Probability Distributions for Cyclone Key Parameters and Cyclonic Wind Speed for the East Coast of Indian Region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pradeep K. Goyal

2011-09-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a study conducted on the probabilistic distribution of key cyclone parameters and the cyclonic wind speed by analyzing the cyclone track records obtained from India meteorological department for east coast region of India. The dataset of historical landfalling storm tracks in India from 1975–2007 with latitude /longitude and landfall locations are used to map the cyclone tracks in a region of study. The statistical tests were performed to find a best fit distribution to the track data for each cyclone parameter. These parameters include central pressure difference, the radius of maximum wind speed, the translation velocity, track angle with site and are used to generate digital simulated cyclones using wind field simulation techniques. For this, different sets of values for all the cyclone key parameters are generated randomly from their probability distributions. Using these simulated values of the cyclone key parameters, the distribution of wind velocity at a particular site is obtained. The same distribution of wind velocity at the site is also obtained from actual track records and using the distributions of the cyclone key parameters as published in the literature. The simulated distribution is compared with the wind speed distributions obtained from actual track records. The findings are useful in cyclone disaster mitigation.

International Experience with Key Program Elements of IndustrialEnergy Efficiency or Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction Target-SettingPrograms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Price, Lynn; Galitsky, Christina; Kramer, Klaas Jan

2008-02-02

Target-setting agreements, also known as voluntary ornegotiated agreements, have been used by a number of governments as amechanism for promoting energy efficiency within the industrial sector. Arecent survey of such target-setting agreement programs identified 23energy efficiency or GHG emissions reduction voluntary agreement programsin 18 countries. International best practice related to target-settingagreement programs calls for establishment of a coordinated set ofpolicies that provide strong economic incentives as well as technical andfinancial support to participating industries. The key program elementsof a target-setting program are the target-setting process,identification of energy-saving technologies and measures usingenergy-energy efficiency guidebooks and benchmarking as well as byconducting energy-efficiency audits, development of an energy-savingsaction plan, development and implementation of energy managementprotocols, development of incentives and supporting policies, monitoringprogress toward targets, and program evaluation. This report firstprovides a description of three key target-setting agreement programs andthen describes international experience with the key program elementsthat comprise such programs using information from the three keytarget-setting programs as well as from other international programsrelated to industrial energy efficiency or GHG emissionsreductions.

Workplace wellness programs in Canada: an exploration of key issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Erin; MacKinnon, Neil J

2008-01-01

Faced with the reality of rising health costs, Canadian employers are thinking beyond traditional notions of responsibility for employee health and have begun to embrace Workplace Wellness Programs (WWPs). This article investigates the critical issues of WWPs in the Canadian context from the perspective of key stakeholders. Using a combination of literature and key informant interviews, seven key themes are presented along with recommendations for wider implementation of WWPs in Canada.

Evaluation of uncertainties of key neutron parameters of PWR-type reactors with slab fuel, application to neutronic conformity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bernard, D.

2001-12-01

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate uncertainties of key neutron parameters of slab reactors. Uncertainties sources have many origins, technologic origin for parameters of fabrication and physical origin for nuclear data. First, each contribution of uncertainties is calculated and finally, a factor of uncertainties is associated to key slab parameter like reactivity, isotherm reactivity coefficient, control rod efficiency, power form factor before irradiation and life-time. This factors of uncertainties were computed by Generalized Perturbations Theory in case of step 0 and by directs calculations in case of irradiation problems. One of neutronic conformity applications was about fabrication and nuclear data targets precision adjustments. Statistic (uncertainties) and deterministic (deviations) approaches were studied. Then, neutronics key slab parameters uncertainties were reduced and so nuclear performances were optimized. (author)

Life cycle assessment in green chemistry: overview of key parameters and methodological concerns

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tufvesson, Linda M.; Tufvesson, Pär; Woodley, John

2013-01-01

assessment (LCA) is a valuable methodology. However, on the planning stage, a full-scale LCA is considered to be too time consuming and complicated. Two reasons for this have been recognised, the method is too comprehensive and it is hard to find inventory data. In this review, key parameters are presented...... with the purpose to reduce the time-consuming steps in LCA.In this review, several LCAs of so-called ‘green chemicals’ are analysed and key parameters and methodological concerns are identified. Further, some conclusions on the environmental performance of chemicals were drawn.For fossil-based platform chemicals...... chemicals was identified. The environmental performance of bulk chemicals are closely connected to the production of the raw material and thereby different land use aspects. Here, a lot can be learnt from biofuel LCAs. In many of the reviewed articles focusing on bulk chemicals a comparison regarding fossil...

DP: Parameter Display Page Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, M.

1994-01-01

The Parameter Display Page program (DP) is a Motif/X11-based program to allow easily configured, dynamic device and process variable monitoring and manipulation in the EPICS environment. DP provides a tabular data format for interactive viewing and manipulation of device and process variable statistics, as well as formatted PostScript output to files and printers. DP understands and operates in two (unfortunately disjoint at this time) namespaces in the EPICS environment ''devices'' and ''process variables''. The higher level namespace of devices includes Composite and Atomic Devices registered via the Device Access server; the lower level (flat) namespace is that of normal Process Variables accessible via Channel Access

River and river-related drainage area parameters for site investigation program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blomqvist, P.; Brunberg, A.K. [Uppsala Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Limnology; Brydsten, L. [Umeaa Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Ecology and Environmental Science

2001-05-01

In this paper, a number of parameters of importance to a determination of the function of running waters as transport channels for material from the continents to the sea are presented. We have assumed that retention mechanisms of material in the river and in the riparian zone will be covered by special investigations but tried to create a platform for such investigations by quantification of the extension of different main habitats. The choice of parameters has been made so that also the nature conservation value of the river can be preliminary established, and includes a general description of the river type and the inherent ecosystem. The material links directly to that presented in a previous report concerning site investigation programmes for lakes. The parameters have been divided into five groups: 1) The location of the object relative important gradients in the surrounding nature; 2) The river catchment area and its major constituents; 3) The river morphometry; 4) The river ecosystem; 5) Human-induced damages to the river ecosystem. The first two groups, principally based on the climate, hydrology, geology and vegetation of the catchment area, represent parameters that can be used to establish the rarity and representativity of the system, and will in the context of site investigation program be used as a basis for generalisation of the results. The third group, the river morphometry parameters, are standard parameters for the outline of sampling programmes and for calculations of the physical extension of key habitats in the system. The fourth group, the ecosystem of the river, includes physical, chemical and biological parameters required for determination of the influence from the terrestrial ecosystem of the catchment area, nutrient status, distribution of different habitats, and presence of fish in the system. In the context of site investigation program, the parameters in these two groups will be used for budget calculations of the flow of energy and

River and river-related drainage area parameters for site investigation program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blomqvist, P.; Brunberg, A.K.; Brydsten, L.

2001-05-01

In this paper, a number of parameters of importance to a determination of the function of running waters as transport channels for material from the continents to the sea are presented. We have assumed that retention mechanisms of material in the river and in the riparian zone will be covered by special investigations but tried to create a platform for such investigations by quantification of the extension of different main habitats. The choice of parameters has been made so that also the nature conservation value of the river can be preliminary established, and includes a general description of the river type and the inherent ecosystem. The material links directly to that presented in a previous report concerning site investigation programmes for lakes. The parameters have been divided into five groups: 1) The location of the object relative important gradients in the surrounding nature; 2) The river catchment area and its major constituents; 3) The river morphometry; 4) The river ecosystem; 5) Human-induced damages to the river ecosystem. The first two groups, principally based on the climate, hydrology, geology and vegetation of the catchment area, represent parameters that can be used to establish the rarity and representativity of the system, and will in the context of site investigation program be used as a basis for generalisation of the results. The third group, the river morphometry parameters, are standard parameters for the outline of sampling programmes and for calculations of the physical extension of key habitats in the system. The fourth group, the ecosystem of the river, includes physical, chemical and biological parameters required for determination of the influence from the terrestrial ecosystem of the catchment area, nutrient status, distribution of different habitats, and presence of fish in the system. In the context of site investigation program, the parameters in these two groups will be used for budget calculations of the flow of energy and

No-signaling quantum key distribution: solution by linear programming

Science.gov (United States)

Hwang, Won-Young; Bae, Joonwoo; Killoran, Nathan

2015-02-01

We outline a straightforward approach for obtaining a secret key rate using only no-signaling constraints and linear programming. Assuming an individual attack, we consider all possible joint probabilities. Initially, we study only the case where Eve has binary outcomes, and we impose constraints due to the no-signaling principle and given measurement outcomes. Within the remaining space of joint probabilities, by using linear programming, we get bound on the probability of Eve correctly guessing Bob's bit. We then make use of an inequality that relates this guessing probability to the mutual information between Bob and a more general Eve, who is not binary-restricted. Putting our computed bound together with the Csiszár-Körner formula, we obtain a positive key generation rate. The optimal value of this rate agrees with known results, but was calculated in a more straightforward way, offering the potential of generalization to different scenarios.

Binomial Distribution Sample Confidence Intervals Estimation 1. Sampling and Medical Key Parameters Calculation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tudor DRUGAN

2003-08-01

Full Text Available The aim of the paper was to present the usefulness of the binomial distribution in studying of the contingency tables and the problems of approximation to normality of binomial distribution (the limits, advantages, and disadvantages. The classification of the medical keys parameters reported in medical literature and expressing them using the contingency table units based on their mathematical expressions restrict the discussion of the confidence intervals from 34 parameters to 9 mathematical expressions. The problem of obtaining different information starting with the computed confidence interval for a specified method, information like confidence intervals boundaries, percentages of the experimental errors, the standard deviation of the experimental errors and the deviation relative to significance level was solves through implementation in PHP programming language of original algorithms. The cases of expression, which contain two binomial variables, were separately treated. An original method of computing the confidence interval for the case of two-variable expression was proposed and implemented. The graphical representation of the expression of two binomial variables for which the variation domain of one of the variable depend on the other variable was a real problem because the most of the software used interpolation in graphical representation and the surface maps were quadratic instead of triangular. Based on an original algorithm, a module was implements in PHP in order to represent graphically the triangular surface plots. All the implementation described above was uses in computing the confidence intervals and estimating their performance for binomial distributions sample sizes and variable.

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

OpenAIRE

M. ZANGIABADI; H. R. MALEKI

2007-01-01

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

The development of fast simulation program for marine reactor parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Zhiyun; Hao Jianli; Chen Wenzhen

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The simplified physical and mathematical models are proposed for a marine reactor system. ► A program is developed with Simulink module and Matlab file. ► The program developed has the merit of easy input preparation, output processing and fast running. ► The program can be used for the fast simulation of marine reactor parameters on the operating field. - Abstract: The fast simulation program for marine reactor parameters is developed based on the Simulink simulating software according to the characteristics of marine reactor with requirement of maneuverability and acute and fast response. The simplified core physical and thermal model, pressurizer model, steam generator model, control rod model, reactivity model and the corresponding Simulink modules are established. The whole program is developed by coupling all the Simulink modules. Two typical transient processes of marine reactor with fast load increase at low power level and load rejection at high power level are adopted to verify the program. The results are compared with those of Relap5/Mod3.2 with good consistency, and the program runs very fast. It is shown that the program is correct and suitable for the fast and accurate simulation of marine reactor parameters on the operating field, which is significant to the marine reactor safe operation.

Key Parameters Estimation and Adaptive Warning Strategy for Rear-End Collision of Vehicle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiang Song

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The rear-end collision warning system requires reliable warning decision mechanism to adapt the actual driving situation. To overcome the shortcomings of existing warning methods, an adaptive strategy is proposed to address the practical aspects of the collision warning problem. The proposed strategy is based on the parameter-adaptive and variable-threshold approaches. First, several key parameter estimation algorithms are developed to provide more accurate and reliable information for subsequent warning method. They include a two-stage algorithm which contains a Kalman filter and a Luenberger observer for relative acceleration estimation, a Bayesian theory-based algorithm of estimating the road friction coefficient, and an artificial neural network for estimating the driver’s reaction time. Further, the variable-threshold warning method is designed to achieve the global warning decision. In the method, the safety distance is employed to judge the dangerous state. The calculation method of the safety distance in this paper can be adaptively adjusted according to the different driving conditions of the leading vehicle. Due to the real-time estimation of the key parameters and the adaptive calculation of the warning threshold, the strategy can adapt to various road and driving conditions. Finally, the proposed strategy is evaluated through simulation and field tests. The experimental results validate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed strategy.

Breaking chaotic shift key communication via adaptive key identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Haipeng; Han Chongzhao; Liu Ding

2008-01-01

This paper proposes an adaptive parameter identification method for breaking chaotic shift key communication from the transmitted signal in public channel. The sensitive dependence property of chaos on parameter mismatch is used for chaos adaptive synchronization and parameter identification. An index function about the synchronization error is defined and conjugate gradient method is used to minimize the index function and to search the transmitter's parameter (key). By using proposed method, secure key is recovered from transmitted signal generated by low dimensional chaos and hyper chaos switching communication. Multi-parameters can also be identified from the transmitted signal with noise

5 keys to business analytics program success

CERN Document Server

Boyer, John; Green, Brian; Harris, Tracy; Van De Vanter, Kay

2012-01-01

With business analytics is becoming increasingly strategic to all types of organizations and with many companies struggling to create a meaningful impact with this emerging technology, this work-based on the combined experience of 10 organizations that display excellence and expertise on the subject-shares the best practices, discusses the management aspects and sociology that drives success, and uncovers the five key aspects behind the success of some of the top business analytics programs in the industry. Readers will learn about numerous topics, including how to create and manage a changing

Effect of the key mixture parameters on shrinkage of reactive powder concrete.

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Shamsad; Zubair, Ahmed; Maslehuddin, Mohammed

2014-01-01

Reactive powder concrete (RPC) mixtures are reported to have excellent mechanical and durability characteristics. However, such concrete mixtures having high amount of cementitious materials may have high early shrinkage causing cracking of concrete. In the present work, an attempt has been made to study the simultaneous effects of three key mixture parameters on shrinkage of the RPC mixtures. Considering three different levels of the three key mixture factors, a total of 27 mixtures of RPC were prepared according to 3(3) factorial experiment design. The specimens belonging to all 27 mixtures were monitored for shrinkage at different ages over a total period of 90 days. The test results were plotted to observe the variation of shrinkage with time and to see the effects of the key mixture factors. The experimental data pertaining to 90-day shrinkage were used to conduct analysis of variance to identify significance of each factor and to obtain an empirical equation correlating the shrinkage of RPC with the three key mixture factors. The rate of development of shrinkage at early ages was higher. The water to binder ratio was found to be the most prominent factor followed by cement content with the least effect of silica fume content.

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

Key Parameters for Operator Diagnosis of BWR Plant Condition during a Severe Accident

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Clayton, Dwight A [ORNL; Poore III, Willis P [ORNL

2015-01-01

The objective of this research is to examine the key information needed from nuclear power plant instrumentation to guide severe accident management and mitigation for boiling water reactor (BWR) designs (specifically, a BWR/4-Mark I), estimate environmental conditions that the instrumentation will experience during a severe accident, and identify potential gaps in existing instrumentation that may require further research and development. This report notes the key parameters that instrumentation needs to measure to help operators respond to severe accidents. A follow-up report will assess severe accident environmental conditions as estimated by severe accident simulation model analysis for a specific US BWR/4-Mark I plant for those instrumentation systems considered most important for accident management purposes.

Early Site Permit Demonstration Program: Plant parameters envelope report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-03-01

The Early Site Permit (ESP) Demonstration Program is the nuclear industry's initiative for piloting the early resolution of siting-related issues before the detailed design proceedings of the combined operating license review. The ESP Demonstration Program consists of three phases. The plant parameters envelopes task is part of Phase 1, which addresses the generic review of applicable federal regulations and develops criteria for safety and environmental assessment of potential sites. The plant parameters envelopes identify parameters that characterize the interface between an ALWR design and a potential site, and quantify the interface through values selected from the Utility Requirements Documents, vendor design information, or engineering assessments. When augmented with site-specific information, the plant parameters envelopes provide sufficient information to allow ESPs to be granted based on individual ALWR design information or enveloping design information for the evolutionary, passive, or generic ALWR plants. This document is expected to become a living document when used by future applicants

Determination of key parameters of vector multifractal vector fields

Science.gov (United States)

Schertzer, D. J. M.; Tchiguirinskaia, I.

2017-12-01

For too long time, multifractal analyses and simulations have been restricted to scalar-valued fields (Schertzer and Tchiguirinskaia, 2017a,b). For instance, the wind velocity multifractality has been mostly analysed in terms of scalar structure functions and with the scalar energy flux. This restriction has had the unfortunate consequences that multifractals were applicable to their full extent in geophysics, whereas it has inspired them. Indeed a key question in geophysics is the complexity of the interactions between various fields or they components. Nevertheless, sophisticated methods have been developed to determine the key parameters of scalar valued fields. In this communication, we first present the vector extensions of the universal multifractal analysis techniques to multifractals whose generator belong to a Levy-Clifford algebra (Schertzer and Tchiguirinskaia, 2015). We point out further extensions noting the increased complexity. For instance, the (scalar) index of multifractality becomes a matrice. Schertzer, D. and Tchiguirinskaia, I. (2015) `Multifractal vector fields and stochastic Clifford algebra', Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, 25(12), p. 123127. doi: 10.1063/1.4937364. Schertzer, D. and Tchiguirinskaia, I. (2017) `An Introduction to Multifractals and Scale Symmetry Groups', in Ghanbarian, B. and Hunt, A. (eds) Fractals: Concepts and Applications in Geosciences. CRC Press, p. (in press). Schertzer, D. and Tchiguirinskaia, I. (2017b) `Pandora Box of Multifractals: Barely Open ?', in Tsonis, A. A. (ed.) 30 Years of Nonlinear Dynamics in Geophysics. Berlin: Springer, p. (in press).

Parameter optimization in biased decoy-state quantum key distribution with both source errors and statistical fluctuations

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jian-Rong; Li, Jian; Zhang, Chun-Mei; Wang, Qin

2017-10-01

The decoy-state method has been widely used in commercial quantum key distribution (QKD) systems. In view of the practical decoy-state QKD with both source errors and statistical fluctuations, we propose a universal model of full parameter optimization in biased decoy-state QKD with phase-randomized sources. Besides, we adopt this model to carry out simulations of two widely used sources: weak coherent source (WCS) and heralded single-photon source (HSPS). Results show that full parameter optimization can significantly improve not only the secure transmission distance but also the final key generation rate. And when taking source errors and statistical fluctuations into account, the performance of decoy-state QKD using HSPS suffered less than that of decoy-state QKD using WCS.

Habitat Restoration as a Key Conservation Lever for Woodland Caribou: A review of restoration programs and key learnings from Alberta

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paula Bentham

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The Recovery Strategy for the Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou, Boreal Population in Canada (EC, 2012, identifies coordinated actions to reclaim woodland caribou habitat as a key step to meeting current and future caribou population objectives. Actions include restoring industrial landscape features such as roads, seismic lines, pipelines, cut-lines, and cleared areas in an effort to reduce landscape fragmentation and the changes in caribou population dynamics associated with changing predator-prey dynamics in highly fragmented landscapes. Reliance on habitat restoration as a recovery action within the federal recovery strategy is high, considering all Alberta populations have less than 65% undisturbed habitat, which is identified in the recovery strategy as a threshold providing a 60% chance that a local population will be self-sustaining. Alberta’s Provincial Woodland Caribou Policy also identifies habitat restoration as a critical component of long-term caribou habitat management. We review and discuss the history of caribou habitat restoration programs in Alberta and present outcomes and highlights of a caribou habitat restoration workshop attended by over 80 representatives from oil and gas, forestry, provincial and federal regulators, academia and consulting who have worked on restoration programs. Restoration initiatives in Alberta began in 2001 and have generally focused on construction methods, revegetation treatments, access control programs, and limiting plant species favourable to alternate prey. Specific treatments include tree planting initiatives, coarse woody debris management along linear features, and efforts for multi-company and multi-stakeholder coordinated habitat restoration on caribou range. Lessons learned from these programs have been incorporated into large scale habitat restoration projects near Grande Prairie, Cold Lake, and Fort McMurray. A key outcome of our review is the opportunity to provide a

Influence of experimental parameters inherent to optical fibers on Quantum Key Distribution, the protocol BB84

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Bouchoucha

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this work, we represent the principle of quantum cryptography (QC that is based on fundamental laws of quantum physics. QC or Quantum Key Distribution (QKD uses various protocols to exchange a secret key between two communicating parties. This research paper focuses and examines the quantum key distribution by using the protocol BB84 in the case of encoding on the single-photon polarization and shows the influence of optical components parameters on the quantum key distribution. We also introduce Quantum Bit Error Rate (QBER to better interpret our results and show its relationship with the intrusion of the eavesdropper called Eve on the optical channel to exploit these vulnerabilities.

Crop damage by primates: quantifying the key parameters of crop-raiding events.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham E Wallace

Full Text Available Human-wildlife conflict often arises from crop-raiding, and insights regarding which aspects of raiding events determine crop loss are essential when developing and evaluating deterrents. However, because accounts of crop-raiding behaviour are frequently indirect, these parameters are rarely quantified or explicitly linked to crop damage. Using systematic observations of the behaviour of non-human primates on farms in western Uganda, this research identifies number of individuals raiding and duration of raid as the primary parameters determining crop loss. Secondary factors include distance travelled onto farm, age composition of the raiding group, and whether raids are in series. Regression models accounted for greater proportions of variation in crop loss when increasingly crop and species specific. Parameter values varied across primate species, probably reflecting differences in raiding tactics or perceptions of risk, and thereby providing indices of how comfortable primates are on-farm. Median raiding-group sizes were markedly smaller than the typical sizes of social groups. The research suggests that key parameters of raiding events can be used to measure the behavioural impacts of deterrents to raiding. Furthermore, farmers will benefit most from methods that discourage raiding by multiple individuals, reduce the size of raiding groups, or decrease the amount of time primates are on-farm. This study demonstrates the importance of directly relating crop loss to the parameters of raiding events, using systematic observations of the behaviour of multiple primate species.

Crop Damage by Primates: Quantifying the Key Parameters of Crop-Raiding Events

Science.gov (United States)

Wallace, Graham E.; Hill, Catherine M.

2012-01-01

Human-wildlife conflict often arises from crop-raiding, and insights regarding which aspects of raiding events determine crop loss are essential when developing and evaluating deterrents. However, because accounts of crop-raiding behaviour are frequently indirect, these parameters are rarely quantified or explicitly linked to crop damage. Using systematic observations of the behaviour of non-human primates on farms in western Uganda, this research identifies number of individuals raiding and duration of raid as the primary parameters determining crop loss. Secondary factors include distance travelled onto farm, age composition of the raiding group, and whether raids are in series. Regression models accounted for greater proportions of variation in crop loss when increasingly crop and species specific. Parameter values varied across primate species, probably reflecting differences in raiding tactics or perceptions of risk, and thereby providing indices of how comfortable primates are on-farm. Median raiding-group sizes were markedly smaller than the typical sizes of social groups. The research suggests that key parameters of raiding events can be used to measure the behavioural impacts of deterrents to raiding. Furthermore, farmers will benefit most from methods that discourage raiding by multiple individuals, reduce the size of raiding groups, or decrease the amount of time primates are on-farm. This study demonstrates the importance of directly relating crop loss to the parameters of raiding events, using systematic observations of the behaviour of multiple primate species. PMID:23056378

Resilience of Key Biological Parameters of the Senegalese Flat Sardinella to Overfishing and Climate Change.

Science.gov (United States)

Ba, Kamarel; Thiaw, Modou; Lazar, Najih; Sarr, Alassane; Brochier, Timothée; Ndiaye, Ismaïla; Faye, Alioune; Sadio, Oumar; Panfili, Jacques; Thiaw, Omar Thiom; Brehmer, Patrice

2016-01-01

The stock of the Senegalese flat sardinella, Sardinella maderensis, is highly exploited in Senegal, West Africa. Its growth and reproduction parameters are key biological indicators for improving fisheries management. This study reviewed these parameters using landing data from small-scale fisheries in Senegal and literature information dated back more than 25 years. Age was estimated using length-frequency data to calculate growth parameters and assess the growth performance index. With global climate change there has been an increase in the average sea surface temperature along the Senegalese coast but the length-weight parameters, sex ratio, size at first sexual maturity, period of reproduction and condition factor of S. maderensis have not changed significantly. The above parameters of S. maderensis have hardly changed, despite high exploitation and fluctuations in environmental conditions that affect the early development phases of small pelagic fish in West Africa. This lack of plasticity of the species regarding of the biological parameters studied should be considered when planning relevant fishery management plans.

Public Health Preparedness Funding: Key Programs and Trends From 2001 to 2017.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Crystal R; Watson, Matthew; Sell, Tara Kirk

2017-09-01

To evaluate trends in funding over the past 16 years for key federal public health preparedness and response programs at the US Department of Health and Human Services, to improve understanding of federal funding history in this area, and to provide context for future resource allocation decisions for public health preparedness. In this 2017 analysis, we examined the funding history of key federal programs critical to public health preparedness by reviewing program budget data collected for our annual examination of federal funding for biodefense and health security programs since fiscal year (FY) 2001. State and local preparedness at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention initially received $940 million in FY2002 and resulted in significant preparedness gains, but funding levels have since decreased by 31%. Similarly, the Hospital Preparedness Program within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response was funded at a high of $515 million in FY2003, but funding was reduced by 50%. Investments in medical countermeasure development and stockpiling remained relatively stable. The United States has made significant progress in preparing for disasters and advancing public health infrastructure. To enable continued advancement, federal funding commitments must be sustained.

A critical revisit of the key parameters used to describe microbial electrochemical systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Mohita; Bajracharya, Suman; Gildemyn, Sylvia; Patil, Sunil A.; Alvarez-Gallego, Yolanda; Pant, Deepak; Rabaey, Korneel; Dominguez-Benetton, Xochitl

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Abstract: Many microorganisms have the innate capability to discharge and/or receive electrons to and from solid state materials such as electrodes. This ability is now used towards innovative processes in wastewater treatment, power generation, production of fuels and biochemicals, bioremediation, desalination and resource recovery, among others. Despite being a dynamic field in science and technology, significant challenges remain towards industrial implementation which include representation of judicious performance indicators. This critical review outlines the progress in current density evaluated per projected surface area of electrodes, the most wide-spread performance indicator. It also proposes guidelines to correct current and exchange current per porous surface area, biofilm covered area, electrochemically- or bioelectrochemically- active surface area, of the electrodes. Recommendations for indicators to describe the environmental and electrochemical robustness of electrochemically-active biofilms are portrayed, including preservation of the predominant functionality as well as electrochemical mechanistic and phenomenological features. A few additional key elements for industrial processing are depicted. Whereas Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are the main focus, some important parameters for reporting on cathodic bioproduction performance are also discussed. This critical revision aims to provide key parameters to compare the whole spectrum of microbial electrochemical systems in a consistent way

Program for parameter studies of steam generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathisen, R.P.

1982-11-01

R2-GEN is a computer code for stationary thermal parameter studies of steam generators. The geometry and data are valid for Ringhals-2 generators. Subroutines and relevant calculations are included. The program is based on a heterogeneous flow model and some applications on tubes with varying contamination are presented. (G.B.)

Program for searching for semiempirical parameters by the MNDO method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

1987-01-01

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

Efficient classification of complete parameter regions based on semidefinite programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Parrilo Pablo A

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Current approaches to parameter estimation are often inappropriate or inconvenient for the modelling of complex biological systems. For systems described by nonlinear equations, the conventional approach is to first numerically integrate the model, and then, in a second a posteriori step, check for consistency with experimental constraints. Hence, only single parameter sets can be considered at a time. Consequently, it is impossible to conclude that the "best" solution was identified or that no good solution exists, because parameter spaces typically cannot be explored in a reasonable amount of time. Results We introduce a novel approach based on semidefinite programming to directly identify consistent steady state concentrations for systems consisting of mass action kinetics, i.e., polynomial equations and inequality constraints. The duality properties of semidefinite programming allow to rigorously certify infeasibility for whole regions of parameter space, thus enabling the simultaneous multi-dimensional analysis of entire parameter sets. Conclusion Our algorithm reduces the computational effort of parameter estimation by several orders of magnitude, as illustrated through conceptual sample problems. Of particular relevance for systems biology, the approach can discriminate between structurally different candidate models by proving inconsistency with the available data.

Some Properties of Multiple Parameters Linear Programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maoqin Li

2010-01-01

Full Text Available We consider a linear programming problem in which the right-hand side vector depends on multiple parameters. We study the characters of the optimal value function and the critical regions based on the concept of the optimal partition. We show that the domain of the optimal value function f can be decomposed into finitely many subsets with disjoint relative interiors, which is different from the result based on the concept of the optimal basis. And any directional derivative of f at any point can be computed by solving a linear programming problem when only an optimal solution is available at the point.

Some Properties of Multiple Parameters Linear Programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Hong

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract We consider a linear programming problem in which the right-hand side vector depends on multiple parameters. We study the characters of the optimal value function and the critical regions based on the concept of the optimal partition. We show that the domain of the optimal value function can be decomposed into finitely many subsets with disjoint relative interiors, which is different from the result based on the concept of the optimal basis. And any directional derivative of at any point can be computed by solving a linear programming problem when only an optimal solution is available at the point.

A systemic study on key parameters affecting nanocomposite coatings on magnesium substrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Ian; Wang, Sebo Michelle; Silken, Christine; Liu, Huinan

2016-05-01

Nanocomposite coatings offer multiple functions simultaneously to improve the interfacial properties of magnesium (Mg) alloys for skeletal implant applications, e.g., controlling the degradation rate of Mg substrates, improving bone cell functions, and providing drug delivery capability. However, the effective service time of nanocomposite coatings may be limited due to their early delamination from the Mg-based substrates. Therefore, the objective of this study was to address the delamination issue of nanocomposite coatings, improve the coating properties for reducing the degradation of Mg-based substrates, and thus improve their cytocompatibility with bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). The surface conditions of the substrates, polymer component type of the nanocomposite coatings, and post-deposition processing are the key parameters that contribute to the efficacy of the nanocomposite coatings in regulating substrate degradation and bone cell responses. Specifically, the effects of metallic surface versus alkaline heat-treated hydroxide surface of the substrates on coating quality were investigated. For the nanocomposite coatings, nanophase hydroxyapatite (nHA) was dispersed in three types of biodegradable polymers, i.e., poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA), poly(l-lactic acid) (PLLA), or poly(caprolactone) (PCL) to determine which polymer component could provide integrated properties for slowest Mg degradation. The nanocomposite coatings with or without post-deposition processing, i.e., melting, annealing, were compared to determine which processing route improved the properties of the nanocomposite coatings most significantly. The results showed that optimizing the coating processes addressed the delamination issue. The melted then annealed nHA/PCL coating on the metallic Mg substrates showed the slowest degradation and the best coating adhesion, among all the combinations of conditions studied; and, it improved the adhesion density of BMSCs

A revisit to quadratic programming with fuzzy parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, S.-T.

2009-01-01

Quadratic programming has been widely applied to solving real-world problems. Recently, Liu describes a solution method for solving a class of fuzzy quadratic programming problems, where the cost coefficients of the linear terms in objective function, constraint coefficients, and right-hand sides are fuzzy numbers [Liu ST. Quadratic programming with fuzzy parameters: a membership function approach. Chaos, Solitons and Fractals 2009;40:237-45]. In this paper, we generalize Liu's method to a more general fuzzy quadratic programming problem, where the cost coefficients in objective function, constraint coefficients, and right-hand sides are all fuzzy numbers. A pair of two-level mathematical programs is formulated to calculate the upper bound and lower bound of the objective values of the fuzzy quadratic program. Based on the duality theorem and by applying the variable transformation technique, the pair of two-level mathematical programs is transformed into a family of conventional one-level quadratic programs. Solving the pair of quadratic programs produces the fuzzy objective values of the problem. With the ability of calculating the fuzzy objective value developed in this paper, it might help initiate wider applications.

Developing Key Parameters for Green Performance of Partition Wall Blocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Goh Cheng Siew

2016-01-01

Full Text Available To promote sustainable construction, it is important to consider green performance of construction materials throughout the life cycle. Selecting inappropriate materials could not only affect the functional performance but also preclude the achievement of green building performance as a whole. Green performance of construction materials has therefore been one of the primary considerations of green building assessment systems. Using partition wall blocks as an example, this paper examines green performance of building materials primarily from the cradle to gate boundaries. Nine key parameters are proposed for the green performance of partition wall blocks. Apart from environmental features, technical performance of partition wall blocks is also taken into consideration since it is the determinant of the lifecycle performance. This paper offers a roadmap to decision makers to make environmentally responsible choices for their materials of internal walls and partitions, and hence provides a potential sustainable solution for green buildings.

Impractical CME programs: Influential parameters in Iran.

Science.gov (United States)

Faghihi, Seyed Aliakbar; Khankeh, Hamid Reza; Hosseini, Seyed Jalil; Soltani Arabshahi, Seyed Kamran; Faghih, Zahra; Shirazi, Mandana

2017-01-01

Background: Traditional approaches in Continuing Medical Education (CME) appear to be ineffective in any improvement of the patients' care, reducing the medical errors, and/or altering physicians' behaviors. However, they are still executed by the CME providers, and are popular among the majority of the physicians. In this study, we aimed to explore the parameters involved in the degree of effectiveness of CME program in Iran. Methods: In this study, 31 participants, consisting of general practitioners, CME experts and providers were recruited to participate in in-depth interviews and field observations concerning experiences with CME. Application was made of the qualitative paradigm along with the qualitative content analysis, using grounded theory data analysis methodology (constant comparative analysis). Results: Based on the participants' experiences, the insufficient consistency between the training program contents and the demands of GPs, in addition to the non-beneficiary programs for the physicians and the non-comprehensive educational designs, created a negative attitude to the continuing education among physicians. This could be defined by an unrealistic continuing education program, which is the main theme here. Conclusion: Impracticable continuing education has created a negative attitude toward the CME programs among physicians so much that they consider these programs less important, resulting in attending the said programs without any specific aim: they dodge absenteeism just to get the credit points. Evidently, promoting CME programs to improve the performance of the physicians requires factual needs assessment over and above adaptation of the contents to the physicians' performance.

Injection Molding Parameters Calculations by Using Visual Basic (VB) Programming

Science.gov (United States)

Tony, B. Jain A. R.; Karthikeyen, S.; Alex, B. Jeslin A. R.; Hasan, Z. Jahid Ali

2018-03-01

Now a day’s manufacturing industry plays a vital role in production sectors. To fabricate a component lot of design calculation has to be done. There is a chance of human errors occurs during design calculations. The aim of this project is to create a special module using visual basic (VB) programming to calculate injection molding parameters to avoid human errors. To create an injection mold for a spur gear component the following parameters have to be calculated such as Cooling Capacity, Cooling Channel Diameter, and Cooling Channel Length, Runner Length and Runner Diameter, Gate Diameter and Gate Pressure. To calculate the above injection molding parameters a separate module has been created using Visual Basic (VB) Programming to reduce the human errors. The outcome of the module dimensions is the injection molding components such as mold cavity and core design, ejector plate design.

Optimal Design of Measurement Programs for the Parameter Identification of Dynamic Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkegaard, Poul Henning; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard; Brincker, Rune

The design of a measured program devoted to parameter identification of structural dynamic systems is considered, the design problem is formulated as an optimization problem due to minimize the total expected cost of the measurement program. All the calculations are based on a priori knowledge...... and engineering judgement. One of the contribution of the approach is that the optimal nmber of sensors can be estimated. This is sown in an numerical example where the proposed approach is demonstrated. The example is concerned with design of a measurement program for estimating the modal damping parameters...

Key Performance Parameter Driven Technology Goals for Electric Machines and Power Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Bowman, Cheryl; Jansen, Ralph; Brown, Gerald; Duffy, Kirsten; Trudell, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

Transitioning aviation to low carbon propulsion is one of the crucial strategic research thrust and is a driver in the search for alternative propulsion system for advanced aircraft configurations. This work requires multidisciplinary skills coming from multiple entities. The feasibility of scaling up various electric drive system technologies to meet the requirements of a large commercial transport is discussed in terms of key parameters. Functional requirements are identified that impact the power system design. A breakeven analysis is presented to find the minimum allowable electric drive specific power and efficiency that can preserve the range, initial weight, operating empty weight, and payload weight of the base aircraft.

Preventive maintenance program of motorized operated valves (MOV) at Cernavoda NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groza, M.; Moldoveanu, Edy

2001-01-01

This is a Power Point presentation. The following objectives are addressed: A. Determine the target of MOV program; B. Define the strategy for MOV; C. Establish the MOV program execution phases; D. Identification of key parameters; E. Examples. The target of MOV program is to improve the safety by ensuring the adequacy of safety valves and the reliability of safety equipment and, subsequently, to ensure the economic operation of the plant. Consequences of MV malfunction are indicated. The strategy for MOV program development is both general, namely, to define the minimal requirements of preventive /corrective maintenance activities for all MOV's according to design/ manufacture specification and particular, namely to identify MV's specific problems and the need for increasing/decreasing the preventing maintenance tasks or frequency established in 'general' MOV program. Strategy for MOV program development implies: - Establish MOV program applicability; - Develop diagnostic strategy (define key parameters ); - Perform program for engineering review; - Establish program for preventive maintenance; - Revise procedures for operating and maintenance tests; - Dynamic evaluation of MOV. The program execution phases are listed as follows: 1. Perform risk assessment of the MOV's to determine criticality level (program applicability); 2. Collect data to fill in MOV Application Data Sheet; 3. Perform engineering review to determine functional parameters acceptable range and determine key parameters; 4. Analysis for maintenance tasks / frequencies selection and determination of implementing actions (engineer review); 5. Prepare work packages for availability confirmation; 6. Schedule and plan corrective actions or provide input to other programs; 7. Schedule and plan implementing actions in preparation for program field execution; 8. Program field implementation; 9. Program monitoring, evaluation and optimization. The criteria defining the key operational and maintenance

Variability and Uncertainties of Key Hydrochemical Parameters for SKB Sites

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bath, Adrian [Intellisci Ltd, Willoughby on the Wolds, Loughborough (United Kingdom); Hermansson, Hans-Peter [Studsvik Nuclear AB, Nykoeping (Sweden)

2006-12-15

being able to characterise them thermodynamically. Geochemical modelling with the MEDUSA program and the HYDRA thermodynamic database was used to construct a set of Eh/pH diagrams for the iron and sulphur system in Forsmark groundwaters. Geochemical modelling with the PHREEQCI program was used for two purposes connected with uncertainties in key hydrochemical parameters: (i) to adjust pH to compensate for CO{sub 2} outgassing on the basis of an assumption that in situ groundwater should be at equilibrium with calcite, and (ii) to evaluate the hypothetical Eh on the basis of assumed control by Fe{sup 3+}/Fe{sup 2+}, Fe(OH)3/Fe{sup 2+} and SO{sub 4} 2-/HS- redox couples so as to assess evidence for control and buffering of redox and for reactivity of other redox sensitive parameters. These calculations were carried out with reported groundwater data from Forsmark and Simpevarp sites and also from the Aespoe HRL. It is emphasised that the purpose of these calculations is to explore and illustrate the theoretical basis of geochemical interpretations, and to understand what are the assumptions, simplifications and uncertainties in interpreting hydrochemical data especially redox and pH. Deviations of {+-}10 mV are attributable to minor differences in thermodynamic data and other model inputs. Some of the conclusions from geochemical modelling are: (i) pH data, when adjusted to compensate for CO{sub 2} outgassing, are typically 0.2 to 0.4 pH units lower than the measured values, which suggests one aspect of uncertainty in measured pH values. (ii) Most measured pH/Eh points for Forsmark are located close to the HS{sup -}/SO{sub 4} 2-line in an Eh/pH diagram, suggesting that the couple HS{sup -}/SO{sub 4} 2-controls Eh at normal SO{sub 4} 2-concentrations (above about 0.5 mM and around 5 mM). (iii) Eh calculated from the couples SO{sub 4} 2-/HS- and Fe(OH)3/Fe{sup 2+} are rather close to the measured Eh in most cases. In contrast, the Eh calculated from the Fe{sup 3+}/Fe{sup 2

Early Site Permit Demonstration Program: Plant parameters envelope report. Volume 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1993-03-01

The Early Site Permit (ESP) Demonstration Program is the nuclear industry`s initiative for piloting the early resolution of siting-related issues before the detailed design proceedings of the combined operating license review. The ESP Demonstration Program consists of three phases. The plant parameters envelopes task is part of Phase 1, which addresses the generic review of applicable federal regulations and develops criteria for safety and environmental assessment of potential sites. The plant parameters envelopes identify parameters that characterize the interface between an ALWR design and a potential site, and quantify the interface through values selected from the Utility Requirements Documents, vendor design information, or engineering assessments. When augmented with site-specific information, the plant parameters envelopes provide sufficient information to allow ESPs to be granted based on individual ALWR design information or enveloping design information for the evolutionary, passive, or generic ALWR plants. This document is expected to become a living document when used by future applicants.

Identifying the key personnel in a nurse-initiated hospital waste reduction program.

Science.gov (United States)

McDermott-Levy, Ruth; Fazzini, Carol

2010-01-01

Hospitals in the United States generate more than 6600 tons of trash a day and approximately 85% of the waste is nonhazardous solid waste such as food, cardboard, and plastic. Treatment and management of hospital waste can lead to environmental problems for the communities that receive the waste. One health system's shared governance model provided the foundation to develop a nurse-led hospital waste reduction program that focused on point-of-care waste management. Waste reduction program development required working with a variety of departments within and external to the health system. The interdisciplinary approach informed the development of the waste reduction program. This article identifies the key departments that were necessary to include when developing a hospital waste reduction program.

Key Policy Makers' Awareness of Tobacco Taxation Effectiveness through a Sensitization Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Heydari, Gholamreza; Ebn Ahmady, Arezoo; Lando, Harry A; Chamyani, Fahimeh; Masjedi, Mohammadreza; Shadmehr, Mohammad B; Fadaizadeh, Lida

2015-12-01

The implementation of 5 of the 6 WHO MPOWER program in Iran is satisfactory; the only notable shortcoming is the lack of tobacco taxation increases. This study was designed to increase key policy makers' awareness of tobacco taxation effectiveness through a sensitization program in Iran. This analytical and semi-experimental study in 2014 included 110 tobacco control key policy makers, who were trained and received educational materials on the importance of tobacco taxation. A valid and reliable questionnaire was completed before and three months after intervention. Data were analyzed using mean (SD), t-Test and analysis of variance. The mean (SD) scores at pre- and post-test were 2.7 ± 3 and 8.8 ± 1 out of 10, respectively. Paired t-tests demonstrated a significant difference in the pre- post-test knowledge scores. Increasing knowledge and promoting favorable attitudes of policy makers can lead to greater attention which could in turn change tobacco taxation policies.

Dark energy and key physical parameters of clusters of galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Bisnovatyi-Kogan, G. S.; Chernin, A. D.

2012-04-01

We study physics of clusters of galaxies embedded in the cosmic dark energy background. Under the assumption that dark energy is described by the cosmological constant, we show that the dynamical effects of dark energy are strong in clusters like the Virgo cluster. Specifically, the key physical parameters of the dark mater halos in clusters are determined by dark energy: (1) the halo cut-off radius is practically, if not exactly, equal to the zero-gravity radius at which the dark matter gravity is balanced by the dark energy antigravity; (2) the halo averaged density is equal to two densities of dark energy; (3) the halo edge (cut-off) density is the dark energy density with a numerical factor of the unity order slightly depending on the halo profile. The cluster gravitational potential well in which the particles of the dark halo (as well as galaxies and intracluster plasma) move is strongly affected by dark energy: the maximum of the potential is located at the zero-gravity radius of the cluster.

Estimating Arrhenius parameters using temperature programmed molecular dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imandi, Venkataramana; Chatterjee, Abhijit

2016-01-01

Kinetic rates at different temperatures and the associated Arrhenius parameters, whenever Arrhenius law is obeyed, are efficiently estimated by applying maximum likelihood analysis to waiting times collected using the temperature programmed molecular dynamics method. When transitions involving many activated pathways are available in the dataset, their rates may be calculated using the same collection of waiting times. Arrhenius behaviour is ascertained by comparing rates at the sampled temperatures with ones from the Arrhenius expression. Three prototype systems with corrugated energy landscapes, namely, solvated alanine dipeptide, diffusion at the metal-solvent interphase, and lithium diffusion in silicon, are studied to highlight various aspects of the method. The method becomes particularly appealing when the Arrhenius parameters can be used to find rates at low temperatures where transitions are rare. Systematic coarse-graining of states can further extend the time scales accessible to the method. Good estimates for the rate parameters are obtained with 500-1000 waiting times.

Estimating Arrhenius parameters using temperature programmed molecular dynamics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Imandi, Venkataramana; Chatterjee, Abhijit, E-mail: abhijit@che.iitb.ac.in [Department of Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai 400076 (India)

2016-07-21

Kinetic rates at different temperatures and the associated Arrhenius parameters, whenever Arrhenius law is obeyed, are efficiently estimated by applying maximum likelihood analysis to waiting times collected using the temperature programmed molecular dynamics method. When transitions involving many activated pathways are available in the dataset, their rates may be calculated using the same collection of waiting times. Arrhenius behaviour is ascertained by comparing rates at the sampled temperatures with ones from the Arrhenius expression. Three prototype systems with corrugated energy landscapes, namely, solvated alanine dipeptide, diffusion at the metal-solvent interphase, and lithium diffusion in silicon, are studied to highlight various aspects of the method. The method becomes particularly appealing when the Arrhenius parameters can be used to find rates at low temperatures where transitions are rare. Systematic coarse-graining of states can further extend the time scales accessible to the method. Good estimates for the rate parameters are obtained with 500-1000 waiting times.

Forecast of the key parameters of the 24-th solar cycle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chumak, Oleg Vasilievich; Matveychuk, Tatiana Viktorovna

2010-01-01

To predict the key parameters of the solar cycle, a new method is proposed based on the empirical law describing the correlation between the maximum height of the preceding solar cycle and the entropy of the forthcoming one. The entropy of the forthcoming cycle may be estimated using this empirical law, if the maximum height of the current cycle is known. The cycle entropy is shown to correlate well with the cycle's maximum height and, as a consequence, the height of the forthcoming maximum can be estimated. In turn, the correlation found between the height of the maximum and the duration of the ascending branch (the Waldmeier rule) allows the epoch of the maximum, Tmax, to be estimated, if the date of the minimum is known. Moreover, using the law discovered, one can find out the analogous cycles which are similar to the cycle being forecasted, and hence, obtain the synoptic forecast of all main features of the forthcoming cycle. The estimates have shown the accuracy level of this technique to be 86%. The new regularities discovered are also interesting because they are fundamental in the theory of solar cycles and may provide new empirical data. The main parameters of the future solar cycle 24 are as follows: the height of the maximum is Wmax = 95 ± 20, the duration of the ascending branch is Ta = 4.5 ± 0.5yr, the total cycle duration according to the synoptic forecast is 11.3 yr. (research papers)

Nuclear EMP: key suppression device parameters for EMP hardening

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durgin, D.L.; Brown, R.M.

1975-03-01

The electrical transients induced by EMP exhibit unique characteristics which differ considerably from transients associated with other phenomena such as lightning, switching, and circuit malfunctions. The suppression techniques developed to handle more common transients, though not necessarily the same devices, can be used for EMP damage protection. The suppression devices used for circuit level EMP protection are referred to as Terminal Protection Devices (TPD). Little detailed data describing the response of TPD's to EMP-related transients have been published. While most vendors publish specifications for TPD performance, there is little standardization of parameters and TPD response models are not available. This lack of parameter standardization has resulted in a proliferation of test data that is sometimes conflicting and often not directly comparable. This paper derives and/or defines a consistent set of parameters based on EMP circuit hardening requirements and on measurable component parameters and is concerned only with use of TPD's to prevent permanent damage. Three sets of parameters pertaining to pertinent TPD functional characteristics were defined as follows: standby parameters, protection parameters, and failure parameters. These parameters are used to evaluate a representative sample of TPD's and the results are presented in matrix form to facilitate the selection of devices for specific hardening problems

MESIN PENCETAKAN DENGAN PENGGERAK DARI PARAMETER PROGRAM BERBASIS WINDOWS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dwi Sunaryono

2003-07-01

pencetakan lewat word dapat dipilih sebagai dokumen word baru, bentuk template atau mail merge, sedangkan excel dapat memilih pencetakan lewat dokumen excel baru atau dokumen template.Tujuan pembuatan laporan ke berbagai macam pilihan sumber dapat meningkatkan kemampuan aplikasi untuk berinteraksi dengan aplikasi lain sehingga flesibilitas dari aplikasi dapat meningkat. Setting pengaturan printer diatur sedemikian rupa sehingga mirip dengan lingkungan printer. Pengambilan data secara mudah merujuk pada data yang saat itu aktif. Untuk keperluan lain dimungkinkan membuat penampung data sendiri, kemudian di kirim ke printer.State sebelum dan sesudah pencetakan dapat di sisipkan sintak, sesuai dengan proses yang ada, seperti misalkan update status keberhasilan pencetakan, sehingga tidak dobel melakukan pencetakan. State sebelum pencetakan dapat mengecek apakah status printer telah tercetak atau belum.Pengaturan kertas, halaman tunggal atau kertas bersambung (continous-form dapat dihandel dengan melakukan logika pada kertas secara fisik. Pemetaan logika dengan memakai logika pemrograman seperti perulangan, percabangan dan pembuatan variabel. Semua kelengkapan skrip program sebagai parameter dari program utama menjadikan aplikasi mudah dilakukan perubahan dengan otorisasi tertentu. Manajemen penyimpanan skrip parameter program untuk tiap kasus yang berbeda pada satu tempat penyimpanan dapat memudahkan pembuatan laporan. Penyimpanan bersifat sebagai sumber daya bagi pakai (resource sharing menunjang pembuatan skrip dikerjakan oleh banyak orang pada saat yang sama, dan secara langsung dapat juga dipakai sebagai mesin pencetakan secara bersama-sama. Kata kunci : mesin Pencetakan, parameter program, penggerak.

In-core program for on line measurements of neutron, photon and nuclear heating parameters inside Jules Horowitz MTR reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyoussi, A.; Reynard-Carette, C.

2014-01-01

Accurate on-line measurements of key parameters inside experimental channels of Material Testing Reactor are necessary to dimension the irradiation devices and consequently to conduct smart experiments on fuels and materials under suitable conditions. In particular the quantification of nuclear heating, a relevant parameter to reach adapted thermal conditions, has to be improved. These works focus on an important collaborative program between CEA and Aix-Marseille University called INCORE (Instrumentation for Nuclear radiations and Calorimetry On-line in Reactor) dedicated to the development of a new measurement methodology to quantify both nuclear heating and accurate radiation flux levels (neutrons and photons). The methodology, which is based on experiments carried out under irradiation conditions with a multi-sensor device (ionization chamber, fission chamber, gamma thermometer, calorimeter, SPND, SPGD) as well as works performed out-of nuclear/radiative environment on a reference sensor used to measure nuclear heating (calorimeter), is presented (authors)

Input parameters to codes which analyze LMFBR wire-wrapped bundles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hawley, J.T.; Chan, Y.N.; Todreas, N.E.

1980-12-01

This report provides a current summary of recommended values of key input parameters required by ENERGY code analysis of LMFBR wire wrapped bundles. This data is based on the interpretation of experimental results from the MIT and other available laboratory programs

Quantifying Key Climate Parameter Uncertainties Using an Earth System Model with a Dynamic 3D Ocean

Science.gov (United States)

Olson, R.; Sriver, R. L.; Goes, M. P.; Urban, N.; Matthews, D.; Haran, M.; Keller, K.

2011-12-01

Climate projections hinge critically on uncertain climate model parameters such as climate sensitivity, vertical ocean diffusivity and anthropogenic sulfate aerosol forcings. Climate sensitivity is defined as the equilibrium global mean temperature response to a doubling of atmospheric CO2 concentrations. Vertical ocean diffusivity parameterizes sub-grid scale ocean vertical mixing processes. These parameters are typically estimated using Intermediate Complexity Earth System Models (EMICs) that lack a full 3D representation of the oceans, thereby neglecting the effects of mixing on ocean dynamics and meridional overturning. We improve on these studies by employing an EMIC with a dynamic 3D ocean model to estimate these parameters. We carry out historical climate simulations with the University of Victoria Earth System Climate Model (UVic ESCM) varying parameters that affect climate sensitivity, vertical ocean mixing, and effects of anthropogenic sulfate aerosols. We use a Bayesian approach whereby the likelihood of each parameter combination depends on how well the model simulates surface air temperature and upper ocean heat content. We use a Gaussian process emulator to interpolate the model output to an arbitrary parameter setting. We use Markov Chain Monte Carlo method to estimate the posterior probability distribution function (pdf) of these parameters. We explore the sensitivity of the results to prior assumptions about the parameters. In addition, we estimate the relative skill of different observations to constrain the parameters. We quantify the uncertainty in parameter estimates stemming from climate variability, model and observational errors. We explore the sensitivity of key decision-relevant climate projections to these parameters. We find that climate sensitivity and vertical ocean diffusivity estimates are consistent with previously published results. The climate sensitivity pdf is strongly affected by the prior assumptions, and by the scaling

Key radionuclides and parameters that determine performance of geologic repositories for high-level radioactive wastes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joonhong Ahn; Atsuyuki Suzuki

1993-01-01

This paper presents results of a mathematical analysis for performance of the engineered barriers of high-level radioactive waste repositories. The main body of the mathematical model developed in this study is mass transport of actinides in a bentonite region. In an analysis of actinide transport, radioactive decay chain and effects of low solubilities must be taken into account. In many previous models for mass transport in engineered barriers including radioactive decay chain, however, boundary conditions at the interface between the waste form and the bentonite region cannot be determined flexibly. In some models, solubility-limited boundary condition is assumed for all the members in a chain. In order to investigate what are key radionuclides and parameters that control performance of engineered barriers of a geologic repository, we must evaluate mass transport with the source boundary condition determined by a detailed analysis on mass transfer at the boundary. In this study, we developed a mathematical model, which can determine whether the inner boundary condition is solubility-limited or congruent release, based on a mathematical analysis for mass transfer at the glass dissolution location, and how long the solubility-limited boundary condition applies. Based on the mathematical model, we point out radionuclides and parameters that have primary influences on the performance of a repository, and investigate a reasonable strategy for coupling geologic disposal and partitioning of those key radionuclides from the standpoint of reducing hazard of geologic disposal. (authors). 4 tabs., 2 figs., 8 refs

Key Resources for Creating Online Nutrition Education for Those Participating in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education

Science.gov (United States)

Stosich, Marie C.; LeBlanc, Heidi; Kudin, Janette S.; Christofferson, Debra

2016-01-01

Internet-based nutrition education is becoming an important tool in serving the rural, low-income community, yet the task of creating such programming can be daunting. The authors describe the key resources used in developing an Internet-based nutrition education program for those participating in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program…

Providing Feedback, Orientation and Opportunities for Reflection as Key Elements for Successful Mentoring Programs: Reviewing a Program for Future Business Education Teachers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabeth Riebenbauer

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The introduction to teaching is critical for novice teachers. Near the end of their master’s program, students of Business Education and Development in Austria spend one semester at an assigned school. They are introduced to teaching, while being assisted by peer students, mentoring teachers, and a companion course. Mentors receive special training and preparation in advance, thus contributing to a high quality mentoring program. The program is organized threefold: (1 providing feedback, (2 opportunities for reflection and (3 career orientation. The purpose of this paper is to assess key elements of successful mentoring programs and to question which competences of mentors contribute most to the success of those programs. Between 2012 and 2015, 188 persons (student teachers and their mentors responded to an online survey at the end of their mentoring program. Additionally, data from a study (1,245 questionnaires regarding the student teachers’ perception of their own competence was utilized, allowing for a comparison of student teacher confidence in their abilities before and after the mentoring program. The present results provide insight into the key elements of successful mentoring programs; both from a student teacher’s and mentor’s perspective. During the semester, students showed an increase regarding their self-perception of their professional competences. It was found that students and mentoring teachers valued feedback after each lesson more than feedback in regular meetings. Opportunities for reflection (e.g. exchange with peer students, learning diaries were considered helpful. The mentoring program helped students to decide whether to become a teacher or not.

Key transmission parameters of an institutional outbreak during the 1918 influenza pandemic estimated by mathematical modelling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nelson Peter

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Aim To estimate the key transmission parameters associated with an outbreak of pandemic influenza in an institutional setting (New Zealand 1918. Methods Historical morbidity and mortality data were obtained from the report of the medical officer for a large military camp. A susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered epidemiological model was solved numerically to find a range of best-fit estimates for key epidemic parameters and an incidence curve. Mortality data were subsequently modelled by performing a convolution of incidence distribution with a best-fit incidence-mortality lag distribution. Results Basic reproduction number (R0 values for three possible scenarios ranged between 1.3, and 3.1, and corresponding average latent period and infectious period estimates ranged between 0.7 and 1.3 days, and 0.2 and 0.3 days respectively. The mean and median best-estimate incidence-mortality lag periods were 6.9 and 6.6 days respectively. This delay is consistent with secondary bacterial pneumonia being a relatively important cause of death in this predominantly young male population. Conclusion These R0 estimates are broadly consistent with others made for the 1918 influenza pandemic and are not particularly large relative to some other infectious diseases. This finding suggests that if a novel influenza strain of similar virulence emerged then it could potentially be controlled through the prompt use of major public health measures.

BAESNUM, a conversational computer program for the Bayesian estimation of a parameter by a numerical method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colombo, A.G.; Jaarsma, R.J.

1982-01-01

This report describes a conversational computer program which, via Bayes' theorem, numerically combines the prior distribution of a parameter with a likelihood function. Any type of prior and likelihood function can be considered. The present version of the program includes six types of prior and employs the binomial likelihood. As input the program requires the law and parameters of the prior distribution and the sample data. As output it gives the posterior distribution as a histogram. The use of the program for estimating the constant failure rate of an item is briefly described

A no-key-exchange secure image sharing scheme based on Shamir's three-pass cryptography protocol and the multiple-parameter fractional Fourier transform.

Science.gov (United States)

Lang, Jun

2012-01-30

In this paper, we propose a novel secure image sharing scheme based on Shamir's three-pass protocol and the multiple-parameter fractional Fourier transform (MPFRFT), which can safely exchange information with no advance distribution of either secret keys or public keys between users. The image is encrypted directly by the MPFRFT spectrum without the use of phase keys, and information can be shared by transmitting the encrypted image (or message) three times between users. Numerical simulation results are given to verify the performance of the proposed algorithm.

Solving seismological problems using SGRAPH program: I-source parameters and hypocentral location

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdelwahed, Mohamed F.

2012-01-01

SGRAPH program is considered one of the seismological programs that maintain seismic data. SGRAPH is considered unique for being able to read a wide range of data formats and manipulate complementary tools in different seismological subjects in a stand-alone Windows-based application. SGRAPH efficiently performs the basic waveform analysis and solves advanced seismological problems. The graphical user interface (GUI) utilities and the Windows facilities such as, dialog boxes, menus, and toolbars simplified the user interaction with data. SGRAPH supported the common data formats like, SAC, SEED, GSE, ASCII, and Nanometrics Y-format, and others. It provides the facilities to solve many seismological problems with the built-in inversion and modeling tools. In this paper, I discuss some of the inversion tools built-in SGRAPH related to source parameters and hypocentral location estimation. Firstly, a description of the SGRAPH program is given discussing some of its features. Secondly, the inversion tools are applied to some selected events of the Dahshour earthquakes as an example of estimating the spectral and source parameters of local earthquakes. In addition, the hypocentral location of these events are estimated using the Hypoinverse 2000 program operated by SGRAPH.

Revisiting Employee Assistance Programs and Substance Use Problems in the Workplace: Key Issues and a Research Agenda

OpenAIRE

Levy Merrick, Elizabeth S.; Volpe-Vartanian, Joanna; Horgan, Constance M.; McCann, Bernard

2007-01-01

This column describes employee assistance program (EAPs) and identifies key issues for contemporary EAPs. These programs began as occupational alcohol programs and have evolved into more comprehensive resources. To better understand contemporary EAPs, the authors suggest a research agenda at includes descriptive studies to provide an up-to-date picture of services; investigations of how contemporary EAPs address substance use problems, including management consultation for early identificatio...

Optimization of programming parameters in children with the advanced bionics cochlear implant.

Science.gov (United States)

Baudhuin, Jacquelyn; Cadieux, Jamie; Firszt, Jill B; Reeder, Ruth M; Maxson, Jerrica L

2012-05-01

Cochlear implants provide access to soft intensity sounds and therefore improved audibility for children with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Speech processor programming parameters, such as threshold (or T-level), input dynamic range (IDR), and microphone sensitivity, contribute to the recipient's program and influence audibility. When soundfield thresholds obtained through the speech processor are elevated, programming parameters can be modified to improve soft sound detection. Adult recipients show improved detection for low-level sounds when T-levels are set at raised levels and show better speech understanding in quiet when wider IDRs are used. Little is known about the effects of parameter settings on detection and speech recognition in children using today's cochlear implant technology. The overall study aim was to assess optimal T-level, IDR, and sensitivity settings in pediatric recipients of the Advanced Bionics cochlear implant. Two experiments were conducted. Experiment 1 examined the effects of two T-level settings on soundfield thresholds and detection of the Ling 6 sounds. One program set T-levels at 10% of most comfortable levels (M-levels) and another at 10 current units (CUs) below the level judged as "soft." Experiment 2 examined the effects of IDR and sensitivity settings on speech recognition in quiet and noise. Participants were 11 children 7-17 yr of age (mean 11.3) implanted with the Advanced Bionics High Resolution 90K or CII cochlear implant system who had speech recognition scores of 20% or greater on a monosyllabic word test. Two T-level programs were compared for detection of the Ling sounds and frequency modulated (FM) tones. Differing IDR/sensitivity programs (50/0, 50/10, 70/0, 70/10) were compared using Ling and FM tone detection thresholds, CNC (consonant-vowel nucleus-consonant) words at 50 dB SPL, and Hearing in Noise Test for Children (HINT-C) sentences at 65 dB SPL in the presence of four-talker babble (+8 signal

Automatic Inference of Cryptographic Key Length Based on Analysis of Proof Tightness

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

allows us to select a smaller security parameter). 5.5 Python Implementation We implement our software tool in the Python programming language...27 5.4 Second Pass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 5.5 Python Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 5.6...software tool, implemented in Python and leveraging the SymPy symbolic solver library; and • We validate our tool using the Schnorr public-key

Optimal Design of Measurement Programs for the Parameter Identification of Dynamic Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkegaard, Poul Henning; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard; Brincker, Rune

The design of measurement programs devoted to parameter identification of structural dynamic systems is considered. The design problem is formulated as an optimization problem to minimize the total expected cost that is the cost of failure and the cost of the measurement program. All...... the calculations are based on a priori knowledge and engineering judgement. One of the contribution of the approach is that the optimal number of sensors can be estimated. This is shown in a numerical example where the proposed approach is demonstrated. The example is concerned with design of a measurement program...

An Interval-Parameter Fuzzy Linear Programming with Stochastic Vertices Model for Water Resources Management under Uncertainty

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan Han

2013-01-01

Full Text Available An interval-parameter fuzzy linear programming with stochastic vertices (IFLPSV method is developed for water resources management under uncertainty by coupling interval-parameter fuzzy linear programming (IFLP with stochastic programming (SP. As an extension of existing interval parameter fuzzy linear programming, the developed IFLPSV approach has advantages in dealing with dual uncertainty optimization problems, which uncertainty presents as interval parameter with stochastic vertices in both of the objective functions and constraints. The developed IFLPSV method improves upon the IFLP method by allowing dual uncertainty parameters to be incorporated into the optimization processes. A hybrid intelligent algorithm based on genetic algorithm and artificial neural network is used to solve the developed model. The developed method is then applied to water resources allocation in Beijing city of China in 2020, where water resources shortage is a challenging issue. The results indicate that reasonable solutions have been obtained, which are helpful and useful for decision makers. Although the amount of water supply from Guanting and Miyun reservoirs is declining with rainfall reduction, water supply from the South-to-North Water Transfer project will have important impact on water supply structure of Beijing city, particularly in dry year and extraordinary dry year.

Parameter values for the Heysham site for use in the CODAR2 program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maul, P.R.

1985-03-01

Details are given of parameter values relevant to the Heysham site for the calculation of individual and collective radiation exposure arising from routine discharges of liquid effluent to the sea. These parameters are to be used in the CODAR2 computer program, and the approach taken in their specification is the same as that employed previously for the Sizewell site. (author)

Identification of key parameters determining Danish homeowners' willingness and motivation for energy renovations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mortensen, Andrea; Heiselberg, Per Kvols; Knudstrup, Mary-Ann

2016-01-01

that the average Danish single-family house owner can be motivated by improvements in comfort, indoor environment and architecture combined with a reasonable economy. The objective of this paper is, based on the motivation survey results, to determine if all homeowners can be assumed as one homogeneous group...... or if there are significant differences among the homeowners, what causes these differences and how does this affect the future motivation strategy. The key parameters for if and how the homeowner can be motivated are related to the homeowner’s position in life: age, children’s’ age, time of ownership, occupation and income....... Furthermore, the results conclude that the homeowners cannot be assumed as one group, but must be seen as individuals. Those who are most likely to be motivated to perform an energy renovation are the younger generation of homeowners. The older generation will be harder to motivate, but results nonetheless...

3-D simulations of M9 earthquakes on the Cascadia Megathrust: Key parameters and uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Wirth, Erin; Frankel, Arthur; Vidale, John; Marafi, Nasser A.; Stephenson, William J.

2017-01-01

Geologic and historical records indicate that the Cascadia subduction zone is capable of generating large, megathrust earthquakes up to magnitude 9. The last great Cascadia earthquake occurred in 1700, and thus there is no direct measure on the intensity of ground shaking or specific rupture parameters from seismic recordings. We use 3-D numerical simulations to generate broadband (0-10 Hz) synthetic seismograms for 50 M9 rupture scenarios on the Cascadia megathrust. Slip consists of multiple high-stress drop subevents (~M8) with short rise times on the deeper portion of the fault, superimposed on a background slip distribution with longer rise times. We find a >4x variation in the intensity of ground shaking depending upon several key parameters, including the down-dip limit of rupture, the slip distribution and location of strong-motion-generating subevents, and the hypocenter location. We find that extending the down-dip limit of rupture to the top of the non-volcanic tremor zone results in a ~2-3x increase in peak ground acceleration for the inland city of Seattle, Washington, compared to a completely offshore rupture. However, our simulations show that allowing the rupture to extend to the up-dip limit of tremor (i.e., the deepest rupture extent in the National Seismic Hazard Maps), even when tapering the slip to zero at the down-dip edge, results in multiple areas of coseismic coastal uplift. This is inconsistent with coastal geologic evidence (e.g., buried soils, submerged forests), which suggests predominantly coastal subsidence for the 1700 earthquake and previous events. Defining the down-dip limit of rupture as the 1 cm/yr locking contour (i.e., mostly offshore) results in primarily coseismic subsidence at coastal sites. We also find that the presence of deep subevents can produce along-strike variations in subsidence and ground shaking along the coast. Our results demonstrate the wide range of possible ground motions from an M9 megathrust earthquake in

A natural language processing program effectively extracts key pathologic findings from radical prostatectomy reports.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Brian J; Merchant, Madhur; Zheng, Chengyi; Thomas, Anil A; Contreras, Richard; Jacobsen, Steven J; Chien, Gary W

2014-12-01

Natural language processing (NLP) software programs have been widely developed to transform complex free text into simplified organized data. Potential applications in the field of medicine include automated report summaries, physician alerts, patient repositories, electronic medical record (EMR) billing, and quality metric reports. Despite these prospects and the recent widespread adoption of EMR, NLP has been relatively underutilized. The objective of this study was to evaluate the performance of an internally developed NLP program in extracting select pathologic findings from radical prostatectomy specimen reports in the EMR. An NLP program was generated by a software engineer to extract key variables from prostatectomy reports in the EMR within our healthcare system, which included the TNM stage, Gleason grade, presence of a tertiary Gleason pattern, histologic subtype, size of dominant tumor nodule, seminal vesicle invasion (SVI), perineural invasion (PNI), angiolymphatic invasion (ALI), extracapsular extension (ECE), and surgical margin status (SMS). The program was validated by comparing NLP results to a gold standard compiled by two blinded manual reviewers for 100 random pathology reports. NLP demonstrated 100% accuracy for identifying the Gleason grade, presence of a tertiary Gleason pattern, SVI, ALI, and ECE. It also demonstrated near-perfect accuracy for extracting histologic subtype (99.0%), PNI (98.9%), TNM stage (98.0%), SMS (97.0%), and dominant tumor size (95.7%). The overall accuracy of NLP was 98.7%. NLP generated a result in report. This novel program demonstrated high accuracy and efficiency identifying key pathologic details from the prostatectomy report within an EMR system. NLP has the potential to assist urologists by summarizing and highlighting relevant information from verbose pathology reports. It may also facilitate future urologic research through the rapid and automated creation of large databases.

The study on key performance indices in national nuclear R and D program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Seong Baek; Park, Nam Je; Park, Hong Jun; Chung, Bum Jin; Kim, Jeong Ha; Seo, Kyung Chun; Kim, Byung Mok

2012-01-01

Korean government has increased its investment of national research and development (R and D) recognizing that science and technology is a core element to bolster national economy and upgrade human life. In addition, measures have been developed to evaluate the R and D performance and contribution as they become critical and play pivotal roles to allocate national R and D budget in order to prevent the spillover effects. The nuclear technology development program is the backbone of the nuclear R and D programs in Korea. Since the nuclear R and D requires not only massive human resources and capitals but huge research equipment and facilities, the nuclear related science technology field is usually led by the government because of the high possibility of risk, failure or rewards, the necessity of huge budget, and the research spin off. The MEST (Ministry of Education and Science Technology) lays the groundwork for the advancement in nuclear R and D and the development of highly advanced technology by securing core technology. In addition, it also fosters world leading scientists with a creative research environment and an efficient R and D infrastructure. The main purpose of the study is to develop the logic model and design key performance indices for nuclear R and D program. The brief review of basic framework and contents for the performance evaluation system was explained in section 2. Based on the suggested evaluation framework, logic model and key performance indices are provided in section 3 and finally, concluding remarks are given in section 4

At-line monitoring of key parameters of nisin fermentation by near infrared spectroscopy, chemometric modeling and model improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Wei-Liang; Du, Yi-Ping; Zhou, Yong-Can; Yang, Shuang; Lu, Jia-Hui; Zhao, Hong-Yu; Wang, Yao; Teng, Li-Rong

2012-03-01

An analytical procedure has been developed for at-line (fast off-line) monitoring of 4 key parameters including nisin titer (NT), the concentration of reducing sugars, cell concentration and pH during a nisin fermentation process. This procedure is based on near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy and Partial Least Squares (PLS). Samples without any preprocessing were collected at intervals of 1 h during fifteen batch of fermentations. These fermentation processes were implemented in 3 different 5 l fermentors at various conditions. NIR spectra of the samples were collected in 10 min. And then, PLS was used for modeling the relationship between NIR spectra and the key parameters which were determined by reference methods. Monte Carlo Partial Least Squares (MCPLS) was applied to identify the outliers and select the most efficacious methods for preprocessing spectra, wavelengths and the suitable number of latent variables (n (LV)). Then, the optimum models for determining NT, concentration of reducing sugars, cell concentration and pH were established. The correlation coefficients of calibration set (R (c)) were 0.8255, 0.9000, 0.9883 and 0.9581, respectively. These results demonstrated that this method can be successfully applied to at-line monitor of NT, concentration of reducing sugars, cell concentration and pH during nisin fermentation processes.

Designing key-dependent chaotic S-box with larger key space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yin Ruming; Yuan Jian; Wang Jian; Shan Xiuming; Wang Xiqin

2009-01-01

The construction of cryptographically strong substitution boxes (S-boxes) is an important concern in designing secure cryptosystems. The key-dependent S-boxes designed using chaotic maps have received increasing attention in recent years. However, the key space of such S-boxes does not seem to be sufficiently large due to the limited parameter range of discretized chaotic maps. In this paper, we propose a new key-dependent S-box based on the iteration of continuous chaotic maps. We explore the continuous-valued state space of chaotic systems, and devise the discrete mapping between the input and the output of the S-box. A key-dependent S-box is constructed with the logistic map in this paper. We show that its key space could be much larger than the current key-dependent chaotic S-boxes.

The I.A.G./A.I.G. SEDIBUD (Sediment Budgets in Cold Environments) Program (2005 - 2017): Key activities and outcomes

Science.gov (United States)

Beylich, Achim A.

2017-04-01

Amplified climate change and ecological sensitivity of high-latitude and high-altitude cold climate environments has been highlighted as a key global environmental issue. Projected climate change in largely undisturbed cold regions is expected to alter melt-season duration and intensity, along with the number of extreme rainfall events, total annual precipitation and the balance between snowfall and rainfall. Similarly, changes to the thermal balance are expected to reduce the extent of permafrost and seasonal ground frost and increase active-layer depths. These combined effects will undoubtedly change Earth surface environments in cold regions and will alter the fluxes of sediments, solutes and nutrients. However, the absence of quantitative data and coordinated analysis to understand the sensitivity of the Earth surface environment are acute in cold regions. Contemporary cold climate environments generally provide the opportunity to identify solute and sedimentary systems where anthropogenic impacts are still less important than the effects of climate change. Accordingly, it is still possible to develop a library of baseline fluvial yields and sedimentary budgets before the natural environment is completely transformed. The SEDIBUD (Sediment Budgets in Cold Environments) Program, building on the European Science Foundation (ESF) Network SEDIFLUX (Sedimentary Source-to-Sink Fluxes in Cold Environments, since 2004) was formed in 2005 as a new Program (Working Group) of the International Association of Geomorphologists (I.A.G./A.I.G.) to address this still existing key knowledge gap. SEDIBUD (2005-2017) has currently about 400 members worldwide and the Steering Committee of this international program is composed of eleven scientists from ten different countries. The central research question of this global program is to: Assess and model the contemporary sedimentary fluxes in cold climates, with emphasis on both particulate and dissolved components. Research carried

Opportunities for Enhanced Strategic Use of Surveys, Medical Records, and Program Data for HIV Surveillance of Key Populations: Scoping Review

Science.gov (United States)

Baral, Stefan D; Edwards, Jessie K; Zadrozny, Sabrina; Hargreaves, James; Zhao, Jinkou; Sabin, Keith

2018-01-01

Background Normative guidelines from the World Health Organization recommend tracking strategic information indicators among key populations. Monitoring progress in the global response to the HIV epidemic uses indicators put forward by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS. These include the 90-90-90 targets that require a realignment of surveillance data, routinely collected program data, and medical record data, which historically have developed separately. Objective The aim of this study was to describe current challenges for monitoring HIV-related strategic information indicators among key populations ((men who have sex with men [MSM], people in prisons and other closed settings, people who inject drugs, sex workers, and transgender people) and identify future opportunities to enhance the use of surveillance data, programmatic data, and medical record data to describe the HIV epidemic among key populations and measure the coverage of HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs. Methods To provide a historical perspective, we completed a scoping review of the expansion of HIV surveillance among key populations over the past three decades. To describe current efforts, we conducted a review of the literature to identify published examples of SI indicator estimates among key populations. To describe anticipated challenges and future opportunities to improve measurement of strategic information indicators, particularly from routine program and health data, we consulted participants of the Third Global HIV Surveillance Meeting in Bangkok, where the 2015 World Health Organization strategic information guidelines were launched. Results There remains suboptimal alignment of surveillance and programmatic data, as well as routinely collected medical records to facilitate the reporting of the 90-90-90 indicators for HIV among key populations. Studies (n=3) with estimates of all three 90-90-90 indicators rely on cross-sectional survey data. Programmatic data and

Measuring Sexual Behavior Stigma to Inform Effective HIV Prevention and Treatment Programs for Key Populations

Science.gov (United States)

Hargreaves, James R; Sprague, Laurel; Stangl, Anne L; Baral, Stefan D

2017-01-01

Background The levels of coverage of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment and prevention services needed to change the trajectory of the HIV epidemic among key populations, including gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) and sex workers, have consistently been shown to be limited by stigma. Objective The aim of this study was to propose an agenda for the goals and approaches of a sexual behavior stigma surveillance effort for key populations, with a focus on collecting surveillance data from 4 groups: (1) members of key population groups themselves (regardless of HIV status), (2) people living with HIV (PLHIV) who are also members of key populations, (3) members of nonkey populations, and (4) health workers. Methods We discuss strengths and weaknesses of measuring multiple different types of stigma including perceived, anticipated, experienced, perpetrated, internalized, and intersecting stigma as measured among key populations themselves, as well as attitudes or beliefs about key populations as measured among other groups. Results With the increasing recognition of the importance of stigma, consistent and validated stigma metrics for key populations are needed to monitor trends and guide immediate action. Evidence-based stigma interventions may ultimately be the key to overcoming the barriers to coverage and retention in life-saving antiretroviral-based HIV prevention and treatment programs for key populations. Conclusions Moving forward necessitates the integration of validated stigma scales in routine HIV surveillance efforts, as well as HIV epidemiologic and intervention studies focused on key populations, as a means of tracking progress toward a more efficient and impactful HIV response. PMID:28446420

Group key management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dunigan, T.; Cao, C.

1997-08-01

This report describes an architecture and implementation for doing group key management over a data communications network. The architecture describes a protocol for establishing a shared encryption key among an authenticated and authorized collection of network entities. Group access requires one or more authorization certificates. The implementation includes a simple public key and certificate infrastructure. Multicast is used for some of the key management messages. An application programming interface multiplexes key management and user application messages. An implementation using the new IP security protocols is postulated. The architecture is compared with other group key management proposals, and the performance and the limitations of the implementation are described.

Simple Web-based interactive key development software (WEBiKEY) and an example key for Kuruna (Poaceae: Bambusoideae).

Science.gov (United States)

Attigala, Lakshmi; De Silva, Nuwan I; Clark, Lynn G

2016-04-01

Programs that are user-friendly and freely available for developing Web-based interactive keys are scarce and most of the well-structured applications are relatively expensive. WEBiKEY was developed to enable researchers to easily develop their own Web-based interactive keys with fewer resources. A Web-based multiaccess identification tool (WEBiKEY) was developed that uses freely available Microsoft ASP.NET technologies and an SQL Server database for Windows-based hosting environments. WEBiKEY was tested for its usability with a sample data set, the temperate woody bamboo genus Kuruna (Poaceae). WEBiKEY is freely available to the public and can be used to develop Web-based interactive keys for any group of species. The interactive key we developed for Kuruna using WEBiKEY enables users to visually inspect characteristics of Kuruna and identify an unknown specimen as one of seven possible species in the genus.

The application of parameters for comprehensive smile esthetics by digital smile design programs: A review of literature

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Doya Omar

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Cosmetic dentistry is increasingly becoming an issue of concern to patients who hope to improve their smile. A systematic and comprehensive dentofacial analysis must be performed before commencing esthetic treatment. Several computer software programs have been developed for digital smile design (DSD to assist clinicians in this process. This article compares DSD programs commonly used in cosmetic dentistry and their ability to assess esthetic parameters. A literature review was performed of current dentofacial aesthetic parameters and clinical applications of computer technology to assess facial, dentogingival and dental esthetics. Eight DSD programs (Photoshop CS6, Keynote, Planmeca Romexis Smile Design, Cerec SW 4.2, Aesthetic Digital Smile Design, Smile Designer Pro, DSD App and VisagiSMile were compared. Photoshop, Keynote and Aesthetic Digital Smile Design included the largest number of esthetic analysis parameters. Other studied DSD programs presented deficiencies in their ability to analyze facial esthetic parameters but included comprehensive dentogingival and dental esthetic functions. The DSD App, Planmeca Romexis Smile Design, and Cerec SW 4.2 were able to perform 3D analysis; furthermore, Cerec SW 4.2 and PRSD could be used jointly with CAD/CAM. The DSD App and Smile Designer Pro are available as mobile phone applications. It can be concluded that despite the fact that they were not specifically designed for dental diagnosis, Photoshop CS6 and Keynote provide a more comprehensive smile analysis than most specialized DSD programs. However, other program functions should also be considered when deciding which DSD program is applicable to individual clinical setups.

Identification of Evidence for Key Parameters in Decision-Analytic Models of Cost Effectiveness: A Description of Sources and a Recommended Minimum Search Requirement.

Science.gov (United States)

Paisley, Suzy

2016-06-01

This paper proposes recommendations for a minimum level of searching for data for key parameters in decision-analytic models of cost effectiveness and describes sources of evidence relevant to each parameter type. Key parameters are defined as treatment effects, adverse effects, costs, resource use, health state utility values (HSUVs) and baseline risk of events. The recommended minimum requirement for treatment effects is comprehensive searching according to available methodological guidance. For other parameter types, the minimum is the searching of one bibliographic database plus, where appropriate, specialist sources and non-research-based and non-standard format sources. The recommendations draw on the search methods literature and on existing analyses of how evidence is used to support decision-analytic models. They take account of the range of research and non-research-based sources of evidence used in cost-effectiveness models and of the need for efficient searching. Consideration is given to what constitutes best evidence for the different parameter types in terms of design and scientific quality and to making transparent the judgments that underpin the selection of evidence from the options available. Methodological issues are discussed, including the differences between decision-analytic models of cost effectiveness and systematic reviews when searching and selecting evidence and comprehensive versus sufficient searching. Areas are highlighted where further methodological research is required.

A COCAP program for the statistical analysis of common cause failure parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kwon, Baehyeuk; Jae, Moosung [Hanyang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of). Dept. of Nuclear Engineering

2016-03-15

Probabilistic Safety Assessment (PSA) based applications and regulations are becoming more important in the field of nuclear energy. According to the results of a PSA in Korea, the common cause failure evaluates CDF (Core Damage Frequency) as one of the significant factors affecting redundancy of NPPs. The purpose of the study is to develop a COCAP (Common Cause Failure parameter Analysis for PSA) program for the accurate use of the alpha factor model parameter data provided by other countries and for obtaining the indigenous CCF data of NPPs in Korea through Bayesian updating.

Mesoscale storm and dry period parameters from hourly precipitation data: program documentation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thorp, J.M.

1984-09-01

Wet deposition of airborne chemical pollutants occurs primarily from precipitation. Precipitation rate, amount, duration, and location are important meteorological factors to be considered when attempting to understand the relationship of precipitation to pollutant deposition. The Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) has conducted studies and experiments in numerous locations to collect data that can be incorporated into theories and models that attempt to describe the complex relationship between precipitation occurrence and chemical wet desposition. Model development often requires the use of average rather than random condition as input. To provide mean values of storm parameters, the task, Climatological Analysis of Mesoscale Storms, was created as a facet of the Environmental Protection Agency's related-service project, Precipitation Scavenging Module Development. Within this task computer programs have been developed at PNL which incorporate hourly precipitation data from National Weather Service stations to calculate mean values and frequency distributions of precipitation periods and of the interspersed dry periods. These programs have been written with a degree of flexibiity that will allow user modification for applications to different, but similar, analyses. This report describes in detail the rationale and operation of the two computer programs which produce the tables of average and frequency distributions of storm and dry period parameters from the precipitation data. A listing of the programs and examples of the generated output are included in the appendices. 3 references, 3 figures, 6 tables.

Optimal Design of Measurement Programs for the Parameter Identification of Dynamic Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkegaard, Poul Henning; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard; Brincker, Rune

1993-01-01

The design of a measurement program devoted to parameter identification of structural dynamic systems is considered. The design problem is formulated as an optimization problem to minimize the total expected cost that is the cost of failure and the cost of the measurement program. All...... the calculations are based on a priori knowledge and engineering judgement. One of the contribution of the approach is that the optimal number of sensory can be estimated. This is shown in an numerical example where the proposed approach is demonstrated. The example is concerned with design of a measurement...

Optimal Design of Measurement Programs for the Parameter Identification of Dynamic Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kirkegaard, Poul Henning; Sørensen, John Dalsgaard; Brincker, Rune

1991-01-01

The design of a measurement program devoted to parameter identification of structural dynamic systems is considered. The design problem is formulated as an optimization problem to minimize the total expected cost, i.e. the cost of failure and the cost of the measurement program. All...... the calculations are based on a priori knowledge and engineering judgement. One of the contributions of the approach is that the optimal number of sensors can be estimated. This is shown in a numerical example where the proposed approach is demonstrated. The example is concerned with design of a measurement...

Key improvements to XTR

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lenstra, A.K.; Verheul, E.R.; Okamoto, T.

2000-01-01

This paper describes improved methods for XTR key representation and parameter generation (cf. [4]). If the field characteristic is properly chosen, the size of the XTR public key for signature applications can be reduced by a factor of three at the cost of a small one time computation for the

Developmental programming: the concept, large animal models, and the key role of uteroplacental vascular development.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, L P; Borowicz, P P; Caton, J S; Vonnahme, K A; Luther, J S; Hammer, C J; Maddock Carlin, K R; Grazul-Bilska, A T; Redmer, D A

2010-04-01

Developmental programming refers to the programming of various bodily systems and processes by a stressor of the maternal system during pregnancy or during the neonatal period. Such stressors include nutritional stress, multiple pregnancy (i.e., increased numbers of fetuses in the gravid uterus), environmental stress (e.g., high environmental temperature, high altitude, prenatal steroid exposure), gynecological immaturity, and maternal or fetal genotype. Programming refers to impaired function of numerous bodily systems or processes, leading to poor growth, altered body composition, metabolic dysfunction, and poor productivity (e.g., poor growth, reproductive dysfunction) of the offspring throughout their lifespan and even across generations. A key component of developmental programming seems to be placental dysfunction, leading to altered fetal growth and development. We discuss various large animal models of developmental programming and how they have and will continue to contribute to our understanding of the mechanisms underlying altered placental function and developmental programming, and, further, how large animal models also will be critical to the identification and application of therapeutic strategies that will alleviate the negative consequences of developmental programming to improve offspring performance in livestock production and human medicine.

Key management of the double random-phase-encoding method using public-key encryption

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, Nirmala; Sinha, Aloka

2010-03-01

Public-key encryption has been used to encode the key of the encryption process. In the proposed technique, an input image has been encrypted by using the double random-phase-encoding method using extended fractional Fourier transform. The key of the encryption process have been encoded by using the Rivest-Shamir-Adelman (RSA) public-key encryption algorithm. The encoded key has then been transmitted to the receiver side along with the encrypted image. In the decryption process, first the encoded key has been decrypted using the secret key and then the encrypted image has been decrypted by using the retrieved key parameters. The proposed technique has advantage over double random-phase-encoding method because the problem associated with the transmission of the key has been eliminated by using public-key encryption. Computer simulation has been carried out to validate the proposed technique.

Derivation of cell population kinetic parameters from clinical statistical data (program RAD3)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, L.

1978-01-01

Cellular lethality models generally require up to 6 parameters to simulate a clinical course of fractionated radiation therapy and to derive an estimate of the cellular surviving fraction for a given treatment scheme. These parameters are the mean cellular lethal dose, the extrapolation number, the ratio of sublethal to irreparable events, the regeneration rate, the repopulation limit (cell cycles), and a field-size or tumor-volume factor. A computer program (RAD3) was designed to derive best-fitting values for these parameters in relation to available clinical data based on the assumption that if a number of different fractionation schemes yield similar reactions, the cellular surviving fractions will be about equal in each instance. Parameters were derived for a variety of human tissues from which realistic iso-effect functions could be generated

Nonlinear Time Series Prediction Using LS-SVM with Chaotic Mutation Evolutionary Programming for Parameter Optimization

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Ruirui; Chen Tianlun; Gao Chengfeng

2006-01-01

Nonlinear time series prediction is studied by using an improved least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM) regression based on chaotic mutation evolutionary programming (CMEP) approach for parameter optimization. We analyze how the prediction error varies with different parameters (σ, γ) in LS-SVM. In order to select appropriate parameters for the prediction model, we employ CMEP algorithm. Finally, Nasdaq stock data are predicted by using this LS-SVM regression based on CMEP, and satisfactory results are obtained.

Keys to the House: Unlocking Residential Savings With Program Models for Home Energy Upgrades

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grevatt, Jim [Energy Futures Group (United States); Hoffman, Ian [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Hoffmeyer, Dale [US Department of Energy, Washington, DC (United States)

2017-07-05

After more than 40 years of effort, energy efficiency program administrators and associated contractors still find it challenging to penetrate the home retrofit market, especially at levels commensurate with state and federal goals for energy savings and emissions reductions. Residential retrofit programs further have not coalesced around a reliably successful model. They still vary in design, implementation and performance, and they remain among the more difficult and costly options for acquiring savings in the residential sector. If programs are to contribute fully to meeting resource and policy objectives, administrators need to understand what program elements are key to acquiring residential savings as cost effectively as possible. To that end, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored a comprehensive review and analysis of home energy upgrade programs with proven track records, focusing on those with robustly verified savings and constituting good examples for replication. The study team reviewed evaluations for the period 2010 to 2014 for 134 programs that are funded by customers of investor-owned utilities. All are programs that promote multi-measure retrofits or major system upgrades. We paid particular attention to useful design and implementation features, costs, and savings for nearly 30 programs with rigorous evaluations of performance. This meta-analysis describes program models and implementation strategies for (1) direct install retrofits; (2) heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) replacement and early retirement; and (3) comprehensive, whole-home retrofits. We analyze costs and impacts of these program models, in terms of both energy savings and emissions avoided. These program models can be useful guides as states consider expanding their strategies for acquiring energy savings as a resource and for emissions reductions. We also discuss the challenges of using evaluations to create program models that can be confidently applied in

APLICACIONES EDUCATIVAS DE LA TEORÍA VYGOTSKIANA. EL PROGRAMA (“KEY TO LEARNING” APPLICATIONS OF VYGOTSKY’S THEORY TO EDUCATION. THE “KEY TO LEARNING” PROGRAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Moisés Esteban Guitart

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Resumen:En ciencias de la educación, las últimas décadas han estado marcadas por un interés en las ideas de Lev S. Vygotski. De hecho, a partir de esas ideas se han propuesto varias aplicaciones educativas. Una de ellas es el “Key to learning”. El artículo propone una visión general de este programa educativo desarrollado a partir de algunos trabajos e ideas de autores rusos contemporáneos. Primero, desarrollamos algunas ideas en torno a la noción de zona de desarrollo próximo (ZpD. Después, sugerimos la teoría de las habilidades de aprendizaje. En este sentido, el objetivo principal de “Key to learning” es mejorar las habilidades de aprendizaje cognitivas, comunicativas y directivas de niños de entre 3 a 7 años de edad. Para este propósito son creadas 12 unidades curriculares que componen el programa. Para concluir se enfatiza la creación de zonas de desarrollo próximo estructuradas como parte de un sistema de enseñanza y aprendizaje que vincula la actividad, la asistencia y la agencia.Abstract: The last decades have been marked in educational sciences by an upsurge of interest in Lev S. Vygotsky´s ideas. Indeed, different applications of Vygotsky’s theory to education have been suggested. One of them is the “key to learning” program. This paper proposes an overview of this educational program developed from the work and ideas of several contemporary Russian scholars. First, we develop some ideas on zone of proximal development. After that, we suggest the learning skills theory. In that sense, the main objective of “Key to learning” is to improve the cognitive, communicative, and directive learning skills of children between 3 and 7 years of age. For this purpose are created 12 curriculum units composing the program. We conclude emphasizing the creation of structured zones of proximal development as a part of a teaching-learning learning system, which links activity, assistance and agency.

Key parameters of the sediment surface morphodynamics in an estuary - An assessment of model solutions

Science.gov (United States)

Sampath, D. M. R.; Boski, T.

2018-05-01

Large-scale geomorphological evolution of an estuarine system was simulated by means of a hybrid estuarine sedimentation model (HESM) applied to the Guadiana Estuary, in Southwest Iberia. The model simulates the decadal-scale morphodynamics of the system under environmental forcing, using a set of analytical solutions to simplified equations of tidal wave propagation in shallow waters, constrained by empirical knowledge of estuarine sedimentary dynamics and topography. The key controlling parameters of the model are bed friction (f), current velocity power of the erosion rate function (N), and sea-level rise rate. An assessment of sensitivity of the simulated sediment surface elevation (SSE) change to these controlling parameters was performed. The model predicted the spatial differentiation of accretion and erosion, the latter especially marked in the mudflats within mean sea level and low tide level and accretion was mainly in a subtidal channel. The average SSE change mutually depended on both the friction coefficient and power of the current velocity. Analysis of the average annual SSE change suggests that the state of intertidal and subtidal compartments of the estuarine system vary differently according to the dominant processes (erosion and accretion). As the Guadiana estuarine system shows dominant erosional behaviour in the context of sea-level rise and sediment supply reduction after the closure of the Alqueva Dam, the most plausible sets of parameter values for the Guadiana Estuary are N = 1.8 and f = 0.8f0, or N = 2 and f = f0, where f0 is the empirically estimated value. For these sets of parameter values, the relative errors in SSE change did not exceed ±20% in 73% of simulation cells in the studied area. Such a limit of accuracy can be acceptable for an idealized modelling of coastal evolution in response to uncertain sea-level rise scenarios in the context of reduced sediment supply due to flow regulation. Therefore, the idealized but cost

Is the Green Key standard the golden key for sustainability measurement in the hospitality sector?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rietbergen, M.G.; Van Rheede, A.

2014-01-01

The Green Key is an eco-rating program that aims at promoting sustainable business practices in the hospitality sector. The Green Key assesses amongst others the sustainable management of energy, water and waste within hotels and other hospitality firms. The Green Key standard awards points if

Estimation of Key Parameters of the Coupled Energy and Water Model by Assimilating Land Surface Data

Science.gov (United States)

Abdolghafoorian, A.; Farhadi, L.

2017-12-01

Accurate estimation of land surface heat and moisture fluxes, as well as root zone soil moisture, is crucial in various hydrological, meteorological, and agricultural applications. Field measurements of these fluxes are costly and cannot be readily scaled to large areas relevant to weather and climate studies. Therefore, there is a need for techniques to make quantitative estimates of heat and moisture fluxes using land surface state observations that are widely available from remote sensing across a range of scale. In this work, we applies the variational data assimilation approach to estimate land surface fluxes and soil moisture profile from the implicit information contained Land Surface Temperature (LST) and Soil Moisture (SM) (hereafter the VDA model). The VDA model is focused on the estimation of three key parameters: 1- neutral bulk heat transfer coefficient (CHN), 2- evaporative fraction from soil and canopy (EF), and 3- saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat). CHN and EF regulate the partitioning of available energy between sensible and latent heat fluxes. Ksat is one of the main parameters used in determining infiltration, runoff, groundwater recharge, and in simulating hydrological processes. In this study, a system of coupled parsimonious energy and water model will constrain the estimation of three unknown parameters in the VDA model. The profile of SM (LST) at multiple depths is estimated using moisture diffusion (heat diffusion) equation. In this study, the uncertainties of retrieved unknown parameters and fluxes are estimated from the inverse of Hesian matrix of cost function which is computed using the Lagrangian methodology. Analysis of uncertainty provides valuable information about the accuracy of estimated parameters and their correlation and guide the formulation of a well-posed estimation problem. The results of proposed algorithm are validated with a series of experiments using a synthetic data set generated by the simultaneous heat and

A review of the Z2-FET 1T-DRAM memory: Operation mechanisms and key parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Cristoloveanu, S.; Lee, K. H.; Parihar, M. S.; El Dirani, H.; Lacord, J.; Martinie, S.; Le Royer, C.; Barbe, J.-Ch.; Mescot, X.; Fonteneau, P.; Galy, Ph.; Gamiz, F.; Navarro, C.; Cheng, B.; Duan, M.; Adamu-Lema, F.; Asenov, A.; Taur, Y.; Xu, Y.; Kim, Y.-T.; Wan, J.; Bawedin, M.

2018-05-01

The band-modulation and sharp-switching mechanisms in Z2-FET device operated as a capacitorless 1T-DRAM memory are reviewed. The main parameters that govern the memory performance are discussed based on detailed experiments and simulations. This 1T-DRAM memory does not suffer from super-coupling effect and can be integrated in sub-10 nm thick SOI films. It offers low leakage current, high current margin, long retention, low operating voltage especially for programming, and high speed. The Z2-FET is suitable for embedded memory applications.

A radiation protection program prospectus based on the collection of 10 years of key performance indicator data.

Science.gov (United States)

Emery, Robert J; McCrary, J R

2003-11-01

In 1992, the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Radiation Safety Program began assembling data on a monthly basis that described various program activities. At the end of calendar year 2002, a decade of data had been collected, so the information was summarized into a novel program prospectus, displaying various indicator parameters in a format similar to that used in a commercial enterprise prospectus provided to potential investors. The consistent formatting of the data afforded a succinct and easily digestible snapshot of program activities and trends. Feedback from various program stakeholders, even those unschooled in radiation safety matters, was overwhelmingly positive. The prospectus aided in communicating the scope of work undertaken by the program, and has helped maintain program support, even in challenging economic times. The data summary is also proving to be useful in making future projections regarding program needs.

Development of an Agent-Based Model (ABM) to Simulate the Immune System and Integration of a Regression Method to Estimate the Key ABM Parameters by Fitting the Experimental Data

Science.gov (United States)

Tong, Xuming; Chen, Jinghang; Miao, Hongyu; Li, Tingting; Zhang, Le

2015-01-01

Agent-based models (ABM) and differential equations (DE) are two commonly used methods for immune system simulation. However, it is difficult for ABM to estimate key parameters of the model by incorporating experimental data, whereas the differential equation model is incapable of describing the complicated immune system in detail. To overcome these problems, we developed an integrated ABM regression model (IABMR). It can combine the advantages of ABM and DE by employing ABM to mimic the multi-scale immune system with various phenotypes and types of cells as well as using the input and output of ABM to build up the Loess regression for key parameter estimation. Next, we employed the greedy algorithm to estimate the key parameters of the ABM with respect to the same experimental data set and used ABM to describe a 3D immune system similar to previous studies that employed the DE model. These results indicate that IABMR not only has the potential to simulate the immune system at various scales, phenotypes and cell types, but can also accurately infer the key parameters like DE model. Therefore, this study innovatively developed a complex system development mechanism that could simulate the complicated immune system in detail like ABM and validate the reliability and efficiency of model like DE by fitting the experimental data. PMID:26535589

The NASA research and technology program on space power: A key element of the Space Exploration Initiative

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Gary L.; Brandhorst, Henry W., Jr.; Atkins, Kenneth L.

1991-01-01

In July 1989, President Bush announced his space exploration initiative of going back to the Moon to stay and then going to Mars. Building upon its ongoing research and technology base, NASA has established an exploration technology program to develop the technologies needed for piloted missions to the Moon and Mars. A key element for the flights and for the planned bases is power. The NASA research and technology program on space power encompasses power sources, energy storage, and power management.

Revisiting Employee Assistance Programs and Substance Use Problems in the Workplace: Key Issues and a Research Agenda

Science.gov (United States)

Levy Merrick, Elizabeth S.; Volpe-Vartanian, Joanna; Horgan, Constance M.; McCann, Bernard

2012-01-01

This column describes employee assistance program (EAPs) and identifies key issues for contemporary EAPs. These programs began as occupational alcohol programs and have evolved into more comprehensive resources. To better understand contemporary EAPs, the authors suggest a research agenda at includes descriptive studies to provide an up-to-date picture of services; investigations of how contemporary EAPs address substance use problems, including management consultation for early identification; further study of EAPs’ effects on outcomes, such as productivity and work group outcomes; examination of the relationship between EAPs and other workplace resources; further examination of influences on EAP utilization; and development and testing of EAP performance measures. PMID:17914000

ParFit: A Python-Based Object-Oriented Program for Fitting Molecular Mechanics Parameters to ab Initio Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Zahariev, Federico; De Silva, Nuwan; Gordon, Mark S; Windus, Theresa L; Dick-Perez, Marilu

2017-03-27

A newly created object-oriented program for automating the process of fitting molecular-mechanics parameters to ab initio data, termed ParFit, is presented. ParFit uses a hybrid of deterministic and stochastic genetic algorithms. ParFit can simultaneously handle several molecular-mechanics parameters in multiple molecules and can also apply symmetric and antisymmetric constraints on the optimized parameters. The simultaneous handling of several molecules enhances the transferability of the fitted parameters. ParFit is written in Python, uses a rich set of standard and nonstandard Python libraries, and can be run in parallel on multicore computer systems. As an example, a series of phosphine oxides, important for metal extraction chemistry, are parametrized using ParFit. ParFit is in an open source program available for free on GitHub ( https://github.com/fzahari/ParFit ).

Key Design Considerations When Calculating Cost Savings for Population Health Management Programs in an Observational Setting.

Science.gov (United States)

Murphy, Shannon M E; Hough, Douglas E; Sylvia, Martha L; Dunbar, Linda J; Frick, Kevin D

2018-02-08

To illustrate the impact of key quasi-experimental design elements on cost savings measurement for population health management (PHM) programs. Population health management program records and Medicaid claims and enrollment data from December 2011 through March 2016. The study uses a difference-in-difference design to compare changes in cost and utilization outcomes between program participants and propensity score-matched nonparticipants. Comparisons of measured savings are made based on (1) stable versus dynamic population enrollment and (2) all eligible versus enrolled-only participant definitions. Options for the operationalization of time are also discussed. Individual-level Medicaid administrative and claims data and PHM program records are used to match study groups on baseline risk factors and assess changes in costs and utilization. Savings estimates are statistically similar but smaller in magnitude when eliminating variability based on duration of population enrollment and when evaluating program impact on the entire target population. Measurement in calendar time, when possible, simplifies interpretability. Program evaluation design elements, including population stability and participant definitions, can influence the estimated magnitude of program savings for the payer and should be considered carefully. Time specifications can also affect interpretability and usefulness. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

The logic of comparative life history studies for estimating key parameters, with a focus on natural mortality rate

Science.gov (United States)

Hoenig, John M; Then, Amy Y.-H.; Babcock, Elizabeth A.; Hall, Norman G.; Hewitt, David A.; Hesp, Sybrand A.

2016-01-01

There are a number of key parameters in population dynamics that are difficult to estimate, such as natural mortality rate, intrinsic rate of population growth, and stock-recruitment relationships. Often, these parameters of a stock are, or can be, estimated indirectly on the basis of comparative life history studies. That is, the relationship between a difficult to estimate parameter and life history correlates is examined over a wide variety of species in order to develop predictive equations. The form of these equations may be derived from life history theory or simply be suggested by exploratory data analysis. Similarly, population characteristics such as potential yield can be estimated by making use of a relationship between the population parameter and bio-chemico–physical characteristics of the ecosystem. Surprisingly, little work has been done to evaluate how well these indirect estimators work and, in fact, there is little guidance on how to conduct comparative life history studies and how to evaluate them. We consider five issues arising in such studies: (i) the parameters of interest may be ill-defined idealizations of the real world, (ii) true values of the parameters are not known for any species, (iii) selecting data based on the quality of the estimates can introduce a host of problems, (iv) the estimates that are available for comparison constitute a non-random sample of species from an ill-defined population of species of interest, and (v) the hierarchical nature of the data (e.g. stocks within species within genera within families, etc., with multiple observations at each level) warrants consideration. We discuss how these issues can be handled and how they shape the kinds of questions that can be asked of a database of life history studies.

NEWBOX: A computer program for parameter estimation in diffusion problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nestor, C.W. Jr.; Godbee, H.W.; Joy, D.S.

1989-01-01

In the analysis of experiments to determine amounts of material transferred form 1 medium to another (e.g., the escape of chemically hazardous and radioactive materials from solids), there are at least 3 important considerations. These are (1) is the transport amenable to treatment by established mass transport theory; (2) do methods exist to find estimates of the parameters which will give a best fit, in some sense, to the experimental data; and (3) what computational procedures are available for evaluating the theoretical expressions. The authors have made the assumption that established mass transport theory is an adequate model for the situations under study. Since the solutions of the diffusion equation are usually nonlinear in some parameters (diffusion coefficient, reaction rate constants, etc.), use of a method of parameter adjustment involving first partial derivatives can be complicated and prone to errors in the computation of the derivatives. In addition, the parameters must satisfy certain constraints; for example, the diffusion coefficient must remain positive. For these reasons, a variant of the constrained simplex method of M. J. Box has been used to estimate parameters. It is similar, but not identical, to the downhill simplex method of Nelder and Mead. In general, they calculate the fraction of material transferred as a function of time from expressions obtained by the inversion of the Laplace transform of the fraction transferred, rather than by taking derivatives of a calculated concentration profile. With the above approaches to the 3 considerations listed at the outset, they developed a computer program NEWBOX, usable on a personal computer, to calculate the fractional release of material from 4 different geometrical shapes (semi-infinite medium, finite slab, finite circular cylinder, and sphere), accounting for several different boundary conditions

Selecting Candidates for Key Leadership Positions in Program Executive Offices Ground Combat Systems and Combat Service and Combat Service Support

Science.gov (United States)

2016-10-14

start or continue a profitable growth pattern and boost morale and motivation, a poor decision may bring the company to the brink of financial...HON Frank Kendall issued a memorandum titled “Key Leadership Positions and Qualification Criteria” (Kendall, 2013). This memorandum provides a...Chief Developmental Tester • Program Lead, Business Financial Manager SELECTING CANDIDATES FOR KEY LEADERSHIP POSITIONS 4

NOAA's Joint Polar Satellite System's (JPSS) Proving Ground and Risk Reduction (PGRR) Program - Bringing JPSS Science into Support of Key NOAA Missions!

Science.gov (United States)

Sjoberg, W.; McWilliams, G.

2017-12-01

This presentation will focus on the continuity of the NOAA Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS) Program's Proving Ground and Risk Reduction (PGRR) and key activities of the PGRR Initiatives. The PGRR Program was established in 2012, following the launch of the Suomi National Polar Partnership (SNPP) satellite. The JPSS Program Office has used two PGRR Project Proposals to establish an effective approach to managing its science and algorithm teams in order to focus on key NOAA missions. The presenter will provide details of the Initiatives and the processes used by the initiatives that have proven so successful. Details of the new 2017 PGRR Call-for-Proposals and the status of project selections will be discussed.

Test calculations of physical parameters of the TRX,BETTIS and MIT critical assemblies according to the TRIFON program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kochurov, B.P.

1980-01-01

Results of calculations of physical parameters characterizing the TRX, MIT and BETTIS critical assemblies obtained according to the program TRIFON are presented. The program TRIFON permits to calculate the space-energy neutron distribution in the multigroup approximation in a multizone cylindrical cell. Results of comparison of the TRX, BETTIS and MIT crytical assembly parameters with experimental data and calculational results according to the Monte Carlo method are presented as well. Deviations of the parameters are in the range of 1.5-2 of experimental errors. Data on the interference of uranium 238 levels in the resonant neutron absorption in the cell are given [ru

Finite-key analysis for quantum key distribution with weak coherent pulses based on Bernoulli sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Kawakami, Shun; Sasaki, Toshihiko; Koashi, Masato

2017-07-01

An essential step in quantum key distribution is the estimation of parameters related to the leaked amount of information, which is usually done by sampling of the communication data. When the data size is finite, the final key rate depends on how the estimation process handles statistical fluctuations. Many of the present security analyses are based on the method with simple random sampling, where hypergeometric distribution or its known bounds are used for the estimation. Here we propose a concise method based on Bernoulli sampling, which is related to binomial distribution. Our method is suitable for the Bennett-Brassard 1984 (BB84) protocol with weak coherent pulses [C. H. Bennett and G. Brassard, Proceedings of the IEEE Conference on Computers, Systems and Signal Processing (IEEE, New York, 1984), Vol. 175], reducing the number of estimated parameters to achieve a higher key generation rate compared to the method with simple random sampling. We also apply the method to prove the security of the differential-quadrature-phase-shift (DQPS) protocol in the finite-key regime. The result indicates that the advantage of the DQPS protocol over the phase-encoding BB84 protocol in terms of the key rate, which was previously confirmed in the asymptotic regime, persists in the finite-key regime.

Key performance indicators for stroke from the Ministry of Health of Brazil: benchmarking and indicator parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos C Lange

Full Text Available ABSTRACT The present study aimed to analyze the stroke units in two centers for the key performance indicators (KPIs required by the Ministry of Health in Brazil. Methods All 16 KPIs were analyzed, including the percentage of patients admitted to the stroke unit, venous thromboembolism prophylaxis in the first 48 hours after admission, pneumonia and hospital mortality due to stroke, and hospital discharge on antithrombotic therapy in patients without cardioembolic mechanism. Results Both centers admitted over 80% of the patients in their stroke unit. The incidence of venous thromboembolism prophylaxis was > 85%, that of in-hospital pneumonia was 70%. Conclusion Our results suggest using the parameters of all of the 16 KPIs required by the Ministry of Health of Brazil, and the present results for the two stroke units for future benchmarking.

Gesture-Based Extraction of Robot Skill Parameters for Intuitive Robot Programming

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Mikkel Rath; Krüger, Volker

2015-01-01

a working system capable of TbD would be ideal. Contrary to current TbD approaches, that generally aim to recognize both action and where it is applied, we propose a division of labor, where the operator manually specifies the action the robot should perform, while gestures are used for specifying...... the relevant action parameter (e.g. on which object to apply the action). Using this two-step method has the advantages that there is no uncertainty of which action the robot will perform, it takes into account that the environment changes, so objects do not need to be at predefined locations......, and the parameter specification is possible even for inexperienced users. Experiments with 24 people in 3 different environments verify that it is indeed intuitive, even for a robotics novice, to program a mobile manipulator using this method....

Embedded protostars in the dust, ice, and gas in time (DIGIT) Herschel key program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Green, Joel D.; Evans II, Neal J.; Jørgensen, Jes Kristian

2013-01-01

We present 50-210 um spectral scans of 30 Class 0/I protostellar sources, obtained with Herschel-PACS, and 0.5-1000 um SEDs, as part of the Dust, Ice, and Gas in Time (DIGIT) Key Program. Some sources exhibit up to 75 H2O lines ranging in excitation energy from 100-2000 K, 12 transitions of OH, a...

Universal algorithms and programs for calculating the motion parameters in the two-body problem

Science.gov (United States)

Bakhshiyan, B. T.; Sukhanov, A. A.

1979-01-01

The algorithms and FORTRAN programs for computing positions and velocities, orbital elements and first and second partial derivatives in the two-body problem are presented. The algorithms are applicable for any value of eccentricity and are convenient for computing various navigation parameters.

Auxiliary programs for resonance parameter storage and retrieval system REPSTOR. XTOREP, ETOREP, REPTOINP, REPRENUM, REPIMRG, TREP, PASSIGN, JCONV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, Tsuneo; Kikuchi, Yasuyuki; Fukahori, Tokio

1999-06-01

This report describes functions and usage of eight auxiliary computer programs for REPSTOR that is a computer program for collecting the resonance parameters and evaluating them. The programs are XTOREP to convert the experimental data in EXFOR to the REPSTOR input data, ETOREP to convert the data in ENDF format to the REPSTOR input data, REPTOINP to change the data in a REPSTOR file into the REPSTOR input format, REPRENUM to renumber the level number of resonance levels, REPIMRG to merge the XTOREP output data sets, TREP to calculate mean values of resonance parameters, widths of individual resonances, etc., PASSIGN to assign orbital angular momentum by using Bayse theorem, and JCONV to assign total spin. (author)

Key technologies book

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

In this book can be found all the useful information on the French industry key technologies of the years 2000-2005. 136 technologies at the junction of the science advances and of the markets expectations are divided into 9 sectors. Among them, only 4 are interesting here: the environment, the transports, the materials and the energy. In 1995, the secretary's office of State for industry has published a first synthesis book on these key technologies. This 1997 new key technologies book extends and completes the initial study. For each key technology, an encyclopedic sheet is given. Each sheet combines thus some exact and practical information on: advance state of the technology, market characteristics, development forecasts, occupation and involved sectors, technology acquisition cost, research programs but also contacts of the main concerned efficiency poles. (O.M.)

A fast and versatile quantum key distribution system with hardware key distillation and wavelength multiplexing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walenta, N; Gisin, N; Guinnard, O; Houlmann, R; Korzh, B; Lim, C W; Lunghi, T; Portmann, C; Thew, R T; Burg, A; Constantin, J; Caselunghe, D; Kulesza, N; Legré, M; Monat, L; Soucarros, M; Trinkler, P; Junod, P; Trolliet, G; Vannel, F

2014-01-01

We present a compactly integrated, 625 MHz clocked coherent one-way quantum key distribution system which continuously distributes secret keys over an optical fibre link. To support high secret key rates, we implemented a fast hardware key distillation engine which allows for key distillation rates up to 4 Mbps in real time. The system employs wavelength multiplexing in order to run over only a single optical fibre. Using fast gated InGaAs single photon detectors, we reliably distribute secret keys with a rate above 21 kbps over 25 km of optical fibre. We optimized the system considering a security analysis that respects finite-key-size effects, authentication costs and system errors for a security parameter of ε QKD  = 4 × 10 −9 . (paper)

Determination of a PWR key neutron parameters uncertainties and conformity studies applications; Determination des incertitudes liees aux grandeurs neutroniques d'interet des reacteurs a eau pressurisee a plaques combustible et applications aux etudes de conformite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, D

2002-07-01

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate uncertainties of key neutron parameters of slab reactors. Uncertainties sources have many origins, technologic origin for parameters of fabrication and physical origin for nuclear data. First, each contribution of uncertainties is calculated and finally, a factor of uncertainties is associated to key slab parameter like reactivity, isotherm reactivity coefficient, control rod efficiency, power form factor before irradiation and lifetime. This factors of uncertainties were computed by Generalized Perturbations Theory in case of step 0 and by directs calculations in case of irradiation problems. One of neutronic conformity applications was about fabrication and nuclear data targets precision adjustments. Statistic (uncertainties) and deterministic (deviations) approaches were studied. Then neutronics key slab parameters uncertainties were reduced and so nuclear performances were optimised. (author)

Optimal Input Design for Aircraft Parameter Estimation using Dynamic Programming Principles

Science.gov (United States)

Morelli, Eugene A.; Klein, Vladislav

1990-01-01

A new technique was developed for designing optimal flight test inputs for aircraft parameter estimation experiments. The principles of dynamic programming were used for the design in the time domain. This approach made it possible to include realistic practical constraints on the input and output variables. A description of the new approach is presented, followed by an example for a multiple input linear model describing the lateral dynamics of a fighter aircraft. The optimal input designs produced by the new technique demonstrated improved quality and expanded capability relative to the conventional multiple input design method.

Interactive Approach for Multi-Level Multi-Objective Fractional Programming Problems with Fuzzy Parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M.S. Osman

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In this paper, an interactive approach for solving multi-level multi-objective fractional programming (ML-MOFP problems with fuzzy parameters is presented. The proposed interactive approach makes an extended work of Shi and Xia (1997. In the first phase, the numerical crisp model of the ML-MOFP problem has been developed at a confidence level without changing the fuzzy gist of the problem. Then, the linear model for the ML-MOFP problem is formulated. In the second phase, the interactive approach simplifies the linear multi-level multi-objective model by converting it into separate multi-objective programming problems. Also, each separate multi-objective programming problem of the linear model is solved by the ∊-constraint method and the concept of satisfactoriness. Finally, illustrative examples and comparisons with the previous approaches are utilized to evince the feasibility of the proposed approach.

Analysis of parameter estimation and optimization application of ant colony algorithm in vehicle routing problem

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Quan-Li; Cao, Yu-Wei; Yang, Kun

2018-03-01

Ant Colony Optimization (ACO) is the most widely used artificial intelligence algorithm at present. This study introduced the principle and mathematical model of ACO algorithm in solving Vehicle Routing Problem (VRP), and designed a vehicle routing optimization model based on ACO, then the vehicle routing optimization simulation system was developed by using c ++ programming language, and the sensitivity analyses, estimations and improvements of the three key parameters of ACO were carried out. The results indicated that the ACO algorithm designed in this paper can efficiently solve rational planning and optimization of VRP, and the different values of the key parameters have significant influence on the performance and optimization effects of the algorithm, and the improved algorithm is not easy to locally converge prematurely and has good robustness.

Lead-acid batteries in micro-hybrid applications. Part I. Selected key parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Schaeck, S.; Stoermer, A. O.; Kaiser, F.; Koehler, L.; Albers, J.; Kabza, H.

Micro-hybrid electric vehicles were launched by BMW in March 2007. These are equipped with brake energy regeneration (BER) and the automatic start and stop function (ASSF) of the internal combustion engine. These functions are based on common 14 V series components and lead-acid (LA) batteries. The novelty is given by the intelligent onboard energy management, which upgrades the conventional electric system to the micro-hybrid power system (MHPS). In part I of this publication the key factors for the operation of LA batteries in the MHPS are discussed. Especially for BER one is high dynamic charge acceptance (DCA) for effective boost charging. Vehicle rest time is identified as a particular negative parameter for DCA. It can be refreshed by regular fully charging at elevated charge voltage. Thus, the batteries have to be outstandingly robust against overcharge and water loss. This can be accomplished for valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries at least if they are mounted in the trunk. ASSF goes along with frequent high-rate loads for warm cranking. The internal resistance determines the drop of the power net voltage during cranking and is preferably low for reasons of power net stability even after years of operation. Investigations have to be done with aged 90 Ah VRLA-absorbent glass mat (AGM) batteries. Battery operation at partial state-of-charge gives a higher risk of deep discharging (overdischarging). Subsequent re-charging then is likely to lead to the formation of micro-short circuits in the absorbent glass mat separator.

Key factors for a high-quality peritoneal dialysis program--the role of the PD team and continuous quality improvement.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Wei; Ni, Zhaohui; Qian, Jiaqi

2014-06-01

The proportion of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD) has increased very fast in China over the last decade. Renji Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, is a recognized high-quality PD unit with a high PD utilization rate, excellent patient and technique survival (1-year and 5-year patient survival rate of 93% and 71%, and 1-year and 5-year technique survival of 96% and 82%, respectively), low peritonitis rate and a well-documented good quality of life of the treated patients. We believe that a dedicated and experienced PD team, a structured patient training program, continuous patient support, establishing and utilizing standardized protocols, starting PD with low dialysis dose, monitoring key performance indicators (KPIs), and continuous quality improvement (CQI) are the key factors underlying this successful PD program. Copyright © 2014 International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis.

Determination of a PWR key neutron parameters uncertainties and conformity studies applications; Determination des incertitudes liees aux grandeurs neutroniques d'interet des reacteurs a eau pressurisee a plaques combustible et applications aux etudes de conformite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, D

2002-07-01

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate uncertainties of key neutron parameters of slab reactors. Uncertainties sources have many origins, technologic origin for parameters of fabrication and physical origin for nuclear data. First, each contribution of uncertainties is calculated and finally, a factor of uncertainties is associated to key slab parameter like reactivity, isotherm reactivity coefficient, control rod efficiency, power form factor before irradiation and lifetime. This factors of uncertainties were computed by Generalized Perturbations Theory in case of step 0 and by directs calculations in case of irradiation problems. One of neutronic conformity applications was about fabrication and nuclear data targets precision adjustments. Statistic (uncertainties) and deterministic (deviations) approaches were studied. Then neutronics key slab parameters uncertainties were reduced and so nuclear performances were optimised. (author)

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for Research and Technology Development Program: Achievements of 2006 to 2015

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nik Arlina Nik Ali; Fairuz Faisal

2016-01-01

Conducting research and development (R&D) is one of the four main functions of Malaysian Nuclear Agency as stated in the Federal Government Gazette (No.2) 2013 (PU (A) 184) under the Ministerial Functions Act 1969 (Act 2), gazetted in the Warta Kerajaan dated 26 June 2013.The achievement of Key Performance Indicators (KPI) for Research and Technological Development Program (PPT) indicates the role of Nuclear Malaysia as a research institution . This paper discusses the achievements of the project, fundsand research outputfrom 2005 to 2015. (author)

Simulation-based Extraction of Key Material Parameters from Atomic Force Microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Alsafi, Huseen; Peninngton, Gray

Models for the atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip and sample interaction contain numerous material parameters that are often poorly known. This is especially true when dealing with novel material systems or when imaging samples that are exposed to complicated interactions with the local environment. In this work we use Monte Carlo methods to extract sample material parameters from the experimental AFM analysis of a test sample. The parameterized theoretical model that we use is based on the Virtual Environment for Dynamic AFM (VEDA) [1]. The extracted material parameters are then compared with the accepted values for our test sample. Using this procedure, we suggest a method that can be used to successfully determine unknown material properties in novel and complicated material systems. We acknowledge Fisher Endowment Grant support from the Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics,Towson University.

Finite key analysis in quantum cryptography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, T.

2007-01-01

In view of experimental realization of quantum key distribution schemes, the study of their efficiency becomes as important as the proof of their security. The latter is the subject of most of the theoretical work about quantum key distribution, and many important results such as the proof of unconditional security have been obtained. The efficiency and also the robustness of quantum key distribution protocols against noise can be measured by figures of merit such as the secret key rate (the fraction of input signals that make it into the key) and the threshold quantum bit error rate (the maximal error rate such that one can still create a secret key). It is important to determine these quantities because they tell us whether a certain quantum key distribution scheme can be used at all in a given situation and if so, how many secret key bits it can generate in a given time. However, these figures of merit are usually derived under the ''infinite key limit'' assumption, that is, one assumes that an infinite number of quantum states are send and that all sub-protocols of the scheme (in particular privacy amplification) are carried out on these infinitely large blocks. Such an assumption usually eases the analysis, but also leads to (potentially) too optimistic values for the quantities in question. In this thesis, we are explicitly avoiding the infinite key limit for the analysis of the privacy amplification step, which plays the most important role in a quantum key distribution scheme. We still assume that an optimal error correction code is applied and we do not take into account any statistical errors that might occur in the parameter estimation step. Renner and coworkers derived an explicit formula for the obtainable key rate in terms of Renyi entropies of the quantum states describing Alice's, Bob's, and Eve's systems. This results serves as a starting point for our analysis, and we derive an algorithm that efficiently computes the obtainable key rate for any

Finite key analysis in quantum cryptography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, T.

2007-10-31

In view of experimental realization of quantum key distribution schemes, the study of their efficiency becomes as important as the proof of their security. The latter is the subject of most of the theoretical work about quantum key distribution, and many important results such as the proof of unconditional security have been obtained. The efficiency and also the robustness of quantum key distribution protocols against noise can be measured by figures of merit such as the secret key rate (the fraction of input signals that make it into the key) and the threshold quantum bit error rate (the maximal error rate such that one can still create a secret key). It is important to determine these quantities because they tell us whether a certain quantum key distribution scheme can be used at all in a given situation and if so, how many secret key bits it can generate in a given time. However, these figures of merit are usually derived under the ''infinite key limit'' assumption, that is, one assumes that an infinite number of quantum states are send and that all sub-protocols of the scheme (in particular privacy amplification) are carried out on these infinitely large blocks. Such an assumption usually eases the analysis, but also leads to (potentially) too optimistic values for the quantities in question. In this thesis, we are explicitly avoiding the infinite key limit for the analysis of the privacy amplification step, which plays the most important role in a quantum key distribution scheme. We still assume that an optimal error correction code is applied and we do not take into account any statistical errors that might occur in the parameter estimation step. Renner and coworkers derived an explicit formula for the obtainable key rate in terms of Renyi entropies of the quantum states describing Alice's, Bob's, and Eve's systems. This results serves as a starting point for our analysis, and we derive an algorithm that efficiently computes

IT Workforce: Key Practices Help Ensure Strong Integrated Program Teams; Selected Departments Need to Assess Skill Gaps

Science.gov (United States)

2016-11-01

principles and steps associated with workforce planning that agencies can utilize in their efforts to assess and address IT skill gaps. See GAO-04-39...As another example, our prior review of the United States Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency’s Modernize and Innovate the Delivery of...IT WORKFORCE Key Practices Help Ensure Strong Integrated Program Teams; Selected Departments Need to Assess Skill Gaps

Thermo-mechanical simulation and parameters optimization for beam blank continuous casting

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, W.; Zhang, Y.Z.; Zhang, C.J.; Zhu, L.G.; Lu, W.G.; Wang, B.X.; Ma, J.H.

2009-01-01

The objective of this work is to optimize the process parameters of beam blank continuous casting in order to ensure high quality and productivity. A transient thermo-mechanical finite element model is developed to compute the temperature and stress profile in beam blank continuous casting. By comparing the calculated data with the metallurgical constraints, the key factors causing defects of beam blank can be found out. Then based on the subproblem approximation method, an optimization program is developed to search out the optimum cooling parameters. Those optimum parameters can make it possible to run the caster at its maximum productivity, minimum cost and to reduce the defects. Now, online verifying of this optimization project has been put in practice, which can prove that it is very useful to control the actual production

TRAO Multibeam Receiver System and Key Science Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Youngung

2017-06-01

Taeduk Radio Astronomy Observatory (TRAO) is now equipped with a main controling computer with VxWorks operating system, a new receiver system, and a new backend system. The new receiver system(TRAO-SEQUOIA) is equipped with high-performing 16-pixel MMIC pre-amplifiers in a 4x4 array, operating within 85~115 GHz frequency range. The system temperature ranges from 150 K (86~110 GHz) to 450 K (115 GHz). The 2nd IF modules with the narrow band and the 8 channels with 4 FFT spectrometers allow to observe 2 frequencies simultaneously within the 85~100 or 100~115 GHz bands for all 16 pixels of the receiver. Radome replacement was completed successfully as of February 2017. In addition, a new servo system will be installed in 2017 summer. We provide OTF (On-The-Fly) as a main observing mode, and position switching mode is available as well. The backend system (FFT spectrometer) provides the 4096x2 channels with fine velocity resolution of about 0.05 km/sec (15 kHz) per channel, and their full spectra bandwidth is 60 MHz. Beam efficiency of the TRAO was measured to be about 46% - 54% (with less than 2% error) between 86 and 115 GHz bands and pointing errors of the 14m telescope were found be 4.4 arcsec in AZ direction and 6 arcsec in EL direction. Generally, we allocate 18 hours of telescope time a day from January to the middle of May, and from October to December. Three Key Science Programs had been selected in 2015 fall and they are supposed to have higher priority for telescope time.

Technical Approach for Determining Key Parameters Needed for Modeling the Performance of Cast Stone for the Integrated Disposal Facility Performance Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yabusaki, Steven B. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Serne, R. Jeffrey [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Rockhold, Mark L. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Wang, Guohui [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Westsik, Joseph H. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2015-03-30

the critical link between the short-term understanding from laboratory and field tests, and the prediction of repository performance over repository time frames and scales. One common recommendation is that experiments be designed to permit the appropriate scaling in the models. There is a large contrast in the physical and chemical properties between the Cast Stone waste package and the IDF backfill and surrounding sediments. Cast Stone exhibits low permeability, high tortuosity, low carbonate, high pH, and low Eh whereas the backfill and native sediments have high permeability, low tortuosity, high carbonate, circumneutral pH, and high Eh. These contrasts have important implications for flow, transport, and reactions across the Cast Stone – backfill interface. Over time with transport across the interface and subsequent reactions, the sharp geochemical contrast will blur and there will be a range of spatially-distributed conditions. In general, COC mobility and transport will be sensitive to these geochemical variations, which also include physical changes in porosity and permeability from mineral reactions. Therefore, PA modeling must address processes, properties, and conditions that alter the physical and chemical controls on COC transport in the cementitious waste forms over time. Section 2 of this document reviews past Hanford PAs and SRS Saltstone PAs, which to date have mostly relied on the lumped parameter COC release conceptual models for TSPA predictions, and provides some details on the chosen values for the lumped parameters. Section 3 provides more details on the hierarchical modeling strategy and processes and mechanisms that control COC release. Section 4 summarizes and lists the key parameters for which numerical values are needed to perform PAs. Section 5 provides brief summaries of the methods used to measure the needed parameters and references to get more details.

Key Update Assistant for Resource-Constrained Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuksel, Ender; Nielson, Hanne Riis; Nielson, Flemming

2012-01-01

developed a push-button solution - powered by stochastic model checking - that network designers can easily benefit from, and it paves the way for consumers to set up key update related security parameters. Key Update Assistant, as we named it, runs necessary model checking operations and determines...

Comparative Impacts of Scala Vestibuli Versus Scala Tympani Cochlear Implantation on Auditory Performances and Programming Parameters in Partially Ossified Cochleae.

Science.gov (United States)

Trudel, Mathieu; Côté, Mathieu; Philippon, Daniel; Simonyan, David; Villemure-Poliquin, Noémie; Bussières, Richard

2018-07-01

To compare scala vestibuli versus scala tympani cochlear implantation in terms of postoperative auditory performances and programming parameters in patients with severe scala tympani ossification. Retrospective case-control study. Tertiary referral center. One hundred three pediatric and adult patients who underwent cochlear implant surgery between 2000 and 2016. Three groups were formed: a scala vestibuli group, a scala tympani with ossification group, and a scala tympani without ossification group. Patients were matched based on their age, sex, duration of deafness, and side of implantation (ratio of 1:2:2). Postoperative evaluation of auditory performances and programming parameters following intensive functional rehabilitation program completion. Multimedia adaptive test (MAT), hearing in noise test (HINT SNR +10 dB, HINT SNR +5 dB, and HINT SNR +0 dB), impedances, neural response telemetry thresholds (NRT), neural response imaging thresholds (NRI), comfortable levels (C-levels), and threshold levels (T-levels) were compared between groups. Twenty-one patients underwent scala vestibuli cochlear implantation: 19 adults and two children. Auditory performances were similar between groups, although sentence recognition in a noisy environment was slightly higher in the scala vestibuli group. Impedance values were also higher in the scala vestibuli group, but all other programming parameters were similar between groups. We present the largest series of patients with scala vestibuli cochlear implantation. This approach provides at least comparable auditory performances without having any deleterious effects on programming parameters. This viable and useful insertion route might be the primary surgical alternative when facing partial cochlear ossification.

Mathematical modeling and evaluation of radionuclide transport parameters from the ANL Laboratory Analog Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, B.C.J.; Hull, J.R.; Seitz, M.G.; Sha, W.T.; Shah, V.L.; Soo, S.L.

1984-07-01

Computer model simulation is required to evaluate the performance of proposed or future high-level radioactive waste geological repositories. However, the accuracy of a model in predicting the real situation depends on how well the values of the transport properties are prescribed as input parameters. Knowledge of transport parameters is therefore essential. We have modeled ANL's Experiment Analog Program which was designed to simulate long-term radwaste migration process by groundwater flowing through a high-level radioactive waste repository. Using this model and experimental measurements, we have evaluated neptunium (actinide) deposition velocity and analyzed the complex phenomena of simultaneous deposition, erosion, and reentrainment of bentonite when groundwater is flowing through a narrow crack in a basalt rock. The present modeling demonstrates that we can obtain the values of transport parameters, as added information without any additional cost, from the available measurements of laboratory analog experiments. 8 figures, 3 tables

Towards Improving our Understanding on the Retrievals of Key Parameters Characterising Land Surface Interactions from Space: Introduction & First Results from the PREMIER-EO Project

Science.gov (United States)

Ireland, Gareth; North, Matthew R.; Petropoulos, George P.; Srivastava, Prashant K.; Hodges, Crona

2015-04-01

Acquiring accurate information on the spatio-temporal variability of soil moisture content (SM) and evapotranspiration (ET) is of key importance to extend our understanding of the Earth system's physical processes, and is also required in a wide range of multi-disciplinary research studies and applications. The utility and applicability of Earth Observation (EO) technology provides an economically feasible solution to derive continuous spatio-temporal estimates of key parameters characterising land surface interactions, including ET as well as SM. Such information is of key value to practitioners, decision makers and scientists alike. The PREMIER-EO project recently funded by High Performance Computing Wales (HPCW) is a research initiative directed towards the development of a better understanding of EO technology's present ability to derive operational estimations of surface fluxes and SM. Moreover, the project aims at addressing knowledge gaps related to the operational estimation of such parameters, and thus contribute towards current ongoing global efforts towards enhancing the accuracy of those products. In this presentation we introduce the PREMIER-EO project, providing a detailed overview of the research aims and objectives for the 1 year duration of the project's implementation. Subsequently, we make available the initial results of the work carried out herein, in particular, related to an all-inclusive and robust evaluation of the accuracy of existing operational products of ET and SM from different ecosystems globally. The research outcomes of this project, once completed, will provide an important contribution towards addressing the knowledge gaps related to the operational estimation of ET and SM. This project results will also support efforts ongoing globally towards the operational development of related products using technologically advanced EO instruments which were launched recently or planned be launched in the next 1-2 years. Key Words: PREMIER

The effects of key parameters on the transition from SI combustion to HCCI combustion in a two-stroke free piston linear engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hung, Nguyen Ba; Lim, Ocktaeck; Iida, Norimasa

2015-01-01

Highlights: • A free piston engine is modeled and simulated by three mathematical models. • The models include dynamic model, linear alternator model and thermodynamic model. • The SI-HCCI transition is successful if the key parameters are adjusted suitably. • Spring stiffness has a strong influence on reducing peak temperature in HCCI mode. • Adjusting spark timing helps the SI-HCCI transition to be more convenient. - Abstract: An investigation was conducted to examine the effects of key parameters such as intake temperature, equivalence ratio, engine load, intake pressure, spark timing and spring stiffness on the transition from SI combustion to HCCI combustion in a two-stroke free piston linear engine. Operation of the free piston engine was simulated based on the combination of three mathematical models including a dynamic model, a linear alternator model and a thermodynamic model. These mathematical models were combined and solved by a program written in Fortran. To validate the mathematical models, the simulation results were compared with experimental data in the SI mode. For the transition from SI combustion to HCCI combustion, the simulation results show that if the equivalence ratio is decreased, the intake temperature and engine load should be increased to get a successful SI-HCCI transition. However, the simulation results also show that the in-cylinder pressure is decreased, while the peak in-cylinder temperature in HCCI mode is increased significantly if the intake temperature is increased so much. Beside the successful SI-HCCI transition, the increase of intake pressure from P in = 1.1 bar to P in = 1.6 bar is one of solutions to reduce peak in-cylinder temperature in HCCI mode. However, the simulation results also indicate that if the intake pressure is increased so much (P in = 1.6 bar), the engine knocking problem is occurred. Adjusting spring stiffness from k = 2.9 N/mm to k = 14.7 N/mm is also considered one of useful solutions for

The one year exercise and lifestyle intervention program KLAKS: Effects on anthropometric parameters, cardiometabolic risk factors and glycemic control in childhood obesity.

Science.gov (United States)

Blüher, Susann; Petroff, David; Wagner, Antje; Warich, Katja; Gausche, Ruth; Klemm, Thorsten; Wagner, Mario; Keller, Alexandra

2014-03-01

Regular physical exercise within structured lifestyle programs may improve weight status and minimize metabolic risk factors in childhood obesity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the one-year combined physical exercise/lifestyle program KLAKS on anthropometric and metabolic parameters and glycemic control in childhood obesity. 142 overweight/obese (BMI>90th percentile) candidates (7-18years) were enrolled, 115 participants completed the program. Anthropometrics and biochemical parameters were obtained at beginning and completion. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in a subgroup of participants. Course of glucose and insulin levels within OGTT was correlated with several parameters and is reported here for those who completed the program. The mean standard deviation scores (SDS) decreased significantly for BMI, waist circumference, waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) and percentage body fat (all p≤0.01). Improved metabolic risk markers included mean glucose levels within an OGTT at follow-up compared to baseline (pexercise/lifestyle program KLAKS significantly improves markers of obesity and glycemic control. Impaired cardiometabolic risk markers, even subclinical, are also favorably influenced by program participation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Alcohol & drug abuse: Revisiting employee assistance programs and substance use problems in the workplace: key issues and a research agenda.

Science.gov (United States)

Merrick, Elizabeth S Levy; Volpe-Vartanian, Joanna; Horgan, Constance M; McCann, Bernard

2007-10-01

This column describes employee assistance program (EAPs) and identifies key issues for contemporary EAPs. These programs began as occupational alcohol programs and have evolved into more comprehensive resources. To better understand contemporary EAPs, the authors suggest a research agenda that includes descriptive studies to provide an up-to-date picture of services; investigations of how contemporary EAPs address substance use problems, including management consultation for early identification; further study of EAPs' effects on outcomes, such as productivity and work group outcomes; examination of the relationship between EAPs and other workplace resources; further examination of influences on EAP utilization; and development and testing of EAP performance measures.

TRICE - A program for reconstructing 3D reciprocal space and determining unit-cell parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zou Xiaodong; Hovmoeller, Anders; Hovmoeller, Sven

2004-01-01

A program system-Trice-for reconstructing the 3D reciprocal lattice from an electron diffraction tilt series is described. The unit-cell parameters can be determined from electron diffraction patterns directly by Trice. The unit cell can be checked and the lattice type and crystal system can be determined from the 3D reciprocal lattice. Trice can be applied to all crystal systems and lattice types

KeyPathwayMinerWeb

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

List, Markus; Alcaraz, Nicolas; Dissing-Hansen, Martin

2016-01-01

, for instance), KeyPathwayMiner extracts connected sub-networks containing a high number of active or differentially regulated genes (proteins, metabolites) in the molecular profiles. The web interface at (http://keypathwayminer.compbio.sdu.dk) implements all core functionalities of the KeyPathwayMiner tool set......We present KeyPathwayMinerWeb, the first online platform for de novo pathway enrichment analysis directly in the browser. Given a biological interaction network (e.g. protein-protein interactions) and a series of molecular profiles derived from one or multiple OMICS studies (gene expression...... such as data integration, input of background knowledge, batch runs for parameter optimization and visualization of extracted pathways. In addition to an intuitive web interface, we also implemented a RESTful API that now enables other online developers to integrate network enrichment as a web service...

One-way quantum key distribution: Simple upper bound on the secret key rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moroder, Tobias; Luetkenhaus, Norbert; Curty, Marcos

2006-01-01

We present a simple method to obtain an upper bound on the achievable secret key rate in quantum key distribution (QKD) protocols that use only unidirectional classical communication during the public-discussion phase. This method is based on a necessary precondition for one-way secret key distillation; the legitimate users need to prove that there exists no quantum state having a symmetric extension that is compatible with the available measurements results. The main advantage of the obtained upper bound is that it can be formulated as a semidefinite program, which can be efficiently solved. We illustrate our results by analyzing two well-known qubit-based QKD protocols: the four-state protocol and the six-state protocol

ASSESSING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION BASED ON QoS PARAMETERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alem Čolaković

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Measurement of customer sastisfaction is an efficient tool to detect problems in SP (Services Provider and their relationship with customers. Based on this measurement a relationship between customer satisfaction and loyalty can be established. It can determine the influence of key parameters on the number of users of services. The parameters of customer satisfaction and loyalty are numerous and depend on the network (network quality of services parameters, the client (the perception, expectations, beliefs, etc., employees (implementation of activities, technological developments, organizational structure, etc. This paper aims to show the way to identify key indicators and their weighted factors that affect customer satisfaction. This paper intends to emphasize relationship between quality of services, customer perception and loyalty and to present a model for examining the key parameters that significantly influence customer satisfaction and how these parameters influence customer loyalty.

Secured Session-key Distribution using control Vector Encryption / Decryption Process

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ismail Jabiullah, M.; Abdullah Al-Shamim; Khaleqdad Khan, ANM; Lutfar Rahman, M.

2006-01-01

Frequent key changes are very much desirable for the secret communications and are thus in high demand. A session-key distribution technique has been designed and implemented using the programming language C on which the communication between the end-users is encrypted is used for the duration of a logical connection. Each session-key is obtained from the key distribution center (KDC) over the same networking facilities used for end-user communication. The control vector is cryptographically coupled with the session-key at the time of key generation in the KDC. For this, the generated hash function, master key and the session-key are used for producing the encrypted session-key, which has to be transferred. All the operations have been performed using the C programming language. This process can be widely applicable to all sorts of electronic transactions online or offline; commercially and academically.(authors)

Inventory parameters

CERN Document Server

Sharma, Sanjay

2017-01-01

This book provides a detailed overview of various parameters/factors involved in inventory analysis. It especially focuses on the assessment and modeling of basic inventory parameters, namely demand, procurement cost, cycle time, ordering cost, inventory carrying cost, inventory stock, stock out level, and stock out cost. In the context of economic lot size, it provides equations related to the optimum values. It also discusses why the optimum lot size and optimum total relevant cost are considered to be key decision variables, and uses numerous examples to explain each of these inventory parameters separately. Lastly, it provides detailed information on parameter estimation for different sectors/products. Written in a simple and lucid style, it offers a valuable resource for a broad readership, especially Master of Business Administration (MBA) students.

An Equilibrium Chance-Constrained Multiobjective Programming Model with Birandom Parameters and Its Application to Inventory Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhimiao Tao

2013-01-01

Full Text Available An equilibrium chance-constrained multiobjective programming model with birandom parameters is proposed. A type of linear model is converted into its crisp equivalent model. Then a birandom simulation technique is developed to tackle the general birandom objective functions and birandom constraints. By embedding the birandom simulation technique, a modified genetic algorithm is designed to solve the equilibrium chance-constrained multiobjective programming model. We apply the proposed model and algorithm to a real-world inventory problem and show the effectiveness of the model and the solution method.

The parameter spreadsheets and their applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwitters, R.; Chao, A.; Chou, W.; Peterson, J.

1993-01-01

This paper is to announce that a set of parameter spreadsheets, using the Microsoft EXCEL software, has been developed for the SSC (and also for the LHC). In this program, the input (or control) parameters and the derived parameters are linked by equations that express the accelerator physics involved. A subgroup of parameters that are considered critical, or possible bottlenecks, has been highlighted under the category of open-quotes Flagsclose quotes. Given certain performance goals, one can use this program to open-quotes tuneclose quotes the input parameters in such a way that the flagged parameters do not exceed their acceptable range. During the past years, this program has been employed for the following purposes: (a) To guide the machine designs for various operation scenarios, (b) To generate a parameter list that is self-consistent and, (c) To study the impact of some proposed parameter changes (e.g., different choices of the rf frequency and bunch spacing)

Thawed chilled Barents Sea cod fillets in modified atmosphere packaging-application of multivariate data analysis to select key parameters in good manufacturing practice

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bøknæs, Niels; Jensen, K.N.; Guldager, H.S.

2002-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to select key parameters in good manufacturing practice for production of thawed chilled modified atmosphere packed (MAP) cod (Gadus morhua) fillets. The effect of frozen storage temperature (-20 and -30 C), frozen storage period (3, 6, 9 and 12 mo) and chill...... storage periods up to 21 d at 2 C were evaluated for thawed MAP Barents Sea cod fillets. Sensory, chemical, microbiological and physical quality attributes were evaluated and multivariate data analysis (principal component analysis and partial least- squares regression) applied for identification of key...... storage was low for thawed MAP Barents Sea cod and this fish raw material seemed the more appropriate for production of thawed chilled MAP products. Frozen storage inactivation of the spoilage bacteria of Photobacterium phosphorcum was modest in Barnets Sea cod, possibly due to high trimethylamine oxide...

Development of graphic display program of reactor operating parameters for emergency exercise at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okuda, Yasunori; Yoshida, Yoshitaka; Gotou, Kazuko

2001-01-01

A scenario of nuclear emergency exercise based on the result of accident progress analysis is expected to ensure effective training. Thereupon a new graphic display program for reactor operating parameters has been developed to present real-time of plant process values (parameters), released radioactivities from the plant, and dose rate data around the site calculated by using the accident analysis code MAAP4 and other codes. This system has a trend graph screen displaying reactor operating parameters, an environmental dose rate summary screen indicating dose rate distribution around the site on the map, and a plant parameters summary screen showing important plant parameters on a simplified plant system diagram. One screen can be switched to another any time. It also has a jump-function easily accessing any stage during the exercise scenario in accordance with progress of the exercise. As a result of the application of this system to a real nuclear emergency exercise, it has been verified that this system is quite useful for confirming the parameters when the nuclear emergency exercise starts and the licensee reports the plant conditions to related bodied. (author)

Development of graphic display program of reactor operating parameters for emergency exercise at nuclear power plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okuda, Yasunori; Yoshida, Yoshitaka [Institute of Nuclear Safety System Inc., Mihama, Fukui (Japan); Gotou, Kazuko [Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc., Osaka (Japan)

2001-09-01

A scenario of nuclear emergency exercise based on the result of accident progress analysis is expected to ensure effective training. Thereupon a new graphic display program for reactor operating parameters has been developed to present real-time of plant process values (parameters), released radioactivities from the plant, and dose rate data around the site calculated by using the accident analysis code MAAP4 and other codes. This system has a trend graph screen displaying reactor operating parameters, an environmental dose rate summary screen indicating dose rate distribution around the site on the map, and a plant parameters summary screen showing important plant parameters on a simplified plant system diagram. One screen can be switched to another any time. It also has a jump-function easily accessing any stage during the exercise scenario in accordance with progress of the exercise. As a result of the application of this system to a real nuclear emergency exercise, it has been verified that this system is quite useful for confirming the parameters when the nuclear emergency exercise starts and the licensee reports the plant conditions to related bodied. (author)

Evaluation of uncertainties of key neutron parameters of PWR-type reactors with slab fuel, application to neutronic conformity; Determination des incertitudes liees aux grandeurs neutroniques d'interet des reacteurs a eau pressurisee a plaques combustibles et application aux etudes de conformite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, D

2001-12-01

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate uncertainties of key neutron parameters of slab reactors. Uncertainties sources have many origins, technologic origin for parameters of fabrication and physical origin for nuclear data. First, each contribution of uncertainties is calculated and finally, a factor of uncertainties is associated to key slab parameter like reactivity, isotherm reactivity coefficient, control rod efficiency, power form factor before irradiation and life-time. This factors of uncertainties were computed by Generalized Perturbations Theory in case of step 0 and by directs calculations in case of irradiation problems. One of neutronic conformity applications was about fabrication and nuclear data targets precision adjustments. Statistic (uncertainties) and deterministic (deviations) approaches were studied. Then, neutronics key slab parameters uncertainties were reduced and so nuclear performances were optimized. (author)

Estimation of genetic parameters for growth traits in a breeding program for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, G; Gu, W; Bai, Q L; Wang, B Q

2013-04-26

Genetic parameters and breeding values for growth traits were estimated in the first and, currently, the only family selective breeding program for rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in China. Genetic and phenotypic data were collected for growth traits from 75 full-sibling families with a 2-generation pedigree. Genetic parameters and breeding values for growth traits of rainbow trout were estimated using the derivative-free restricted maximum likelihood method. The goodness-of-fit of the models was tested using Akaike and Bayesian information criteria. Genetic parameters and breeding values were estimated using the best-fit model for each trait. The values for heritability estimating body weight and length ranged from 0.20 to 0.45 and from 0.27 to 0.60, respectively, and the heritability of condition factor was 0.34. Our results showed a moderate degree of heritability for growth traits in this breeding program and suggested that the genetic and phenotypic tendency of body length, body weight, and condition factor were similar. Therefore, the selection of phenotypic values based on pedigree information was also suitable in this research population.

Sensitivity Analysis and Identification of Parameters to the Van Genuchten Equation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guangzhou Chen

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Van Genuchten equation is the soil water characteristic curve equation used commonly, and identifying (estimating accurately its parameters plays an important role in the study on the movement of soil water. Selecting the desorption and absorption experimental data of silt loam from a northwest region in China as an instance, Monte-Carlo method was firstly applied to analyze sensitivity of the parameters and uncertainty of model so as to get the key parameters and posteriori parameter distribution to guide subsequent parameter identification. Then, the optimization model of the parameters was set up, and a new type of intelligent algorithm-difference search algorithm was employed to identify them. In order to overcome the fault that the base difference search algorithm needed more iterations and to further enhance the optimization performance, a hybrid algorithm, which coupled the difference search algorithm with simplex method, was employed to identification of the parameters. By comparison with other optimization algorithms, the results show that the difference search algorithm has the following characteristics: good optimization performance, the simple principle, easy implement, short program code, and less control parameters required to run the algorithm. In addition, the proposed hybrid algorithm outperforms the basic difference search algorithm on the comprehensive performance of algorithm.

National Low-Level Waste Management Program final summary report of key activities and accomplishments for fiscal year 1996

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, R.S.

1996-12-01

To assist the Department of Energy (DOE) in fulfilling its responsibilities under the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985, the National Low-Level Waste Management Program (NLLWMP) outlines the key activities tat the NLLWMP will accomplish in the following fiscal year. Additional activities are added during the fiscal year as necessary to accomplish programmatic goals. This report summarizes the activities and accomplishments of the NLLWMP during Fiscal Year 1996

National Low-Level Waste Management Program final summary report of key activities and accomplishments for fiscal year 1995

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forman, S.

1995-12-01

To assist the Department of Energy (DOE) in fulfilling its responsibilities under the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985, the National Low-Level Waste Management Program (NLLWMP) outlines the key activities that the NLLWMP will accomplish in the following fiscal year. Additional activities are added during the fiscal year as necessary to accomplish programmatic goals. This report summarizes the activities and accomplishments of the NLLWMP during fiscal year 1995

WIPP Compliance Certification Application calculations parameters. Part 1: Parameter development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howarth, S.M.

1997-01-01

The Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) in southeast New Mexico has been studied as a transuranic waste repository for the past 23 years. During this time, an extensive site characterization, design, construction, and experimental program was completed, which provided in-depth understanding of the dominant processes that are most likely to influence the containment of radionuclides for 10,000 years. Nearly 1,500 parameters were developed using information gathered from this program; the parameters were input to numerical models for WIPP Compliance Certification Application (CCA) Performance Assessment (PA) calculations. The CCA probabilistic codes frequently require input values that define a statistical distribution for each parameter. Developing parameter distributions begins with the assignment of an appropriate distribution type, which is dependent on the type, magnitude, and volume of data or information available. The development of the parameter distribution values may require interpretation or statistical analysis of raw data, combining raw data with literature values, scaling of lab or field data to fit code grid mesh sizes, or other transformation. Parameter development and documentation of the development process were very complicated, especially for those parameters based on empirical data; they required the integration of information from Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) code sponsors, parameter task leaders (PTLs), performance assessment analysts (PAAs), and experimental principal investigators (PIs). This paper, Part 1 of two parts, contains a discussion of the parameter development process, roles and responsibilities, and lessons learned. Part 2 will discuss parameter documentation, traceability and retrievability, and lessons learned from related audits and reviews

Influence of key processing parameters and seeding density effects of microencapsulated chondrocytes fabricated using electrohydrodynamic spraying.

Science.gov (United States)

Gansau, Jennifer; Kelly, Lara; Buckley, Conor

2018-06-11

Cell delivery and leakage during injection remains a challenge for cell-based intervertebral disc regeneration strategies. Cellular microencapsulation may offer a promising approach to overcome these limitations by providing a protective niche during intradiscal injection. Electrohydrodynamic spraying (EHDS) is a versatile one-step approach for microencapsulation of cells using a high voltage electric field. The primary objective of this work was to characterise key processing parameters such as applied voltage (0, 5, 10 or 15kV), emitter needle gauge (21, 26 or 30G), alginate concentration (1, 2 or 3%) and flow rate (50, 100, 250 or 500 µl/min) to regulate the morphology of alginate microcapsules and subsequent cell viability when altering these parameters. The effect of initial cell seeding density (5, 10 and 20x10⁶ cells/ml) on subsequent matrix accumulation of microencapsulated articular chondrocytes was also evaluated. Results showed that increasing alginate concentration and thus viscosity increased overall microcapsule size but also affected the geometry towards ellipsoidal-shaped gels. Altering the electric field strength and needle diameter regulated microcapsule size towards a smaller diameter with increasing voltage and smaller needle diameter. Needle size did not appear to affect cell viability when operating with lower alginate concentrations (1% and 2%), although higher concentrations (3%) and thus higher viscosity hydrogels resulted in diminished viability with decreasing needle diameter. Increasing cell density resulted in decreased cell viability and a concomitant decrease in DNA content, perhaps due to competing nutrient demands as a result of more closely packed cells. However, higher cell densities resulted in increased levels of extracellular matrix accumulated. Overall, this work highlights the potential of EHDS as a controllable and versatile approach to fabricate microcapsules for injectable delivery which can be used in a

Sensitivities of Key Parameters in the Preparation of Silver/Silver Chloride Electrodes Used in Harned Cell Measurements of pH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard J. C. Brown

2011-08-01

Full Text Available A questionnaire was completed by fourteen world leading national metrology institutes to study the influence of several variables in the preparation of Ag/AgCl electrodes on the accuracy of Harned cell measurements of pH. The performance of each institute in the last decade has been assessed based on their results in eight key comparisons, organized by the Bureau International des Poids et Measures Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance, involving the measurement of pH of phosphate, phthalate, carbonate, borate and tetroxalate buffer solutions. The performance of each laboratory has been correlated to the results of the questionnaire to determine the critical parameters in the preparation of Ag/AgCl electrodes and their sensitivities with respect to the accuracy of pH measurement. This study reveals that the parameters most closely correlated to performance in comparisons are area of electrode wire exposed to the electrolyte, diameter and porosity of the Ag sphere prior to anodisation, amount of Ag converted to AgCl during anodisation, stability times employed for electrodes to reach equilibrium in solution prior to measurement, electrode rejection criteria employed and purity of reagents.

ParShield: A computer program for calculating attenuation parameters of the gamma rays and the fast neutrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elmahroug, Y.; Tellili, B.; Souga, C.; Manai, K.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Description of the theoretical method used by the ParShield program. • Description of the ParShield program. • Test and validation the ParShield program. - Abstract: This study aims to present a new computer program called ParShield which determines the neutron and gamma-ray shielding parameters. This program can calculate the total mass attenuation coefficients (μ t ), the effective atomic numbers (Z eff ) and the effective electron densities (N eff ) for gamma rays and it can also calculate the effective removal cross-sections (Σ R ) for fast neutrons for mixtures and compounds. The results obtained for the gamma rays by using ParShield were compared with the results calculated by the WinXcom program and the measured results. The obtained values of (Σ R ) were tested by comparing them with the measured results,the manually calculated results and with the results obtained by using MERCSFN program and an excellent agreement was found between them. The ParShield program can be used as a fast and effective tool to choose and compare the shielding materials, especially for the determination of (Z eff ) and (N eff ), there is no other programs in the literature which can calculate

Key parameters of the swimming start and their relationship to start performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Tor, Elaine; Pease, David L; Ball, Kevin A

2015-01-01

The swimming start is typically broken into three sub-phases; on-block, flight, and underwater phases. While overall start performance is highly important to elite swimming, the contribution of each phase and important technical components within each phase, particularly with the new kick-start technique, has not been established. The aim of this study was to identify technical factors associated with overall start performance, with a particular focus on the underwater phase. A number of parameters were calculated from 52 starts performed by elite freestyle and butterfly swimmers. These parameters were split into above-water and underwater groupings, before factor analysis was used to reduce parameter numbers for multiple regression. For the above-water phases, 81% of variance in start performance was accounted for by take-off horizontal velocity. For the underwater water phase, 96% of variance was accounted for with time underwater in descent, time underwater in ascent and time to 10 m. Therefore, developing greater take-off horizontal velocity and focussing on the underwater phase by finding the ideal trajectory will lead to improved start performance.

Key performance indicators score (KPIs-score) based on clinical and laboratorial parameters can establish benchmarks for internal quality control in an ART program.

Science.gov (United States)

Franco, José G; Petersen, Claudia G; Mauri, Ana L; Vagnini, Laura D; Renzi, Adriana; Petersen, Bruna; Mattila, M C; Comar, Vanessa A; Ricci, Juliana; Dieamant, Felipe; Oliveira, João Batista A; Baruffi, Ricardo L R

2017-06-01

KPIs have been employed for internal quality control (IQC) in ART. However, clinical KPIs (C-KPIs) such as age, AMH and number of oocytes collected are never added to laboratory KPIs (L-KPIs), such as fertilization rate and morphological quality of the embryos for analysis, even though the final endpoint is the evaluation of clinical pregnancy rates. This paper analyzed if a KPIs-score strategy with clinical and laboratorial parameters could be used to establish benchmarks for IQC in ART cycles. In this prospective cohort study, 280 patients (36.4±4.3years) underwent ART. The total KPIs-score was obtained by the analysis of age, AMH (AMH Gen II ELISA/pre-mixing modified, Beckman Coulter Inc.), number of metaphase-II oocytes, fertilization rates and morphological quality of the embryonic lot. The total KPIs-score (C-KPIs+L-KPIs) was correlated with the presence or absence of clinical pregnancy. The relationship between the C-KPIs and L-KPIs scores was analyzed to establish quality standards, to increase the performance of clinical and laboratorial processes in ART. The logistic regression model (LRM), with respect to pregnancy and total KPIs-score (280 patients/102 clinical pregnancies), yielded an odds ratio of 1.24 (95%CI = 1.16-1.32). There was also a significant difference (pclinical pregnancies (total KPIs-score=20.4±3.7) and the group without clinical pregnancies (total KPIs-score=15.9±5). Clinical pregnancy probabilities (CPP) can be obtained using the LRM (prediction key) with the total KPIs-score as a predictor variable. The mean C-KPIs and L-KPIs scores obtained in the pregnancy group were 11.9±2.9 and 8.5±1.7, respectively. Routinely, in all cases where the C-KPIs score was ≥9, after the procedure, the L-KPIs score obtained was ≤6, a revision of the laboratory procedure was performed to assess quality standards. This total KPIs-score could set up benchmarks for clinical pregnancy. Moreover, IQC can use C-KPIs and L-KPIs scores to detect problems

Response of Key Soil Parameters During Compost-Assisted Phytostabilization in Extremely Acidic Tailings: Effect of Plant Species

Science.gov (United States)

Solís-Dominguez, Fernando A.; White, Scott A.; Hutter, Travis Borrillo; Amistadi, Mary Kay; Root, Robert A.; Chorover, Jon; Maier, Raina M.

2012-01-01

Phytostabilization of mine tailings acts to mitigate both eolian dispersion and water erosion events which can disseminate barren tailings over large distances. This technology uses plants to establish a vegetative cover to permanently immobilize contaminants in the rooting zone, often requiring addition of an amendment to assist plant growth. Here we report the results of a greenhouse study that evaluated the ability of six native plant species to grow in extremely acidic (pH ~ 2.5) metalliferous (As, Pb, Zn: 2000–3000 mg kg−1) mine tailings from Iron King Mine Humboldt Smelter Superfund site when amended with a range of compost concentrations. Results revealed that three of the six plant species tested (buffalo grass, mesquite, and catclaw acacia) are good candidates for phytostabilization at an optimum level of 15% compost (w/w) amendment showing good growth and minimal shoot accumulation of metal(loid)s. A fourth candidate, quailbush, also met all criteria except for exceeding the domestic animal toxicity limit for shoot accumulation of zinc. A key finding of this study was that the plant species that grew most successfully on these tailings significantly influenced key tailings parameters; direct correlations between plant biomass and both increased tailings pH and neutrophilic heterotrophic bacterial counts were observed. We also observed decreased iron oxidizer counts and decreased bioavailability of metal(loid)s mainly as a result of compost amendment. Taken together, these results suggest that the phytostabilization process reduced tailings toxicity as well as the potential for metal(loid) mobilization. This study provides practical information on plant and tailings characteristics that is critically needed for successful implementation of assisted phytostabilization on acidic, metalliferous mine tailings sites. PMID:22191663

Response of key soil parameters during compost-assisted phytostabilization in extremely acidic tailings: effect of plant species.

Science.gov (United States)

Solís-Dominguez, Fernando A; White, Scott A; Hutter, Travis Borrillo; Amistadi, Mary Kay; Root, Robert A; Chorover, Jon; Maier, Raina M

2012-01-17

Phytostabilization of mine tailings acts to mitigate both eolian dispersion and water erosion events which can disseminate barren tailings over large distances. This technology uses plants to establish a vegetative cover to permanently immobilize contaminants in the rooting zone, often requiring addition of an amendment to assist plant growth. Here we report the results of a greenhouse study that evaluated the ability of six native plant species to grow in extremely acidic (pH ∼ 2.5) metalliferous (As, Pb, Zn: 2000-3000 mg kg(-1)) mine tailings from Iron King Mine Humboldt Smelter Superfund site when amended with a range of compost concentrations. Results revealed that three of the six plant species tested (buffalo grass, mesquite, and catclaw acacia) are good candidates for phytostabilization at an optimum level of 15% compost (w/w) amendment showing good growth and minimal shoot accumulation of metal(loid)s. A fourth candidate, quailbush, also met all criteria except for exceeding the domestic animal toxicity limit for shoot accumulation of zinc. A key finding of this study was that the plant species that grew most successfully on these tailings significantly influenced key tailings parameters; direct correlations between plant biomass and both increased tailings pH and neutrophilic heterotrophic bacterial counts were observed. We also observed decreased iron oxidizer counts and decreased bioavailability of metal(loid)s mainly as a result of compost amendment. Taken together, these results suggest that the phytostabilization process reduced tailings toxicity as well as the potential for metal(loid) mobilization. This study provides practical information on plant and tailings characteristics that is critically needed for successful implementation of assisted phytostabilization on acidic, metalliferous mine tailings sites.

FGP Approach for Solving Multi-level Multi-objective Quadratic Fractional Programming Problem with Fuzzy parameters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

m. s. osman

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we consider fuzzy goal programming (FGP approach for solving multi-level multi-objective quadratic fractional programming (ML-MOQFP problem with fuzzy parameters in the constraints. Firstly, the concept of the ?-cut approach is applied to transform the set of fuzzy constraints into a common deterministic one. Then, the quadratic fractional objective functions in each level are transformed into quadratic objective functions based on a proposed transformation. Secondly, the FGP approach is utilized to obtain a compromise solution for the ML-MOQFP problem by minimizing the sum of the negative deviational variables. Finally, an illustrative numerical example is given to demonstrate the applicability and performance of the proposed approach.

Measurement of key pool boiling parameters in nanofluids for nuclear applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bang, In Cheol; Buongiorno, Jacopo; Hu, Lin-Wen; Wang, Hsin

2008-01-01

Nanofluids, colloidal dispersions of nanoparticles in a base fluid such as water, can afford very significant Critical Heat Flux (CHF) enhancement. Such engineered fluids potentially could be employed in reactors as advanced coolants in safety systems with significant safety and economic advantages. However, a satisfactory explanation of the CHF enhancement mechanism in nanofluids is lacking. To close this gap, we have identified the important boiling parameters to be measured. These are the properties (e.g., density, viscosity, thermal conductivity, specific heat, vaporization enthalpy, surface tension), hydrodynamic parameters (i.e., bubble size, bubble velocity, departure frequency, hot/dry spot dynamics) and surface conditions (i.e., contact angle, nucleation site density). We have also deployed a pool boiling facility in which many such parameters can be measured. The facility is equipped with a thin indium-tin-oxide heater deposited over a sapphire substrate. An infra-red high-speed camera and an optical probe are used to measure the temperature distribution on the heater and the hydrodynamics above the heater, respectively. The first data generated with this facility already provide some clue on the CHF enhancement mechanism in nanofluids. Specifically, the progression to burnout in a pure fluid (ethanol in this case) is characterized by a smoothly-shaped and steadily-expanding hot spot. By contrast, in the ethanol-based nanofluid the hot spot pulsates and the progression to burnout lasts longer, although the nanofluid CHF is higher than the pure fluid CHF. The presence of a nanoparticle deposition layer on the heater surface seems to enhance wettability and aid hot spot dissipation, thus delaying burnout. (author)

Educational Evaluation: Key Characteristics. ACER Research Series No. 102.

Science.gov (United States)

Maling-Keepes, Jillian

A set of 13 key characteristics is presented as a framework for educational evaluation studies: (1) program's stage of development when evaluator is appointed; (2) program's openness to revision; (3) program uniformity from site to site; (4) specificity of program objectives; (5) evaluator's independence; (6) evaluator's orientation to value…

BENTO buffer development program in Finland - Key issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Autio, J.; Korkiala-Tanttu, L.; Vaehaenen, M.; Koskinen, K.; Korkeakoski, P.; Haapala, K.

2010-01-01

key project in the programme. Another key part of development is the manufacturing of buffer components (MANU project), which is responsible of the manufacturing of buffer components for testing and final use in the repository. MANU covers the whole chain of events from raw material acquisition and management to manufacturing and emplacement of the final bentonite products. The development of design and manufacturing requires significant amount of research in order to define the processes that take place during buffer's lifespan from manufacturing to actual buffer function in deposition hole and evaluation of buffer performance. These processes need to be understood in order to define the essential design parameters that affect these processes. Therefore material research (MARE project) is essential requirement for successful design development. Modelling (MODE project) provides support for all other projects. It requires significant resources, comprehensive understanding of different modelling methods and approaches, intense supervision and coordination. The significant issues are issues, which have been identified by the BENTO programme group to be possibly significant for performance of the buffer. The significant issues that need to be resolved at present are as follows: 1. Buffer cementation; 2. Buffer mineral alteration; 3. Erosion of buffer; 4. Piping of inflows through the buffer; 5. Insufficient swelling pressure of the buffer in dry drift sections, effect on rock spalling; 6. Post-glacial erosion (loss of buffer from exposure to glacial melt waters); 7. Cement-bentonite interaction; 8. Iron-bentonite interaction; 9. Freezing and Thawing of buffer. (authors)

Device-independent secret-key-rate analysis for quantum repeaters

Science.gov (United States)

Holz, Timo; Kampermann, Hermann; Bruß, Dagmar

2018-01-01

The device-independent approach to quantum key distribution (QKD) aims to establish a secret key between two or more parties with untrusted devices, potentially under full control of a quantum adversary. The performance of a QKD protocol can be quantified by the secret key rate, which can be lower bounded via the violation of an appropriate Bell inequality in a setup with untrusted devices. We study secret key rates in the device-independent scenario for different quantum repeater setups and compare them to their device-dependent analogon. The quantum repeater setups under consideration are the original protocol by Briegel et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 81, 5932 (1998), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.81.5932] and the hybrid quantum repeater protocol by van Loock et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 240501 (2006), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.240501]. For a given repeater scheme and a given QKD protocol, the secret key rate depends on a variety of parameters, such as the gate quality or the detector efficiency. We systematically analyze the impact of these parameters and suggest optimized strategies.

2015 Key Wind Program and National Laboratory Accomplishments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

2015-12-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Wind Program is committed to helping the nation secure cost-competitive sources of renewable energy through the development and deployment of innovative wind power technologies. By investing in improvements to wind plant design, technology development, and operation as well as developing tools to identify the highest quality wind resources, the Wind Program serves as a leader in making wind energy technologies more competitive with traditional sources of energy and a larger part of our nation’s renewable energy portfolio.

Problems posed by the model of bipolar transistor used and the measurement of the parameters associated in the IMAG.1 program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imbrechts, Claude; Le Ber, Jacques

1969-02-01

The IMAG-1 program uses, for diodes and transistors, bipolar models of the Ebers and Moll modified type. This model is already used in the US NET.1 program. The object of this paper is essentially to pose the problem of the measurement of the parameters associated with the Ebers and Moll model. However, the authors' ambition is not to solve it but to attract attention to the need to speak the same language to define the model, the methods of measuring the associated parameters and their dispersions in order to better appreciate inaccuracies due to the model's approximations

Evaluation of uncertainties of key neutron parameters of PWR-type reactors with slab fuel, application to neutronic conformity; Determination des incertitudes liees aux grandeurs neutroniques d'interet des reacteurs a eau pressurisee a plaques combustibles et application aux etudes de conformite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernard, D

2001-12-01

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate uncertainties of key neutron parameters of slab reactors. Uncertainties sources have many origins, technologic origin for parameters of fabrication and physical origin for nuclear data. First, each contribution of uncertainties is calculated and finally, a factor of uncertainties is associated to key slab parameter like reactivity, isotherm reactivity coefficient, control rod efficiency, power form factor before irradiation and life-time. This factors of uncertainties were computed by Generalized Perturbations Theory in case of step 0 and by directs calculations in case of irradiation problems. One of neutronic conformity applications was about fabrication and nuclear data targets precision adjustments. Statistic (uncertainties) and deterministic (deviations) approaches were studied. Then, neutronics key slab parameters uncertainties were reduced and so nuclear performances were optimized. (author)

Key ingredients for implementing intensive outpatient programs within patient-centered medical homes: A literature review and qualitative analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Breland, Jessica Y; Asch, Steven M; Slightam, Cindie; Wong, Ava; Zulman, Donna M

2016-03-01

Intensive outpatient programs aim to transform care while conserving resources for high-need, high-cost patients, but little is known about factors that influence their implementation within patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs). In this mixed-methods study, we reviewed the literature to identify factors affecting intensive outpatient program implementation, then used semi-structured interviews to determine how these factors influenced the implementation of an intensive outpatient program within the Veterans Affairs' (VA) PCMH. Interviewees included facility leadership and clinical staff who were involved in a pilot Intensive Management Patient Aligned Care Team (ImPACT) intervention for high-need, high-cost VA PCMH patents. We classified implementation factors in the literature review and qualitative analysis using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR). The literature review (n=9 studies) and analyses of interviews (n=15) revealed key implementation factors in three CFIR domains. First, the Inner Setting (i.e., the organizational and PCMH environment), mostly enabled implementation through a culture of innovation, good networks and communication, and positive tension for change. Second, Characteristics of Individuals, including creativity, flexibility, and interpersonal skills, allowed program staff to augment existing PCMH services. Finally, certain Intervention Characteristics (e.g., adaptability) enabled implementation, while others (e.g., complexity) generated implementation barriers. Resources and structural features common to PCMHs can facilitate implementation of intensive outpatient programs, but program success is also dependent on staff creativity and flexibility, and intervention adaptations to meet patient and organizational needs. Established PCMHs likely provide resources and environments that permit accelerated implementation of intensive outpatient programs. V. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Key Variables Screening of Near-Infrared Models for Simultaneous Determination of Quality Parameters in Traditional Chinese Food “Fuzhu”

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiahua Wang

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The traditional Chinese food Fuzhu is a dried soy protein-lipid film formed during the heating of soymilk. This study investigates whether a simple and accurate model can nondestructively determine the quality parameters of intact Fuzhu. The diffused reflectance spectra (1000–2499 nm of intact Fuzhu were collected by a commercial near-infrared (NIR spectrometer. Among various preprocessing methods, the derivative by wavelet transform method optimally enhanced the characteristic signals of Fuzhu spectra. Uninformative variable elimination based on Monte Carlo (MC-UVE, random frog (RF, and competitive adaptive reweighted sampling (CARS were proposed to select key variables for partial least squares (PLS calculation. The strong performance of the developed models is attributed to the high ratios of prediction to deviation values (3.32–3.51 for protein, 3.62–3.89 for lipid, and 4.27–4.55 for moisture. The prediction set was used to assess the performances of the best models of protein (CARS-PLS, lipid (RF-PLS, and moisture (CARS-PLS, which resulted in greater coefficients of determination of 0.958, 0.966, and 0.976, respectively, and lower root mean square errors of prediction of 0.656%, 0.442%, and 0.123%, respectively. Combined with chemometrics methods, the NIR technique is promising for simultaneous testing of quality parameters of intact Fuzhu.

Program management: The keys to a successful ERWM contract

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenyk, R.G.; Cusack, J.G.

1995-01-01

Program management for a large Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (ERWM) task order contract is both a skill and an art. Unlike project management, program management deals with global and political issues, with both client and home organizations, as well as with day-to-day operations. Program management requires up-front planning and nurturing, for no contract matures successfully by itself. This paper identifies the many opportunities presented in the planning and initial implementation of the contract. Potential traps are identified so that they can be recognized and avoided or mitigated. Teaming and subcontracting are also addressed. The authors rely on years of program management experience to explore such questions as the following: Can you have an integrated team? What needs to be done before you sign Your contract? Do you know who your client(s) is(are)? Have you incorporated the relevant, especially any new, procurement strategies? The US Department of Energy-Oak Ridge Operations (DOE-ORO) ERWM Remedial Design Contract with Foster Wheeler Environmental Corporation is used as a model for exploring these topics. This ERWM Program-which focuses on the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Y-12 Weapons Plant, and the K-25 Site in Oak Ridge, Tennessee; the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Paducah, Kentucky; and the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Portsmouth, Ohio-is in its fifth year with over 225 task orders. The program has been highly successful and has obtained from DOE outstanding marks for achieving quality, responsiveness, timeliness, and subcontracting goals

Continuous Variable Quantum Key Distribution Using Polarized Coherent States

Science.gov (United States)

Vidiella-Barranco, A.; Borelli, L. F. M.

We discuss a continuous variables method of quantum key distribution employing strongly polarized coherent states of light. The key encoding is performed using the variables known as Stokes parameters, rather than the field quadratures. Their quantum counterpart, the Stokes operators Ŝi (i=1,2,3), constitute a set of non-commuting operators, being the precision of simultaneous measurements of a pair of them limited by an uncertainty-like relation. Alice transmits a conveniently modulated two-mode coherent state, and Bob randomly measures one of the Stokes parameters of the incoming beam. After performing reconciliation and privacy amplification procedures, it is possible to distill a secret common key. We also consider a non-ideal situation, in which coherent states with thermal noise, instead of pure coherent states, are used for encoding.

COMPREHENSIVE CHECK MEASUREMENT OF KEY PARAMETERS ON MODEL BELT CONVEYOR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vlastimil MONI

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Complex measurements of characteristic parameters realised on a long distance model belt conveyor are described. The main objective was to complete and combine the regular measurements of electric power on drives of belt conveyors operated in Czech opencast mines with measurements of other physical quantities and to gain by this way an image of their mutual relations and relations of quantities derived from them. The paper includes a short description and results of the measurements on an experimental model conveyor with a closed material transport way.

Genetic programming-based mathematical modeling of influence of weather parameters in BOD5 removal by Lemna minor.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandrasekaran, Sivapragasam; Sankararajan, Vanitha; Neelakandhan, Nampoothiri; Ram Kumar, Mahalakshmi

2017-11-04

This study, through extensive experiments and mathematical modeling, reveals that other than retention time and wastewater temperature (T w ), atmospheric parameters also play important role in the effective functioning of aquatic macrophyte-based treatment system. Duckweed species Lemna minor is considered in this study. It is observed that the combined effect of atmospheric temperature (T atm ), wind speed (U w ), and relative humidity (RH) can be reflected through one parameter, namely the "apparent temperature" (T a ). A total of eight different models are considered based on the combination of input parameters and the best mathematical model is arrived at which is validated through a new experimental set-up outside the modeling period. The validation results are highly encouraging. Genetic programming (GP)-based models are found to reveal deeper understandings of the wetland process.

Assessment of key transport parameters in a karst system under different dynamic conditions based on tracer experiments: the Jeita karst system, Lebanon

Science.gov (United States)

Doummar, Joanna; Margane, Armin; Geyer, Tobias; Sauter, Martin

2018-03-01

Artificial tracer experiments were conducted in the mature karst system of Jeita (Lebanon) under various flow conditions using surface and subsurface tracer injection points, to determine the variation of transport parameters (attenuation of peak concentration, velocity, transit times, dispersivity, and proportion of immobile and mobile regions) along fast and slow flow pathways. Tracer breakthrough curves (TBCs) observed at the karst spring were interpreted using a two-region nonequilibrium approach (2RNEM) to account for the skewness in the TBCs' long tailings. The conduit test results revealed a discharge threshold in the system dynamics, beyond which the transport parameters vary significantly. The polynomial relationship between transport velocity and discharge can be related to the variation of the conduit's cross-sectional area. Longitudinal dispersivity in the conduit system is not a constant value (α = 7-10 m) and decreases linearly with increasing flow rate because of dilution effects. Additionally, the proportion of immobile regions (arising from conduit irregularities) increases with decreasing water level in the conduit system. From tracer tests with injection at the surface, longitudinal dispersivity values are found to be large (8-27 m). The tailing observed in some TBCs is generated in the unsaturated zone before the tracer actually arrives at the major subsurface conduit draining the system. This work allows the estimation and prediction of the key transport parameters in karst aquifers. It shows that these parameters vary with time and flow dynamics, and they reflect the geometry of the flow pathway and the origin of infiltrating (potentially contaminated) recharge.

Grouted Connections with Shear Keys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Ronnie; Jørgensen, M. B.; Damkilde, Lars

2012-01-01

This paper presents a finite element model in the software package ABAQUS in which a reliable analysis of grouted pile-to-sleeve connections with shear keys is the particular purpose. The model is calibrated to experimental results and a consistent set of input parameters is estimated so that dif...... that different structural problems can be reproduced successfully....

Investigation into the influence of build parameters on failure of 3D printed parts

Science.gov (United States)

Fornasini, Giacomo

Additive manufacturing, including fused deposition modeling (FDM), is transforming the built world and engineering education. Deep understanding of parts created through FDM technology has lagged behind its adoption in home, work, and academic environments. Properties of parts created from bulk materials through traditional manufacturing are understood well enough to accurately predict their behavior through analytical models. Unfortunately, Additive Manufacturing (AM) process parameters create anisotropy on a scale that fundamentally affects the part properties. Understanding AM process parameters (implemented by program algorithms called slicers) is necessary to predict part behavior. Investigating algorithms controlling print parameters (slicers) revealed stark differences between the generation of part layers. In this work, tensile testing experiments, including a full factorial design, determined that three key factors, width, thickness, infill density, and their interactions, significantly affect the tensile properties of 3D printed test samples.

Chance-constrained programming models for capital budgeting with NPV as fuzzy parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Xiaoxia

2007-01-01

In an uncertain economic environment, experts' knowledge about outlays and cash inflows of available projects consists of much vagueness instead of randomness. Investment outlays and annual net cash flows of a project are usually predicted by using experts' knowledge. Fuzzy variables can overcome the difficulties in predicting these parameters. In this paper, capital budgeting problem with fuzzy investment outlays and fuzzy annual net cash flows is studied based on credibility measure. Net present value (NPV) method is employed, and two fuzzy chance-constrained programming models for capital budgeting problem are provided. A fuzzy simulation-based genetic algorithm is provided for solving the proposed model problems. Two numerical examples are also presented to illustrate the modelling idea and the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.

Program GROUPIE (version 79-1): calculation of Bondarenko self-shielded neutron cross sections and multiband parameters from data in the ENDF/B format

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cullen, D.E.

1980-01-01

Program GROUPIE reads evaluated data in the ENDF/B format and uses these data to calculate Bondarenko self-shielded cross sections and multiband parameters. To give as much generality as possible, the program allows the user to specify arbitrary energy groups and an arbitrary energy groups and an arbitrary energy-dependent neutron spectrum (weighing function). To guarantee the accuracy of the results, all integrals are performed analytically; in no case is iteration or any approximate form of integration used. The output from this program includes both listings and multiband parameters suitable for use either in a normal multigroup transport calculation or in a multiband transport calculation. A listing of the source deck is available on request

Radiation Monitoring - A Key Element in a Nuclear Power Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hussein, A.S.; El-dally, T.A.

2008-01-01

For a nuclear power plant, radiation is especially of great concern to the public and the environment. Therefore, a radiation monitoring program is becoming a critical importance. This program covers all phases of the nuclear plant including preoperational, normal operation, accident and decommissioning. The fundamental objective of radiation monitoring program is to ensure that the health and safety of public inside and around the plant and to confirm the radiation doses are below the dose limits for workers and the public. This paper summarizes the environmental radiation monitoring program for a nuclear power plant

Solar oxidation and removal of arsenic--Key parameters for continuous flow applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, L W; O'Farrell, C

2015-12-01

Solar oxidation to remove arsenic from water has previously been investigated as a batch process. This research has investigated the kinetic parameters for the design of a continuous flow solar reactor to remove arsenic from contaminated groundwater supplies. Continuous flow recirculated batch experiments were carried out under artificial UV light to investigate the effect of different parameters on arsenic removal efficiency. Inlet water arsenic concentrations of up to 1000 μg/L were reduced to below 10 μg/L requiring 12 mg/L iron after receiving 12 kJUV/L radiation. Citrate however was somewhat surprisingly found to promote a detrimental effect on the removal process in the continuous flow reactor studies which is contrary to results found in batch scale tests. The impact of other typical water groundwater quality parameters (phosphate and silica) on the process due to their competition with arsenic for photooxidation products revealed a much higher sensitivity to phosphate ions compared to silicate. Other results showed no benefit from the addition of TiO2 photocatalyst but enhanced arsenic removal at higher temperatures up to 40 °C. Overall, these results have indicated the kinetic envelope from which a continuous flow SORAS single pass system could be more confidently designed for a full-scale community groundwater application at a village level. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of the key parameters defining the life of graphite core components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mitchell, M.N.

2005-01-01

The Core Structures of a Pebble Bed rector core comprise graphite reflectors constructed from blocks. These blocks are subject to high flux and temperatures as well as significant gradients in flux and temperature. This loading combined with the behaviour of graphite under irradiation gives rise to complex stress states within the reflector blocks. At some point, the stress state will reach a critical level and cracks will initiate within the blocks. The point of crack initiation is a useful point to define as the end of the part's life. The life of these graphite reflector parts in a pebble bed reactor (PBR) core determines the service life of the Core Structures. The replacement of the Core Structures' components will be a costly and time consuming. It is important that the components of the Core Structures be designed for the best life possible. As part of the conceptual design of the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR), the assessment of the life of these components was examined. To facilitate the understanding of the parameters that influence the design life of the PBMR, a study has been completed into the effect of various design parameters on the design life of a typical side reflector block. Parameters investigated include: block geometry, material property variations, and load variations. The results of this study are to be presented. (author)

The Efficacy of Key Performance Indicators in Ontario Universities as Perceived by Key Informants

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Vivian

2015-01-01

The Ontario Ministry of Education and Training's Task Force on University Accountability first proposed key performance indicators (KPIs) for colleges and universities in Ontario in the early 1990s. The three main KPIs for Ontario universities are the rates of (1) graduation, (2) employment, and (3) Ontario Student Assistance Program loan default.…

EPA Monthly Key Performance Indicator Dashboards 2017

Science.gov (United States)

Each month, the Web Analytics Program posts updated Key Performance Indicator (KPI) dashboards that correspond to three Web performance goals: content consumption, content discovery, and audience engagement.

Securing information using optically generated biometric keys

Science.gov (United States)

Verma, Gaurav; Sinha, Aloka

2016-11-01

In this paper, we present a new technique to obtain biometric keys by using the fingerprint of a person for an optical image encryption system. The key generation scheme uses the fingerprint biometric information in terms of the amplitude mask (AM) and the phase mask (PM) of the reconstructed fingerprint image that is implemented using the digital holographic technique. Statistical tests have been conducted to check the randomness of the fingerprint PM key that enables its usage as an image encryption key. To explore the utility of the generated biometric keys, an optical image encryption system has been further demonstrated based on the phase retrieval algorithm and the double random phase encoding scheme in which keys for the encryption are used as the AM and the PM key. The advantage associated with the proposed scheme is that the biometric keys’ retrieval requires the simultaneous presence of the fingerprint hologram and the correct knowledge of the reconstruction parameters at the decryption stage, which not only verifies the authenticity of the person but also protects the valuable fingerprint biometric features of the keys. Numerical results are carried out to prove the feasibility and the effectiveness of the proposed encryption system.

Number Theory and Public-Key Cryptography.

Science.gov (United States)

Lefton, Phyllis

1991-01-01

Described are activities in the study of techniques used to conceal the meanings of messages and data. Some background information and two BASIC programs that illustrate the algorithms used in a new cryptographic system called "public-key cryptography" are included. (CW)

Dynamics of cardiovascular parameters in combined aortic malformations under the influence of a physical therapy program during the rehabilitation process

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serhii Kalmykov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Purpose: to study hemodynamic parameters and the reaction of the cardiovascular system to the dosed physical load of patients combined aortic defect with heart failure of the I degree under the influence of the complex physical therapy program developed by us during the rehabilitation process. Material & Methods: the study involved 26 middle-aged men with a diagnosis: combined aortic valve disease, HF I st. Result: dynamics of functional parameters of the cardiovascular system of patients under the influence of the physical therapy program is analyzed. Conclusion: the combination of morning hygienic gymnastics, therapeutic gymnastics, independent activities and dosed walking with a therapeutic massage contributes to the normalization of vascular tone, motor-vascular reflexes and blood pressure, increasing the tolerance of the cardiovascular system to physical activity.

Method for Determining the Time Parameter

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. P. Baslyk

2014-01-01

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

Parameter estimation of an ARMA model for river flow forecasting using goal programming

Science.gov (United States)

Mohammadi, Kourosh; Eslami, H. R.; Kahawita, Rene

2006-11-01

SummaryRiver flow forecasting constitutes one of the most important applications in hydrology. Several methods have been developed for this purpose and one of the most famous techniques is the Auto regressive moving average (ARMA) model. In the research reported here, the goal was to minimize the error for a specific season of the year as well as for the complete series. Goal programming (GP) was used to estimate the ARMA model parameters. Shaloo Bridge station on the Karun River with 68 years of observed stream flow data was selected to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results when compared with the usual method of maximum likelihood estimation were favorable with respect to the new proposed algorithm.

Anomaly Monitoring Method for Key Components of Satellite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Peng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper presented a fault diagnosis method for key components of satellite, called Anomaly Monitoring Method (AMM, which is made up of state estimation based on Multivariate State Estimation Techniques (MSET and anomaly detection based on Sequential Probability Ratio Test (SPRT. On the basis of analysis failure of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs, we divided the failure of LIBs into internal failure, external failure, and thermal runaway and selected electrolyte resistance (Re and the charge transfer resistance (Rct as the key parameters of state estimation. Then, through the actual in-orbit telemetry data of the key parameters of LIBs, we obtained the actual residual value (RX and healthy residual value (RL of LIBs based on the state estimation of MSET, and then, through the residual values (RX and RL of LIBs, we detected the anomaly states based on the anomaly detection of SPRT. Lastly, we conducted an example of AMM for LIBs, and, according to the results of AMM, we validated the feasibility and effectiveness of AMM by comparing it with the results of threshold detective method (TDM.

Keys to success: Ten case studies of effective weatherization programs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brown, M.A.; Berry, L.G.; Kolb, J.O.; White, D.L. [Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States); Kinney, L.F.; Wilson, T. [Synertech Systems Corp., Syracuse, NY (United States)

1993-11-01

In 1990, DOE initiated a nationwide evaluation of its Weatherization Program, with assistance from Oak Ridge National Laboratory and an advisory group of 40 weatherization professionals, program managers, and researchers. The evaluation is comprised of three impact studies covering the Program`s major market segments: Single-family homes, mobile homes, and dwellings in small (2 to 4-unit) multifamily buildings (the Single-Family Study), Single-family homes heated primarily with fuel oil (the Fuel-Oil Study), and Dwellings in buildings with five or more units (the Multifamily Study). The Single-Family Study, the subject of this report, is a critical part of this coordinated evaluation effort. Its focus on single-family dwellings, mobile homes, and dwellings in small multifamily buildings covers 83% of the income-eligible population and 96% of the dwellings weatherized during Program Year 1989. The first phase of the Single-Family Study involved the analysis of a massive data base of information collected from 368 local weatherization agencies and 543 electric and gas utilities. This analysis resulted in energy-saving and cost-effectiveness estimates for the Weatherization Program and the identification of a set of ten high-performing agencies located throughout the country. The second phase, which is the subject of this report, involves a ``process`` evaluation of these ten high performers, aimed at identifying those weatherization practices that explain their documented success.

Geriatric hip fracture management: keys to providing a successful program.

Science.gov (United States)

Basu, N; Natour, M; Mounasamy, V; Kates, S L

2016-10-01

Hip fractures are a common event in older adults and are associated with significant morbidity, mortality and costs. This review examines the necessary elements required to implement a successful geriatric fracture program and identifies some of the barriers faced when implementing a successful program. The Geriatric Fracture Center (GFC) is a treatment model that standardizes the approach to the geriatric fracture patient. It is based on five principles: surgical fracture management; early operative intervention; medical co-management with geriatricians; patient-centered, standard order sets to employ best practices; and early discharge planning with a focus on early functional rehabilitation. Implementing a geriatric fracture program begins with an assessment of the hospital's data on hip fractures and standard care metrics such as length of stay, complications, time to surgery, readmission rates and costs. Business planning is essential along with the medical planning process. To successfully develop and implement such a program, strong physician leadership is necessary to articulate both a short- and long-term plan for implementation. Good communication is essential-those organizing a geriatric fracture program must be able to implement standardized plans of care working with all members of the healthcare team and must also be able to foster relationships both within the hospital and with other institutions in the community. Finally, a program of continual quality improvement must be undertaken to ensure that performance outcomes are improving patient care.

Scoping the parameter space for demo and the engineering test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meier, W R.

1999-01-01

In our IFE development plan, we have set a goal of building an Engineering Test Facility (ETF) for a total cost of $2B and a Demo for $3B. In Mike Campbell s presentation at Madison, we included a viewgraph with an example Demo that had 80 to 250 MWe of net power and showed a plausible argument that it could cost less than $3B. In this memo, I examine the design space for the Demo and then briefly for the ETF. Instead of attempting to estimate the costs of the drivers, I pose the question in a way to define R ampersand D goals: As a function of key design and performance parameters, how much can the driver cost if the total facility cost is limited to the specified goal? The design parameters examined for the Demo included target gain, driver energy, driver efficiency, and net power output. For the ETF; the design parameters are target gain, driver energy, and target yield. The resulting graphs of allowable driver cost determine the goals that the driver R ampersand D programs must seek to meet

PYFLOW_2.0: a computer program for calculating flow properties and impact parameters of past dilute pyroclastic density currents based on field data

Science.gov (United States)

Dioguardi, Fabio; Mele, Daniela

2018-03-01

This paper presents PYFLOW_2.0, a hazard tool for the calculation of the impact parameters of dilute pyroclastic density currents (DPDCs). DPDCs represent the dilute turbulent type of gravity flows that occur during explosive volcanic eruptions; their hazard is the result of their mobility and the capability to laterally impact buildings and infrastructures and to transport variable amounts of volcanic ash along the path. Starting from data coming from the analysis of deposits formed by DPDCs, PYFLOW_2.0 calculates the flow properties (e.g., velocity, bulk density, thickness) and impact parameters (dynamic pressure, deposition time) at the location of the sampled outcrop. Given the inherent uncertainties related to sampling, laboratory analyses, and modeling assumptions, the program provides ranges of variations and probability density functions of the impact parameters rather than single specific values; from these functions, the user can interrogate the program to obtain the value of the computed impact parameter at any specified exceedance probability. In this paper, the sedimentological models implemented in PYFLOW_2.0 are presented, program functionalities are briefly introduced, and two application examples are discussed so as to show the capabilities of the software in quantifying the impact of the analyzed DPDCs in terms of dynamic pressure, volcanic ash concentration, and residence time in the atmosphere. The software and user's manual are made available as a downloadable electronic supplement.

Program RECENT (version 79-1): reconstruction of energy-dependent neutron cross sections from resonance parameters in the ENDF/B format

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cullen, D.E.

1979-01-01

Program RECENT reconstructs energy-dependent neutron total, elastic, capture, and fission cross sections from a combination of resonance parameters and tabulated background cross sections in the ENDF/B format. Entire evaluations, not just cross sections, are written to the result file, which is in ENDF/B format. The output includes the original resonance parameters in a form that can be used in Doppler broadening and self-shielding calculations. A listing of the source deck is available on request. 5 figures, 5 tables

A Modular GIS-Based Software Architecture for Model Parameter Estimation using the Method of Anchored Distributions (MAD)

Science.gov (United States)

Ames, D. P.; Osorio-Murillo, C.; Over, M. W.; Rubin, Y.

2012-12-01

The Method of Anchored Distributions (MAD) is an inverse modeling technique that is well-suited for estimation of spatially varying parameter fields using limited observations and Bayesian methods. This presentation will discuss the design, development, and testing of a free software implementation of the MAD technique using the open source DotSpatial geographic information system (GIS) framework, R statistical software, and the MODFLOW groundwater model. This new tool, dubbed MAD-GIS, is built using a modular architecture that supports the integration of external analytical tools and models for key computational processes including a forward model (e.g. MODFLOW, HYDRUS) and geostatistical analysis (e.g. R, GSLIB). The GIS-based graphical user interface provides a relatively simple way for new users of the technique to prepare the spatial domain, to identify observation and anchor points, to perform the MAD analysis using a selected forward model, and to view results. MAD-GIS uses the Managed Extensibility Framework (MEF) provided by the Microsoft .NET programming platform to support integration of different modeling and analytical tools at run-time through a custom "driver." Each driver establishes a connection with external programs through a programming interface, which provides the elements for communicating with core MAD software. This presentation gives an example of adapting the MODFLOW to serve as the external forward model in MAD-GIS for inferring the distribution functions of key MODFLOW parameters. Additional drivers for other models are being developed and it is expected that the open source nature of the project will engender the development of additional model drivers by 3rd party scientists.

MXLKID: a maximum likelihood parameter identifier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gavel, D.T.

1980-07-01

MXLKID (MaXimum LiKelihood IDentifier) is a computer program designed to identify unknown parameters in a nonlinear dynamic system. Using noisy measurement data from the system, the maximum likelihood identifier computes a likelihood function (LF). Identification of system parameters is accomplished by maximizing the LF with respect to the parameters. The main body of this report briefly summarizes the maximum likelihood technique and gives instructions and examples for running the MXLKID program. MXLKID is implemented LRLTRAN on the CDC7600 computer at LLNL. A detailed mathematical description of the algorithm is given in the appendices. 24 figures, 6 tables

A Solid Foundation: Key Capacities of Construction Pre-Apprenticeship Programs

Science.gov (United States)

Helmer, Matt; Blair, Amy; Gerber, Allison

2012-01-01

This publication shares research from site visits conducted to construction pre-apprenticeship programs in Baltimore, Hartford, Milwaukee and Portland (OR). Findings from the site visits, which included interviews and focus groups with pre-apprenticeship program staff, public officials, philanthropic leaders, construction industry leaders and…

A process evaluation: does recruitment for an exercise program through ethnically specific channels and key figures contribute to its reach and receptivity in ethnic minority mothers?

Science.gov (United States)

Hartman, Marieke A; Nierkens, Vera; Cremer, Stephan W; Stronks, Karien; Verhoeff, Arnoud P

2013-08-19

Ethnic minority women from low-income countries who live in high-income countries are more physically inactive than ethnic majority women in those countries. At the same time, they can be harder to reach with health promotion programs. Targeting recruitment channels and execution to ethnic groups could increase reach and receptivity to program participation. We explored using ethnically specific channels and key figures to reach Ghanaian, Antillean, and Surinamese mothers with an invitation for an exercise program, and subsequently, to determine the mothers' receptivity and participation. We conducted a mixed methods process evaluation in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. To recruit mothers, we employed ethnically specific community organizations and ethnically matched key figures as recruiters over Dutch health educators. Reach and participation were measured using reply cards and the attendance records from the exercise programs. Observations were made of the recruitment process. We interviewed 14 key figures and 32 mothers to respond to the recruitment channel and recruiter used. Content analysis was used to analyze qualitative data. Recruitment through ethnically specific community channels was successful among Ghanaian mothers, but less so among Antillean and Surinamese mothers. The more close-knit an ethnic community was, retaining their own culture and having poorer comprehension of the Dutch language, the more likely we were to reach mothers through ethnically specific organizations. Furthermore, we found that using ethnically matched recruiters resulted in higher receptivity to the program and, among the Ghanaian mothers in particular, in greater participation. This was because the ethnically matched recruiter was a familiar, trusted person, a translator, and a motivator who was enthusiastic, encouraging, and able to adapt her message (targeting/tailoring). Using a health expert was preferred in order to increase the credibility and professionalism of the

Modelling on c-Si/a-Si:H wire solar cells: some key parameters to optimize the photovoltaic performance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alvarez J.

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Solar cells based on silicon nano- or micro-wires have attracted much attention as a promising path for low cost photovoltaic technology. The key point of this structure is the decoupling of the light absorption from the carriers collection. In order to predict and optimize the performance potential of p- (or n- doped c-Si/ n-(or p- doped a-Si:H nanowire-based solar cells, we have used the Silvaco-Atlas software to model a single-wire device. In particular, we have noticed a drastic decrease of the open-circuit voltage (Voc when increasing the doping density of the silicon core beyond an optimum value. We present here a detailed study of the parameters that can alter the Voc of c-Si(p/a-Si:H (n wires according to the doping density in c-Si. A comparison with simulation results obtained on planar c-Si/a-Si:H heterojunctions shows that the drop in Voc, linked to an increase of the dark current in both structures, is more pronounced for radial junctions due to geometric criteria. These numerical modelling results have lead to a better understanding of transport phenomena within the wire.

Demand for programs for key populations in Africa from countries ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Owen Ryan, John Macom, and Michelle Moses-Eisenstein

2012-11-28

Nov 28, 2012 ... Keywords: PEPFAR, Global Fund, key population, MSM, IDU, SW. Résumé ... geographical contexts (e.g. MSM in Asia and IDU in Eastern. Europe) ..... Implementation of the investment framework in Africa will require two ...

The generation of shared cryptographic keys through channel impulse response estimation at 60 GHz.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Young, Derek P.; Forman, Michael A.; Dowdle, Donald Ryan

2010-09-01

Methods to generate private keys based on wireless channel characteristics have been proposed as an alternative to standard key-management schemes. In this work, we discuss past work in the field and offer a generalized scheme for the generation of private keys using uncorrelated channels in multiple domains. Proposed cognitive enhancements measure channel characteristics, to dynamically change transmission and reception parameters as well as estimate private key randomness and expiration times. Finally, results are presented on the implementation of a system for the generation of private keys for cryptographic communications using channel impulse-response estimation at 60 GHz. The testbed is composed of commercial millimeter-wave VubIQ transceivers, laboratory equipment, and software implemented in MATLAB. Novel cognitive enhancements are demonstrated, using channel estimation to dynamically change system parameters and estimate cryptographic key strength. We show for a complex channel that secret key generation can be accomplished on the order of 100 kb/s.

Sensors for on-line monitoring of water chemistry parameters for NPP's

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alltonen, P.; Maekelae, K.

1997-01-01

The on-line monitoring of the water chemistry parameters of aqueous solutions in nuclear power plants is considered essential to control corrosion phenomena. New sensors and electrodes that can be used under plant operating conditions are key components to the application of this technology. The research and development programs are running to develop practical instruments. The experimental capabilities available to research high temperature and pressure phenomena is growing rapidly. It is now possible to experimentally measure all information needed to make estimations and predictions concerning reactions taking place in the coolant of an operating reactor. However, further development of devices and practical experiences are needed to meet the requirement of power stations. (author). 8 refs, 8 figs

Fitting a three-parameter lognormal distribution with applications to hydrogeochemical data from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation Program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kane, V.E.

1979-10-01

The standard maximum likelihood and moment estimation procedures are shown to have some undesirable characteristics for estimating the parameters in a three-parameter lognormal distribution. A class of goodness-of-fit estimators is found which provides a useful alternative to the standard methods. The class of goodness-of-fit tests considered include the Shapiro-Wilk and Shapiro-Francia tests which reduce to a weighted linear combination of the order statistics that can be maximized in estimation problems. The weighted-order statistic estimators are compared to the standard procedures in Monte Carlo simulations. Bias and robustness of the procedures are examined and example data sets analyzed including geochemical data from the National Uranium Resource Evaluation Program

An Optimization Model for Kardeh Reservoir Operation Using Interval-Parameter, Multi-stage, Stochastic Programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fatemeh Rastegaripour

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The present study investigates water allocation of Kardeh Reservoir to domestic and agricultural users using an Interval Parameter, Multi-stage, Stochastic Programming (IMSLP under uncertainty. The advantages of the method include its dynamics nature, use of a pre-defined policy in its optimization process, and the use of interval parameter and probability under uncertainty conditions. Additionally, it offers different decision-making alternatives for different scenarios of water shortage. The required data were collected from Khorasan Razavi Regional Water Organization and from the Water and Wastewater Co. for the period 1988-2007. Results showed that, under the worst conditions, the water deficits expected to occur for each of the next 3 years will be 1.9, 2.55, and 3.11 million cubic meters for the domestic use and 0.22, 0.32, 0.75 million cubic meters for irrigation. Approximate reductions of 0.5, 0.7, and 1 million cubic meters in the monthly consumption of the urban community and enhanced irrigation efficiencies of about 6, 11, and 20% in the agricultural sector are recommended as approaches for combating the water shortage over the next 3 years.

Propagation of uncertainties from basic data to key parameters of nuclear reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kodeli, I.

2010-01-01

The author reports the development of a set of computing software (SUSD3D) and of libraries of nuclear data covariance matrices to assess sensitivities of parameters with respect to basic nuclear data, and the corresponding uncertainties, notably for radiation transport for which uncertainty has various origins: reactivity coefficients or neutron and gamma ray flows. He reports the application to fusion and fission reactors

Demonstration Of The Violation Of Bell Inequality In Quantum Key Distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dermez, R.

2010-01-01

Today, the data privacy has become very important. Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) system is developed in this area. QKD, coding technique with single-use method of encoding used keys (information and messages) security guarantees. The system is based on Quantum Mechanics (The Certainty Principle). However, in some cases for quantum communication, QKD are limited. In determining this limit Bell Inequality (CHSH Inequality, 1969) is used. Bell inequality shows a violation of Quantum Key Distribution. In this study, using the program of Matematica 6, QKD through bilateral quantum system (system with two qubits) has been investigating the leak case and the violations. We showed leakage and violations in these figures via the calculations results in Matematica program.

Model Parameter Variability for Enhanced Anaerobic Bioremediation of DNAPL Source Zones

Science.gov (United States)

Mao, X.; Gerhard, J. I.; Barry, D. A.

2005-12-01

The objective of the Source Area Bioremediation (SABRE) project, an international collaboration of twelve companies, two government agencies and three research institutions, is to evaluate the performance of enhanced anaerobic bioremediation for the treatment of chlorinated ethene source areas containing dense, non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPL). This 4-year, 5.7 million dollars research effort focuses on a pilot-scale demonstration of enhanced bioremediation at a trichloroethene (TCE) DNAPL field site in the United Kingdom, and includes a significant program of laboratory and modelling studies. Prior to field implementation, a large-scale, multi-laboratory microcosm study was performed to determine the optimal system properties to support dehalogenation of TCE in site soil and groundwater. This statistically-based suite of experiments measured the influence of key variables (electron donor, nutrient addition, bioaugmentation, TCE concentration and sulphate concentration) in promoting the reductive dechlorination of TCE to ethene. As well, a comprehensive biogeochemical numerical model was developed for simulating the anaerobic dehalogenation of chlorinated ethenes. An appropriate (reduced) version of this model was combined with a parameter estimation method based on fitting of the experimental results. Each of over 150 individual microcosm calibrations involved matching predicted and observed time-varying concentrations of all chlorinated compounds. This study focuses on an analysis of this suite of fitted model parameter values. This includes determining the statistical correlation between parameters typically employed in standard Michaelis-Menten type rate descriptions (e.g., maximum dechlorination rates, half-saturation constants) and the key experimental variables. The analysis provides insight into the degree to which aqueous phase TCE and cis-DCE inhibit dechlorination of less-chlorinated compounds. Overall, this work provides a database of the numerical

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 2002 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 1993 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 1994 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 1995 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 1999 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 1996 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 1992 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 2002 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 2008 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long 1999 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations Key

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 1992 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 2001 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 1996 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 1993 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 1998 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 2009 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 2008 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS -Sombrero Key 1998 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 1996 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 1995 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 1994 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 1997 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 1994 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 2001 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 2008 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 1998 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 1992 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 2000 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 2000 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 2009 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 2009 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 2000 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 2002 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 1993 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 1999 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

Novel secret key generation techniques using memristor devices

Science.gov (United States)

Abunahla, Heba; Shehada, Dina; Yeun, Chan Yeob; Mohammad, Baker; Jaoude, Maguy Abi

2016-02-01

This paper proposes novel secret key generation techniques using memristor devices. The approach depends on using the initial profile of a memristor as a master key. In addition, session keys are generated using the master key and other specified parameters. In contrast to existing memristor-based security approaches, the proposed development is cost effective and power efficient since the operation can be achieved with a single device rather than a crossbar structure. An algorithm is suggested and demonstrated using physics based Matlab model. It is shown that the generated keys can have dynamic size which provides perfect security. Moreover, the proposed encryption and decryption technique using the memristor based generated keys outperforms Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) in terms of processing time. This paper is enriched by providing characterization results of a fabricated microscale Al/TiO2/Al memristor prototype in order to prove the concept of the proposed approach and study the impacts of process variations. The work proposed in this paper is a milestone towards System On Chip (SOC) memristor based security.

Five Keys for Teaching Mental Math

Science.gov (United States)

Olsen, James R.

2015-01-01

After studying the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) and brain-based learning research, James Olsen believes mental math instruction in secondary school mathematics (grades 7-12) and in teacher education programs needs increased attention. The purpose of this article is to share some keys for teaching mental math. Olsen also…

Key parameters for the safe and economical recycling of contaminated stainless steel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hebrant, P.

1990-01-01

The decontamination and recycling of 8 tons of piping removed from a nuclear power station in Belgium has been used by Westinghouse as a test case to evaluate the key technical and economical aspects associated with the recycling of large quantities of stainless steel material. The selection of the decontamination process, the method used to measure the residual activity after decontamination and the amount of waste generated by both the decontamination and the melting, are discussed in detail. The economical data extrapolated to large quantities are shown to justify the selection of recycling as opposed to long-term storage. (author)

Parameter Selection and Performance Comparison of Particle Swarm Optimization in Sensor Networks Localization.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Huanqing; Shu, Minglei; Song, Min; Wang, Yinglong

2017-03-01

Localization is a key technology in wireless sensor networks. Faced with the challenges of the sensors' memory, computational constraints, and limited energy, particle swarm optimization has been widely applied in the localization of wireless sensor networks, demonstrating better performance than other optimization methods. In particle swarm optimization-based localization algorithms, the variants and parameters should be chosen elaborately to achieve the best performance. However, there is a lack of guidance on how to choose these variants and parameters. Further, there is no comprehensive performance comparison among particle swarm optimization algorithms. The main contribution of this paper is three-fold. First, it surveys the popular particle swarm optimization variants and particle swarm optimization-based localization algorithms for wireless sensor networks. Secondly, it presents parameter selection of nine particle swarm optimization variants and six types of swarm topologies by extensive simulations. Thirdly, it comprehensively compares the performance of these algorithms. The results show that the particle swarm optimization with constriction coefficient using ring topology outperforms other variants and swarm topologies, and it performs better than the second-order cone programming algorithm.

Parameter Selection and Performance Comparison of Particle Swarm Optimization in Sensor Networks Localization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Huanqing Cui

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Localization is a key technology in wireless sensor networks. Faced with the challenges of the sensors’ memory, computational constraints, and limited energy, particle swarm optimization has been widely applied in the localization of wireless sensor networks, demonstrating better performance than other optimization methods. In particle swarm optimization-based localization algorithms, the variants and parameters should be chosen elaborately to achieve the best performance. However, there is a lack of guidance on how to choose these variants and parameters. Further, there is no comprehensive performance comparison among particle swarm optimization algorithms. The main contribution of this paper is three-fold. First, it surveys the popular particle swarm optimization variants and particle swarm optimization-based localization algorithms for wireless sensor networks. Secondly, it presents parameter selection of nine particle swarm optimization variants and six types of swarm topologies by extensive simulations. Thirdly, it comprehensively compares the performance of these algorithms. The results show that the particle swarm optimization with constriction coefficient using ring topology outperforms other variants and swarm topologies, and it performs better than the second-order cone programming algorithm.

Sensitivity of Key Parameters in Aerodynamic Wind Turbine Rotor Design on Power and Energy Performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bak, Christian

2007-01-01

In this paper the influence of different key parameters in aerodynamic wind turbine rotor design on the power efficiency, C p , and energy production has been investigated. The work was divided into an analysis of 2D airfoils/blade sections and of entire rotors. In the analysis of the 2D airfoils it was seen that there was a maximum of the local C p for airfoils with finite maximum C l /C d values. The local speed ratio should be between 2.4 and 3.8 for airfoils with maximum c l /c d between 50 and 200, respectively, to obtain maximum local C p . Also, the investigation showed that Re had a significant impact on CP and especially for Re p for rotors was made with three blades and showed that with the assumption of constant maximum c l /c d along the entire blade, the design tip speed ratio changed from X=6 to X=12 for c l /cd=50 and c l /c d =200, respectively, with corresponding values of maximum c p of 0.46 and 0.525. An analysis of existing rotors re-designed with new airfoils but maintaining the absolute thickness distribution to maintain the stiffness showed that big rotors are more aerodynamic efficient than small rotors caused by higher Re. It also showed that the design tip speed ratio was very dependent on the rotor size and on the assumptions of the airfoil flow being fully turbulent (contaminated airfoil) or free transitional (clean airfoil). The investigations showed that rotors with diameter D=1.75m, should be designed for X around 5.5, whereas rotors with diameter D=126m, should be designed for Xbetween 6.5 and 8.5, depending on the airfoil performance

Automated inference procedure for the determination of cell growth parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Edouard A.; Koh, Eun Jee; Moffat, Jason; McMillen, David R.

2016-01-01

The growth rate and carrying capacity of a cell population are key to the characterization of the population's viability and to the quantification of its responses to perturbations such as drug treatments. Accurate estimation of these parameters necessitates careful analysis. Here, we present a rigorous mathematical approach for the robust analysis of cell count data, in which all the experimental stages of the cell counting process are investigated in detail with the machinery of Bayesian probability theory. We advance a flexible theoretical framework that permits accurate estimates of the growth parameters of cell populations and of the logical correlations between them. Moreover, our approach naturally produces an objective metric of avoidable experimental error, which may be tracked over time in a laboratory to detect instrumentation failures or lapses in protocol. We apply our method to the analysis of cell count data in the context of a logistic growth model by means of a user-friendly computer program that automates this analysis, and present some samples of its output. Finally, we note that a traditional least squares fit can provide misleading estimates of parameter values, because it ignores available information with regard to the way in which the data have actually been collected.

A Novel Linear Programming Formulation of Maximum Lifetime Routing Problem in Wireless Sensor Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cetin, Bilge Kartal; Prasad, Neeli R.; Prasad, Ramjee

2011-01-01

In wireless sensor networks, one of the key challenge is to achieve minimum energy consumption in order to maximize network lifetime. In fact, lifetime depends on many parameters: the topology of the sensor network, the data aggregation regime in the network, the channel access schemes, the routing...... protocols, and the energy model for transmission. In this paper, we tackle the routing challenge for maximum lifetime of the sensor network. We introduce a novel linear programming approach to the maximum lifetime routing problem. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first mathematical programming...

JUPITER: Joint Universal Parameter IdenTification and Evaluation of Reliability - An Application Programming Interface (API) for Model Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Banta, Edward R.; Poeter, Eileen P.; Doherty, John E.; Hill, Mary C.

2006-01-01

he Joint Universal Parameter IdenTification and Evaluation of Reliability Application Programming Interface (JUPITER API) improves the computer programming resources available to those developing applications (computer programs) for model analysis.The JUPITER API consists of eleven Fortran-90 modules that provide for encapsulation of data and operations on that data. Each module contains one or more entities: data, data types, subroutines, functions, and generic interfaces. The modules do not constitute computer programs themselves; instead, they are used to construct computer programs. Such computer programs are called applications of the API. The API provides common modeling operations for use by a variety of computer applications.The models being analyzed are referred to here as process models, and may, for example, represent the physics, chemistry, and(or) biology of a field or laboratory system. Process models commonly are constructed using published models such as MODFLOW (Harbaugh et al., 2000; Harbaugh, 2005), MT3DMS (Zheng and Wang, 1996), HSPF (Bicknell et al., 1997), PRMS (Leavesley and Stannard, 1995), and many others. The process model may be accessed by a JUPITER API application as an external program, or it may be implemented as a subroutine within a JUPITER API application . In either case, execution of the model takes place in a framework designed by the application programmer. This framework can be designed to take advantage of any parallel processing capabilities possessed by the process model, as well as the parallel-processing capabilities of the JUPITER API.Model analyses for which the JUPITER API could be useful include, for example: Compare model results to observed values to determine how well the model reproduces system processes and characteristics.Use sensitivity analysis to determine the information provided by observations to parameters and predictions of interest.Determine the additional data needed to improve selected model

Commitment is the key to these accounts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yborra, S.

1996-01-01

Key accounts--A.G.A.'s name for regional and national multi-unit accounts--affect gas load and market share in several ways. Many make their equipment and energy policies and decisions at the corporate or regional level, making gas company sales and marketing efforts to them critical, since multiple installations will likely emanate from a single decision. To survive, chains often mimic each other; a money-saving idea implemented by one chain can lead to others in that market sector copying it. A successful equipment field trial with one of these accounts can lead to others following suit. Chains also can play a critical role in launching a new or emerging technology. It a gas equipment test demonstrate meets the chain's energy goals, it can lead to a significant number of orders, accelerating a product's market penetration, improving manufacturing economies of scale, lowering prices and speeding up delivery times. A.G.A.'s key-accounts program's marketing activities fall into three basic categories: assisting chain clients, either directly or through members; enhancing members' key-account program development through training and networking; and increasing chains' awareness of the benefits of gas energy, equipment and services through national forums such as trade expos, seminars, conferences and press exposure

2015 Key Water Power Program and National Laboratory Accomplishments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

2016-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy Water Power Program is committed to developing and deploying a portfolio of innovative technologies and market solutions for clean, domestic power generation from water resources across the United States.

Improved chaotic maps-based password-authenticated key agreement using smart cards

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Han-Yu

2015-02-01

Elaborating on the security of password-based authenticated key agreement, in this paper, the author cryptanalyzes a chaotic maps-based password-authenticated key agreement proposed by Guo and Chang recently. Specifically, their protocol could not achieve strong user anonymity due to a fixed parameter and a malicious adversary is able to derive the shared session key by manipulating the property of Chebyshev chaotic maps. Additionally, the author also presents an improved scheme to eliminate the above weaknesses and still maintain the efficiency.

Are the Keys loved to death? A study of diver specialization levels and preferences in the Florida Keys

Science.gov (United States)

Shona Paterson; David K. Loomis

2010-01-01

This paper presents research conducted for the Florida Reef Resilience Program on nonresident recreational SCUBA divers in three zones of the Florida Keys. When divers were segmented into specialization subgroups for analysis, divers in different subgroups tended to use different geographic locations. These results suggest differences in user preferences; yet when...

Sensors for on-line monitoring of water chemistry parameters for NPP`s

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alltonen, P; Maekelae, K [Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo (Finland)

1997-02-01

The on-line monitoring of the water chemistry parameters of aqueous solutions in nuclear power plants is considered essential to control corrosion phenomena. New sensors and electrodes that can be used under plant operating conditions are key components to the application of this technology. The research and development programs are running to develop practical instruments. The experimental capabilities available to research high temperature and pressure phenomena is growing rapidly. It is now possible to experimentally measure all information needed to make estimations and predictions concerning reactions taking place in the coolant of an operating reactor. However, further development of devices and practical experiences are needed to meet the requirement of power stations. (author). 8 refs, 8 figs.

Pain Perception and Stabilometric Parameters in People With Chronic Low Back Pain After a Pilates Exercise Program

Science.gov (United States)

Patti, Antonino; Bianco, Antonino; Paoli, Antonio; Messina, Giuseppe; Montalto, Maria Alessandra; Bellafiore, Marianna; Battaglia, Giuseppe; Iovane, Angelo; Palma, Antonio

2016-01-01

Abstract Various exercise interventions, such as Pilates exercises and traditional physical therapy methods, are employed to decrease low back pain (LBP). Nonspecific low back pain (NSLBP) is distinct from LBP, however, as the distribution of pain is restricted to the region between the costal margin and the inferior gluteal. The aim of our randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effects of a program of Pilates exercises on pain perception and stabilometric parameters in patients with NSLBP. Thirty-eight participants were randomly allocated, using a 1:1 scheme, to either the experimental group (EG) or control group (CG). The EG completed a 14-week program of Pilates exercises, performed thrice per week under the supervision of an exercise specialist, while the CG was managed with a social program only. Measures of posturography and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) for pain perception were obtained at baseline (T0) and after the 14 weeks of intervention (T1). Posturography measures improved for patients in the EG, with both eyes open and eyes closed (P Pilates exercise program yielded improvements in pain and posturography outcomes. Our study also confirms the applicability of posturography in evaluating postural instability in patients with NSLBP. Due to our relatively small study group, future studies would be necessary to confirm our findings. PMID:26765419

Novel secret key generation techniques using memristor devices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heba Abunahla

2016-02-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes novel secret key generation techniques using memristor devices. The approach depends on using the initial profile of a memristor as a master key. In addition, session keys are generated using the master key and other specified parameters. In contrast to existing memristor-based security approaches, the proposed development is cost effective and power efficient since the operation can be achieved with a single device rather than a crossbar structure. An algorithm is suggested and demonstrated using physics based Matlab model. It is shown that the generated keys can have dynamic size which provides perfect security. Moreover, the proposed encryption and decryption technique using the memristor based generated keys outperforms Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES in terms of processing time. This paper is enriched by providing characterization results of a fabricated microscale Al/TiO2/Al memristor prototype in order to prove the concept of the proposed approach and study the impacts of process variations. The work proposed in this paper is a milestone towards System On Chip (SOC memristor based security.

Genetic parameters in a Swine Population

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dana Popa

2010-05-01

Full Text Available The estimation of the variance-covariance components is a very important step in animal breeding because these components are necessary for: estimation of the genetic parameters, prediction of the breeding value and design of animal breeding programs. The estimation of genetic parameters is the first step in the development of a swine breeding program, using artificial insemination. Various procedures exist for estimation of heritability. There are three major procedures used for estimating heritability: analysis of variance (ANOVA, parents-offspring regression and restricted maximum likelihood (REML. By using ANOVA methodology or regression method it is possible to obtain aberrant values of genetic parameters (negative or over unit value of heritability coefficient, for example which can not be interpreting because is out of biological limits.

Knowledge, skills, and abilities for key radiation protection positions at DOE facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

This document provides detailed qualification criteria for contractor key radiation protection personnel. Although federal key radiation protection positions are also identified, qualification standards for federal positions are provided in DOE O 360.1 and the DOE Technical Qualifications Program. Appendices B and D provide detailed listings for knowledge, skills, and abilities for contractor and DOE federal key radiation protection positions. This information may be used in developing position descriptions and individual development plans. Information provided in Appendix C may be useful in developing performance measures and assessing an individual's performance in his or her specific position. Additionally, Federal personnel may use this information to augment their Office/facility qualification standards under the Technical Qualifications Program

Neutrino oscillation parameter sampling with MonteCUBES

Science.gov (United States)

Blennow, Mattias; Fernandez-Martinez, Enrique

2010-01-01

We present MonteCUBES ("Monte Carlo Utility Based Experiment Simulator"), a software package designed to sample the neutrino oscillation parameter space through Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithms. MonteCUBES makes use of the GLoBES software so that the existing experiment definitions for GLoBES, describing long baseline and reactor experiments, can be used with MonteCUBES. MonteCUBES consists of two main parts: The first is a C library, written as a plug-in for GLoBES, implementing the Markov Chain Monte Carlo algorithm to sample the parameter space. The second part is a user-friendly graphical Matlab interface to easily read, analyze, plot and export the results of the parameter space sampling. Program summaryProgram title: MonteCUBES (Monte Carlo Utility Based Experiment Simulator) Catalogue identifier: AEFJ_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEFJ_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: GNU General Public Licence No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 69 634 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 3 980 776 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: C Computer: MonteCUBES builds and installs on 32 bit and 64 bit Linux systems where GLoBES is installed Operating system: 32 bit and 64 bit Linux RAM: Typically a few MBs Classification: 11.1 External routines: GLoBES [1,2] and routines/libraries used by GLoBES Subprograms used:Cat Id ADZI_v1_0, Title GLoBES, Reference CPC 177 (2007) 439 Nature of problem: Since neutrino masses do not appear in the standard model of particle physics, many models of neutrino masses also induce other types of new physics, which could affect the outcome of neutrino oscillation experiments. In general, these new physics imply high-dimensional parameter spaces that are difficult to explore using classical methods such as multi-dimensional projections and minimizations, such as those

A Theoretical and Experimental Comparison of One Time Pad Cryptography using Key and Plaintext Insertion and Transposition (KPIT and Key Coloumnar Transposition (KCT Method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pryo Utomo

2017-06-01

Full Text Available One Time Pad (OTP is a cryptographic algorithm that is quite easy to be implemented. This algorithm works by converting plaintext and key into decimal then converting into binary number and calculating Exclusive-OR logic. In this paper, the authors try to make the comparison of OTP cryptography using KPI and KCT so that the ciphertext will be generated more difficult to be known. In the Key and Plaintext Insertion (KPI Method, we modify the OTP algorithm by adding the key insertion in the plaintext that has been splitted. Meanwhile in the Key Coloumnar Transposition (KCT Method, we modify the OTP algorithm by dividing the key into some parts in matrix of rows and coloumns. Implementation of the algorithms using PHP programming language.

National Low-Level Waste Management Program final summary report of key activities and accomplishments for fiscal year 1997

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rittenberg, R.B.

1998-03-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) has responsibilities under the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Policy Amendments Act of 1985 to assist states and compacts in their siting and licensing efforts for low-level radioactive waste disposal facilities. The National Low-Level Waste Management Program (NLLWMP) is the element of the DOE that performs the key support activities under the Act. The NLLWMP's activities are driven by the needs of the states and compacts as they prepare to manage their low-level waste under the Act. Other work is added during the fiscal year as necessary to accommodate new requests brought on by status changes in states' and compacts' siting and licensing efforts. This report summarizes the activities and accomplishments of the NLLWMP during FY 1997

High-Resolution Airborne UAV Imagery to Assess Olive Tree Crown Parameters Using 3D Photo Reconstruction: Application in Breeding Trials

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ramón A. Díaz-Varela

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The development of reliable methods for the estimation of crown architecture parameters is a key issue for the quantitative evaluation of tree crop adaptation to environment conditions and/or growing system. In the present work, we developed and tested the performance of a method based on low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV imagery for the estimation of olive crown parameters (tree height and crown diameter in the framework of olive tree breeding programs, both on discontinuous and continuous canopy cropping systems. The workflow involved the image acquisition with consumer-grade cameras on board a UAV and orthomosaic and digital surface model generation using structure-from-motion image reconstruction (without ground point information. Finally, geographical information system analyses and object-based classification were used for the calculation of tree parameters. Results showed a high agreement between remote sensing estimation and field measurements of crown parameters. This was observed both at the individual tree/hedgerow level (relative RMSE from 6% to 20%, depending on the particular case and also when average values for different genotypes were considered for phenotyping purposes (relative RMSE from 3% to 16%, pointing out the interest and applicability of these data and techniques in the selection scheme of breeding programs.

Cryptographic robustness of practical quantum cryptography: BB84 key distribution protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molotkov, S. N.

2008-01-01

In real fiber-optic quantum cryptography systems, the avalanche photodiodes are not perfect, the source of quantum states is not a single-photon one, and the communication channel is lossy. For these reasons, key distribution is impossible under certain conditions for the system parameters. A simple analysis is performed to find relations between the parameters of real cryptography systems and the length of the quantum channel that guarantee secure quantum key distribution when the eavesdropper's capabilities are limited only by fundamental laws of quantum mechanics while the devices employed by the legitimate users are based on current technologies. Critical values are determined for the rate of secure real-time key generation that can be reached under the current technology level. Calculations show that the upper bound on channel length can be as high as 300 km for imperfect photodetectors (avalanche photodiodes) with present-day quantum efficiency (η ∼ 20%) and dark count probability (p dark ∼ 10 -7 )

Parameter identification using optimization techniques in the continuous simulation programs FORSIM and MACKSIM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carver, M.B.; Austin, C.F.; Ross, N.E.

1980-02-01

This report discusses the mechanics of automated parameter identification in simulation packages, and reviews available integration and optimization algorithms and their interaction within the recently developed optimization options in the FORSIM and MACKSIM simulation packages. In the MACKSIM mass-action chemical kinetics simulation package, the form and structure of the ordinary differential equations involved is known, so the implementation of an optimizing option is relatively straightforward. FORSIM, however, is designed to integrate ordinary and partial differential equations of abritrary definition. As the form of the equations is not known in advance, the design of the optimizing option is more intricate, but the philosophy could be applied to most simulation packages. In either case, however, the invocation of the optimizing interface is simple and user-oriented. Full details for the use of the optimizing mode for each program are given; specific applications are used as examples. (O.T.)

Interviewing Key Informants: Strategic Planning for a Global Public Health Management Program

Science.gov (United States)

Kun, Karen E.; Kassim, Anisa; Howze, Elizabeth; MacDonald, Goldie

2013-01-01

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Sustainable Management Development Program (SMDP) partners with low- and middle-resource countries to develop management capacity so that effective global public health programs can be implemented and better health outcomes can be achieved. The program's impact however, was variable. Hence, there…

SEAKEYS - Long Key 1997 M+eteorological and Oceanographic Observations

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2018; Amendments to Special Enrollment Periods and the Consumer Operated and Oriented Plan Program. Final rule.

Science.gov (United States)

2016-12-22

This final rule sets forth payment parameters and provisions related to the risk adjustment program; cost-sharing parameters and cost-sharing reductions; and user fees for Federally-facilitated Exchanges and State-based Exchanges on the Federal platform. It also provides additional guidance relating to standardized options; qualified health plans; consumer assistance tools; network adequacy; the Small Business Health Options Programs; stand-alone dental plans; fair health insurance premiums; guaranteed availability and guaranteed renewability; the medical loss ratio program; eligibility and enrollment; appeals; consumer-operated and oriented plans; special enrollment periods; and other related topics.

Workplace wellness programming in low-and middle-income countries: a qualitative study of corporate key informants in Mexico and India.

Science.gov (United States)

Wipfli, Heather; Zacharias, Kristin Dessie; Nivvy Hundal, Nuvjote; Shigematsu, Luz Myriam Reynales; Bahl, Deepika; Arora, Monika; Bassi, Shalini; Kumar, Shubha

2018-05-09

A qualitative study of key informant semi-structured interviews were conducted between March and July 2016 in Mexico and India to achieve the following aims: to explore corporations' and stakeholders' views, attitudes and expectations in relation to health, wellness and cancer prevention in two middle-income countries, and to determine options for health professions to advance their approach to workplace wellness programming globally, including identifying return-on-investment incentives for corporations to implement wellness programming. There is an unmet demand for workplace wellness resources that can be used by corporations in an international context. Corporations in India and Mexico are already implementing a range of health-related wellness programs, most often focused on disease prevention and management. A number of companies indicated interest is collecting return on investment data but lacked the knowledge and tools to carry out return-on-investment analyses. There was widespread interest in partnership with international non-governmental organizations (public health organizations) and a strong desire for follow-up among corporations interviewed, particularly in Mexico. As low-and middle-income countries continue to undergo economic transitions, the workforce and disease burden continue to evolve as well. Evidence suggests a there is a growing need for workplace wellness initiatives in low-and middle-income countries. Results from this study suggest that while corporations in India and Mexico are implementing wellness programming in some capacity, there are three areas where corporations could greatly benefit from assistance in improving wellness programming in the workplace: 1) innovative toolkits for workplace wellness initiatives and technical support for adaptation, 2) assistance with building partnerships to help implement wellness initiatives and build capacity, and 3) tools and training to collect data for surveillance as well as monitoring and

The effects of an exercise training program on body composition and aerobic capacity parameters in Tunisian obese children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sofien Regaieg

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The prevalence of children obesity is rising alarmingly in both developed and developing countries. Developing effective exercise programs is a strategy for decreasing this prevalence and limiting obesity-associated long-term comorbidities. Objectives: To determine whether a 16-week training program; in addition to the school physical education and without dietary intervention; could have beneficial effects on body composition and aerobic capacity of obese children. Materials and Methods: Twenty-eight obese children (16 boys, 12 girls; aged 12-14 years were enrolled and were divided into either the exercise group (EG, n = 14 or the control group (CG, n = 14. EG participated in a 16-week aerobic exercises (four 60-min sessions per week at 70-85% of HRmax (maximum heart rate, in addition to the school physical education. Fat-Free Mass (FFM and Fat Mass (FM were assessed with bioelectrical impedance equipment. To assess aerobic capacity, maximal metabolic equivalent of task (METmax and maximal workload (Wmax were estimated with an electronically braked cycle ergometer (type Ergoline 500® . Results: At baseline, there were no differences between the two groups. After the training program, only the EG showed significant reduction in BMI (body mass index and waist circumference compared with the baseline values (P < 0.001. Exercise training significantly decreased FM only in the EG. A significant increase in FFM was seen in both groups; more marked in the EG. There was a significant increase in METmax (P < 0.05 and Wmax (P = 0.02 in the EG, and no significant changes in these parameters were seen in the CG. HRmax significantly decreased only in the EG (P < 0.05. Conclusion: This training program has beneficial effects on body composition and aerobic capacity parameters in obese children. Our intervention has the advantage of providing a sustainable and reproducible school and community approach for the management of children obesity.

Synchronization in Quantum Key Distribution Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anton Pljonkin

2017-10-01

Full Text Available In the description of quantum key distribution systems, much attention is paid to the operation of quantum cryptography protocols. The main problem is the insufficient study of the synchronization process of quantum key distribution systems. This paper contains a general description of quantum cryptography principles. A two-line fiber-optic quantum key distribution system with phase coding of photon states in transceiver and coding station synchronization mode was examined. A quantum key distribution system was built on the basis of the scheme with automatic compensation of polarization mode distortions. Single-photon avalanche diodes were used as optical radiation detecting devices. It was estimated how the parameters used in quantum key distribution systems of optical detectors affect the detection of the time frame with attenuated optical pulse in synchronization mode with respect to its probabilistic and time-domain characteristics. A design method was given for the process that detects the time frame that includes an optical pulse during synchronization. This paper describes the main quantum communication channel attack methods by removing a portion of optical emission. This paper describes the developed synchronization algorithm that takes into account the time required to restore the photodetector’s operation state after the photon has been registered during synchronization. The computer simulation results of the developed synchronization algorithm were analyzed. The efficiency of the developed algorithm with respect to synchronization process protection from unauthorized gathering of optical emission is demonstrated herein.

Supersymmetry Parameter Analysis : SPA Convention and Project

CERN Document Server

Aguilar-Saavedra, J A; Allanach, Benjamin C; Arnowitt, R; Baer, H A; Bagger, J A; Balázs, C; Barger, V; Barnett, M; Bartl, Alfred; Battaglia, M; Bechtle, P; Belyaev, A; Berger, E L; Blair, G; Boos, E; Bélanger, G; Carena, M S; Choi, S Y; Deppisch, F; Desch, Klaus; Djouadi, A; Dutta, B; Dutta, S; Díaz, M A; Eberl, H; Ellis, Jonathan Richard; Erler, Jens; Fraas, H; Freitas, A; Fritzsche, T; Godbole, Rohini M; Gounaris, George J; Guasch, J; Gunion, J F; Haba, N; Haber, Howard E; Hagiwara, K; Han, L; Han, T; He, H J; Heinemeyer, S; Hesselbach, S; Hidaka, K; Hinchliffe, Ian; Hirsch, M; Hohenwarter-Sodek, K; Hollik, W; Hou, W S; Hurth, Tobias; Jack, I; Jiang, Y; Jones, D R T; Kalinowski, Jan; Kamon, T; Kane, G; Kang, S K; Kernreiter, T; Kilian, W; Kim, C S; King, S F; Kittel, O; Klasen, M; Kneur, J L; Kovarik, K; Kraml, Sabine; Krämer, M; Lafaye, R; Langacker, P; Logan, H E; Ma, W G; Majerotto, Walter; Martyn, H U; Matchev, K; Miller, D J; Mondragon, M; Moortgat-Pick, G; Moretti, S; Mori, T; Moultaka, G; Muanza, S; Mukhopadhyaya, B; Mühlleitner, M M; Nauenberg, U; Nojiri, M M; Nomura, D; Nowak, H; Okada, N; Olive, Keith A; Oller, W; Peskin, M; Plehn, T; Polesello, G; Porod, Werner; Quevedo, Fernando; Rainwater, D L; Reuter, J; Richardson, P; Rolbiecki, K; de Roeck, A; Weber, Ch.

2006-01-01

High-precision analyses of supersymmetry parameters aim at reconstructing the fundamental supersymmetric theory and its breaking mechanism. A well defined theoretical framework is needed when higher-order corrections are included. We propose such a scheme, Supersymmetry Parameter Analysis SPA, based on a consistent set of conventions and input parameters. A repository for computer programs is provided which connect parameters in different schemes and relate the Lagrangian parameters to physical observables at LHC and high energy e+e- linear collider experiments, i.e., masses, mixings, decay widths and production cross sections for supersymmetric particles. In addition, programs for calculating high-precision low energy observables, the density of cold dark matter (CDM) in the universe as well as the cross sections for CDM search experiments are included. The SPA scheme still requires extended efforts on both the theoretical and experimental side before data can be evaluated in the future at the level of the d...

CIF2Cell: Generating geometries for electronic structure programs

Science.gov (United States)

Björkman, Torbjörn

2011-05-01

file. If the space group symmetries is not present in the CIF file the program will fall back on internal tables, so only the minimal input of space group, crystal parameters and Wyckoff positions are required. Additional key features are handling of alloys and supercell generation. Additional comments: Currently implements support for the following general purpose electronic structure programs: ABINIT [2,3], CASTEP [4], CPMD [5], Crystal [6], Elk [7], exciting [8], EMTO [9], Fleur [10], RSPt [11], Siesta [12] and VASP [13-16]. Running time: The examples provided in the distribution take only seconds to run.

Field measurements of key parameters associated with nocturnal OBT formation in vegetables grown under Canadian conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, S.B.; Workman, W.G.; Korolevych, V.; Davis, P.A.

2012-01-01

The objective of this study was to provide the parameter values required to model OBT formation in the edible parts of plants following a hypothetical accidental tritium release to the atmosphere at night. The parameters considered were leaf area index, stomatal resistance, photosynthesis rate, the photosynthetic production rate of starch, the nocturnal hydrolysis rate of starch, the fraction of starch produced daily by photosynthesis that appears in the fruits, and the mass of the fruit. Values of these parameters were obtained in the summer of 2002 for lettuce, radishes and tomatoes grown under typical Canadian environmental conditions. Based on the maximum observed photosynthetic rate and growth rate, the fraction of starch translocated to the fruit was calculated to be 17% for tomato fruit and 14% for radish root. - Highlights: ► Plant physiological parameters affecting nocturnal OBT formation have been investigated. ► The fraction of starch produced daily by photosynthesis in the leaves that appears in the fruit was calculated. ► Realistic estimates of OBT concentrations following a nighttime accidental HTO release to the atmosphere.

Measurement of key pool boiling parameters in nanofluids for nuclear applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bang, In Cheol; Buongiorno, Jacopo; Hu, Lin-Wen; Wang, Hsin

2007-01-01

Nanofluids, colloidal dispersions of nanoparticles in a base fluid such as water, can afford very significant Critical Heat Flux (CHF) enhancement. Such engineered fluids potentially could be employed in reactors as advanced coolants in safety systems with significant safety and economic advantages. However, a satisfactory explanation of the CHF enhancement mechanism in nanofluids is lacking. To close this gap, we have identified the important boiling parameters to be measured and have deployed a pool boiling facility to measure them. The facility is equipped with a thin indium-tin-oxide heater deposited over a sapphire substrate. An intra-red high-speed camera and an optical probe are used to measure the temperature distribution on the heater and the hydrodynamics above the heater, respectively. The first data generated with this facility already provide some clue on the CHF enhancement mechanism in nanofluids. (author)

Detector decoy quantum key distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moroder, Tobias; Luetkenhaus, Norbert; Curty, Marcos

2009-01-01

Photon number resolving detectors can enhance the performance of many practical quantum cryptographic setups. In this paper, we employ a simple method to estimate the statistics provided by such a photon number resolving detector using only a threshold detector together with a variable attenuator. This idea is similar in spirit to that of the decoy state technique, and is especially suited to those scenarios where only a few parameters of the photon number statistics of the incoming signals have to be estimated. As an illustration of the potential applicability of the method in quantum communication protocols, we use it to prove security of an entanglement-based quantum key distribution scheme with an untrusted source without the need for a squash model and by solely using this extra idea. In this sense, this detector decoy method can be seen as a different conceptual approach to adapt a single-photon security proof to its physical, full optical implementation. We show that in this scenario, the legitimate users can now even discard the double click events from the raw key data without compromising the security of the scheme, and we present simulations on the performance of the BB84 and the 6-state quantum key distribution protocols.

Genetic Parameters and the Impact of Off-Types for Theobroma cacao L. in a Breeding Program in Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

DuVal, Ashley; Gezan, Salvador A.; Mustiga, Guiliana; Stack, Conrad; Marelli, Jean-Philippe; Chaparro, José; Livingstone, Donald; Royaert, Stefan; Motamayor, Juan C.

2017-01-01

Breeding programs of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) trees share the many challenges of breeding long-living perennial crops, and genetic progress is further constrained by both the limited understanding of the inheritance of complex traits and the prevalence of technical issues, such as mislabeled individuals (off-types). To better understand the genetic architecture of cacao, in this study, 13 years of phenotypic data collected from four progeny trials in Bahia, Brazil were analyzed jointly in a multisite analysis. Three separate analyses (multisite, single site with and without off-types) were performed to estimate genetic parameters from statistical models fitted on nine important agronomic traits (yield, seed index, pod index, % healthy pods, % pods infected with witches broom, % of pods other loss, vegetative brooms, diameter, and tree height). Genetic parameters were estimated along with variance components and heritabilities from the multisite analysis, and a trial was fingerprinted with low-density SNP markers to determine the impact of off-types on estimations. Heritabilities ranged from 0.37 to 0.64 for yield and its components and from 0.03 to 0.16 for disease resistance traits. A weighted index was used to make selections for clonal evaluation, and breeding values estimated for the parental selection and estimation of genetic gain. The impact of off-types to breeding progress in cacao was assessed for the first time. Even when present at <5% of the total population, off-types altered selections by 48%, and impacted heritability estimations for all nine of the traits analyzed, including a 41% difference in estimated heritability for yield. These results show that in a mixed model analysis, even a low level of pedigree error can significantly alter estimations of genetic parameters and selections in a breeding program. PMID:29250097

Radiology Aide. Instructor Key [and] Student Manual.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartwein, Jon; Dunham, John

This manual can be used independently by students in secondary health occupations programs or by persons receiving on-the-job training in a radiology department. The manual includes an instructor's key that provides answers to the activity sheets and unit evaluations. The manual consists of the following five units: (1) orientation to radiology;…

78 FR 40084 - Proposed Requirement-Migrant Education Program Consortium Incentive Grant Program

Science.gov (United States)

2013-07-03

... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION 34 CFR Chapter II Proposed Requirement--Migrant Education Program... educational agencies (SEAs) under the Migrant Education Program (MEP) Consortium Incentive Grant (CIG) Program... the interstate or intrastate coordination of migrant education programs by addressing key needs of...

Optoelectronic transport properties in amorphous/crystalline silicon solar cell heterojunctions measured by frequency-domain photocarrier radiometry: Multi-parameter measurement reliability and precision studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Y.; Melnikov, A.; Mandelis, A.; Halliop, B.; Kherani, N. P.; Zhu, R.

2015-01-01

A theoretical one-dimensional two-layer linear photocarrier radiometry (PCR) model including the presence of effective interface carrier traps was used to evaluate the transport parameters of p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) passivated by an intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (i-layer) nanolayer. Several crystalline Si heterojunction structures were examined to investigate the influence of the i-layer thickness and the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer. The experimental data of a series of heterojunction structures with intrinsic thin layers were fitted to PCR theory to gain insight into the transport properties of these devices. The quantitative multi-parameter results were studied with regard to measurement reliability (uniqueness) and precision using two independent computational best-fit programs. The considerable influence on the transport properties of the entire structure of two key parameters that can limit the performance of amorphous thin film solar cells, namely, the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer and the i-layer thickness was demonstrated. It was shown that PCR can be applied to the non-destructive characterization of a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction solar cells yielding reliable measurements of the key parameters

Optoelectronic transport properties in amorphous/crystalline silicon solar cell heterojunctions measured by frequency-domain photocarrier radiometry: multi-parameter measurement reliability and precision studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Y; Melnikov, A; Mandelis, A; Halliop, B; Kherani, N P; Zhu, R

2015-03-01

A theoretical one-dimensional two-layer linear photocarrier radiometry (PCR) model including the presence of effective interface carrier traps was used to evaluate the transport parameters of p-type hydrogenated amorphous silicon (a-Si:H) and n-type crystalline silicon (c-Si) passivated by an intrinsic hydrogenated amorphous silicon (i-layer) nanolayer. Several crystalline Si heterojunction structures were examined to investigate the influence of the i-layer thickness and the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer. The experimental data of a series of heterojunction structures with intrinsic thin layers were fitted to PCR theory to gain insight into the transport properties of these devices. The quantitative multi-parameter results were studied with regard to measurement reliability (uniqueness) and precision using two independent computational best-fit programs. The considerable influence on the transport properties of the entire structure of two key parameters that can limit the performance of amorphous thin film solar cells, namely, the doping concentration of the a-Si:H layer and the i-layer thickness was demonstrated. It was shown that PCR can be applied to the non-destructive characterization of a-Si:H/c-Si heterojunction solar cells yielding reliable measurements of the key parameters.

McArthur River project - the future of Key Lake

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spross, J.

1994-01-01

The Key Lake mill has operated since the fall of 1983. The ore from both Key Lake open pits will be depleted by 1997. It is planned to use this mill, located about 60 km southwest of McArthur, to process the McArthur River ore. While the geological data collected so far on the McArthur deposit are encouraging, more information of the deposit is needed before any detailed mine planning can begin. The surface drilling program identified the orebody and provided information on the geomechanical and hydrological properties of the overlying sandstone. It was proposed to conduct an underground exploration program to further delineate the orebody. This was approved following a public hearing and review process. This program involves the sinking of a 630 metre deep shaft and the driving of one or two drifts along a portion of the orebody. From these drifts, exploration drilling every 10 m to 15 m through the orebody will provide the information required for the preparation of a feasibility study and an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). (author). 4 refs., 8 figs

Quantum key distribution with an entangled light emitting diode

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dzurnak, B.; Stevenson, R. M.; Nilsson, J.; Dynes, J. F.; Yuan, Z. L.; Skiba-Szymanska, J.; Shields, A. J. [Toshiba Research Europe Limited, 208 Science Park, Milton Road, Cambridge CB4 0GZ (United Kingdom); Farrer, I.; Ritchie, D. A. [Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE (United Kingdom)

2015-12-28

Measurements performed on entangled photon pairs shared between two parties can allow unique quantum cryptographic keys to be formed, creating secure links between users. An advantage of using such entangled photon links is that they can be adapted to propagate entanglement to end users of quantum networks with only untrusted nodes. However, demonstrations of quantum key distribution with entangled photons have so far relied on sources optically excited with lasers. Here, we realize a quantum cryptography system based on an electrically driven entangled-light-emitting diode. Measurement bases are passively chosen and we show formation of an error-free quantum key. Our measurements also simultaneously reveal Bell's parameter for the detected light, which exceeds the threshold for quantum entanglement.

Energy planning of a hospital using Mathematical Programming and Monte Carlo simulation for dealing with uncertainty in the economic parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mavrotas, George; Florios, Kostas; Vlachou, Dimitra

2010-01-01

For more than 40 years, Mathematical Programming is the traditional tool for energy planning at the national or regional level aiming at cost minimization subject to specific technological, political and demand satisfaction constraints. The liberalization of the energy market along with the ongoing technical progress increased the level of competition and forced energy consumers, even at the unit level, to make their choices among a large number of alternative or complementary energy technologies, fuels and/or suppliers. In the present work we develop a modelling framework for energy planning in units of the tertiary sector giving special emphasis to model reduction and to the uncertainty of the economic parameters. In the given case study, the energy rehabilitation of a hospital in Athens is examined and the installation of a cogeneration, absorption and compression unit is examined for the supply of the electricity, heating and cooling load. The basic innovation of the given energy model lies in the uncertainty modelling through the combined use of Mathematical Programming (namely, Mixed Integer Linear Programming, MILP) and Monte Carlo simulation that permits the risk management for the most volatile parameters of the objective function such as the fuel costs and the interest rate. The results come in the form of probability distributions that provide fruitful information to the decision maker. The effect of model reduction through appropriate data compression of the load data is also addressed.

Security analysis of the decoy method with the Bennett–Brassard 1984 protocol for finite key lengths

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayashi, Masahito; Nakayama, Ryota

2014-01-01

This paper provides a formula for the sacrifice bit-length for privacy amplification with the Bennett–Brassard 1984 protocol for finite key lengths, when we employ the decoy method. Using the formula, we can guarantee the security parameter for a realizable quantum key distribution system. The key generation rates with finite key lengths are numerically evaluated. The proposed method improves the existing key generation rate even in the asymptotic setting. (paper)

Study of the Influence of Key Process Parameters on Furfural Production.

Science.gov (United States)

Fele Žilnik, Ljudmila; Grilc, Viktor; Mirt, Ivan; Cerovečki, Željko

2016-01-01

The present work reports the influence of key process variables on the furfural formation from leached chestnut-wood chips in a pressurized reactor. Effect of temperature, pressure, type and concentration of the catalyst solution, the steam flow rate or stripping module, the moisture content of the wood particles and geometric characteristics such as size and type of the reactor, particle size and bed height were considered systematically. One stage process was only taken into consideration. Lab-scale and pilot-scale studies were performed. The results of the non-catalysed laboratory experiments were compared with an actual non-catalysed (auto-catalysed) industrial process and with experiments on the pilot scale, the latter with 28% higher furfural yield compared to the others. Application of sulphuric acid as catalyst, in an amount of 0.03-0.05 g (H2SO4 100%)/g d.m. (dry material), enables a higher production of furfural at lower temperature and pressure of steam in a shorter reaction time. Pilot scale catalysed experiments have revealed very good performance for furfural formation under less severe operating conditions, with a maximum furfural yield as much as 88% of the theoretical value.

Analysis of the importance for the doses of varying parameters in the BIOPATH-program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bergstroem, U.

1981-01-01

The doses to individuals and populations from water-borne nuclides leaked from a repository have been calculated earlier using the computer program BIOPATH. The turnover of nuclides in the biosphere is thereby simulated by the application of compartment theory. For the dominant nuclides in the disposal an analysis of the importance of varying parameters has been done, to decide how strongly uncertainties in data will affect resulting doses. The essential part has been the transfer coefficients but also the uptake in the food-chains has been studied. The purpose of the study has also been to make proposals for forthcoming efforts to improve the basis for such calculations. The study shows the great importance of the surface water-soil-groundwater-drinking water system for the dose. Thereby the most important question is the solubility of the nuclides in the different water reservoirs. (Auth.)

The Thermal Conductivity of Earth's Core: A Key Geophysical Parameter's Constraints and Uncertainties

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, Q.

2018-05-01

The thermal conductivity of iron alloys at high pressures and temperatures is a critical parameter in governing ( a) the present-day heat flow out of Earth's core, ( b) the inferred age of Earth's inner core, and ( c) the thermal evolution of Earth's core and lowermost mantle. It is, however, one of the least well-constrained important geophysical parameters, with current estimates for end-member iron under core-mantle boundary conditions varying by about a factor of 6. Here, the current state of calculations, measurements, and inferences that constrain thermal conductivity at core conditions are reviewed. The applicability of the Wiedemann-Franz law, commonly used to convert electrical resistivity data to thermal conductivity data, is probed: Here, whether the constant of proportionality, the Lorenz number, is constant at extreme conditions is of vital importance. Electron-electron inelastic scattering and increases in Fermi-liquid-like behavior may cause uncertainties in thermal conductivities derived from both first-principles-associated calculations and electrical conductivity measurements. Additional uncertainties include the role of alloying constituents and local magnetic moments of iron in modulating the thermal conductivity. Thus, uncertainties in thermal conductivity remain pervasive, and hence a broad range of core heat flows and inner core ages appear to remain plausible.

Methods, Devices and Computer Program Products Providing for Establishing a Model for Emulating a Physical Quantity Which Depends on at Least One Input Parameter, and Use Thereof

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

2014-01-01

The present invention proposes methods, devices and computer program products. To this extent, there is defined a set X including N distinct parameter values x_i for at least one input parameter x, N being an integer greater than or equal to 1, first measured the physical quantity Pm1 for each...

The Grid[Way] Job Template Manager, a tool for parameter sweeping

Science.gov (United States)

Lorca, Alejandro; Huedo, Eduardo; Llorente, Ignacio M.

2011-04-01

Parameter sweeping is a widely used algorithmic technique in computational science. It is specially suited for high-throughput computing since the jobs evaluating the parameter space are loosely coupled or independent. A tool that integrates the modeling of a parameter study with the control of jobs in a distributed architecture is presented. The main task is to facilitate the creation and deletion of job templates, which are the elements describing the jobs to be run. Extra functionality relies upon the GridWay Metascheduler, acting as the middleware layer for job submission and control. It supports interesting features like multi-dimensional sweeping space, wildcarding of parameters, functional evaluation of ranges, value-skipping and job template automatic indexation. The use of this tool increases the reliability of the parameter sweep study thanks to the systematic bookkeeping of job templates and respective job statuses. Furthermore, it simplifies the porting of the target application to the grid reducing the required amount of time and effort. Program summaryProgram title: Grid[Way] Job Template Manager (version 1.0) Catalogue identifier: AEIE_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AEIE_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen's University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Apache license 2.0 No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 3545 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 126 879 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: Perl 5.8.5 and above Computer: Any (tested on PC x86 and x86_64) Operating system: Unix, GNU/Linux (tested on Ubuntu 9.04, Scientific Linux 4.7, centOS 5.4), Mac OS X (tested on Snow Leopard 10.6) RAM: 10 MB Classification: 6.5 External routines: The GridWay Metascheduler [1]. Nature of problem: To parameterize and manage an application running on a grid or cluster. Solution method: Generation of job templates as a cross product of

Rapid determination of thermodynamic parameters from one-dimensional programmed-temperature gas chromatography for use in retention time prediction in comprehensive multidimensional chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

McGinitie, Teague M; Ebrahimi-Najafabadi, Heshmatollah; Harynuk, James J

2014-01-17

A new method for estimating the thermodynamic parameters of ΔH(T0), ΔS(T0), and ΔCP for use in thermodynamic modeling of GC×GC separations has been developed. The method is an alternative to the traditional isothermal separations required to fit a three-parameter thermodynamic model to retention data. Herein, a non-linear optimization technique is used to estimate the parameters from a series of temperature-programmed separations using the Nelder-Mead simplex algorithm. With this method, the time required to obtain estimates of thermodynamic parameters a series of analytes is significantly reduced. This new method allows for precise predictions of retention time with the average error being only 0.2s for 1D separations. Predictions for GC×GC separations were also in agreement with experimental measurements; having an average relative error of 0.37% for (1)tr and 2.1% for (2)tr. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SU-F-T-169: A Periodic Quality Assurance Program for a Spot-Scanning Proton Treatment Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mundy, D; Tryggestad, E; Beltran, C; Furutani, K; Gilson, G; Ito, S; Johnson, J; Kruse, J; Remmes, N; Tasson, A; Whitaker, T; Herman, M

2016-01-01

Purpose: To develop daily and monthly quality assurance (QA) programs in support of a new spot-scanning proton treatment facility using a combination of commercial and custom equipment and software. Emphasis was placed on efficiency and evaluation of key quality parameters. Methods: The daily QA program was developed to test output, spot size and position, proton beam energy, and image guidance using the Sun Nuclear Corporation rf-DQA™3 device and Atlas QA software. The program utilizes standard Atlas linear accelerator tests repurposed for proton measurements and a custom jig for indexing the device to the treatment couch. The monthly QA program was designed to test mechanical performance, image quality, radiation quality, isocenter coincidence, and safety features. Many of these tests are similar to linear accelerator QA counterparts, but many require customized test design and equipment. Coincidence of imaging, laser marker, mechanical, and radiation isocenters, for instance, is verified using a custom film-based device devised and manufactured at our facility. Proton spot size and position as a function of energy are verified using a custom spot pattern incident on film and analysis software developed in-house. More details concerning the equipment and software developed for monthly QA are included in the supporting document. Thresholds for daily and monthly tests were established via perturbation analysis, early experience, and/or proton system specifications and associated acceptance test results. Results: The periodic QA program described here has been in effect for approximately 9 months and has proven efficient and sensitive to sub-clinical variations in treatment delivery characteristics. Conclusion: Tools and professional guidelines for periodic proton system QA are not as well developed as their photon and electron counterparts. The program described here efficiently evaluates key quality parameters and, while specific to the needs of our facility

SU-F-T-169: A Periodic Quality Assurance Program for a Spot-Scanning Proton Treatment Facility

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mundy, D; Tryggestad, E; Beltran, C; Furutani, K; Gilson, G; Ito, S; Johnson, J; Kruse, J; Remmes, N; Tasson, A; Whitaker, T; Herman, M [Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To develop daily and monthly quality assurance (QA) programs in support of a new spot-scanning proton treatment facility using a combination of commercial and custom equipment and software. Emphasis was placed on efficiency and evaluation of key quality parameters. Methods: The daily QA program was developed to test output, spot size and position, proton beam energy, and image guidance using the Sun Nuclear Corporation rf-DQA™3 device and Atlas QA software. The program utilizes standard Atlas linear accelerator tests repurposed for proton measurements and a custom jig for indexing the device to the treatment couch. The monthly QA program was designed to test mechanical performance, image quality, radiation quality, isocenter coincidence, and safety features. Many of these tests are similar to linear accelerator QA counterparts, but many require customized test design and equipment. Coincidence of imaging, laser marker, mechanical, and radiation isocenters, for instance, is verified using a custom film-based device devised and manufactured at our facility. Proton spot size and position as a function of energy are verified using a custom spot pattern incident on film and analysis software developed in-house. More details concerning the equipment and software developed for monthly QA are included in the supporting document. Thresholds for daily and monthly tests were established via perturbation analysis, early experience, and/or proton system specifications and associated acceptance test results. Results: The periodic QA program described here has been in effect for approximately 9 months and has proven efficient and sensitive to sub-clinical variations in treatment delivery characteristics. Conclusion: Tools and professional guidelines for periodic proton system QA are not as well developed as their photon and electron counterparts. The program described here efficiently evaluates key quality parameters and, while specific to the needs of our facility

Key-value store with internal key-value storage interface

Science.gov (United States)

Bent, John M.; Faibish, Sorin; Ting, Dennis P. J.; Tzelnic, Percy; Gupta, Uday; Grider, Gary; Bonnie, David J.

2018-01-16

A key-value store is provided having one or more key-value storage interfaces. A key-value store on at least one compute node comprises a memory for storing a plurality of key-value pairs; and an abstract storage interface comprising a software interface module that communicates with at least one persistent storage device providing a key-value interface for persistent storage of one or more of the plurality of key-value pairs, wherein the software interface module provides the one or more key-value pairs to the at least one persistent storage device in a key-value format. The abstract storage interface optionally processes one or more batch operations on the plurality of key-value pairs. A distributed embodiment for a partitioned key-value store is also provided.

Small private key MQPKS on an embedded microprocessor.

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Hwajeong; Kim, Jihyun; Choi, Jongseok; Park, Taehwan; Liu, Zhe; Kim, Howon

2014-03-19

Multivariate quadratic (MQ) cryptography requires the use of long public and private keys to ensure a sufficient security level, but this is not favorable to embedded systems, which have limited system resources. Recently, various approaches to MQ cryptography using reduced public keys have been studied. As a result of this, at CHES2011 (Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, 2011), a small public key MQ scheme, was proposed, and its feasible implementation on an embedded microprocessor was reported at CHES2012. However, the implementation of a small private key MQ scheme was not reported. For efficient implementation, random number generators can contribute to reduce the key size, but the cost of using a random number generator is much more complex than computing MQ on modern microprocessors. Therefore, no feasible results have been reported on embedded microprocessors. In this paper, we propose a feasible implementation on embedded microprocessors for a small private key MQ scheme using a pseudo-random number generator and hash function based on a block-cipher exploiting a hardware Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) accelerator. To speed up the performance, we apply various implementation methods, including parallel computation, on-the-fly computation, optimized logarithm representation, vinegar monomials and assembly programming. The proposed method reduces the private key size by about 99.9% and boosts signature generation and verification by 5.78% and 12.19% than previous results in CHES2012.

Small Private Key PKS on an Embedded Microprocessor

Science.gov (United States)

Seo, Hwajeong; Kim, Jihyun; Choi, Jongseok; Park, Taehwan; Liu, Zhe; Kim, Howon

2014-01-01

Multivariate quadratic ( ) cryptography requires the use of long public and private keys to ensure a sufficient security level, but this is not favorable to embedded systems, which have limited system resources. Recently, various approaches to cryptography using reduced public keys have been studied. As a result of this, at CHES2011 (Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, 2011), a small public key scheme, was proposed, and its feasible implementation on an embedded microprocessor was reported at CHES2012. However, the implementation of a small private key scheme was not reported. For efficient implementation, random number generators can contribute to reduce the key size, but the cost of using a random number generator is much more complex than computing on modern microprocessors. Therefore, no feasible results have been reported on embedded microprocessors. In this paper, we propose a feasible implementation on embedded microprocessors for a small private key scheme using a pseudo-random number generator and hash function based on a block-cipher exploiting a hardware Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) accelerator. To speed up the performance, we apply various implementation methods, including parallel computation, on-the-fly computation, optimized logarithm representation, vinegar monomials and assembly programming. The proposed method reduces the private key size by about 99.9% and boosts signature generation and verification by 5.78% and 12.19% than previous results in CHES2012. PMID:24651722

Small particle bed reactors: Sensitivity to Brayton cycle parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Coiner, John R.; Short, Barry J.

Relatively simple particle bed reactor (PBR) algorithms were developed for optimizing low power closed Brayton cycle (CBC) systems. These algorithms allow the system designer to understand the relationship among key system parameters as well as the sensitivity of the PBR size and mass (a major system component) to variations in these parameters. Thus, system optimization can be achieved.

Key drivers of airline loyalty.

Science.gov (United States)

Dolnicar, Sara; Grabler, Klaus; Grün, Bettina; Kulnig, Anna

2011-10-01

This study investigates drivers of airline loyalty. It contributes to the body of knowledge in the area by investigating loyalty for a number of a priori market segments identified by airline management and by using a method which accounts for the multi-step nature of the airline choice process. The study is based on responses from 687 passengers. Results indicate that, at aggregate level, frequent flyer membership, price, the status of being a national carrier and the reputation of the airline as perceived by friends are the variables which best discriminate between travellers loyal to the airline and those who are not. Differences in drivers of airline loyalty for a number of segments were identified. For example, loyalty programs play a key role for business travellers whereas airline loyalty of leisure travellers is difficult to trace back to single factors. For none of the calculated models satisfaction emerged as a key driver of airline loyalty.

French high level nuclear waste program: key research areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sombret, G.

1985-09-01

The most important aspects of this research program concern disposal safety: the long-term behavior and sensitivity of the materials to the variability inherent in industrial processes, and the characterization of the final product. This research requires different investigations involving various scientific fields, and implements radioactive and non-radioactive glass samples as well as industrial scale glass blocks. Certain studies have now been completed; others are still in progress

Effects of a one-week vacation with various activity programs on cardiovascular parameters.

Science.gov (United States)

Neumayr, Günther; Lechleitner, Peter

2018-03-01

A vacation is considered essential to achieve recovery from the stress of work. Knowledge about the potential health effects of holidays is scarce. The East Tyrolean Health Tourism Study is an open comparative study to investigate the cardiovascular effects of a one- week vacation with different activities on healthy vacationers. Fifty-two healthy vacationers spending one week in East Tyrol participated in two types of vacation activities (golf vs. Nordic walking or e-biking [nw&eb]). In the former group 30 subjects played golf for 33.5 hours per week, and in the nw&eb group 22 engaged in Nordic walking or e-biking for 14.2 hours per week. Cardiovascular parameters such as performance capacity, blood pressure, heart rate profiles and cardiac diastolic function were measured by a cardiopulmonary exercise test, holter ECG and echocardiography performed one day before and after the stay. There was a significant decrease in body weight of 1.0 kg in the nw&eb-group but not in the golf group. In both groups we noted a reduction of blood pressure and heart rate, which was marked and significant only in the golf group. We observed no significant changes in performance capacity, but did note an improvement of cardiac diastolic function in both groups; the improvement was more pronounced in the nw&eb group. A one-week vacation with an activity program for several hours per week is well tolerated by healthy vacationers and improves cardiovascular parameters. The cardiovascular benefits were homogeneous but differed in their magnitude, depending on the activity group. The benefits were probably due to the enhanced physical activity rather than purely a holiday effect.

Parameter and State Estimator for State Space Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ruifeng Ding

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a parameter and state estimator for canonical state space systems from measured input-output data. The key is to solve the system state from the state equation and to substitute it into the output equation, eliminating the state variables, and the resulting equation contains only the system inputs and outputs, and to derive a least squares parameter identification algorithm. Furthermore, the system states are computed from the estimated parameters and the input-output data. Convergence analysis using the martingale convergence theorem indicates that the parameter estimates converge to their true values. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to show that the proposed algorithm is effective.

MPUQ-b: Bootstrapping Based Modal Parameter Uncertainty Quantification—Fundamental Principles

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chauhan, S.; Ahmed, S. I.

2017-01-01

It is well known that modal parameters play a key role towards understanding the dynamics of a structure. Their estimation, by means of experiments, forms the crux of modal analysis. Modal parameters not only help in characterizing the dynamics of the structure but are also used for several other...

A grey-forecasting interval-parameter mixed-integer programming approach for integrated electric-environmental management–A case study of Beijing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Xingwei; Cai, Yanpeng; Chen, Jiajun; Dai, Chao

2013-01-01

In this study, a GFIPMIP (grey-forecasting interval-parameter mixed-integer programming) approach was developed for supporting IEEM (integrated electric-environmental management) in Beijing. It was an attempt to incorporate an energy-forecasting model within a general modeling framework at the municipal level. The developed GFIPMIP model can not only forecast electric demands, but also reflect dynamic, interactive, and uncertain characteristics of the IEEM system in Beijing. Moreover, it can address issues regarding power supply, and emission reduction of atmospheric pollutants and GHG (greenhouse gas). Optimal solutions were obtained related to power generation patterns and facility capacity expansion schemes under a series of system constraints. Two scenarios were analyzed based on multiple environmental policies. The results were useful for helping decision makers identify desired management strategies to guarantee the city's power supply and mitigate emissions of GHG and atmospheric pollutants. The results also suggested that the developed GFIPMIP model be applicable to similar engineering problems. - Highlights: • A grey-forecasting interval-parameter mixed integer programming (GFIPMIP) approach was developed. • It could reflect dynamic, interactive, and uncertain characteristics of an IEEM system. • The developed GFIPMIP approach was used for supporting IEEM system planning in Beijing. • Two scenarios were established based on different environmental policies and management targets. • Optimal schemes for power generation, energy supply, and environmental protection were identified

Parameter Estimations of Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB Model over the Life History of a Key Antarctic Species: The Antarctic Sea Star Odontaster validus Koehler, 1906.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio Agüera

Full Text Available Marine organisms in Antarctica are adapted to an extreme ecosystem including extremely stable temperatures and strong seasonality due to changes in day length. It is now largely accepted that Southern Ocean organisms are particularly vulnerable to global warming with some regions already being challenged by a rapid increase of temperature. Climate change affects both the physical and biotic components of marine ecosystems and will have an impact on the distribution and population dynamics of Antarctic marine organisms. To predict and assess the effect of climate change on marine ecosystems a more comprehensive knowledge of the life history and physiology of key species is urgently needed. In this study we estimate the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB model parameters for key benthic Antarctic species the sea star Odontaster validus using available information from literature and experiments. The DEB theory is unique in capturing the metabolic processes of an organism through its entire life cycle as a function of temperature and food availability. The DEB model allows for the inclusion of the different life history stages, and thus, becomes a tool that can be used to model lifetime feeding, growth, reproduction, and their responses to changes in biotic and abiotic conditions. The DEB model presented here includes the estimation of reproduction handling rules for the development of simultaneous oocyte cohorts within the gonad. Additionally it links the DEB model reserves to the pyloric caeca an organ whose function has long been ascribed to energy storage. Model parameters described a slowed down metabolism of long living animals that mature slowly. O. validus has a large reserve that-matching low maintenance costs- allow withstanding long periods of starvation. Gonad development is continuous and individual cohorts developed within the gonads grow in biomass following a power function of the age of the cohort. The DEB model developed here for O

Programs and Research Advisor | IDRC - International Development ...

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

Support risk management of regional programming and partnerships by: ... analysing, on a regular basis, key program development and performance indicators; ... Represent the IDRC and Regional Director at key events in order to gather ...

MATLAB-based program for optimization of quantum cascade laser active region parameters and calculation of output characteristics in magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Smiljanić, J.; Žeželj, M.; Milanović, V.; Radovanović, J.; Stanković, I.

2014-03-01

A strong magnetic field applied along the growth direction of a quantum cascade laser (QCL) active region gives rise to a spectrum of discrete energy states, the Landau levels. By combining quantum engineering of a QCL with a static magnetic field, we can selectively inhibit/enhance non-radiative electron relaxation process between the relevant Landau levels of a triple quantum well and realize a tunable surface emitting device. An efficient numerical algorithm implementation is presented of optimization of GaAs/AlGaAs QCL region parameters and calculation of output properties in the magnetic field. Both theoretical analysis and MATLAB implementation are given for LO-phonon and interface roughness scattering mechanisms on the operation of QCL. At elevated temperatures, electrons in the relevant laser states absorb/emit more LO-phonons which results in reduction of the optical gain. The decrease in the optical gain is moderated by the occurrence of interface roughness scattering, which remains unchanged with increasing temperature. Using the calculated scattering rates as input data, rate equations can be solved and population inversion and the optical gain obtained. Incorporation of the interface roughness scattering mechanism into the model did not create new resonant peaks of the optical gain. However, it resulted in shifting the existing peaks positions and overall reduction of the optical gain. Catalogue identifier: AERL_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AERL_v1_0.html Program obtainable from: CPC Program Library, Queen’s University, Belfast, N. Ireland Licensing provisions: Standard CPC licence, http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/licence/licence.html No. of lines in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 37763 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 2757956 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: MATLAB. Computer: Any capable of running MATLAB version R2010a or higher. Operating system: Any platform

Simple security proof of quantum key distribution based on complementarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koashi, M

2009-01-01

We present an approach to the unconditional security of quantum key distribution protocols based on a complementarity argument. The approach is applicable to, but not limited to, every case that has been treated via the argument by Shor and Preskill based on entanglement distillation, with a benefit of decoupling of the error correction from the privacy amplification. It can also treat cases with uncharacterized apparatuses. We derive a secure key rate for the Bennett-Brassard-1984 protocol with an arbitrary source characterized only by a single parameter representing the basis dependence.

Computer Programs in Marine Science: Key to Oceanographic Records Documentation No. 5.

Science.gov (United States)

Firestone, Mary A.

Presented are abstracts of 700 computer programs in marine science. The programs listed are categorized under a wide range of headings which include physical oceanography, chemistry, coastal and estuarine processes, biology, pollution, air-sea interaction and heat budget, navigation and charting, curve fitting, and applied mathematics. The…

Impact Assessment of Effective Parameters on Drivers' Attention Level to Urban Traffic Signs

Science.gov (United States)

Kazemi, Mojtaba; Rahimi, Amir Masoud; Roshankhah, Sheida

2016-03-01

Traffic signs are one of the oldest safety and traffic control equipments. Drivers' reaction to installed signs is an important issue that could be studied using statistical models developed for target groups. There are 527 questionnaires have been filled up randomly in 45 days, some by drivers passing two northern cities of Iran and some by e-mail. Therefore, minimum sample size of 384 is fulfilled. In addition, Cronbach Alpha of more than 90 % verifies the questionnaire's validity. Ordinal logistic regression is used for 5-level answer variables. This relatively novel method predicts probability of different cases' considering other effective independent variables. There are 18 parameters of factor, man, vehicle, and environment are assessed and 5 parameters of number of accidents in last 5 years, occupation, driving time, number of accidents per day, and driving speed are eventually found as the most important ones. Age and gender, that are considered as key factors in other safety and accident studies, are not recognized as effective ones in this paper. The results could be useful for safety planning programs.

Critical safety parameters: The logical approach to refresher training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, A.R.; Pilkington, W.; Turner, S.

1991-01-01

Nuclear power plant managers must ensure that control room staff are able to perform effectively. This is of particular importance through the longer term after initial authorization. Traditionally refresher training has been based on delivery of fragmented training packages typically derived from the initial authorization training programs. Various approaches have been taken to provide a more integrated refresher training program. However, methods such as job and task analysis and subject matter expert derived training have tended to develop without a focused clear overall training objective. The primary objective of all control room staff training is to ensure a proper and safe response to all plant transients. At the Point Lepreau Nuclear Plant, this has defined the Critical Safety Parameter based refresher training program. The overall objective of the Critical Safety Parameter training program is to ensure that control room staff can monitor and control a discrete set of plant parameters. Maintenance of the selected parameters within defined boundaries assures adequate cooling of the fuel and containment of radioactivity. Control room staff need to be able to reliably respond correctly to plant transients under potentially high stress conditions,. utilizing the essential knowledge and skills to deal with such transients. The inference is that the knowledge and skills must be limited to that which can be reliably recalled. This paper describes how the Point Lepreau Nuclear Plant has developed a refresher training program on the basis of a limited number of Critical Safety Parameters. Through this approach, it has been possible to define the essential set of knowledge and skills which ensures a correct response to plant transients

A study of operating parameters on the linear spark ignition engine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lim, Ocktaeck; Hung, Nguyen Ba; Oh, Seokyoung; Kim, Gangchul; Song, Hanho; Iida, Norimasa

2015-01-01

mathematical models are combined and solved by a program written in Fortran. Besides, the effects of key parameters such as reciprocating mass, spark timing and spring stiffness on the piston dynamics and electric power output of the linear engine are also investigated. The simulation results show that the simulation and experimental data are nearly similar at the same initial conditions. In addition, a highest generating power of the linear engine can be easily found by optimizing the key parameters.

Nuclear criticality safety program at the Fuel Cycle Facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lell, R.M.; Fujita, E.K.; Tracy, D.B.; Klann, R.T.; Imel, G.R.; Benedict, R.W.; Rigg, R.H.

1994-01-01

The Fuel Cycle Facility (FCF) is designed to demonstrate the feasibility of a novel commercial-scale remote pyrometallurgical process for metallic fuels from liquid metal-cooled reactors and to show closure of the Integral Fast Reactor (IFR) fuel cycle. Requirements for nuclear criticality safety impose the most restrictive of the various constraints on the operation of FCF. The upper limits on batch sizes and other important process parameters are determined principally by criticality safety considerations. To maintain an efficient operation within appropriate safety limits, it is necessary to formulate a nuclear criticality safety program that integrates equipment design, process development, process modeling, conduct of operations, a measurement program, adequate material control procedures, and nuclear criticality analysis. The nuclear criticality safety program for FCF reflects this integration, ensuring that the facility can be operated efficiently without compromising safety. The experience gained from the conduct of this program in the Fuel cycle Facility will be used to design and safely operate IFR facilities on a commercial scale. The key features of the nuclear criticality safety program are described. The relationship of these features to normal facility operation is also described

Optimization of Parameters of Asymptotically Stable Systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Guerman

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This work deals with numerical methods of parameter optimization for asymptotically stable systems. We formulate a special mathematical programming problem that allows us to determine optimal parameters of a stabilizer. This problem involves solutions to a differential equation. We show how to chose the mesh in order to obtain discrete problem guaranteeing the necessary accuracy. The developed methodology is illustrated by an example concerning optimization of parameters for a satellite stabilization system.

Security of Color Image Data Designed by Public-Key Cryptosystem Associated with 2D-DWT

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, D. C.; Sharma, R. K.; Kumar, Manish; Kumar, Kuldeep

2014-08-01

In present times the security of image data is a major issue. So, we have proposed a novel technique for security of color image data by public-key cryptosystem or asymmetric cryptosystem. In this technique, we have developed security of color image data using RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adleman) cryptosystem with two-dimensional discrete wavelet transform (2D-DWT). Earlier proposed schemes for security of color images designed on the basis of keys, but this approach provides security of color images with the help of keys and correct arrangement of RSA parameters. If the attacker knows about exact keys, but has no information of exact arrangement of RSA parameters, then the original information cannot be recovered from the encrypted data. Computer simulation based on standard example is critically examining the behavior of the proposed technique. Security analysis and a detailed comparison between earlier developed schemes for security of color images and proposed technique are also mentioned for the robustness of the cryptosystem.

An algorithm for the detection of move repetition without the use of hash-keys

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vučković Vladan

2007-01-01

Full Text Available This paper addresses the theoretical and practical aspects of an important problem in computer chess programming - the problem of draw detection in cases of position repetition. The standard approach used in the majority of computer chess programs is hash-oriented. This method is sufficient in most cases, as the Zobrist keys are already present due to the systemic positional hashing, so that they need not be computed anew for the purpose of draw detection. The new type of the algorithm that we have developed solves the problem of draw detection in cases when Zobrist keys are not used in the program, i.e. in cases when the memory is not hashed.

Small Private Key MQPKS on an Embedded Microprocessor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hwajeong Seo

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Multivariate quadratic (MQ cryptography requires the use of long public and private keys to ensure a sufficient security level, but this is not favorable to embedded systems, which have limited system resources. Recently, various approaches to MQ cryptography using reduced public keys have been studied. As a result of this, at CHES2011 (Cryptographic Hardware and Embedded Systems, 2011, a small public key MQ scheme, was proposed, and its feasible implementation on an embedded microprocessor was reported at CHES2012. However, the implementation of a small private key MQ scheme was not reported. For efficient implementation, random number generators can contribute to reduce the key size, but the cost of using a random number generator is much more complex than computing MQ on modern microprocessors. Therefore, no feasible results have been reported on embedded microprocessors. In this paper, we propose a feasible implementation on embedded microprocessors for a small private key MQ scheme using a pseudo-random number generator and hash function based on a block-cipher exploiting a hardware Advanced Encryption Standard (AES accelerator. To speed up the performance, we apply various implementation methods, including parallel computation, on-the-fly computation, optimized logarithm representation, vinegar monomials and assembly programming. The proposed method reduces the private key size by about 99.9% and boosts signature generation and verification by 5.78% and 12.19% than previous results in CHES2012.

Key Distribution and Changing Key Cryptosystem Based on Phase Retrieval Algorithm and RSA Public-Key Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tieyu Zhao

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The optical image encryption has attracted more and more researchers’ attention, and the various encryption schemes have been proposed. In existing optical cryptosystem, the phase functions or images are usually used as the encryption keys, and it is difficult that the traditional public-key algorithm (such as RSA, ECC, etc. is used to complete large numerical key transfer. In this paper, we propose a key distribution scheme based on the phase retrieval algorithm and the RSA public-key algorithm, which solves the problem for the key distribution in optical image encryption system. Furthermore, we also propose a novel image encryption system based on the key distribution principle. In the system, the different keys can be used in every encryption process, which greatly improves the security of the system.

Sensitivity analysis of the effect of various key parameters on fission product concentration (mass number 120 to 126)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sola, A.

1978-01-01

An analytical sensitivity analysis has been made of the effect of various parameters on the evaluation of fission product concentration. Such parameters include cross sections, decay constants, branching ratios, fission yields, flux and time. The formulae are applied to isotopes of the Tin, Antimony and Tellurium series. The agreement between analytically obtained data and that derived from a computer evaluated model is good, suggesting that the analytical representation includes all the important parameters useful to the evaluation of the fission product concentrations

Sensibility analysis of the effect of various key parameters on fission product concentration (Mass Number 133 to 138)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sola, A.

1978-01-01

An analytical sensitivity analysis has been made of the effect of various parameters on the evaluation of fission product concentration. Such parameters include cross-sections, decay constants, branching ratios, fission yields, flux and time. The formulae are applied to isotopes of the iodine, xenon, caesium and barium series. The agreement between analytically obtained data and that derived from a computer-evaluated model is good, suggesting that the analytical representation includes all the important parameters useful to the evaluation of the fission product concentrations

DEMOGRAPHIC-ANAMNESTIC PARAMETERS WHICH AFFECT IMPLEMENTATION OF BABY FRIENDLY PROGRAM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bozidar Jovanovic

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Various studies and extensive researches, particularly during recent years, on the advantages of breastfeeding and the use of breast milk in infant`s nourishment, have stressed its immeasurable benefit to mothers, infants, family and society. The objective of the research was to ascertain demographic and anamnestic factors affecting the implementation of the baby friendly program. The study was undertaken at OGC CC Kragujevac and based on data from 432 women. The mean age of the examinees was 25,9 years and they were 6 months younger than the corresponding examinees from similar world researches. In most cases, the examinees were from urban areas and lived in bigger families, which did not affect the implementation of the program. With equal probability, it was the first or second pregnancy and in most cases, there were no hospitalizations during the pregnancy in both tested groups. Medications are more often used during the implementation of the baby friendly program. The reason for positive influence of the use of medications during the pregnancy on implementation of the baby friendly program probably lies in better supervision of the pregnancy. The gestation age did not influence the selection into the program. By means of higher level of supervision and by the use of medications during pregnancy, we can positively influence mother`s and infant`s starting with the baby friendly programme implementation.

[Inter-and intra-operator variability in the analysis of semen parameters: results from a quality control program].

Science.gov (United States)

Daoud, Salima; Chakroun-Feki, Nozha; Sellami, Afifa; Ammar-Keskes, Leila; Rebai, Tarek

2016-01-01

Semen analysis is a key part of male infertility investigation. The necessity of quality management implementation in the andrology laboratory has been recognized in order to ensure the reliability of its results. The aim of this study was to evaluate intra- and inter-individual variability in the assessment of semen parameters in our laboratory through a quality control programme. Four participants from the laboratory with different experience levels have participated in this study. Semen samples of varying quality were assessed for sperm motility, concentration and morphology and the results were used to evaluate inter-participant variability. In addition, replicates of each semen sample were analyzed to determine intra-individual variability for semen parameters analysis. The average values of inter-participant coefficients of variation for sperm motility, concentration and morphology were 12.8%, 19.8% and 48.9% respectively. The mean intra-participant coefficients of variation were, respectively, 6.9%, 12.3% and 42.7% for sperm motility, concentration and morphology. Despite some random errors of under- or overestimation, the overall results remained within the limits of acceptability for all participants. Sperm morphology assessment was particularly influenced by the participant's level of experience. The present data emphasize the need for appropriate training of the laboratory staff and for regular participation in internal quality control programmes in order to improve the reliability of laboratory results.

Modelling hydrodynamic parameters to predict flow assisted corrosion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poulson, B.; Greenwell, B.; Chexal, B.; Horowitz, J.

1992-01-01

During the past 15 years, flow assisted corrosion has been a worldwide problem in the power generating industry. The phenomena is complex and depends on environment, material composition, and hydrodynamic factors. Recently, modeling of flow assisted corrosion has become a subject of great importance. A key part of this effort is modeling the hydrodynamic aspects of this issue. This paper examines which hydrodynamic parameter should be used to correlate the occurrence and rate of flow assisted corrosion with physically meaningful parameters, discusses ways of measuring the relevant hydrodynamic parameter, and describes how the hydrodynamic data is incorporated into the predictive model

Automated parameter estimation for biological models using Bayesian statistical model checking.

Science.gov (United States)

Hussain, Faraz; Langmead, Christopher J; Mi, Qi; Dutta-Moscato, Joyeeta; Vodovotz, Yoram; Jha, Sumit K

2015-01-01

Probabilistic models have gained widespread acceptance in the systems biology community as a useful way to represent complex biological systems. Such models are developed using existing knowledge of the structure and dynamics of the system, experimental observations, and inferences drawn from statistical analysis of empirical data. A key bottleneck in building such models is that some system variables cannot be measured experimentally. These variables are incorporated into the model as numerical parameters. Determining values of these parameters that justify existing experiments and provide reliable predictions when model simulations are performed is a key research problem. Using an agent-based model of the dynamics of acute inflammation, we demonstrate a novel parameter estimation algorithm by discovering the amount and schedule of doses of bacterial lipopolysaccharide that guarantee a set of observed clinical outcomes with high probability. We synthesized values of twenty-eight unknown parameters such that the parameterized model instantiated with these parameter values satisfies four specifications describing the dynamic behavior of the model. We have developed a new algorithmic technique for discovering parameters in complex stochastic models of biological systems given behavioral specifications written in a formal mathematical logic. Our algorithm uses Bayesian model checking, sequential hypothesis testing, and stochastic optimization to automatically synthesize parameters of probabilistic biological models.

Modeling and Parameter Estimation of a Small Wind Generation System

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos A. Ramírez Gómez

2013-11-01

Full Text Available The modeling and parameter estimation of a small wind generation system is presented in this paper. The system consists of a wind turbine, a permanent magnet synchronous generator, a three phase rectifier, and a direct current load. In order to estimate the parameters wind speed data are registered in a weather station located in the Fraternidad Campus at ITM. Wind speed data were applied to a reference model programed with PSIM software. From that simulation, variables were registered to estimate the parameters. The wind generation system model together with the estimated parameters is an excellent representation of the detailed model, but the estimated model offers a higher flexibility than the programed model in PSIM software.

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 2004 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058098)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 2006 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058100)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 2005 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058099)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 2007 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058101)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 2006 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058100)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 2003 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058097)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 2004 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058098)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 2003 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058097)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 2004 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058098)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 2006 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058100)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 2007 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058101)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sand Key 2007 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058101)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Sombrero Key 2005 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058099)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

SEAKEYS - Long Key 2005 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058099)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO) SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and...

A Discussion of Oxygen Recovery Definitions and Key Performance Parameters for Closed-Loop Atmosphere Revitalization Life Support Technology Development

Science.gov (United States)

Abney, Morgan B.; Perry, Jay L.

2016-01-01

Over the last 55 years, NASA has evolved life support for crewed space exploration vehicles from simple resupply during Project Mercury to the complex and highly integrated system of systems aboard the International Space Station. As NASA targets exploration destinations farther from low Earth orbit and mission durations of 500 to 1000 days, life support systems must evolve to meet new requirements. In addition to having more robust, reliable, and maintainable hardware, limiting resupply becomes critical for managing mission logistics and cost. Supplying a crew with the basics of food, water, and oxygen become more challenging as the destination ventures further from Earth. Aboard ISS the Atmosphere Revitalization Subsystem (ARS) supplies the crew's oxygen demand by electrolyzing water. This approach makes water a primary logistics commodity that must be managed carefully. Chemical reduction of metabolic carbon dioxide (CO2) provides a method of recycling oxygen thereby reducing the net ARS water demand and therefore minimizing logistics needs. Multiple methods have been proposed to achieve this recovery and have been reported in the literature. However, depending on the architecture and the technology approach, "oxygen recovery" can be defined in various ways. This discontinuity makes it difficult to compare technologies directly. In an effort to clarify community discussions of Oxygen Recovery, we propose specific definitions and describe the methodology used to arrive at those definitions. Additionally, we discuss key performance parameters for Oxygen Recovery technology development including challenges with comparisons to state-of-the-art.

Stego Keys Performance on Feature Based Coding Method in Text Domain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Din Roshidi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A main critical factor on embedding process in any text steganography method is a key used known as stego key. This factor will be influenced the success of the embedding process of text steganography method to hide a message from third party or any adversary. One of the important aspects on embedding process in text steganography method is the fitness performance of the stego key. Three parameters of the fitness performance of the stego key have been identified such as capacity ratio, embedded fitness ratio and saving space ratio. It is because a better as capacity ratio, embedded fitness ratio and saving space ratio offers of any stego key; a more message can be hidden. Therefore, main objective of this paper is to analyze three features coding based namely CALP, VERT and QUAD of stego keys in text steganography on their capacity ratio, embedded fitness ratio and saving space ratio. It is found that CALP method give a good effort performance compared to VERT and QUAD methods.

SSCL quality program overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedderick, R.V.; Threatt, D.C.

1992-01-01

The Quality Program for the Superconducing Super Collider Laboratory (SSCL) was developed for a number of reasons. The need for a quality program not only is a contractual requirement, but it also makes good economic sense to implement such a program. The quality program is the device used to coordinate the activities of different Laboratory organizations, such as Engineering and Procurement, and to improve operational reliability and safety. To be successful, the QA Program not only must satisfy Department of Energy (DOE) requirements and provide for flowdown of requirements to performing organizations, but must also be flexible enough so that the program is tailored to meet the needs of each internal organization. The keys to success are management support, acceptance by personnel, and cost effectiveness. These three items are assured by involving appropriate management at each step of program development, by personnel training and by feedback, and by programs to reduce defects and improve quality. Equally valuable is involvement of key organizations in program development. We will describe the basic SSCL Quality Program requirements, how the requirements are tailored to the needs of Laboratory organizations, and how the effectiveness of the program is validated

Calibration parameters used to simulate streamflow from application of the Hydrologic Simulation Program-FORTRAN Model (HSPF) to mountainous basins containing coal mines in West Virginia

Science.gov (United States)

Atkins, John T.; Wiley, Jeffrey B.; Paybins, Katherine S.

2005-01-01

This report presents the Hydrologic Simulation Program-FORTRAN Model (HSPF) parameters for eight basins in the coal-mining region of West Virginia. The magnitude and characteristics of model parameters from this study will assist users of HSPF in simulating streamflow at other basins in the coal-mining region of West Virginia. The parameter for nominal capacity of the upper-zone storage, UZSN, increased from south to north. The increase in UZSN with the increase in basin latitude could be due to decreasing slopes, decreasing rockiness of the soils, and increasing soil depths from south to north. A special action was given to the parameter for fraction of ground-water inflow that flows to inactive ground water, DEEPFR. The basis for this special action was related to the seasonal movement of the water table and transpiration from trees. The models were most sensitive to DEEPFR and the parameter for interception storage capacity, CEPSC. The models were also fairly sensitive to the parameter for an index representing the infiltration capacity of the soil, INFILT; the parameter for indicating the behavior of the ground-water recession flow, KVARY; the parameter for the basic ground-water recession rate, AGWRC; the parameter for nominal capacity of the upper zone storage, UZSN; the parameter for the interflow inflow, INTFW; the parameter for the interflow recession constant, IRC; and the parameter for lower zone evapotranspiration, LZETP.

SEAKEYS - Long Key 2003 Meteorological and Oceanographic Observations (NODC Accession 0058097)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The Florida Institute of Oceanography's (FIO)SEAKEYS (Sustained Ecological Research Related to Management of the Florida Keys Seascape) program began in 1989 and has...

Assessment of chronic kidney disease using skin texture as a key parameter: for South Indian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Udhayarasu, Madhanlal; Ramakrishnan, Kalpana; Periasamy, Soundararajan

2017-12-01

Periodical monitoring of renal function, specifically for subjects with history of diabetic or hypertension would prevent them from entering into chronic kidney disease (CKD) condition. The recent increase in numbers may be due to food habits or lack of physical exercise, necessitates a rapid kidney function monitoring system. Presently, it is determined by evaluating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) that is mainly dependent on serum creatinine value and demographic parameters and ethnic value. Attempted here is to develop ethnic parameter based on skin texture for every individual. This value when used in GFR computation, the results are much agreeable with GFR obtained through standard modification of diet in renal disease and CKD epidemiology collaboration equations. Once correlation between CKD and skin texture is established, classification tool using artificial neural network is built to categorise CKD level based on demographic values and parameter obtained through skin texture (without using creatinine). This network when tested gives almost at par results with the network that is trained with demographic and creatinine values. The results of this Letter demonstrate the possibility of non-invasively determining kidney function and hence for making a device that would readily assess the kidney function even at home.

An application of different dioids in public key cryptography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Durcheva, Mariana I.

2014-01-01

Dioids provide a natural framework for analyzing a broad class of discrete event dynamical systems such as the design and analysis of bus and railway timetables, scheduling of high-throughput industrial processes, solution of combinatorial optimization problems, the analysis and improvement of flow systems in communication networks. They have appeared in several branches of mathematics such as functional analysis, optimization, stochastic systems and dynamic programming, tropical geometry, fuzzy logic. In this paper we show how to involve dioids in public key cryptography. The main goal is to create key – exchange protocols based on dioids. Additionally the digital signature scheme is presented

An application of different dioids in public key cryptography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Durcheva, Mariana I., E-mail: mdurcheva66@gmail.com [Technical University of Sofia, Faculty of Applied Mathematics and Informatics, 8 Kliment Ohridski St., Sofia 1000 (Bulgaria)

2014-11-18

Dioids provide a natural framework for analyzing a broad class of discrete event dynamical systems such as the design and analysis of bus and railway timetables, scheduling of high-throughput industrial processes, solution of combinatorial optimization problems, the analysis and improvement of flow systems in communication networks. They have appeared in several branches of mathematics such as functional analysis, optimization, stochastic systems and dynamic programming, tropical geometry, fuzzy logic. In this paper we show how to involve dioids in public key cryptography. The main goal is to create key – exchange protocols based on dioids. Additionally the digital signature scheme is presented.

Assessment of Food Chain Pathway Parameters in Biosphere Models: Annual Progress Report for Fiscal Year 2004

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Napier, Bruce A.; Krupka, Kenneth M.; Fellows, Robert J.; Cataldo, Dominic A.; Valenta, Michelle M.; Gilmore, Tyler J.

2004-12-02

This Annual Progress Report describes the work performed and summarizes some of the key observations to date on the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s project Assessment of Food Chain Pathway Parameters in Biosphere Models, which was established to assess and evaluate a number of key parameters used in the food-chain models used in performance assessments of radioactive waste disposal facilities. Section 2 of this report describes activities undertaken to collect samples of soils from three regions of the United States, the Southeast, Northwest, and Southwest, and perform analyses to characterize their physical and chemical properties. Section 3 summarizes information gathered regarding agricultural practices and common and unusual crops grown in each of these three areas. Section 4 describes progress in studying radionuclide uptake in several representative crops from the three soil types in controlled laboratory conditions. Section 5 describes a range of international coordination activities undertaken by Project staff in order to support the underlying data needs of the Project. Section 6 provides a very brief summary of the status of the GENII Version 2 computer program, which is a “client” of the types of data being generated by the Project, and for which the Project will be providing training to the US NRC staff in the coming Fiscal Year. Several appendices provide additional supporting information.

Multi-Parameter Measurement in Unseeded Flows using Femtosecond Lasers

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Our approach is to use new turn-key femtosecond laser technology along with new high-speed CMOS camera technology to build a multi-parameter measurement system based...

Patient safety in a physics service medical. Checklist of key parameters to be revised before the dossier of the patient out of service; Seguridad del paciente en un servicio de fisica medica. Checklist de parametros clave a ser revisados antes de que el dossier del paciente salga del servicio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Font Gomez, J. A.; Gandia Martinez, A.; Jimenez Albericio, F. J.; Andres Redondo, M. M.; Mengual Gil, M. A.

2013-07-01

In aviation, operating rooms, etc. long checklists used parameters considered important / vital for review prior to the completion of work in the interest of safety. This ensures that any parameters key will be ignored by the computer so that it could cause future problems. (Author)

A History of Probabilistic Inductive Logic Programming

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fabrizio eRiguzzi

2014-09-01

Full Text Available The field of Probabilistic Logic Programming (PLP has seen significant advances in the last 20 years, with many proposals for languages that combine probability with logic programming. Since the start, the problem of learning probabilistic logic programs has been the focus of much attention. Learning these programs represents a whole subfield of Inductive Logic Programming (ILP. In Probabilistic ILP (PILP two problems are considered: learning the parameters of a program given the structure (the rules and learning both the structure and the parameters. Usually structure learning systems use parameter learning as a subroutine. In this article we present an overview of PILP and discuss the main results.

Finite-size analysis of continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xueying; Zhang, Yichen; Zhao, Yijia; Wang, Xiangyu; Yu, Song; Guo, Hong

2017-10-01

We study the impact of the finite-size effect on the continuous-variable measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (CV-MDI QKD) protocol, mainly considering the finite-size effect on the parameter estimation procedure. The central-limit theorem and maximum likelihood estimation theorem are used to estimate the parameters. We also analyze the relationship between the number of exchanged signals and the optimal modulation variance in the protocol. It is proved that when Charlie's position is close to Bob, the CV-MDI QKD protocol has the farthest transmission distance in the finite-size scenario. Finally, we discuss the impact of finite-size effects related to the practical detection in the CV-MDI QKD protocol. The overall results indicate that the finite-size effect has a great influence on the secret-key rate of the CV-MDI QKD protocol and should not be ignored.

Elevation profile influence at key contractual performance parameters for LDS (Leak Detection Systems) based on compensated volume balance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liebenberg, Lieb [TRANSNET Pipeline, Durban (South Africa); Bueno, David; Passos, Rafaela [KANOPUS Consulting, Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2009-07-01

This paper describes and discusses procedures and correlations to estimate performance parameters for Leak Detection Systems based on Compensation Volume Balance, at the portions not usually covered by international standards (like, API RP 1130). These parameters include: minimum acceptable leakage to be detected, under steady state conditions, based on flow measurement uncertainty, observed for both pipeline head and tail; an actual flow rate uncertainty against the one informed by the flow meter manufacturer documentation; the reference flow rate for steady state conditions; and the sensitivity one may expect for the system against a given probability of false alarms (i.e., the ways to correlate reliability, the main performance parameter as per API RP 1130 and sensitivity, the second one). A question usually not considered is: how the elevation profile may affect some of these parameters. That is the second main objective addressed herein, with actual examples employed in a South African multi product pipeline. (author)

Hansen Solubility Parameters for Octahedral Oligomeric Silsesquioxanes

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-28

1997, 80, 386-&. 5. Hansen, C. M. The three-dimensional solubility parameter -- key to paint component affinities I. J. Paint Technol. 1967, 39, 104...Chai, J.; Zhang, Q. X.; Han, D. X.; Niu, L. Synthesis and Application of Widely Soluble Graphene Sheets. Langmuir 2010, 26, 12314-12320. 12. Hansen, C

Turn-key SRF accelerators to drive subcritical reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johnson, Rolland P.

2011-01-01

Large particle accelerator projects, both accomplished and proposed, have been used to engage US industry through contracts and grants to develop efficient capabilities to design, develop, produce, and deliver entire accelerator systems or any needed subsystems. Staffed in many cases by experienced scientists and engineers from National Laboratories and Universities, existing companies could extend their portfolios to offer turn-key accelerators with parameters to match the needs of ADS. If the reactors were based on molten salt fuel such that trip rate requirements were relaxed, the developments needed for a multi-MW proton accelerator for ADS would be minimal. Turn-key SRF proton linacs for ADS operation can be ordered now to enable GW-level power generation from natural thorium, natural uranium, or nuclear waste from conventional reactors. (author)

Understanding the “black box” of a health-promotion program: Keys to enable health among older persons aging in the context of migration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emmelie Barenfeld

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Although the need to make health services more accessible to persons who have migrated has been identified, knowledge about health-promotion programs (HPPs from the perspective of older persons born abroad is lacking. This study explores the design experiences and content implemented in an adapted version of a group-based HPP developed in a researcher–community partnership. Fourteen persons aged 70–83 years or older who had migrated to Sweden from Finland or the Balkan Peninsula were included. A grounded theory approach guided the data collection and analysis. The findings showed how participants and personnel jointly helped raise awareness. The participants experienced three key processes that could open doors to awareness: enabling community, providing opportunities to understand and be understood, and confirming human values and abilities. Depending on how the HPP content and design are being shaped by the group, the key processes could both inhibit or encourage opening doors to awareness. Therefore, this study provides key insights into how to enable health by deepening the understanding of how the exchange of health-promoting messages is experienced to be facilitated or hindered. This study adds to the scientific knowledge base of how the design and content of HPP may support and recognize the capabilities of persons aging in the context of migration.

Multi-party Measurement-Device-Independent Quantum Key Distribution Based on Cluster States

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Chuanqi; Zhu, Changhua; Ma, Shuquan; Pei, Changxing

2018-03-01

We propose a novel multi-party measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) protocol based on cluster states. A four-photon analyzer which can distinguish all the 16 cluster states serves as the measurement device for four-party MDI-QKD. Any two out of four participants can build secure keys after the analyzers obtains successful outputs and the two participants perform post-processing. We derive a security analysis for the protocol, and analyze the key rates under different values of polarization misalignment. The results show that four-party MDI-QKD is feasible over 280 km in the optical fiber channel when the key rate is about 10- 6 with the polarization misalignment parameter 0.015. Moreover, our work takes an important step toward a quantum communication network.

Public key infrastructure for DOE security research

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aiken, R.; Foster, I.; Johnston, W.E. [and others

1997-06-01

This document summarizes the Department of Energy`s Second Joint Energy Research/Defence Programs Security Research Workshop. The workshop, built on the results of the first Joint Workshop which reviewed security requirements represented in a range of mission-critical ER and DP applications, discussed commonalties and differences in ER/DP requirements and approaches, and identified an integrated common set of security research priorities. One significant conclusion of the first workshop was that progress in a broad spectrum of DOE-relevant security problems and applications could best be addressed through public-key cryptography based systems, and therefore depended upon the existence of a robust, broadly deployed public-key infrastructure. Hence, public-key infrastructure ({open_quotes}PKI{close_quotes}) was adopted as a primary focus for the second workshop. The Second Joint Workshop covered a range of DOE security research and deployment efforts, as well as summaries of the state of the art in various areas relating to public-key technologies. Key findings were that a broad range of DOE applications can benefit from security architectures and technologies built on a robust, flexible, widely deployed public-key infrastructure; that there exists a collection of specific requirements for missing or undeveloped PKI functionality, together with a preliminary assessment of how these requirements can be met; that, while commercial developments can be expected to provide many relevant security technologies, there are important capabilities that commercial developments will not address, due to the unique scale, performance, diversity, distributed nature, and sensitivity of DOE applications; that DOE should encourage and support research activities intended to increase understanding of security technology requirements, and to develop critical components not forthcoming from other sources in a timely manner.

Key Findings and Recommendations for Technology Transfer at the ITS JPO

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-18

This report provides key findings and recommendations for technology transfer at the Intelligent Transportation Systems Joint Program Office (ITS JPO) based upon an assessment of best practices in technology transfer in other industries, such as nati...

Manet key management via Mobile Ficlke Key protocol (MFK ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Manet key management via Mobile Ficlke Key protocol (MFK) ... Journal of Fundamental and Applied Sciences. Journal Home · ABOUT THIS JOURNAL ... No Abstract. Keywords: MANET; key management scheme; simulation environment ...

Determining Mechanical Parameters for Spin in Tennis Strings

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bendtsen, Kaare; Rasmussen, Kasper; Hansen, Martin B.

2015-01-01

The ability to generate spin is a key element for any tennis player. However, the mechanical parameters of tennis strings which contribute to producing spin are poorly understood. This study attempted to determine some of these parameters through a spin test and a tensile test. Nine different...... string types with different gauges, geometry, price and user ratings were tested. The main finding of the study was that the three gauges of MSV Co Focus were able to generate significantly (p

Identifying parameter regions for multistationarity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Conradi, Carsten; Feliu, Elisenda; Mincheva, Maya

2017-01-01

is the avoidance of numerical analysis and parameter sampling. The procedure consists of a number of steps. Each of these steps might be addressed algorithmically using various computer programs and available software, or manually. We demonstrate our procedure on several models of gene transcription and cell...

GOT C+: A Herschel Space Observatory Key Program to Study the Diffuse ISM

Science.gov (United States)

Langer, William; Velusamy, T.; Goldsmith, P. F.; Li, D.; Pineda, J.; Yorke, H.

2010-01-01

Star formation activity is regulated by pressures in the interstellar medium, which in turn depend on heating and cooling rates, modulated by the gravitational potential, and shock and turbulent pressures. To understand these processes we need information about the diffuse atomic and diffuse molecular gas cloud properties. The ionized carbon CII fine structure line at 1.9 THz is an important tracer of the atomic gas in the diffuse regions and the atomic to molecular cloud transformation. Furthermore, C+ is a major ISM coolant, the Galaxy's strongest emission line, with a total luminosity about a 1000 times that of CO J=1-0. Galactic Observations of the Terahertz C+ Line (GOT C+) is a Herschel Space Observatory Open Time Key Program to study the diffuse interstellar medium by sampling CII line emission throughout the Galactic disk. GOT C+ will obtain high spectral resolution CII using the Heterodyne Instrument for the Far Infrared (HIFI) instrument. It employees deep integrations, wide velocity coverage (350 km s-1) with 0.22 km s-1 resolution, and systematic sparse sampling of the Galactic disk together with observations of selected targets, of over 900 lines of sight. It will be a resource of the atomic gas properties, in the (a) Galactic disk, (b) Galaxy's central 300pc, (c) Galactic warp, (d) high latitude HI clouds, and (e) Photon Dominated Regions (PDRs). Along with HI, CO isotopes, and CI spectra, our C+ data will provide the astronomical community with a rich statistical database of diffuse cloud properties, for understanding the role of barometric pressure and turbulence in cloud evolution in the Galactic ISM and, by extension, other galaxies. The GOT C+ project will provide a template for future even larger-scale CII surveys. This research was conducted at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology and is supported by a NASA grant.

Dakota, a multilevel parallel object-oriented framework for design optimization, parameter estimation, uncertainty quantification, and sensitivity analysis :

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Adams, Brian M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Ebeida, Mohamed Salah [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Eldred, Michael S. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Jakeman, John Davis [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Swiler, Laura Painton [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Stephens, John Adam [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Vigil, Dena M. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Wildey, Timothy Michael [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bohnhoff, William J. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Eddy, John P. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hu, Kenneth T. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Dalbey, Keith R. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Bauman, Lara E [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Hough, Patricia Diane [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2014-05-01

The Dakota (Design Analysis Kit for Optimization and Terascale Applications) toolkit provides a exible and extensible interface between simulation codes and iterative analysis methods. Dakota contains algorithms for optimization with gradient and nongradient-based methods; uncertainty quanti cation with sampling, reliability, and stochastic expansion methods; parameter estimation with nonlinear least squares methods; and sensitivity/variance analysis with design of experiments and parameter study methods. These capabilities may be used on their own or as components within advanced strategies such as surrogate-based optimization, mixed integer nonlinear programming, or optimization under uncertainty. By employing object-oriented design to implement abstractions of the key components required for iterative systems analyses, the Dakota toolkit provides a exible and extensible problem-solving environment for design and performance analysis of computational models on high performance computers. This report serves as a user's manual for the Dakota software and provides capability overviews and procedures for software execution, as well as a variety of example studies.

Neutrino versus antineutrino oscillation parameters at DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande experiments

Science.gov (United States)

de Gouvêa, André; Kelly, Kevin J.

2017-11-01

Testing, in a nontrivial, model-independent way, the hypothesis that the three-massive-neutrinos paradigm properly describes nature is among the main goals of the current and the next generation of neutrino oscillation experiments. In the coming decade, the DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande experiments will be able to study the oscillation of both neutrinos and antineutrinos with unprecedented precision. We explore the ability of these experiments, and combinations of them, to determine whether the parameters that govern these oscillations are the same for neutrinos and antineutrinos, as prescribed by the C P T -theorem. We find that both DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande will be sensitive to unexplored levels of leptonic C P T -violation. Assuming the parameters for neutrino and antineutrino oscillations are unrelated, we discuss the ability of these experiments to determine the neutrino and antineutrino mass-hierarchies, atmospheric-mixing octants, and C P -odd phases, three key milestones of the experimental neutrino physics program. Additionally, if the C P T -symmetry is violated in nature in a way that is consistent with all present neutrino and antineutrino oscillation data, we find that DUNE and Hyper-Kamiokande have the potential to ultimately establish leptonic C P T -invariance violation.

Genome-wide identification of key modulators of gene-gene interaction networks in breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiu, Yu-Chiao; Wang, Li-Ju; Hsiao, Tzu-Hung; Chuang, Eric Y; Chen, Yidong

2017-10-03

With the advances in high-throughput gene profiling technologies, a large volume of gene interaction maps has been constructed. A higher-level layer of gene-gene interaction, namely modulate gene interaction, is composed of gene pairs of which interaction strengths are modulated by (i.e., dependent on) the expression level of a key modulator gene. Systematic investigations into the modulation by estrogen receptor (ER), the best-known modulator gene, have revealed the functional and prognostic significance in breast cancer. However, a genome-wide identification of key modulator genes that may further unveil the landscape of modulated gene interaction is still lacking. We proposed a systematic workflow to screen for key modulators based on genome-wide gene expression profiles. We designed four modularity parameters to measure the ability of a putative modulator to perturb gene interaction networks. Applying the method to a dataset of 286 breast tumors, we comprehensively characterized the modularity parameters and identified a total of 973 key modulator genes. The modularity of these modulators was verified in three independent breast cancer datasets. ESR1, the encoding gene of ER, appeared in the list, and abundant novel modulators were illuminated. For instance, a prognostic predictor of breast cancer, SFRP1, was found the second modulator. Functional annotation analysis of the 973 modulators revealed involvements in ER-related cellular processes as well as immune- and tumor-associated functions. Here we present, as far as we know, the first comprehensive analysis of key modulator genes on a genome-wide scale. The validity of filtering parameters as well as the conservativity of modulators among cohorts were corroborated. Our data bring new insights into the modulated layer of gene-gene interaction and provide candidates for further biological investigations.

In vivo quantitative evaluation of vascular parameters for angiogenesis based on sparse principal component analysis and aggregated boosted trees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, Fengjun; Liu, Junting; Qu, Xiaochao; Xu, Xianhui; Chen, Xueli; Yang, Xiang; Liang, Jimin; Tian, Jie; Cao, Feng

2014-01-01

To solve the multicollinearity issue and unequal contribution of vascular parameters for the quantification of angiogenesis, we developed a quantification evaluation method of vascular parameters for angiogenesis based on in vivo micro-CT imaging of hindlimb ischemic model mice. Taking vascular volume as the ground truth parameter, nine vascular parameters were first assembled into sparse principal components (PCs) to reduce the multicolinearity issue. Aggregated boosted trees (ABTs) were then employed to analyze the importance of vascular parameters for the quantification of angiogenesis via the loadings of sparse PCs. The results demonstrated that vascular volume was mainly characterized by vascular area, vascular junction, connectivity density, segment number and vascular length, which indicated they were the key vascular parameters for the quantification of angiogenesis. The proposed quantitative evaluation method was compared with both the ABTs directly using the nine vascular parameters and Pearson correlation, which were consistent. In contrast to the ABTs directly using the vascular parameters, the proposed method can select all the key vascular parameters simultaneously, because all the key vascular parameters were assembled into the sparse PCs with the highest relative importance. (paper)

FANAC - a shape analysis program for resonance parameter extraction from neutron capture data for light and medium-weight nuclei

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Froehner, F.H.

1977-11-01

A least-squares shape analysis program is described which is used at the Karlsruhe Nuclear Research Center for the extraction of resonance parameters from high-resolution capture data. The FORTRAN program was written for light to medium-weight or near-magic target nuclei whose cross sections are characterized on one hand by broad s-wave levels with negligible Doppler broadening but pronounced multi-level interference, on the other hand by narrow p-, d- ... wave resonances with negligible multi-level interference but pronounced Doppler broadening. Accordingly the Reich-Moore multi-level formalism without Doppler broadening is used for s-wave levels, and a single-level description with Doppler braodening for p-, d- ... wave levels. Calculated capture yields are resolution broadened. Multiple-collision events are simulated by Monte Carlo techniques. Up to five different time-of-flight capture data sets can be fitted simultaneously for samples containing up to ten isotopes. Input and output examples are given and a FORTRAN list is appended. (orig.)

Coastal Mapping Program Project FL1305: CEDAR KEY TO CLEARWATER, FL.

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The objective of the Coastal Mapping Program is to provide surveying and mapping information of our nation's coastline. This shoreline mapping effort also supports...

Handbook of methods for the analysis of the various parameters of the carbon dioxide system in sea water. Version 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dickson, A.G.; Goyet, C. [eds.

1994-09-01

The collection of extensive, reliable, oceanic carbon data is a key component of the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS). A portion of the US JGOFS oceanic carbon dioxide measurements will be made during the World Ocean Circulation Experiment Hydrographic Program. A science team has been formed to plan and coordinate the various activities needed to produce high quality oceanic carbon dioxide measurements under this program. This handbook was prepared at the request of, and with the active participation of, that science team. The procedures have been agreed on by the members of the science team and describe well tested methods. They are intended to provide standard operating procedures, together with an appropriate quality control plan, for measurements made as part of this survey. These are not the only measurement techniques in use for the parameters of the oceanic carbon system; however, they do represent the current state-of-the-art for ship-board measurements. In the end, the editors hope that this handbook can serve widely as a clear and unambiguous guide to other investigators who are setting up to analyze the various parameters of the carbon dioxide system in sea water.

Fuzzy Multi-objective Linear Programming Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amna Rehmat

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Traveling salesman problem (TSP is one of the challenging real-life problems, attracting researchers of many fields including Artificial Intelligence, Operations Research, and Algorithm Design and Analysis. The problem has been well studied till now under different headings and has been solved with different approaches including genetic algorithms and linear programming. Conventional linear programming is designed to deal with crisp parameters, but information about real life systems is often available in the form of vague descriptions. Fuzzy methods are designed to handle vague terms, and are most suited to finding optimal solutions to problems with vague parameters. Fuzzy multi-objective linear programming, an amalgamation of fuzzy logic and multi-objective linear programming, deals with flexible aspiration levels or goals and fuzzy constraints with acceptable deviations. In this paper, a methodology, for solving a TSP with imprecise parameters, is deployed using fuzzy multi-objective linear programming. An example of TSP with multiple objectives and vague parameters is discussed.

Achieving High Accuracy in Calculations of NMR Parameters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faber, Rasmus

quantum chemical methods have been developed, the calculation of NMR parameters with quantitative accuracy is far from trivial. In this thesis I address some of the issues that makes accurate calculation of NMR parameters so challenging, with the main focus on SSCCs. High accuracy quantum chemical......, but no programs were available to perform such calculations. As part of this thesis the CFOUR program has therefore been extended to allow the calculation of SSCCs using the CC3 method. CC3 calculations of SSCCs have then been performed for several molecules, including some difficult cases. These results show...... vibrations must be included. The calculation of vibrational corrections to NMR parameters has been reviewed as part of this thesis. A study of the basis set convergence of vibrational corrections to nuclear shielding constants has also been performed. The basis set error in vibrational correction...

Emergency medical services key performance measurement in Asian cities.

Science.gov (United States)

Rahman, Nik Hisamuddin; Tanaka, Hideharu; Shin, Sang Do; Ng, Yih Yng; Piyasuwankul, Thammapad; Lin, Chih-Hao; Ong, Marcus Eng Hock

2015-01-01

One of the key principles in the recommended standards is that emergency medical service (EMS) providers should continuously monitor the quality and safety of their services. This requires service providers to implement performance monitoring using appropriate and relevant measures including key performance indicators. In Asia, EMS systems are at different developmental phases and maturity. This will create difficultly in benchmarking or assessing the quality of EMS performance across the region. An attempt was made to compare the EMS performance index based on the structure, process, and outcome analysis. The data was collected from the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcome Study (PAROS) data among few Asian cities, namely, Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and Seoul. The parameters of inclusions were broadly divided into structure, process, and outcome measurements. The data was collected by the site investigators from each city and keyed into the electronic web-based data form which is secured strictly by username and passwords. Generally, there seems to be a more uniformity for EMS performance parameters among the more developed EMS systems. The major problem with the EMS agencies in the cities of developing countries like Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur is inadequate or unavailable data pertaining to EMS performance. There is non-uniformity in the EMS performance measurement across the Asian cities. This creates difficulty for EMS performance index comparison and benchmarking. Hopefully, in the future, collaborative efforts such as the PAROS networking group will further enhance the standardization in EMS performance reporting across the region.

Key components of financial-analysis education for clinical nurses.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Ji Young; Noh, Wonjung

2015-09-01

In this study, we identified key components of financial-analysis education for clinical nurses. We used a literature review, focus group discussions, and a content validity index survey to develop key components of financial-analysis education. First, a wide range of references were reviewed, and 55 financial-analysis education components were gathered. Second, two focus group discussions were performed; the participants were 11 nurses who had worked for more than 3 years in a hospital, and nine components were agreed upon. Third, 12 professionals, including professors, nurse executive, nurse managers, and an accountant, participated in the content validity index. Finally, six key components of financial-analysis education were selected. These key components were as follows: understanding the need for financial analysis, introduction to financial analysis, reading and implementing balance sheets, reading and implementing income statements, understanding the concepts of financial ratios, and interpretation and practice of financial ratio analysis. The results of this study will be used to develop an education program to increase financial-management competency among clinical nurses. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

OCWM Transportation Institutional Program Update on Collaborative Efforts with Key Stakeholders

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saris, E.; Austin, P.; Offner, J.J.

2004-01-01

The Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management (OCRWM) created the Office of National Transportation in 2003 recognizing the need to revitalize and accelerate development of the transportation system. The Department has made a commitment to work through a collaborative planning process before developing specific policies and procedures and making transportation decisions. OCRWM has begun to build the institutional framework to support development of this transportation system. Interactions with stakeholders have been initiated. The authors describe the key stakeholders, identified issues, regional and national planning activities, and mechanisms for interaction

Optimization of the key geological target parameters of shale-gas horizontal wells in the Changning Block, Sichuan Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongzhi Yang

2016-12-01

Full Text Available In recent years, great progress has been made in geologic evaluation, engineering test and development optimization of the Lower Cambrian Wufeng Fm–Lower Silurian Longmaxi Fm shale gas in the Sichuan Basin, and the main shale gas exploitation technologies have been understood preliminarily. In addition, scale productivity construction has been completed in Jiaoshiba, Changning and Weiyuan blocks. In this paper, the Wufeng Fm–Longmaxi Fm shale gas wells in Changning Block were taken as the study object to provide technical reference for the development design of similar shale-gas horizontal wells. The technology combining geology with engineering, dynamic with static, and statistical analysis with simulation prediction was applied to quantify the main factors controlling shale-gas well productivity, develop the shale-gas well production prediction model, and optimize the key technical parameters of geologic target of shale-gas horizontal wells in the block (e.g. roadway orientation, location and spacing, horizontal section length and gas well production index. In order to realize high productivity of shale gas wells, it is necessary to maximize the included angle between the horizontal section orientation and the maximum major stress and fracture development direction, deploy horizontal-well roadway in top-quality shale layers, and drill the horizontal section in type I reservoirs over 1000 m long. It is concluded that high productivity of shale gas wells is guaranteed by the horizontal-well wellbore integrity and the optimized low-viscosity slickwater and ceramsite fracturing technology for complex fracture creation. Based on the research results, the technical policies for shale gas development of Changning Block are prepared and a guidance and reference are provided for the shale gas development and productivity construction in the block and the development design of similar shale-gas horizontal wells.

The standard for program management

CERN Document Server

2017-01-01

The Standard for Program Management – Fourth Edition differs from prior editions by focusing on the principles of good program management. Program activities have been realigned to program lifecycle phases rather than topics, and the first section was expanded to address the key roles of program manager, program sponsor and program management office. It has also been updated to better align with PMI’s Governance of Portfolios, Programs, and Projects: A Practice Guide.

Excitation functions of parameters in Erlang distribution, Schwinger mechanism, and Tsallis statistics in RHIC BES program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Li-Na; Liu, Fu-Hu; Lacey, Roy A.

2016-01-01

Experimental results of the transverse-momentum distributions of φ mesons and Ω hyperons produced in gold-gold (Au-Au) collisions with different centrality intervals, measured by the STAR Collaboration at different energies (7.7, 11.5, 19.6, 27, and 39 GeV) in the beam energy scan (BES) program at the relativistic heavy-ion collider (RHIC), are approximately described by the single Erlang distribution and the two-component Schwinger mechanism. Moreover, the STAR experimental transverse-momentum distributions of negatively charged particles, produced in Au-Au collisions at RHIC BES energies, are approximately described by the two-component Erlang distribution and the single Tsallis statistics. The excitation functions of free parameters are obtained from the fit to the experimental data. A weak softest point in the string tension in Ω hyperon spectra is observed at 7.7 GeV. (orig.)

Hacking on decoy-state quantum key distribution system with partial phase randomization

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Shi-Hai; Jiang, Mu-Sheng; Ma, Xiang-Chun; Li, Chun-Yan; Liang, Lin-Mei

2014-04-01

Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides means for unconditional secure key transmission between two distant parties. However, in practical implementations, it suffers from quantum hacking due to device imperfections. Here we propose a hybrid measurement attack, with only linear optics, homodyne detection, and single photon detection, to the widely used vacuum + weak decoy state QKD system when the phase of source is partially randomized. Our analysis shows that, in some parameter regimes, the proposed attack would result in an entanglement breaking channel but still be able to trick the legitimate users to believe they have transmitted secure keys. That is, the eavesdropper is able to steal all the key information without discovered by the users. Thus, our proposal reveals that partial phase randomization is not sufficient to guarantee the security of phase-encoding QKD systems with weak coherent states.

Hacking on decoy-state quantum key distribution system with partial phase randomization.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Shi-Hai; Jiang, Mu-Sheng; Ma, Xiang-Chun; Li, Chun-Yan; Liang, Lin-Mei

2014-04-23

Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides means for unconditional secure key transmission between two distant parties. However, in practical implementations, it suffers from quantum hacking due to device imperfections. Here we propose a hybrid measurement attack, with only linear optics, homodyne detection, and single photon detection, to the widely used vacuum + weak decoy state QKD system when the phase of source is partially randomized. Our analysis shows that, in some parameter regimes, the proposed attack would result in an entanglement breaking channel but still be able to trick the legitimate users to believe they have transmitted secure keys. That is, the eavesdropper is able to steal all the key information without discovered by the users. Thus, our proposal reveals that partial phase randomization is not sufficient to guarantee the security of phase-encoding QKD systems with weak coherent states.

Development of methods of key performance indicators formation for corporate planning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chebotarev, A.N.

2011-01-01

A theoretical proposition, a model of enterprise performance management and a concept of balanced key performance indicators as a method to control the enterprise strategy have been systematized and presented. An algorithm that increases the efficiency of action plans' formation has been developed and implemented. In particular, a set of criteria for the selection of events and parameters necessary for the formation of an action plan has been created. A method of control of the business processes, allowing the experts to establish the relationship between the business processes performance indicators and the enterprise's key indicators has been developed [ru

Connecting Global to Local Parameters in Barred Galaxy Models

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

R. Narasimhan (Krishtel eMaging) 1461 1996 Oct 15 13:05:22

Key words. Galaxies: barred—orbits—global and local parameters. .... series near the stable Lagrange point L1, which coincides with the origin. Doing so, .... Toomre, A. 1981, In: The Structure and Evolution of Normal Galaxies, (eds) S. M. Fall,.

15 CFR Appendix I to Subpart P of... - Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Boundary Coordinates

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary... OF COMMERCE OCEAN AND COASTAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM REGULATIONS Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Pt. 922, Subpt. P, App. I Appendix I to Subpart P of Part 922...

Quantum key management

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hughes, Richard John; Thrasher, James Thomas; Nordholt, Jane Elizabeth

2016-11-29

Innovations for quantum key management harness quantum communications to form a cryptography system within a public key infrastructure framework. In example implementations, the quantum key management innovations combine quantum key distribution and a quantum identification protocol with a Merkle signature scheme (using Winternitz one-time digital signatures or other one-time digital signatures, and Merkle hash trees) to constitute a cryptography system. More generally, the quantum key management innovations combine quantum key distribution and a quantum identification protocol with a hash-based signature scheme. This provides a secure way to identify, authenticate, verify, and exchange secret cryptographic keys. Features of the quantum key management innovations further include secure enrollment of users with a registration authority, as well as credential checking and revocation with a certificate authority, where the registration authority and/or certificate authority can be part of the same system as a trusted authority for quantum key distribution.

Reflow Process Parameters Analysis and Reliability Prediction Considering Multiple Characteristic Values

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guo Yu

2016-01-01

Full Text Available As a major step surface mount technology, reflow process is the key factor affecting the quality of the final product. The setting parameters and characteristic value of temperature curve shows a nonlinear relationship. So parameter impacts on characteristic values are analyzed and the parameters adjustment process based on orthogonal experiment is proposed in the paper. First, setting parameters are determined and the orthogonal test is designed according to production conditions. Then each characteristic value for temperature profile is calculated. Further, multi-index orthogonal experiment is analyzed for acquiring the setting parameters which impacts the PCBA product quality greater. Finally, reliability prediction is carried out considering the main influencing parameters for providing a theoretical basis of parameters adjustment and product quality evaluation in engineering process.

Cryptanalysis of SFLASH with Slightly Modified Parameters

Science.gov (United States)

Dubois, Vivien; Fouque, Pierre-Alain; Stern, Jacques

SFLASH is a signature scheme which belongs to a family of multivariate schemes proposed by Patarin et al. in 1998 [9]. The SFLASH scheme itself has been designed in 2001 [8] and has been selected in 2003 by the NESSIE European Consortium [6] as the best known solution for implementation on low cost smart cards. In this paper, we show that slight modifications of the parameters of SFLASH within the general family initially proposed renders the scheme insecure. The attack uses simple linear algebra, and allows to forge a signature for an arbitrary message in a question of minutes for practical parameters, using only the public key. Although SFLASH itself is not amenable to our attack, it is worrying to observe that no rationale was ever offered for this "lucky" choice of parameters.

Sequence and batch language programs and alarm-related ``C`` programs for the 242-A MCS. Revision 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Berger, J.F.

1995-03-01

A Distributive Process Control system was purchased by Project B-534, ``242-A Evaporator/Crystallizer Upgrades``. This control system, called the Monitor and Control System (MCS), was installed in the 242-A Evaporator located in the 200 East Area. The purpose of the MCS is to monitor and control the Evaporator and monitor a number of alarms and other signals from various Tank Farm facilities. Applications software for the MCS was developed by the Waste Treatment Systems Engineering (WTSE) group of Westinghouse. The standard displays and alarm scheme provide for control and monitoring, but do not directly indicate the signal location or depict the overall process. To do this, WTSE developed a second alarm scheme which uses special programs, annunciator keys, and process graphics. The special programs are written in two languages; Sequence and Batch Language (SABL), and ``C`` language. The WTSE-developed alarm scheme works as described below: SABL relates signals and alarms to the annunciator keys, called SKID keys. When an alarm occurs, a SABL program causes a SKID key to flash, and if the alarm is of yellow or white priority then a ``C`` program turns on an audible horn (the D/3 system uses a different audible horn for the red priority alarms). The horn and flashing key draws the attention of the operator.

Quantum hacking: Saturation attack on practical continuous-variable quantum key distribution

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Hao; Kumar, Rupesh; Alléaume, Romain

2016-07-01

We identify and study a security loophole in continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CVQKD) implementations, related to the imperfect linearity of the homodyne detector. By exploiting this loophole, we propose an active side-channel attack on the Gaussian-modulated coherent-state CVQKD protocol combining an intercept-resend attack with an induced saturation of the homodyne detection on the receiver side (Bob). We show that an attacker can bias the excess noise estimation by displacing the quadratures of the coherent states received by Bob. We propose a saturation model that matches experimental measurements on the homodyne detection and use this model to study the impact of the saturation attack on parameter estimation in CVQKD. We demonstrate that this attack can bias the excess noise estimation beyond the null key threshold for any system parameter, thus leading to a full security break. If we consider an additional criterion imposing that the channel transmission estimation should not be affected by the attack, then the saturation attack can only be launched if the attenuation on the quantum channel is sufficient, corresponding to attenuations larger than approximately 6 dB. We moreover discuss the possible countermeasures against the saturation attack and propose a countermeasure based on Gaussian postselection that can be implemented by classical postprocessing and may allow one to distill the secret key when the raw measurement data are partly saturated.

Reservoir Identification: Parameter Characterization or Feature Classification

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, J.

2017-12-01

The ultimate goal of oil and gas exploration is to find the oil or gas reservoirs with industrial mining value. Therefore, the core task of modern oil and gas exploration is to identify oil or gas reservoirs on the seismic profiles. Traditionally, the reservoir is identify by seismic inversion of a series of physical parameters such as porosity, saturation, permeability, formation pressure, and so on. Due to the heterogeneity of the geological medium, the approximation of the inversion model and the incompleteness and noisy of the data, the inversion results are highly uncertain and must be calibrated or corrected with well data. In areas where there are few wells or no well, reservoir identification based on seismic inversion is high-risk. Reservoir identification is essentially a classification issue. In the identification process, the underground rocks are divided into reservoirs with industrial mining value and host rocks with non-industrial mining value. In addition to the traditional physical parameters classification, the classification may be achieved using one or a few comprehensive features. By introducing the concept of seismic-print, we have developed a new reservoir identification method based on seismic-print analysis. Furthermore, we explore the possibility to use deep leaning to discover the seismic-print characteristics of oil and gas reservoirs. Preliminary experiments have shown that the deep learning of seismic data could distinguish gas reservoirs from host rocks. The combination of both seismic-print analysis and seismic deep learning is expected to be a more robust reservoir identification method. The work was supported by NSFC under grant No. 41430323 and No. U1562219, and the National Key Research and Development Program under Grant No. 2016YFC0601

MODALITIES OF TRAINING PARAMETER ALTERNATION IN NOWADAYS STRENGTH TRAINING PRACTICE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RANISAVLJEV IGOR

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Large number of variables could be alternated during the process of planning and programming in sports training. Superior training results in majority of sports are achieved by optimally manipulating training parameters in appropriate sequences and combinations. Additionally, in some sports they might be the result of appropriate periodization pattern. Today's tendency in strength training practice is training movements instead of training muscles. Exercise classification according to the dominant movement types, allows creating new modalities in training alternation. Additional variations in volume, intensity, rest brakes, repetition velocity andinter-repetition rest can be the important part of functional strength training program. Alternation and combination of different training parameters makes appropriate training stimulus for strength increase in the most of nowadays sports. Optimal alternation of basic training parameters should be the first part in the processof planning and programming. As a result, majority of athletes might not need advanced periodization patterns for optimal improvement in muscle strength and power

A distributed approach for parameters estimation in System Biology models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mosca, E.; Merelli, I.; Alfieri, R.; Milanesi, L.

2009-01-01

Due to the lack of experimental measurements, biological variability and experimental errors, the value of many parameters of the systems biology mathematical models is yet unknown or uncertain. A possible computational solution is the parameter estimation, that is the identification of the parameter values that determine the best model fitting respect to experimental data. We have developed an environment to distribute each run of the parameter estimation algorithm on a different computational resource. The key feature of the implementation is a relational database that allows the user to swap the candidate solutions among the working nodes during the computations. The comparison of the distributed implementation with the parallel one showed that the presented approach enables a faster and better parameter estimation of systems biology models.

Curated Collections for Educators: Five Key Papers about Residents as Teachers Curriculum Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Krzyzaniak, Sara M; Cherney, Alan; Messman, Anne; Natesan, Sreeja; Overbeck, Michael; Schnapp, Benjamin; Boysen-Osborn, Megan

2018-02-04

The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires residency programs to prepare residents to teach and assess medical students and other learners. In order to achieve this, many programs develop formal residents as teachers (RAT) curricula. Medical educators may seek the guidance of previously published literature during the development of RAT programs at their institutions. The authors sought to identify key articles published on the subject of RAT programs over the last 10 years. The authors utilized a formal literature search with the help of a medical librarian and identified additional articles from virtual discussions among the author group and an open call for articles on Twitter using the hashtag #MedEd. Virtual discussions occurred within an online community of practice, the Academic Life in Emergency Medicine (ALiEM) Faculty Incubator. The lead author conducted a four-round modified Delphi process among the author group in order to narrow the broad article list to five key articles on RAT programs. The authors summarize each article and provide considerations for junior faculty as well as faculty developers. Curriculum development and program evaluation should utilize established frameworks and evidence-based approaches. The papers identified by this Delphi process will help faculty use best practices when creating or revising new RAT curriculum. In addition, faculty tasked with guiding junior faculty in this process or creating faculty development programs around curriculum development will find these articles to be a great resource for building content.

Data Programming: Creating Large Training Sets, Quickly

Science.gov (United States)

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

2018-01-01

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

Modeling the effect in of criticality from changes in key parameters for small High Temperature Nuclear Reactor (U-BatteryTM) using MCNP4C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pauzi, A M

2013-01-01

The neutron transport code, Monte Carlo N-Particle (MCNP) which was wellkown as the gold standard in predicting nuclear reaction was used to model the small nuclear reactor core called U -battery TM, which was develop by the University of Manchester and Delft Institute of Technology. The paper introduces on the concept of modeling the small reactor core, a high temperature reactor (HTR) type with small coated TRISO fuel particle in graphite matrix using the MCNPv4C software. The criticality of the core were calculated using the software and analysed by changing key parameters such coolant type, fuel type and enrichment levels, cladding materials, and control rod type. The criticality results from the simulation were validated using the SCALE 5.1 software by [1] M Ding and J L Kloosterman, 2010. The data produced from these analyses would be used as part of the process of proposing initial core layout and a provisional list of materials for newly design reactor core. In the future, the criticality study would be continued with different core configurations and geometries.

Key Concepts in Microbial Oceanography

Science.gov (United States)

Bruno, B. C.; Achilles, K.; Walker, G.; Weersing, K.; Team, A

2008-12-01

The Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) is a multi-institution Science and Technology Center, established by the National Science Foundation in 2006. C-MORE's research mission is to facilitate a more comprehensive understanding of the diverse assemblages of microorganisms in the sea, ranging from the genetic basis of marine microbial biogeochemistry including the metabolic regulation and environmental controls of gene expression, to the processes that underpin the fluxes of carbon, related bioelements, and energy in the marine environment. The C-MORE education and outreach program is focused on increasing scientific literacy in microbial oceanography among students, educators, and the general public. A first step toward this goal is defining the key concepts that constitute microbial oceanography. After lengthy discussions with scientists and educators, both within and outside C-MORE, we have arrived at six key concepts: 1) Marine microbes are very small and have been around for a long time; 2) Life on Earth could not exist without microbes; 3) Most marine microbes are beneficial; 4) Microbes are everywhere: they are extremely abundant and diverse; 5) Microbes significantly impact our global climate; and 6) There are new discoveries every day in the field of microbial oceanography. A C-MORE-produced brochure on these six key concepts will be distributed at the meeting. Advanced copies may be requested by email or downloaded from the C-MORE web site(http://cmore.soest.hawaii.edu/downloads/MO_key_concepts_hi-res.pdf). This brochure also includes information on career pathways in microbial oceanography, with the aim of broadening participation in the field. C-MORE is eager to work in partnership to incorporate these key concepts into other science literacy publications, particularly those involving ocean and climate literacy. We thank the following contributors and reviewers: P Chisholm, A Dolberry, and A Thompson (MIT); N Lawrence

Porting linac application programs to a windowing environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nonglaton, J.M.; Raich, U.

1992-01-01

We report our experience in porting Linac application programs written for Camac controlled hardware consoles to an X-Windows/Motif based workstation environment. Application programs acquire their parameter values from a front end computer (FEC), controlling the acceleration process, via a local area network. The timing for data acquisition and control is determined by the particle source timing. Two server programs on the FEC for repetitive acquisition and command-response mode will be described. The application programs on the workstations access a common parameter access server who establishes the necessary connection to the parameters on the FEC. It displays the parameter's current values and allows control through Motif widgets. An interactive synoptics editor and its corresponding driver program allow easy generation of synoptics displays and interaction through command panels. (author)

Practice Parameter for Child and Adolescent Forensic Evaluations

Science.gov (United States)

Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 2011

2011-01-01

This Parameter addresses the key concepts that differentiate the forensic evaluation of children and adolescents from a clinical assessment. There are ethical issues unique to the forensic evaluation, because the forensic evaluator's duty is to the person, court, or agency requesting the evaluation, rather than to the patient. The forensic…

Process Damping Parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, Sam

2011-01-01

The phenomenon of process damping as a stabilising effect in milling has been encountered by machinists since milling and turning began. It is of great importance when milling aerospace alloys where maximum surface speed is limited by excessive tool wear and high speed stability lobes cannot be attained. Much of the established research into regenerative chatter and chatter avoidance has focussed on stability lobe theory with different analytical and time domain models developed to expand on the theory first developed by Trusty and Tobias. Process damping is a stabilising effect that occurs when the surface speed is low relative to the dominant natural frequency of the system and has been less successfully modelled and understood. Process damping is believed to be influenced by the interference of the relief face of the cutting tool with the waveform traced on the cut surface, with material properties and the relief geometry of the tool believed to be key factors governing performance. This study combines experimental trials with Finite Element (FE) simulation in an attempt to identify and understand the key factors influencing process damping performance in titanium milling. Rake angle, relief angle and chip thickness are the variables considered experimentally with the FE study looking at average radial and tangential forces and surface compressive stress. For the experimental study a technique is developed to identify the critical process damping wavelength as a means of measuring process damping performance. For the range of parameters studied, chip thickness is found to be the dominant factor with maximum stable parameters increased by a factor of 17 in the best case. Within the range studied, relief angle was found to have a lesser effect than expected whilst rake angle had an influence.

A self-adaptive genetic algorithm to estimate JA model parameters considering minor loops

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, Hai-liang; Wen, Xi-shan; Lan, Lei; An, Yun-zhu; Li, Xiao-ping

2015-01-15

A self-adaptive genetic algorithm for estimating Jiles–Atherton (JA) magnetic hysteresis model parameters is presented. The fitness function is established based on the distances between equidistant key points of normalized hysteresis loops. Linearity function and logarithm function are both adopted to code the five parameters of JA model. Roulette wheel selection is used and the selection pressure is adjusted adaptively by deducting a proportional which depends on current generation common value. The Crossover operator is established by combining arithmetic crossover and multipoint crossover. Nonuniform mutation is improved by adjusting the mutation ratio adaptively. The algorithm is used to estimate the parameters of one kind of silicon-steel sheet’s hysteresis loops, and the results are in good agreement with published data. - Highlights: • We present a method to find JA parameters for both major and minor loops. • Fitness function is based on distances between key points of normalized loops. • The selection pressure is adjusted adaptively based on generations.

A self-adaptive genetic algorithm to estimate JA model parameters considering minor loops

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lu, Hai-liang; Wen, Xi-shan; Lan, Lei; An, Yun-zhu; Li, Xiao-ping

2015-01-01

A self-adaptive genetic algorithm for estimating Jiles–Atherton (JA) magnetic hysteresis model parameters is presented. The fitness function is established based on the distances between equidistant key points of normalized hysteresis loops. Linearity function and logarithm function are both adopted to code the five parameters of JA model. Roulette wheel selection is used and the selection pressure is adjusted adaptively by deducting a proportional which depends on current generation common value. The Crossover operator is established by combining arithmetic crossover and multipoint crossover. Nonuniform mutation is improved by adjusting the mutation ratio adaptively. The algorithm is used to estimate the parameters of one kind of silicon-steel sheet’s hysteresis loops, and the results are in good agreement with published data. - Highlights: • We present a method to find JA parameters for both major and minor loops. • Fitness function is based on distances between key points of normalized loops. • The selection pressure is adjusted adaptively based on generations

Caring Is the Key: Building a School-based Intergenerational Service Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Melcher, Joseph

This manual is designed for high school teachers and students who plan to participate in intergenerational community service programs. Intergenerational community service is a powerful teaching tool that introduces problem solving and active learning while enhancing self-esteem. Four case studies describe what schools in Pennsylvania are doing to…

Timetable Attractiveness Parameters

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schittenhelm, Bernd

2008-01-01

Timetable attractiveness is influenced by a set of key parameters that are described in this article. Regarding the superior structure of the timetable, the trend in Europe goes towards periodic regular interval timetables. Regular departures and focus on optimal transfer possibilities make...... these timetables attractive. The travel time in the timetable depends on the characteristics of the infrastructure and rolling stock, the heterogeneity of the planned train traffic and the necessary number of transfers on the passenger’s journey. Planned interdependencies between trains, such as transfers...... and heterogeneous traffic, add complexity to the timetable. The risk of spreading initial delays to other trains and parts of the network increases with the level of timetable complexity....

Workplace Mental Health Training in Health Care: Key Ingredients of Implementation.

Science.gov (United States)

Moll, Sandra E; VandenBussche, Jessica; Brooks, Katelyn; Kirsh, Bonnie; Stuart, Heather; Patten, Scott; MacDermid, Joy C

2018-01-01

Despite growing awareness of the importance of workplace mental health training and an increasing number of educational resources, there is a gap in knowledge regarding what shapes training effectiveness. The purpose of this study was to compare and describe the active ingredients of 2 workplace mental health education programs for health care workers. Within the context of a randomized clinical trial, a multimethod process evaluation was conducted to explore key process elements shaping implementation outcomes: the innovation, service recipients, service providers, and the organizational context. Data collection included descriptive statistics regarding program participation, postprogram interviews with a purposive sample of 18 service recipients, 182 responses to open-ended questions on postgroup and follow-up surveys, and field journal reflections on the process of implementation. Data analysis was informed by an interpretive description approach, using a process evaluation framework to categorize responses from all data sources, followed by within and cross-case comparison of data from both programs. Five key forces shaped the implementation and perceived outcomes of both programs: a contact-based education approach, information tailored to the workplace context, varied stakeholder perspectives, sufficient time to integrate and apply learning, and organizational support. The Beyond Silence program provided more opportunity for contact-based education, health care-specific content, and in-depth discussion of diverse perspectives. To increase mental health literacy and reduce stigma, workplace training should be based on best practice principles of contact-based education, with contextually relevant examples and support from all levels of the organization.

Laser fusion program overview

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Emmett, J.L.

1977-01-01

This program is structured to proceed through a series of well defined fusion milestones to proof of the scientific feasibility, of laser fusion with the Shiva Nova system. Concurrently, those key technical areas, such as advanced lasers, which are required to progress beyond proof of feasibility, are being studied. We have identified and quantified the opportunities and key technical issues in military applications, such as weapons effects simulations, and in civilian applications, such as central-station electric power production. We summarize the current status and future plans for the laser fusion program at LLL, emphasizing the civilian applications of laser fusion

Key Economic Parameters for an Optimal Pharmacy Network in a Regulated Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Franjo MLINARIC

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Pharmacies are an integral part of the modern healthcare system which strives for a holistic and effi cient care. General practitioners and pharmacists are held in high esteem among local communities as they are the fi rst point of contact when people have health issues. However, a strong demand for health services in developed countries and its present fi nancing schemes undermined the sustainability of the whole health system (8.9% of GDP in 2013 and growing. According to WHO and EU recommendations, the whole healthcare system shall accept a holistic approach and focus on education, prevention and proper medicine consume. Part of this strategy is a seamless care concept, where medical doctors and pharmacists build a team around the well-being of a patient. Financing scheme incentives and KPI’s (key performance indicators will be focused on keeping people healthy, instead of paying for procedures. The future healthcare ecosystem obliges pharmacists to optimize network coverage and to extend health services. Nevertheless, their growth strategy needs to be gradual, considering the present level of network coverage, the low pace of private and public expenditures for medicine and services, and the fact that a new fi nancing model for pharmacies is still unknown. Thus, we expect the development of pharmacy network in regulated environment to be fi nanced predominantly from retained earnings in publicly owned pharmacies and by awarding pharmacy concessions.

Key Developments in Ionic Liquid Crystals.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarez Fernandez, Alexandra; Kouwer, Paul H J

2016-05-16

Ionic liquid crystals are materials that combine the classes of liquid crystals and ionic liquids. The first one is based on the multi-billion-dollar flat panel display industry, whilst the latter quickly developed in the past decades into a family of highly-tunable non-volatile solvents. The combination yields materials with a unique set of properties, but also with many challenges ahead. In this review, we provide an overview of the key concepts in ionic liquid crystals, particularly from a molecular perspective. What are the important molecular parameters that determine the phase behavior? How should they be introduced into the molecules? Finally, which other tools does one have to realize specific properties in the material?

Key Developments in Ionic Liquid Crystals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandra Alvarez Fernandez

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Ionic liquid crystals are materials that combine the classes of liquid crystals and ionic liquids. The first one is based on the multi-billion-dollar flat panel display industry, whilst the latter quickly developed in the past decades into a family of highly-tunable non-volatile solvents. The combination yields materials with a unique set of properties, but also with many challenges ahead. In this review, we provide an overview of the key concepts in ionic liquid crystals, particularly from a molecular perspective. What are the important molecular parameters that determine the phase behavior? How should they be introduced into the molecules? Finally, which other tools does one have to realize specific properties in the material?

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

1995-11-01

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

Irradiation experiment conceptual design parameters for MURR LEU U-Mo fuel conversion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stillman, J.; Feldman, E.; Stevens, J.; Wilson, E.

2013-03-01

This report contains the results of reactor design and performance calculations for conversion of the University of Missouri Research Reactor (MURR) from the use of highly-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to the use of low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. The analyses were performed by staff members of the Global Threat Reduction Initiative (GTRI) Reactor Conversion Program at the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) and the MURR Facility. The core conversion to LEU is being performed with financial support from the U. S. government. In the framework of its non-proliferation policies, the international community presently aims to minimize the amount of nuclear material available that could be used for nuclear weapons. In this geopolitical context most research and test reactors, both domestic and international, have started a program of conversion to the use of LEU fuel. A new type of LEU fuel based on an alloy of uranium and molybdenum (U-Mo) is expected to allow the conversion of U.S. domestic high performance reactors like MURR. This report presents the nominal steady-state irradiation conditions of a key set of plates containing peak irradiation parameters found in MURR cores fueled with the LEU monolithic U-Mo alloy fuel with 10 wt% Mo.

Robust Public Key Cryptography — A New Cryptosystem Surviving Private Key Compromise

Science.gov (United States)

Shaik, Cheman

A weakness of the present-day public key cryptosystems is that these cryptosystems do not survive private-key compromise attacks resulting from an internal breach of trust. In a competitive business environment, private key compromise is a common incident that voids the strength of public key cryptosystems such as RSA and ECC. Bribing corporate employees to disclose their secret keys and inadvertently disclosing secret information are among a plethora of practical attacks that occur at the implementation level. Once a breach of trust takes place and subsequently the private key is revealed, any public key cryptosystem fails to secure electronic data in Internet communications. The revealed key may be used by an attacker to decipher the intercepted data at an intermediary router. This weakness of public key cryptography calls for an additional security measure that enables encryptions to survive private key compromise attacks.

RFSYS: an inventory code for RF system parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Treadwell, E.A.

1983-03-01

RFSYS is a program which maintains an inventory of rf system parameters associated with the 200 MeV Linear Accelerator at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. The program, written by Elliott Treadwell, of the Linac group, offers five modes of operation: (1) Allocates memory space for additional rf systems (data arrays). (2) Prints a total or partial list of old tube parameters on an ADM-3 terminal. (3) Changes tube data stored in the master array. If the number of systems increases, this mode permits the user to enter new data. (4) Computes the average time of operation for a given tube and system. (5) Stops program execution. There is an exit option, (a) create one output data file or (b) create three output files, one of which contains column headers and coded comments. All output files are stored on the CYBER-175 disc, and eventually on high density (6250 B.P.I.) magnetic tapes. This arrangement eliminates the necessity for online data buffers

The art of multiprocessor programming

CERN Document Server

Herlihy, Maurice

2012-01-01

Revised and updated with improvements conceived in parallel programming courses, The Art of Multiprocessor Programming is an authoritative guide to multicore programming. It introduces a higher level set of software development skills than that needed for efficient single-core programming. This book provides comprehensive coverage of the new principles, algorithms, and tools necessary for effective multiprocessor programming. Students and professionals alike will benefit from thorough coverage of key multiprocessor programming issues. This revised edition incorporates much-demanded updates t

The mobilisation model and parameter sensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blok, B.M.

1993-12-01

In the PRObabillistic Safety Assessment (PROSA) of radioactive waste in a salt repository one of the nuclide release scenario's is the subrosion scenario. A new subrosion model SUBRECN has been developed. In this model the combined effect of a depth-dependent subrosion, glass dissolution, and salt rise has been taken into account. The subrosion model SUBRECN and the implementation of this model in the German computer program EMOS4 is presented. A new computer program PANTER is derived from EMOS4. PANTER models releases of radionuclides via subrosion from a disposal site in a salt pillar into the biosphere. For uncertainty and sensitivity analyses the new subrosion model Latin Hypercube Sampling has been used for determine the different values for the uncertain parameters. The influence of the uncertainty in the parameters on the dose calculations has been investigated by the following sensitivity techniques: Spearman Rank Correlation Coefficients, Partial Rank Correlation Coefficients, Standardised Rank Regression Coefficients, and the Smirnov Test. (orig./HP)

Exposure parameters in fluoroscopy equipment. Quality control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alonso, M.; Castaneda, M.J.; Matorras, P.; Diaz-Caneja, N.; Gutierrez, I.

1992-01-01

Within the quality control program in Diagnostic Radiology currently being undertaken at the 'Marques de Valdecilla' University Hospital, the corresponding specification and procedure prototypes for the control of conventional radioscopy equipment have been elaborated and applied. This paper presents the values proposed in the specifications and those obtained for the following radioscopy equipment parameters: reference kerma, and its reproducibility, kerma linearity, maximum kerma at the skin, and total filtration. The results obtained indicate that the equipment studied could comply with specified requirements if a Maintenance Program were to be implemented in coordination with the Quality Control Program. (author)

Source term modelling parameters for Project-90

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shaw, W.; Smith, G.; Worgan, K.; Hodgkinson, D.; Andersson, K.

1992-04-01

This document summarises the input parameters for the source term modelling within Project-90. In the first place, the parameters relate to the CALIBRE near-field code which was developed for the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate's (SKI) Project-90 reference repository safety assessment exercise. An attempt has been made to give best estimate values and, where appropriate, a range which is related to variations around base cases. It should be noted that the data sets contain amendments to those considered by KBS-3. In particular, a completely new set of inventory data has been incorporated. The information given here does not constitute a complete set of parameter values for all parts of the CALIBRE code. Rather, it gives the key parameter values which are used in the constituent models within CALIBRE and the associated studies. For example, the inventory data acts as an input to the calculation of the oxidant production rates, which influence the generation of a redox front. The same data is also an initial value data set for the radionuclide migration component of CALIBRE. Similarly, the geometrical parameters of the near-field are common to both sub-models. The principal common parameters are gathered here for ease of reference and avoidance of unnecessary duplication and transcription errors. (au)

Uncertainties in the Item Parameter Estimates and Robust Automated Test Assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Veldkamp, Bernard P.; Matteucci, Mariagiulia; de Jong, Martijn G.

2013-01-01

Item response theory parameters have to be estimated, and because of the estimation process, they do have uncertainty in them. In most large-scale testing programs, the parameters are stored in item banks, and automated test assembly algorithms are applied to assemble operational test forms. These algorithms treat item parameters as fixed values,…

Constraint on Parameters of Inverse Compton Scattering Model for ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

B2319+60, two parameters of inverse Compton scattering model, the initial Lorentz factor and the factor of energy loss of relativistic particles are constrained. Key words. Pulsar—inverse Compton scattering—emission mechanism. 1. Introduction. Among various kinds of models for pulsar radio emission, the inverse ...

Applying national survey results for strategic planning and program improvement: the National Diabetes Education Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Griffey, Susan; Piccinino, Linda; Gallivan, Joanne; Lotenberg, Lynne Doner; Tuncer, Diane

2015-02-01

Since the 1970s, the federal government has spearheaded major national education programs to reduce the burden of chronic diseases in the United States. These prevention and disease management programs communicate critical information to the public, those affected by the disease, and health care providers. The National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP), the leading federal program on diabetes sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), uses primary and secondary quantitative data and qualitative audience research to guide program planning and evaluation. Since 2006, the NDEP has filled the gaps in existing quantitative data sources by conducting its own population-based survey, the NDEP National Diabetes Survey (NNDS). The NNDS is conducted every 2–3 years and tracks changes in knowledge, attitudes and practice indicators in key target audiences. This article describes how the NDEP has used the NNDS as a key component of its evaluation framework and how it applies the survey results for strategic planning and program improvement. The NDEP's use of the NNDS illustrates how a program evaluation framework that includes periodic population-based surveys can serve as an evaluation model for similar national health education programs.

The New Jersey program: Efficient businesses are seen as key

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Florio, J.

In New Jersey efforts are made to increase the efficiency and competitiveness of their industrial community as key to economic development in the state as well as advancing environmental and worker protection. The five general categories of pollution prevention in New Jersey are product reformulation, raw material substitution, improved operating techniques, process modifications, and in-process recycling. Out-of-process recycling, additional treatment, control and incineration are not considered pollution prevention in New Jersey. The current system of environmental regulation, while having led to significant improvements in environmental quality and public health protection, may not stimulate efforts to move beyond compliance to develop innovative, non-technology-based solutions to today's environmental problems. The premise that underlies New Jersey's landmark 1991 Pollution Prevention Act is that if industry is required at least to consider pollution prevention options, the financial benefits of pollution prevention will be a sufficient incentive to prompt industry to implement pollution prevention options.

Engineering parameters for expansion of MPT berths, Goa

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Jayakumar, S.; Chandramohan, P.; Jena, B.K.; Pednekar, P.S.

Comprehensive program for a harbour development and management requires general and detailed information on the coastal environment including engineering characteristics in addition to physical, chemical and biological parameters. Mormugao Port...

Help My House Program Profile

Science.gov (United States)

Learn about Help My House, a program that helps participants reduce their utility bills by nearly 35 percent through low-cost loans for EE improvements. Learn more about the key features, approaches, funding sources, and achievements of this program.

Thermal neutron diffusion parameters in homogeneous mixtures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Drozdowicz, K.; Krynicka, E. [Institute of Nuclear Physics, Cracow (Poland)

1995-12-31

A physical background is presented for a computer program which calculates the thermal neutron diffusion parameters for homogeneous mixtures of any compounds. The macroscopic absorption, scattering and transport cross section of the mixture are defined which are generally function of the incident neutron energy. The energy-averaged neutron parameters are available when these energy dependences and the thermal neutron energy distribution are assumed. Then the averaged diffusion coefficient and the pulsed thermal neutron parameters (the absorption rare and the diffusion constant) are also defined. The absorption cross section is described by the 1/v law and deviations from this behaviour are considered. The scattering cross section can be assumed as being almost constant in the thermal neutron region (which results from the free gas model). Serious deviations are observed for hydrogen atoms bound in molecules and a special study in the paper is devoted to this problem. A certain effective scattering cross section is found in this case on a base of individual exact data for a few hydrogenous media. Approximations assumed for the average cosine of the scattering angle are also discussed. The macroscopic parameters calculated are averaged over the Maxwellian energy distribution for the thermal neutron flux. An information on the input data for the computer program is included. (author). 10 refs, 4 figs, 5 tabs.

Thermal neutron diffusion parameters in homogeneous mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drozdowicz, K.; Krynicka, E.

1995-01-01

A physical background is presented for a computer program which calculates the thermal neutron diffusion parameters for homogeneous mixtures of any compounds. The macroscopic absorption, scattering and transport cross section of the mixture are defined which are generally function of the incident neutron energy. The energy-averaged neutron parameters are available when these energy dependences and the thermal neutron energy distribution are assumed. Then the averaged diffusion coefficient and the pulsed thermal neutron parameters (the absorption rare and the diffusion constant) are also defined. The absorption cross section is described by the 1/v law and deviations from this behaviour are considered. The scattering cross section can be assumed as being almost constant in the thermal neutron region (which results from the free gas model). Serious deviations are observed for hydrogen atoms bound in molecules and a special study in the paper is devoted to this problem. A certain effective scattering cross section is found in this case on a base of individual exact data for a few hydrogenous media. Approximations assumed for the average cosine of the scattering angle are also discussed. The macroscopic parameters calculated are averaged over the Maxwellian energy distribution for the thermal neutron flux. An information on the input data for the computer program is included. (author). 10 refs, 4 figs, 5 tabs

Development of sensors for in-situ monitoring of corrosion and water chemistry parameters for the electric power utility industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macdonald, D.D.; Pang, J.; Liu, C.; Medina, E.; Villa, J.; Bueno, J.

1993-01-01

The in situ monitoring of the chemistry and electrochemistry of aqueous heat transport fluids in thermal (nuclear and fossil) power plants is now considered essential if adequate assessment and close control of corrosion and mass transfer phenomena are to be achieved. Because of the elevated temperatures and pressures involved, new sensor technologies are required that are able to measure key parameters under plant operating conditions for extended periods of time. In this paper, the authors outline a research and development program that is designed to develop practical sensors for use in thermal power plants. The current emphasis is on sensors for measuring corrosion potential, pH, the concentrations of oxygen and hydrogen, and the electrochemical noise generated by corrosion processes at temperatures ranging from ∼250 C to 500 C. The program is currently at the laboratory stage, but testing of prototype sensors in a coal-fired supercritical power plant in Spain will begin shortly

A framework for scalable parameter estimation of gene circuit models using structural information

KAUST Repository

Kuwahara, Hiroyuki

2013-06-21

Motivation: Systematic and scalable parameter estimation is a key to construct complex gene regulatory models and to ultimately facilitate an integrative systems biology approach to quantitatively understand the molecular mechanisms underpinning gene regulation. Results: Here, we report a novel framework for efficient and scalable parameter estimation that focuses specifically on modeling of gene circuits. Exploiting the structure commonly found in gene circuit models, this framework decomposes a system of coupled rate equations into individual ones and efficiently integrates them separately to reconstruct the mean time evolution of the gene products. The accuracy of the parameter estimates is refined by iteratively increasing the accuracy of numerical integration using the model structure. As a case study, we applied our framework to four gene circuit models with complex dynamics based on three synthetic datasets and one time series microarray data set. We compared our framework to three state-of-the-art parameter estimation methods and found that our approach consistently generated higher quality parameter solutions efficiently. Although many general-purpose parameter estimation methods have been applied for modeling of gene circuits, our results suggest that the use of more tailored approaches to use domain-specific information may be a key to reverse engineering of complex biological systems. The Author 2013.

A framework for scalable parameter estimation of gene circuit models using structural information

KAUST Repository

Kuwahara, Hiroyuki; Fan, Ming; Wang, Suojin; Gao, Xin

2013-01-01

Motivation: Systematic and scalable parameter estimation is a key to construct complex gene regulatory models and to ultimately facilitate an integrative systems biology approach to quantitatively understand the molecular mechanisms underpinning gene regulation. Results: Here, we report a novel framework for efficient and scalable parameter estimation that focuses specifically on modeling of gene circuits. Exploiting the structure commonly found in gene circuit models, this framework decomposes a system of coupled rate equations into individual ones and efficiently integrates them separately to reconstruct the mean time evolution of the gene products. The accuracy of the parameter estimates is refined by iteratively increasing the accuracy of numerical integration using the model structure. As a case study, we applied our framework to four gene circuit models with complex dynamics based on three synthetic datasets and one time series microarray data set. We compared our framework to three state-of-the-art parameter estimation methods and found that our approach consistently generated higher quality parameter solutions efficiently. Although many general-purpose parameter estimation methods have been applied for modeling of gene circuits, our results suggest that the use of more tailored approaches to use domain-specific information may be a key to reverse engineering of complex biological systems. The Author 2013.

ANSTO - Program of Research 1993-1994

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1993-01-01

The 1993-1994 Program of Research outlines ANSTO's scientific activities in four key research areas, Advanced Materials, Application of Nuclear Physics, Biomedicine and Health and Environmental Science. The effort has been channeled into applied research and development in partnership with industry and appropriate national and international institutions and into interdisciplinary strategic research projects to enhance the scientific base of the key research activities. A list of scientific publications originated from these program areas is also included. ills

Next-Step scientific objectives, targets, and parameters for reversed-field-pinch (RFP) magnetic fusion energy (MFE) systems: Preliminary thoughts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krakowski, R.A.; Bathke, C.G.; DiMarco, J.N.; Miller, R.L.; Werley, K.A.

1993-01-01

The purpose of this document is the quantitative definition of objectives, targets, and parameters of the Next-Step device to follow the present RFX experiment; this device is given the name RFXNS. Although developed over five years ago, much of the material distilled into the 1988 RFP tactical plan is useful in establishing the goals and parameters of RFXNS. This earlier plan established tentative parameters of an RFP next step based on: predictions of RFP ignition and commercial-reactor devices; and the assumed successful operation of highly complementary RFP experiments RFX and ZTH/CPRF. Programmatic changes and evolution that have occurred since 1988 strongly impact the role and characteristics of an RFXNS: the Los Alamos ZTH/CPRF project and fusion program was terminated in mid-construction for reasons of MFE cost savings and concept focusing; great progress has been made in launching ITER; and reactor projections for the tokamak have increased in detail and variety, but not in commercial promise and competitiveness. A brief status of and perspective from each of the above three points is necessary before the key issues and their implementation to form the basis of the RFXNS definition are given

Parallel keyed hash function construction based on chaotic maps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xiao Di; Liao Xiaofeng; Deng Shaojiang

2008-01-01

Recently, a variety of chaos-based hash functions have been proposed. Nevertheless, none of them works efficiently in parallel computing environment. In this Letter, an algorithm for parallel keyed hash function construction is proposed, whose structure can ensure the uniform sensitivity of hash value to the message. By means of the mechanism of both changeable-parameter and self-synchronization, the keystream establishes a close relation with the algorithm key, the content and the order of each message block. The entire message is modulated into the chaotic iteration orbit, and the coarse-graining trajectory is extracted as the hash value. Theoretical analysis and computer simulation indicate that the proposed algorithm can satisfy the performance requirements of hash function. It is simple, efficient, practicable, and reliable. These properties make it a good choice for hash on parallel computing platform

RIA system programming by means of kinetic parameters

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silberring, J; Golda, W [Akademia Medyczna, Krakow (Poland). Dept. of Endocrinology and Metabolism

1979-12-01

Insulin-/sup 125/I antibody reaction was optimized by physical-chemical parameters. After the activation energies Esub(a) and Esub(d)-for association and association, respectively were calculated from the experimental data, the theoretical values of the reaction rate constants ksub(a) and ksub(d) were determined as well as equilibrium constants K. By means of the empirical formulae, the approximate incubation time for the RIA kit and maximal percent of insulin-/sup 125/I binding to antibody (%B) in relation to temperature were computed. The proposed method may be applied to the new antigen-binder systems preparation (new antibodies, shortening of the incubation time, temperature changes, influence of different ions and kind of buffer). (orig.) 891 MG/orig. 892 MBE.

Inpo programs for improvement of nuclear power plant operations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Edward Moore, C.

1989-01-01

The talk shows how key INPO programs help foster improved nuclear power operations. The talk focuses on the results being seen from six key efforts: evaluations, training and accreditation, assistance, events analysis and information exchange, human performance and maintenance. The talk stresses that all INPO programs are geared toward enhanced performance and that progress in key performance areas since 1980 shows that INPO and U.S. industry efforts are achieving desired results

Interval-parameter chance-constraint programming model for end-of-life vehicles management under rigorous environmental regulations.

Science.gov (United States)

Simic, Vladimir

2016-06-01

As the number of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs) is estimated to increase to 79.3 million units per year by 2020 (e.g., 40 million units were generated in 2010), there is strong motivation to effectively manage this fast-growing waste flow. Intensive work on management of ELVs is necessary in order to more successfully tackle this important environmental challenge. This paper proposes an interval-parameter chance-constraint programming model for end-of-life vehicles management under rigorous environmental regulations. The proposed model can incorporate various uncertainty information in the modeling process. The complex relationships between different ELV management sub-systems are successfully addressed. Particularly, the formulated model can help identify optimal patterns of procurement from multiple sources of ELV supply, production and inventory planning in multiple vehicle recycling factories, and allocation of sorted material flows to multiple final destinations under rigorous environmental regulations. A case study is conducted in order to demonstrate the potentials and applicability of the proposed model. Various constraint-violation probability levels are examined in detail. Influences of parameter uncertainty on model solutions are thoroughly investigated. Useful solutions for the management of ELVs are obtained under different probabilities of violating system constraints. The formulated model is able to tackle a hard, uncertainty existing ELV management problem. The presented model has advantages in providing bases for determining long-term ELV management plans with desired compromises between economic efficiency of vehicle recycling system and system-reliability considerations. The results are helpful for supporting generation and improvement of ELV management plans. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Security of a single-state semi-quantum key distribution protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Wei; Qiu, Daowen; Mateus, Paulo

2018-06-01

Semi-quantum key distribution protocols are allowed to set up a secure secret key between two users. Compared with their full quantum counterparts, one of the two users is restricted to perform some "classical" or "semi-quantum" operations, which potentially makes them easily realizable by using less quantum resource. However, the semi-quantum key distribution protocols mainly rely on a two-way quantum channel. The eavesdropper has two opportunities to intercept the quantum states transmitted in the quantum communication stage. It may allow the eavesdropper to get more information and make the security analysis more complicated. In the past ten years, many semi-quantum key distribution protocols have been proposed and proved to be robust. However, there are few works concerning their unconditional security. It is doubted that how secure the semi-quantum ones are and how much noise they can tolerate to establish a secure secret key. In this paper, we prove the unconditional security of a single-state semi-quantum key distribution protocol proposed by Zou et al. (Phys Rev A 79:052312, 2009). We present a complete proof from information theory aspect by deriving a lower bound of the protocol's key rate in the asymptotic scenario. Using this bound, we figure out an error threshold value such that for all error rates that are less than this threshold value, the secure secret key can be established between the legitimate users definitely. Otherwise, the users should abort the protocol. We make an illustration of the protocol under the circumstance that the reverse quantum channel is a depolarizing one with parameter q. Additionally, we compare the error threshold value with some full quantum protocols and several existing semi-quantum ones whose unconditional security proofs have been provided recently.

Correcting binding parameters for interacting ligand-lattice systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hervy, Jordan; Bicout, Dominique J.

2017-07-01

Binding of ligands to macromolecules is central to many functional and regulatory biological processes. Key parameters characterizing ligand-macromolecule interactions are the stoichiometry, inducing the number of ligands per macromolecule binding site, and the dissociation constant, quantifying the ligand-binding site affinity. Both these parameters can be obtained from analyses of classical saturation experiments using the standard binding equation that offers the great advantage of mathematical simplicity but becomes an approximation for situations of interest when a ligand binds and covers more than one single binding site on the macromolecule. Using the framework of car-parking problem with latticelike macromolecules where each ligand can cover simultaneously several consecutive binding sites, we showed that employing the standard analysis leads to underestimation of binding parameters, i.e., ligands appear larger than they actually are and their affinity is also greater than it is. Therefore, we have derived expressions allowing to determine the ligand size and true binding parameters (stoichiometry and dissociation constant) as a function of apparent binding parameters retrieved from standard saturation experiments.

Dioxins levels in Australia. Key findings of studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivory, A.; Mobbs, C. [Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage (Australia)

2004-09-15

The Australian Government established the National Dioxins Program (NDP) in 2001 to improve knowledge about levels of dioxins in Australia. The program aims to determine levels, assess the risks to Australians and the environment, and to consider appropriate management actions. Starting in mid 2001and completed in 2004, the studies constituted the largest survey of dioxin levels ever undertaken in Australia. The findings will contribute to debate on how to deal with dioxins in Australia, as well as helping to meet obligations under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, which Australia ratified on 20 May 2004. These studies will also contribute to a better understanding about dioxins in the southern hemisphere. This paper provides a summary of the key findings of these studies and the risk assessments.

Innovation of education for the development of key competencies of university graduates

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Struková Zuzana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Competency-based education is a new trend in the process of teaching to support and develop the com­petencies of graduates. This challenge of the European Union aimed at changes in learning processes contrib­utes to improvement in the educational qualifications of the population. Recently, in Europe and Slovakia, several research studies aimed at key competencies of graduates have been conducted. This paper provides the results of the study aimed at identification of key competencies of graduates of the study program Construction Technology and Management. A proposal for innovations in learning forms is presented as an output of the national project “Universities as Engines of Knowledge Society Development”. The innovations will influence the development of profes­sion-specific and transferable competencies of graduates of the aforementioned study program at the Faculty of Civil Engineering in Technical University of Košice, Slovakia.

Intervention levels in a precocious detection program for breast cancer and evaluation of four participant units

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrera M, F.; Velazquez M, S.; Manzano M, F.J.; Sanchez S, J.

1998-01-01

It is presented the basis to make a cost benefit analysis for a breast cancer precocious detection program and consequently the keys for its optimization from the radiological point of view. Taking this as a reference it is made an exhaustive quality control to four mammographic unities which were participating or they were candidates to participate in a breast cancer precocious detection program. Also it is presented its results. It is followed the protocol for quality control in mammography in Spain obtaining values for the measurement of twelve interesting parameters. It should be maintained the standard breast dose about 1 mGy/ image. It should be available a 24 x 30 cm portacassete and considering the utilization of a single projection by breast. (Author)

Data-Dictionary-Editing Program

Science.gov (United States)

Cumming, A. P.

1989-01-01

Access to data-dictionary relations and attributes made more convenient. Data Dictionary Editor (DDE) application program provides more convenient read/write access to data-dictionary table ("descriptions table") via data screen using SMARTQUERY function keys. Provides three main advantages: (1) User works with table names and field names rather than with table numbers and field numbers, (2) Provides online access to definitions of data-dictionary keys, and (3) Provides displayed summary list that shows, for each datum, which data-dictionary entries currently exist for any specific relation or attribute. Computer program developed to give developers of data bases more convenient access to the OMNIBASE VAX/IDM data-dictionary relations and attributes.

SLED program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farkas, Z.D.

1977-04-01

A FORTRAN program is described which, for a given cavity and timing, yields all fields as a (piecewise) function of time, and which, for any mix of SLEDded and non-SLEDded klystrons of any given energy/klystron, yields the SLED operation parameters. The note explains the input and output parameters as they appear in the code output. 3 figures, 19 tables