting Behavior Change Using Social Norms: Applying a Community Based Social Marketing Tool to Extension Programming