30 CFR 1204.205 - How do I obtain accounting and auditing relief?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

..., ONRR-assigned payor code, address, phone number, and contact name; and (ii) The specific ONRR lease number and agreement number, if applicable. (2) You may file a single notification for multiple marginal.... (1) Your request must contain: (i) Your company name, ONRR-assigned payor code, address, phone number...

30 CFR 1204.205 - How do I obtain accounting and auditing relief?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... code, address, phone number, and contact name; and (ii) The specific ONRR lease number and agreement number, if applicable. (2) You may file a single notification for multiple marginal properties. (b) To... request must contain: (i) Your company name, ONRR-assigned payor code, address, phone number, and contact...

Validity of data in the Danish Colorectal Cancer Screening Database

PubMed Central

Thomsen, Mette Kielsholm; Njor, Sisse Helle; Rasmussen, Morten; Linnemann, Dorte; Andersen, Berit; Baatrup, Gunnar; Friis-Hansen, Lennart Jan; Jørgensen, Jens Christian Riis; Mikkelsen, Ellen Margrethe

2017-01-01

Background In Denmark, a nationwide screening program for colorectal cancer was implemented in March 2014. Along with this, a clinical database for program monitoring and research purposes was established. Objective The aim of this study was to estimate the agreement and validity of diagnosis and procedure codes in the Danish Colorectal Cancer Screening Database (DCCSD). Methods All individuals with a positive immunochemical fecal occult blood test (iFOBT) result who were invited to screening in the first 3 months since program initiation were identified. From these, a sample of 150 individuals was selected using stratified random sampling by age, gender and region of residence. Data from the DCCSD were compared with data from hospital records, which were used as the reference. Agreement, sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative predictive values were estimated for categories of codes “clean colon”, “colonoscopy performed”, “overall completeness of colonoscopy”, “incomplete colonoscopy”, “polypectomy”, “tumor tissue left behind”, “number of polyps”, “lost polyps”, “risk group of polyps” and “colorectal cancer and polyps/benign tumor”. Results Hospital records were available for 136 individuals. Agreement was highest for “colorectal cancer” (97.1%) and lowest for “lost polyps” (88.2%). Sensitivity varied between moderate and high, with 60.0% for “incomplete colonoscopy” and 98.5% for “colonoscopy performed”. Specificity was 92.7% or above, except for the categories “colonoscopy performed” and “overall completeness of colonoscopy”, where the specificity was low; however, the estimates were imprecise. Conclusion A high level of agreement between categories of codes in DCCSD and hospital records indicates that DCCSD reflects the hospital records well. Further, the validity of the categories of codes varied from moderate to high. Thus, the DCCSD may be a valuable data source for future research on colorectal cancer screening. PMID:28255255

Evaluation of the accuracy of mono-energetic electron and beta-emitting isotope dose-point kernels using particle and heavy ion transport code system: PHITS.

PubMed

Shiiba, Takuro; Kuga, Naoya; Kuroiwa, Yasuyoshi; Sato, Tatsuhiko

2017-10-01

We assessed the accuracy of mono-energetic electron and beta-emitting isotope dose-point kernels (DPKs) calculated using the particle and heavy ion transport code system (PHITS) for patient-specific dosimetry in targeted radionuclide treatment (TRT) and compared our data with published data. All mono-energetic and beta-emitting isotope DPKs calculated using PHITS, both in water and compact bone, were in good agreement with those in literature using other MC codes. PHITS provided reliable mono-energetic electron and beta-emitting isotope scaled DPKs for patient-specific dosimetry. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

30 CFR 204.205 - How do I obtain accounting and auditing relief?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., address, phone number, and contact name; and (ii) The specific MMS lease number and agreement number, if... contain: (i) Your company name, MMS-assigned payor code, address, phone number, and contact name; (ii) The...

Variation of SNOMED CT coding of clinical research concepts among coding experts.

PubMed

Andrews, James E; Richesson, Rachel L; Krischer, Jeffrey

2007-01-01

To compare consistency of coding among professional SNOMED CT coders representing three commercial providers of coding services when coding clinical research concepts with SNOMED CT. A sample of clinical research questions from case report forms (CRFs) generated by the NIH-funded Rare Disease Clinical Research Network (RDCRN) were sent to three coding companies with instructions to code the core concepts using SNOMED CT. The sample consisted of 319 question/answer pairs from 15 separate studies. The companies were asked to select SNOMED CT concepts (in any form, including post-coordinated) that capture the core concept(s) reflected in the question. Also, they were asked to state their level of certainty, as well as how precise they felt their coding was. Basic frequencies were calculated to determine raw level agreement among the companies and other descriptive information. Krippendorff's alpha was used to determine a statistical measure of agreement among the coding companies for several measures (semantic, certainty, and precision). No significant level of agreement among the experts was found. There is little semantic agreement in coding of clinical research data items across coders from 3 professional coding services, even using a very liberal definition of agreement.

[Prevalence of Cardiovascular Risk Factors at The Population Level: A Comparison of Ambulatory Physician-Coded Claims Data With Clinical Data From A Population-Based Study].

PubMed

Angelow, Aniela; Reber, Katrin Christiane; Schmidt, Carsten Oliver; Baumeister, Sebastian Edgar; Chenot, Jean-Francois

2018-06-04

The study assesses the validity of ICD-10 coded cardiovascular risk factors in claims data using gold-standard measurements from a population-based study for arterial hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, smoking and obesity as a reference. Data of 1941 participants (46 % male, mean age 58±13 years) of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) were linked to electronic medical records from the regional association of statutory health insurance physicians from 2008 to 2012 used for billing purposes. Clinical data from SHIP was used as a gold standard to assess the agreement with claims data for ICD-10 codes I10.- (arterial hypertension), E10.- to E14.- (diabetes mellitus), E78.- (dyslipidemia), F17.- (smoking) and E65.- to E68.- (obesity). A higher agreement between ICD-coded and clinical diagnosis was found for diabetes (sensitivity (sens) 84%, specificity (spec) 95%, positive predictive value (ppv) 80%) and hypertension (sens 72%, spec 93%, ppv 97%) and a low level of agreement for smoking (sens 18%, spec 99%, ppv 89%), obesity (sens 22%, spec 99%, ppv 99%) and dyslipidemia (sens 40%, spec 60%, ppv 70%). Depending on the investigated cardiovascular risk factor, medication, documented additional cardiovascular co-morbidities, age, sex and clinical severity were associated with the ICD-coded cardiovascular risk factor. The quality of ICD-coding in ambulatory care is highly variable for different cardiovascular risk factors and outcomes. Diagnoses were generally undercoded, but those relevant for billing were coded more frequently. Our results can be used to quantify errors in population-based estimates of prevalence based on claims data for the investigated cardiovascular risk factors. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Computer-based coding of free-text job descriptions to efficiently identify occupations in epidemiological studies

PubMed Central

Russ, Daniel E.; Ho, Kwan-Yuet; Colt, Joanne S.; Armenti, Karla R.; Baris, Dalsu; Chow, Wong-Ho; Davis, Faith; Johnson, Alison; Purdue, Mark P.; Karagas, Margaret R.; Schwartz, Kendra; Schwenn, Molly; Silverman, Debra T.; Johnson, Calvin A.; Friesen, Melissa C.

2016-01-01

Background Mapping job titles to standardized occupation classification (SOC) codes is an important step in identifying occupational risk factors in epidemiologic studies. Because manual coding is time-consuming and has moderate reliability, we developed an algorithm called SOCcer (Standardized Occupation Coding for Computer-assisted Epidemiologic Research) to assign SOC-2010 codes based on free-text job description components. Methods Job title and task-based classifiers were developed by comparing job descriptions to multiple sources linking job and task descriptions to SOC codes. An industry-based classifier was developed based on the SOC prevalence within an industry. These classifiers were used in a logistic model trained using 14,983 jobs with expert-assigned SOC codes to obtain empirical weights for an algorithm that scored each SOC/job description. We assigned the highest scoring SOC code to each job. SOCcer was validated in two occupational data sources by comparing SOC codes obtained from SOCcer to expert assigned SOC codes and lead exposure estimates obtained by linking SOC codes to a job-exposure matrix. Results For 11,991 case-control study jobs, SOCcer-assigned codes agreed with 44.5% and 76.3% of manually assigned codes at the 6- and 2-digit level, respectively. Agreement increased with the score, providing a mechanism to identify assignments needing review. Good agreement was observed between lead estimates based on SOCcer and manual SOC assignments (kappa: 0.6–0.8). Poorer performance was observed for inspection job descriptions, which included abbreviations and worksite-specific terminology. Conclusions Although some manual coding will remain necessary, using SOCcer may improve the efficiency of incorporating occupation into large-scale epidemiologic studies. PMID:27102331

Beyond crosswalks: reliability of exposure assessment following automated coding of free-text job descriptions for occupational epidemiology.

PubMed

Burstyn, Igor; Slutsky, Anton; Lee, Derrick G; Singer, Alison B; An, Yuan; Michael, Yvonne L

2014-05-01

Epidemiologists typically collect narrative descriptions of occupational histories because these are less prone than self-reported exposures to recall bias of exposure to a specific hazard. However, the task of coding these narratives can be daunting and prohibitively time-consuming in some settings. The aim of this manuscript is to evaluate the performance of a computer algorithm to translate the narrative description of occupational codes into standard classification of jobs (2010 Standard Occupational Classification) in an epidemiological context. The fundamental question we address is whether exposure assignment resulting from manual (presumed gold standard) coding of the narratives is materially different from that arising from the application of automated coding. We pursued our work through three motivating examples: assessment of physical demands in Women's Health Initiative observational study, evaluation of predictors of exposure to coal tar pitch volatiles in the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Integrated Management Information System, and assessment of exposure to agents known to cause occupational asthma in a pregnancy cohort. In these diverse settings, we demonstrate that automated coding of occupations results in assignment of exposures that are in reasonable agreement with results that can be obtained through manual coding. The correlation between physical demand scores based on manual and automated job classification schemes was reasonable (r = 0.5). The agreement between predictive probability of exceeding the OSHA's permissible exposure level for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, using coal tar pitch volatiles as a surrogate, based on manual and automated coding of jobs was modest (Kendall rank correlation = 0.29). In the case of binary assignment of exposure to asthmagens, we observed that fair to excellent agreement in classifications can be reached, depending on presence of ambiguity in assigned job classification (κ = 0.5-0.8). Thus, the success of automated coding appears to depend on the setting and type of exposure that is being assessed. Our overall recommendation is that automated translation of short narrative descriptions of jobs for exposure assessment is feasible in some settings and essential for large cohorts, especially if combined with manual coding to both assess reliability of coding and to further refine the coding algorithm.

A comparison between implicit and hybrid methods for the calculation of steady and unsteady inlet flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coakley, T. J.; Hsieh, T.

1985-01-01

Numerical simulation of steady and unsteady transonic diffuser flows using two different computer codes are discussed and compared with experimental data. The codes solve the Reynolds-averaged, compressible, Navier-Stokes equations using various turbulence models. One of the codes has been applied extensively to diffuser flows and uses the hybrid method of MacCormack. This code is relatively inefficient numerically. The second code, which was developed more recently, is fully implicit and is relatively efficient numerically. Simulations of steady flows using the implicit code are shown to be in good agreement with simulations using the hybrid code. Both simulations are in good agreement with experimental results. Simulations of unsteady flows using the two codes are in good qualitative agreement with each other, although the quantitative agreement is not as good as in the steady flow cases. The implicit code is shown to be eight times faster than the hybrid code for unsteady flow calculations and up to 32 times faster for steady flow calculations. Results of calculations using alternative turbulence models are also discussed.

Growth of multi-component alloy films with controlled graded chemical composition on sub-nanometer scale

DOEpatents

Bajt, Sasa; Vernon, Stephen P.

2005-03-15

The chemical composition of thin films is modulated during their growth. A computer code has been developed to design specific processes for producing a desired chemical composition for various deposition geometries. Good agreement between theoretical and experimental results was achieved.

Lack of agreement in pediatric emergency department discharge diagnoses from clinical and administrative data sources.

PubMed

Gorelick, Marc H; Knight, Stacey; Alessandrini, Evaline A; Stanley, Rachel M; Chamberlain, James M; Kuppermann, Nathan; Alpern, Elizabeth R

2007-07-01

Diagnosis information from existing data sources is used commonly for epidemiologic, administrative, and research purposes. The quality of such data for emergency department (ED) visits is unknown. To determine the agreement on final diagnoses between two sources, electronic administrative sources and manually abstracted medical records, for pediatric ED visits, in a multicenter network. This was a cross sectional study at 19 EDs nationwide. The authors obtained data from two sources at each ED during a three-month period in 2003: administrative sources for all visits and abstracted records for randomly selected visits during ten days over the study period. Records were matched using unique identifiers and probabilistic linkage. The authors recorded up to three diagnoses from each abstracted medical record and up to ten for the administrative data source. Diagnoses were grouped into 104 groups using a modification of the Clinical Classification System. A total of 8,860 abstracted records had at least one valid diagnosis code (with a total of 12,895 diagnoses) and were successfully matched to records in the administrative source. Overall, 67% (95% confidence interval = 66% to 68%) of diagnoses from the administrative and abstracted sources were within the same diagnosis group. Agreement varied by site, ranging from 54% to 77%. Agreement varied substantially by diagnosis group; there was no difference by method of linkage. Clustering clinically similar diagnosis groups improved agreement between administrative and abstracted data sources. ED diagnoses retrieved from electronic administrative sources and manual chart review frequently disagree, even if similar diagnosis codes are grouped. Agreement varies by institution and by diagnosis. Further work is needed to improve the accuracy of diagnosis coding; development of a grouping system specific to pediatric emergency care may be beneficial.

Standardized verification of fuel cycle modeling

DOE PAGES

Feng, B.; Dixon, B.; Sunny, E.; ...

2016-04-05

A nuclear fuel cycle systems modeling and code-to-code comparison effort was coordinated across multiple national laboratories to verify the tools needed to perform fuel cycle analyses of the transition from a once-through nuclear fuel cycle to a sustainable potential future fuel cycle. For this verification study, a simplified example transition scenario was developed to serve as a test case for the four systems codes involved (DYMOND, VISION, ORION, and MARKAL), each used by a different laboratory participant. In addition, all participants produced spreadsheet solutions for the test case to check all the mass flows and reactor/facility profiles on a year-by-yearmore » basis throughout the simulation period. The test case specifications describe a transition from the current US fleet of light water reactors to a future fleet of sodium-cooled fast reactors that continuously recycle transuranic elements as fuel. After several initial coordinated modeling and calculation attempts, it was revealed that most of the differences in code results were not due to different code algorithms or calculation approaches, but due to different interpretations of the input specifications among the analysts. Therefore, the specifications for the test case itself were iteratively updated to remove ambiguity and to help calibrate interpretations. In addition, a few corrections and modifications were made to the codes as well, which led to excellent agreement between all codes and spreadsheets for this test case. Although no fuel cycle transition analysis codes matched the spreadsheet results exactly, all remaining differences in the results were due to fundamental differences in code structure and/or were thoroughly explained. As a result, the specifications and example results are provided so that they can be used to verify additional codes in the future for such fuel cycle transition scenarios.« less

Measurement of neutron spectra in the AWE workplace using a Bonner sphere spectrometer.

PubMed

Danyluk, Peter

2010-12-01

A Bonner sphere spectrometer has been used to measure the neutron spectra in eight different workplace areas at AWE (Atomic Weapons Establishment). The spectra were analysed by the National Physical Laboratory using their principal unfolding code STAY'SL and the results were also analysed by AWE using a bespoke parametrised unfolding code. The bespoke code was designed specifically for the AWE workplace and is very simple to use. Both codes gave results, in good agreement. It was found that the measured fluence rate varied from 2 to 70 neutrons cm⁻² s⁻¹ (± 10%) and the ambient dose equivalent H*(10) varied from 0.5 to 57 µSv h⁻¹ (± 20%). A detailed description of the development and use of the bespoke code is presented.

Report: Examination of Costs Claimed Under EPA Cooperative Agreements CB-97324701 Through CB-97324705 Awarded to Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay, Inc.

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #12-4-0720, August 22, 2012. The recipient did not comply with the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR)—specifically, 40 CFR Part 30 and 2 CFR Part 230—regarding procurement and financial management requirements.

23 CFR 710.407 - Leasing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... the United States Code, funds shall be covered by an agreement between the STD and lessee which... insurance to hold the State and the FHWA harmless, nondiscrimination, access by the STD and the FHWA for... otherwise specifically agreed to by the STD and the FHWA. (c) Proposed uses of real property shall conform...

23 CFR 710.407 - Leasing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... the United States Code, funds shall be covered by an agreement between the STD and lessee which... insurance to hold the State and the FHWA harmless, nondiscrimination, access by the STD and the FHWA for... otherwise specifically agreed to by the STD and the FHWA. (c) Proposed uses of real property shall conform...

23 CFR 710.407 - Leasing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... the United States Code, funds shall be covered by an agreement between the STD and lessee which... insurance to hold the State and the FHWA harmless, nondiscrimination, access by the STD and the FHWA for... otherwise specifically agreed to by the STD and the FHWA. (c) Proposed uses of real property shall conform...

23 CFR 710.407 - Leasing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... the United States Code, funds shall be covered by an agreement between the STD and lessee which... insurance to hold the State and the FHWA harmless, nondiscrimination, access by the STD and the FHWA for... otherwise specifically agreed to by the STD and the FHWA. (c) Proposed uses of real property shall conform...

7 CFR 801.12 - Design requirements incorporated by reference.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... reference: General Code (1.10.) G-S.5.5. Money Values, Mathematical Agreement G-T.1. Acceptance Tolerances G.... Tolerance Values T.3. For Test Weight Per Bushel Indications or Recorded Representations UR.3.2. Other... Standards and Technology's (NIST) Handbook 44, “Specifications, Tolerances, and Other Technical Requirements...

Qualitative assessment of cause-of-injury coding in U.S. military hospitals: NATO standardization agreement (STANAG) 2050.

PubMed

Amoroso, P J; Smith, G S; Bell, N S

2000-04-01

Accurate injury cause data are essential for injury prevention research. U.S. military hospitals, unlike civilian hospitals, use the NATO STANAG system for cause-of-injury coding. Reported deficiencies in civilian injury cause data suggested a need to specifically evaluate the STANAG. The Total Army Injury and Health Outcomes Database (TAIHOD) was used to evaluate worldwide Army injury hospitalizations, especially STANAG Trauma, Injury, and Place of Occurrence coding. We conducted a review of hospital procedures at Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) including injury cause and intent coding, potential crossover between acute injuries and musculoskeletal conditions, and data for certain hospital patients who are not true admissions. We also evaluated the use of free-text injury comment fields in three hospitals. Army-wide review of injury records coding revealed full compliance with cause coding, although nonspecific codes appeared to be overused. A small but intensive single hospital records review revealed relatively poor intent coding but good activity and cause coding. Data on specific injury history were present on most acute injury records and 75% of musculoskeletal conditions. Place of Occurrence coding, although inherently nonspecific, was over 80% accurate. Review of text fields produced additional details of the injuries in over 80% of cases. STANAG intent coding specificity was poor, while coding of cause of injury was at least comparable to civilian systems. The strengths of military hospital data systems are an exceptionally high compliance with injury cause coding, the availability of free text, and capture of all population hospital records without regard to work-relatedness. Simple changes in procedures could greatly improve data quality.

26 CFR 1.883-0 - Outline of major topics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... agreement, code-sharing arrangement or other joint venture. (3) Activities not considered operation of ships or aircraft. (4) Examples. (5) Definitions. (i) Bareboat charter. (ii) Code-sharing arrangement. (iii..., partnership, strategic alliance, joint operating agreement, code-sharing arrangement or other joint venture...

26 CFR 1.883-0 - Outline of major topics.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... agreement, code-sharing arrangement or other joint venture. (3) Activities not considered operation of ships or aircraft. (4) Examples. (5) Definitions. (i) Bareboat charter. (ii) Code-sharing arrangement. (iii..., partnership, strategic alliance, joint operating agreement, code-sharing arrangement or other joint venture...

2 CFR 1.215 - Relationship to previous issuances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuances. 1.215... ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.215... title 2 of the CFR. Specifically: Guidance in * * * On * * * Previously was in * * * (a) Chapter I, part...

2 CFR 1.215 - Relationship to previous issuances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuances. 1.215... ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.215... title 2 of the CFR. Specifically: Guidance in * * * On * * * Previously was in * * * (a) Chapter I, part...

2 CFR 1.215 - Relationship to previous issuances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuances. 1.215... ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.215... title 2 of the CFR. Specifically: Guidance in * * * On * * * Previously was in * * * (a) Chapter I, part...

2 CFR 1.215 - Relationship to previous issuances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuances. 1.215... ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.215... title 2 of the CFR. Specifically: Guidance in * * * On * * * Previously was in * * * (a) Chapter I, part...

Computer-based coding of free-text job descriptions to efficiently identify occupations in epidemiological studies.

PubMed

Russ, Daniel E; Ho, Kwan-Yuet; Colt, Joanne S; Armenti, Karla R; Baris, Dalsu; Chow, Wong-Ho; Davis, Faith; Johnson, Alison; Purdue, Mark P; Karagas, Margaret R; Schwartz, Kendra; Schwenn, Molly; Silverman, Debra T; Johnson, Calvin A; Friesen, Melissa C

2016-06-01

Mapping job titles to standardised occupation classification (SOC) codes is an important step in identifying occupational risk factors in epidemiological studies. Because manual coding is time-consuming and has moderate reliability, we developed an algorithm called SOCcer (Standardized Occupation Coding for Computer-assisted Epidemiologic Research) to assign SOC-2010 codes based on free-text job description components. Job title and task-based classifiers were developed by comparing job descriptions to multiple sources linking job and task descriptions to SOC codes. An industry-based classifier was developed based on the SOC prevalence within an industry. These classifiers were used in a logistic model trained using 14 983 jobs with expert-assigned SOC codes to obtain empirical weights for an algorithm that scored each SOC/job description. We assigned the highest scoring SOC code to each job. SOCcer was validated in 2 occupational data sources by comparing SOC codes obtained from SOCcer to expert assigned SOC codes and lead exposure estimates obtained by linking SOC codes to a job-exposure matrix. For 11 991 case-control study jobs, SOCcer-assigned codes agreed with 44.5% and 76.3% of manually assigned codes at the 6-digit and 2-digit level, respectively. Agreement increased with the score, providing a mechanism to identify assignments needing review. Good agreement was observed between lead estimates based on SOCcer and manual SOC assignments (κ 0.6-0.8). Poorer performance was observed for inspection job descriptions, which included abbreviations and worksite-specific terminology. Although some manual coding will remain necessary, using SOCcer may improve the efficiency of incorporating occupation into large-scale epidemiological studies. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Color-coded fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images improve inter-rater reliability of fluid-attenuated inversion recovery signal changes within acute diffusion-weighted image lesions.

PubMed

Kim, Bum Joon; Kim, Yong-Hwan; Kim, Yeon-Jung; Ahn, Sung Ho; Lee, Deok Hee; Kwon, Sun U; Kim, Sang Joon; Kim, Jong S; Kang, Dong-Wha

2014-09-01

Diffusion-weighted image fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) mismatch has been considered to represent ischemic lesion age. However, the inter-rater agreement of diffusion-weighted image FLAIR mismatch is low. We hypothesized that color-coded images would increase its inter-rater agreement. Patients with ischemic stroke <24 hours of a clear onset were retrospectively studied. FLAIR signal change was rated as negative, subtle, or obvious on conventional and color-coded FLAIR images based on visual inspection. Inter-rater agreement was evaluated using κ and percent agreement. The predictive value of diffusion-weighted image FLAIR mismatch for identification of patients <4.5 hours of symptom onset was evaluated. One hundred and thirteen patients were enrolled. The inter-rater agreement of FLAIR signal change improved from 69.9% (k=0.538) with conventional images to 85.8% (k=0.754) with color-coded images (P=0.004). Discrepantly rated patients on conventional, but not on color-coded images, had a higher prevalence of cardioembolic stroke (P=0.02) and cortical infarction (P=0.04). The positive predictive value for patients <4.5 hours of onset was 85.3% and 71.9% with conventional and 95.7% and 82.1% with color-coded images, by each rater. Color-coded FLAIR images increased the inter-rater agreement of diffusion-weighted image FLAIR recovery mismatch and may ultimately help identify unknown-onset stroke patients appropriate for thrombolysis. © 2014 American Heart Association, Inc.

Validation of a modified table to map the 1998 Abbreviated Injury Scale to the 2008 scale and the use of adjusted severities.

PubMed

Tohira, Hideo; Jacobs, Ian; Mountain, David; Gibson, Nick; Yeo, Allen; Ueno, Masato; Watanabe, Hiroaki

2011-12-01

The Abbreviated Injury Scale 2008 (AIS 2008) is the most recent injury coding system. A mapping table from a previous AIS 98 to AIS 2008 is available. However, AIS 98 codes that are unmappable to AIS 2008 codes exist in this table. Furthermore, some AIS 98 codes can be mapped to multiple candidate AIS 2008 codes with different severities. We aimed to modify the original table to adjust the severities and to validate these changes. We modified the original table by adding links from unmappable AIS 98 codes to AIS 2008 codes. We applied the original table and our modified table to AIS 98 codes for major trauma patients. We also assigned candidate codes with different severities the weighted averages of their severities as an adjusted severity. The proportion of cases whose injury severity scores (ISSs) were computable were compared. We also compared the agreement of the ISS and New ISS (NISS) between manually determined AIS 2008 codes (MAN) and mapped codes by using our table (MAP) with unadjusted or adjusted severities. All and 72.3% of cases had their ISSs computed by our modified table and the original table, respectively. The agreement between MAN and MAP with respect to the ISS and NISS was substantial (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.939 for ISS and 0.943 for NISS). Using adjusted severities, the agreements of the ISS and NISS improved to 0.953 (p = 0.11) and 0.963 (p = 0.007), respectively. Our modified mapping table seems to allow more ISSs to be computed than the original table. Severity scores exhibited substantial agreement between MAN and MAP. The use of adjusted severities improved these agreements further.

Rullierinereis imajimai nom. nov., a replacement name for R. profunda Imajima, 2009, secondary homonym to R. profunda (Hartman, 1965), formerly Namalycastis profundus.

PubMed

Tanaka, Masaatsu; Sato, Masanori

2017-11-01

Hartman (1965) described a nereidid species, Namalycastis profundus[sic], based on a deep-sea specimen collected from off Bermuda (1000 m deep) in the NW Atlantic. Although Hartman (1965) did not mention its etymology, the specific name is believed to be derived from the Latin adjective "profund-" meaning "deep." Because Namalycastis is feminine in gender (Glasby et al. 2016), the original specific name as masculine was incorrect and must be corrected to N. profunda for mandatory gender agreement under Articles 31.2 and 34.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (hereafter, "the Code") (International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature 1999).

Shared Memory Parallelization of an Implicit ADI-type CFD Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hauser, Th.; Huang, P. G.

1999-01-01

A parallelization study designed for ADI-type algorithms is presented using the OpenMP specification for shared-memory multiprocessor programming. Details of optimizations specifically addressed to cache-based computer architectures are described and performance measurements for the single and multiprocessor implementation are summarized. The paper demonstrates that optimization of memory access on a cache-based computer architecture controls the performance of the computational algorithm. A hybrid MPI/OpenMP approach is proposed for clusters of shared memory machines to further enhance the parallel performance. The method is applied to develop a new LES/DNS code, named LESTool. A preliminary DNS calculation of a fully developed channel flow at a Reynolds number of 180, Re(sub tau) = 180, has shown good agreement with existing data.

Agreement between hospital discharge diagnosis codes and medical records to identify metastatic colorectal cancer and associated comorbidities in elderly patients.

PubMed

Gouverneur, A; Dolatkhani, D; Rouyer, M; Grelaud, A; Francis, F; Gilleron, V; Fourrier-Réglat, A; Noize, P

2017-08-01

Quality of coding to identify cancers and comorbidities through the French hospital diagnosis database (Programme de médicalisation des systèmes d'information, PMSI) has been little investigated. Agreement between medical records and PMSI database was evaluated regarding metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) and comorbidities. From 01/01/2013 to 06/30/2014, 74 patients aged≥65years at mCRC diagnosis were identified in Bordeaux teaching hospital. Data on mCRC and comorbidities were collected from medical records. All diagnosis codes (main, related and associated) registered into the PMSI were extracted. Agreement between sources was evaluated using the percent agreement for mCRC and the kappa (κ) statistic for comorbidities. Agreement for primary CRC and mCRC was higher using all types of diagnosis codes instead of the main one exclusively (respectively 95% vs. 53% for primary CRC and 91% vs. 24% for mCRC). Agreement was substantial (κ 0.65) for cardiovascular diseases, notably atrial fibrillation (κ 0.77) and hypertension (κ 0.68). It was moderate for psychiatric disorders (κ 0.49) and respiratory diseases (κ 0.48), although chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had a good agreement (κ 0.75). Within the class of endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (κ 0.55), agreement was substantial for diabetes (κ 0.91), obesity (κ 0.82) and hypothyroidism (κ 0.72) and moderate for hypercholesterolemia (κ 0.51) and malnutrition (κ 0.42). These results are reassuring with regard to detection through PMSI of mCRC if all types of diagnosis codes are considered and useful to better choose comorbidities in elderly mCRC patients that could be well identified through hospital diagnosis codes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

High Angular Momentum Halo Gas: A Feedback and Code-independent Prediction of LCDM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stewart, Kyle R.; Maller, Ariyeh H.; Oñorbe, Jose; Bullock, James S.; Joung, M. Ryan; Devriendt, Julien; Ceverino, Daniel; Kereš, Dušan; Hopkins, Philip F.; Faucher-Giguère, Claude-André

2017-07-01

We investigate angular momentum acquisition in Milky Way-sized galaxies by comparing five high resolution zoom-in simulations, each implementing identical cosmological initial conditions but utilizing different hydrodynamic codes: Enzo, Art, Ramses, Arepo, and Gizmo-PSPH. Each code implements a distinct set of feedback and star formation prescriptions. We find that while many galaxy and halo properties vary between the different codes (and feedback prescriptions), there is qualitative agreement on the process of angular momentum acquisition in the galaxy’s halo. In all simulations, cold filamentary gas accretion to the halo results in ˜4 times more specific angular momentum in cold halo gas (λ cold ≳ 0.1) than in the dark matter halo. At z > 1, this inflow takes the form of inspiraling cold streams that are co-directional in the halo of the galaxy and are fueled, aligned, and kinematically connected to filamentary gas infall along the cosmic web. Due to the qualitative agreement among disparate simulations, we conclude that the buildup of high angular momentum halo gas and the presence of these inspiraling cold streams are robust predictions of Lambda Cold Dark Matter galaxy formation, though the detailed morphology of these streams is significantly less certain. A growing body of observational evidence suggests that this process is borne out in the real universe.

An Investigation of Interrater Reliability for the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) in a Nonpatient U.S. Sample.

PubMed

Kivisalu, Trisha M; Lewey, Jennifer H; Shaffer, Thomas W; Canfield, Merle L

2016-01-01

The Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS) aims to provide an evidence-based approach to administration, coding, and interpretation of the Rorschach Inkblot Method (RIM). R-PAS analyzes individualized communications given by respondents to each card to code a wide pool of possible variables. Due to the large number of possible codes that can be assigned to these responses, it is important to consider the concordance rates among different assessors. This study investigated interrater reliability for R-PAS protocols. Data were analyzed from a nonpatient convenience sample of 50 participants who were recruited through networking, local marketing, and advertising efforts from January 2013 through October 2014. Blind recoding was used and discrepancies between the initial and blind coders' ratings were analyzed for each variable with SPSS yielding percent agreement and intraclass correlation values. Data for Location, Space, Contents, Synthesis, Vague, Pairs, Form Quality, Populars, Determinants, and Cognitive and Thematic codes are presented. Rates of agreement for 1,168 responses were higher for more simplistic coding (e.g., Location), whereas agreement was lower for more complex codes (e.g., Cognitive and Thematic codes). Overall, concordance rates achieved good to excellent agreement. Results suggest R-PAS is an effective method with high interrater reliability supporting its empirical basis.

Reconstructing past occupational exposures: how reliable are women's reports of their partner's occupation?

PubMed

Tagiyeva, Nara; Semple, Sean; Devereux, Graham; Sherriff, Andrea; Henderson, John; Elias, Peter; Ayres, Jon G

2011-06-01

Most of the evidence on agreement between self- and proxy-reported occupational data comes from interview-based studies. The authors aimed to examine agreement between women's reports of their partner's occupation and their partner's own description using questionnaire-based data collected as a part of the prospective, population-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. Information on present occupation was self-reported by women's partners and proxy-reported by women through questionnaires administered at 8 and 21 months after the birth of a child. Job titles were coded to the Standard Occupational Classification (SOC2000) using software developed by the University of Warwick (Computer-Assisted Structured Coding Tool). The accuracy of proxy-report was expressed as percentage agreement and kappa coefficients for four-, three- and two-digit SOC2000 codes obtained in automatic and semiautomatic (manually improved) coding modes. Data from 6016 couples at 8 months and 5232 couples at 21 months postnatally were included in the analyses. The agreement between men's self-reported occupation and women's report of their partner's occupation in fully automatic coding mode at four-, three- and two-digit code level was 65%, 71% and 77% at 8 months and 68%, 73% and 76% at 21 months. The accuracy of agreement was slightly improved by semiautomatic coding of occupations: 73%/73%, 78%/77% and 83%/80% at 8/21 months respectively. While this suggests that women's description of their partners' occupation can be used as a valuable tool in epidemiological research where data from partners are not available, this study revealed no agreement between these young women and their partners at the two-digit level of SOC2000 coding in approximately one in five cases. Proxy reporting of occupation introduces a statistically significant degree of error in classification. The effects of occupational misclassification by proxy reporting in retrospective occupational epidemiological studies based on questionnaire data should be considered.

Agreement between coding schemas used to identify bleeding-related hospitalizations in claims analyses of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients.

PubMed

Coleman, Craig I; Vaitsiakhovich, Tatsiana; Nguyen, Elaine; Weeda, Erin R; Sood, Nitesh A; Bunz, Thomas J; Schaefer, Bernhard; Meinecke, Anna-Katharina; Eriksson, Daniel

2018-01-01

Schemas to identify bleeding-related hospitalizations in claims data differ in billing codes used and coding positions allowed. We assessed agreement across bleeding-related hospitalization coding schemas for claims analyses of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients on oral anticoagulation (OAC). We hypothesized that prior coding schemas used to identify bleeding-related hospitalizations in claim database studies would provide varying levels of agreement in incidence rates. Within MarketScan data, we identified adults, newly started on OAC for NVAF from January 2012 to June 2015. Billing code schemas developed by Cunningham et al., the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Mini-Sentinel program, and Yao et al. were used to identify bleeding-related hospitalizations as a surrogate for major bleeding. Bleeds were subcategorized as intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), gastrointestinal (GI), or other. Schema agreement was assessed by comparing incidence, rates of events/100 person-years (PYs), and Cohen's kappa statistic. We identified 151 738 new-users of OAC with NVAF (CHA2DS2-VASc score = 3, [interquartile range = 2-4] and median HAS-BLED score = 3 [interquartile range = 2-3]). The Cunningham, FDA Mini-Sentinel, and Yao schemas identified any bleeding-related hospitalizations in 1.87% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.81-1.94), 2.65% (95% CI: 2.57-2.74), and 4.66% (95% CI: 4.55-4.76) of patients (corresponding rates = 3.45, 4.90, and 8.65 events/100 PYs). Kappa agreement across schemas was weak-to-moderate (κ = 0.47-0.66) for any bleeding hospitalization. Near-perfect agreement (κ = 0.99) was observed with the FDA Mini-Sentinel and Yao schemas for ICH-related hospitalizations, but agreement was weak when comparing Cunningham to FDA Mini-Sentinel or Yao (κ = 0.52-0.53). FDA Mini-Sentinel and Yao agreement was moderate (κ = 0.62) for GI bleeding, but agreement was weak when comparing Cunningham to FDA Mini-Sentinel or Yao (κ = 0.44-0.56). For other bleeds, agreement across schemas was minimal (κ = 0.14-0.38). We observed varying levels of agreement among 3 bleeding-related hospitalizations schemas in NVAF patients. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Professional Practice and Innovation: Level of Agreement between Coding Sources of Percentage Total Body Surface Area Burnt (%TBSA).

PubMed

Watterson, Dina; Cleland, Heather; Picton, Natalie; Simpson, Pam M; Gabbe, Belinda J

2011-03-01

The percentage of total body surface area burnt (%TBSA) is a critical measure of burn injury severity and a key predictor of burn injury outcome. This study evaluated the level of agreement between four sources of %TBSA using 120 cases identified through the Victorian State Trauma Registry. Expert clinician, ICD-10-AM, Abbreviated Injury Scale, and burns registry coding were compared using measures of agreement. There was near-perfect agreement (weighted Kappa statistic 0.81-1) between all sources of data, suggesting that ICD-10-AM is a valid source of %TBSA and use of ICD-10-AM codes could reduce the resource used by trauma and burns registries capturing this information.

New primary renal diagnosis codes for the ERA-EDTA

PubMed Central

Venkat-Raman, Gopalakrishnan; Tomson, Charles R.V.; Gao, Yongsheng; Cornet, Ronald; Stengel, Benedicte; Gronhagen-Riska, Carola; Reid, Chris; Jacquelinet, Christian; Schaeffner, Elke; Boeschoten, Els; Casino, Francesco; Collart, Frederic; De Meester, Johan; Zurriaga, Oscar; Kramar, Reinhard; Jager, Kitty J.; Simpson, Keith

2012-01-01

The European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) Registry has produced a new set of primary renal diagnosis (PRD) codes that are intended for use by affiliated registries. It is designed specifically for use in renal centres and registries but is aligned with international coding standards supported by the WHO (International Classification of Diseases) and the International Health Terminology Standards Development Organization (SNOMED Clinical Terms). It is available as supplementary material to this paper and free on the internet for non-commercial, clinical, quality improvement and research use, and by agreement with the ERA-EDTA Registry for use by commercial organizations. Conversion between the old and the new PRD codes is possible. The new codes are very flexible and will be actively managed to keep them up-to-date and to ensure that renal medicine can remain at the forefront of the electronic revolution in medicine, epidemiology research and the use of decision support systems to improve the care of patients. PMID:23175621

Validity of ICD-9-CM Coding for Identifying Incident Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Infections: Is MRSA Infection Coded as a Chronic Disease?

PubMed Central

Schweizer, Marin L.; Eber, Michael R.; Laxminarayan, Ramanan; Furuno, Jon P.; Popovich, Kyle J.; Hota, Bala; Rubin, Michael A.; Perencevich, Eli N.

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Investigators and medical decision makers frequently rely on administrative databases to assess methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection rates and outcomes. The validity of this approach remains unclear. We sought to assess the validity of the International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code for infection with drug-resistant microorganisms (V09) for identifying culture-proven MRSA infection. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. METHODS All adults admitted to 3 geographically distinct hospitals between January 1, 2001, and December 31, 2007, were assessed for presence of incident MRSA infection, defined as an MRSA-positive clinical culture obtained during the index hospitalization, and presence of the V09 ICD-9-CM code. The k statistic was calculated to measure the agreement between presence of MRSA infection and assignment of the V09 code. Sensitivities, specificities, positive predictive values, and negative predictive values were calculated. RESULTS There were 466,819 patients discharged during the study period. Of the 4,506 discharged patients (1.0%) who had the V09 code assigned, 31% had an incident MRSA infection, 20% had prior history of MRSA colonization or infection but did not have an incident MRSA infection, and 49% had no record of MRSA infection during the index hospitalization or the previous hospitalization. The V09 code identified MRSA infection with a sensitivity of 24% (range, 21%–34%) and positive predictive value of 31% (range, 22%–53%). The agreement between assignment of the V09 code and presence of MRSA infection had a κ coefficient of 0.26 (95% confidence interval, 0.25–0.27). CONCLUSIONS In its current state, the ICD-9-CM code V09 is not an accurate predictor of MRSA infection and should not be used to measure rates of MRSA infection. PMID:21460469

Aerospace Human Factors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Kevin

1999-01-01

The following contains the final report on the activities related to the Cooperative Agreement between the human factors research group at NASA Ames Research Center and the Psychology Department at San Jose State University. The participating NASA Ames division has been, as the organization has changed, the Aerospace Human Factors Research Division (ASHFRD and Code FL), the Flight Management and Human Factors Research Division (Code AF), and the Human Factors Research and Technology Division (Code IH). The inclusive dates for the report are November 1, 1984 to January 31, 1999. Throughout the years, approximately 170 persons worked on the cooperative agreements in one capacity or another. The Cooperative Agreement provided for research personnel to collaborate with senior scientists in ongoing NASA ARC research. Finally, many post-MA/MS and post-doctoral personnel contributed to the projects. It is worth noting that 10 former cooperative agreement personnel were hired into civil service positions directly from the agreements.

Viewpoint: a comparison of cause-of-injury coding in U.S. military and civilian hospitals.

PubMed

Amoroso, P J; Bell, N S; Smith, G S; Senier, L; Pickett, D

2000-04-01

Complete and accurate coding of injury causes is essential to the understanding of injury etiology and to the development and evaluation of injury-prevention strategies. While civilian hospitals use ICD-9-CM external cause-of-injury codes, military hospitals use codes derived from the NATO Standardization Agreement (STANAG) 2050. The STANAG uses two separate variables to code injury cause. The Trauma code uses a single digit with 10 possible values to identify the general class of injury as battle injury, intentionally inflicted nonbattle injury, or unintentional injury. The Injury code is used to identify cause or activity at the time of the injury. For a subset of the Injury codes, the last digit is modified to indicate place of occurrence. This simple system contains fewer than 300 basic codes, including many that are specific to battle- and sports-related injuries not coded well by either the ICD-9-CM or the draft ICD-10-CM. However, while falls, poisonings, and injuries due to machinery and tools are common causes of injury hospitalizations in the military, few STANAG codes correspond to these events. Intentional injuries in general and sexual assaults in particular are also not well represented in the STANAG. Because the STANAG does not map directly to the ICD-9-CM system, quantitative comparisons between military and civilian data are difficult. The ICD-10-CM, which will be implemented in the United States sometime after 2001, expands considerably on its predecessor, ICD-9-CM, and provides more specificity and detail than the STANAG. With slight modification, it might become a suitable replacement for the STANAG.

High Angular Momentum Halo Gas: A Feedback and Code-independent Prediction of LCDM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stewart, Kyle R.; Maller, Ariyeh H.; Oñorbe, Jose

We investigate angular momentum acquisition in Milky Way-sized galaxies by comparing five high resolution zoom-in simulations, each implementing identical cosmological initial conditions but utilizing different hydrodynamic codes: Enzo, Art, Ramses, Arepo, and Gizmo-PSPH. Each code implements a distinct set of feedback and star formation prescriptions. We find that while many galaxy and halo properties vary between the different codes (and feedback prescriptions), there is qualitative agreement on the process of angular momentum acquisition in the galaxy’s halo. In all simulations, cold filamentary gas accretion to the halo results in ∼4 times more specific angular momentum in cold halo gas (more » λ {sub cold} ≳ 0.1) than in the dark matter halo. At z > 1, this inflow takes the form of inspiraling cold streams that are co-directional in the halo of the galaxy and are fueled, aligned, and kinematically connected to filamentary gas infall along the cosmic web. Due to the qualitative agreement among disparate simulations, we conclude that the buildup of high angular momentum halo gas and the presence of these inspiraling cold streams are robust predictions of Lambda Cold Dark Matter galaxy formation, though the detailed morphology of these streams is significantly less certain. A growing body of observational evidence suggests that this process is borne out in the real universe.« less

Validation of the "HAMP" mapping algorithm: a tool for long-term trauma research studies in the conversion of AIS 2005 to AIS 98.

PubMed

Adams, Derk; Schreuder, Astrid B; Salottolo, Kristin; Settell, April; Goss, J Richard

2011-07-01

There are significant changes in the abbreviated injury scale (AIS) 2005 system, which make it impractical to compare patients coded in AIS version 98 with patients coded in AIS version 2005. Harborview Medical Center created a computer algorithm "Harborview AIS Mapping Program (HAMP)" to automatically convert AIS 2005 to AIS 98 injury codes. The mapping was validated using 6 months of double-coded patient injury records from a Level I Trauma Center. HAMP was used to determine how closely individual AIS and injury severity scores (ISS) were converted from AIS 2005 to AIS 98 versions. The kappa statistic was used to measure the agreement between manually determined codes and HAMP-derived codes. Seven hundred forty-nine patient records were used for validation. For the conversion of AIS codes, the measure of agreement between HAMP and manually determined codes was [kappa] = 0.84 (95% confidence interval, 0.82-0.86). The algorithm errors were smaller in magnitude than the manually determined coding errors. For the conversion of ISS, the agreement between HAMP versus manually determined ISS was [kappa] = 0.81 (95% confidence interval, 0.78-0.84). The HAMP algorithm successfully converted injuries coded in AIS 2005 to AIS 98. This algorithm will be useful when comparing trauma patient clinical data across populations coded in different versions, especially for longitudinal studies.

Accurate Modeling of Ionospheric Electromagnetic Fields Generated by a Low-Altitude VLF Transmitter

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-31

latitude) for 3 different grid spacings. 14 8. Low-altitude fields produced by a 10-kHz source computed using the FD and TD codes. The agreement is...excellent, validating the new FD code. 16 9. High-altitude fields produced by a 10-kHz source computed using the FD and TD codes. The agreement is...again excellent. 17 10. Low-altitude fields produced by a 20-k.Hz source computed using the FD and TD codes. 17 11. High-altitude fields produced

Normative Database and Color-code Agreement of Peripapillary Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer and Macular Ganglion Cell-inner Plexiform Layer Thickness in a Vietnamese Population.

PubMed

Perez, Claudio I; Chansangpetch, Sunee; Thai, Andy; Nguyen, Anh-Hien; Nguyen, Anwell; Mora, Marta; Nguyen, Ngoc; Lin, Shan C

2018-06-05

Evaluate the distribution and the color probability codes of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and macular ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness in a healthy Vietnamese population and compare them with the original color-codes provided by the Cirrus spectral domain OCT. Cross-sectional study. We recruited non-glaucomatous Vietnamese subjects and constructed a normative database for peripapillary RNFL and macular GCIPL thickness. The probability color-codes for each decade of age were calculated. We evaluated the agreement with Kappa coefficient (κ) between OCT color probability codes with Cirrus built-in original normative database and the Vietnamese normative database. 149 eyes of 149 subjects were included. The mean age of enrollees was 60.77 (±11.09) years, with a mean spherical equivalent of +0.65 (±1.58) D and mean axial length of 23.4 (±0.87) mm. Average RNFL thickness was 97.86 (±9.19) microns and average macular GCIPL was 82.49 (±6.09) microns. Agreement between original and adjusted normative database for RNFL was fair for average and inferior quadrant (κ=0.25 and 0.2, respectively); and good for other quadrants (range: κ=0.63-0.73). For macular GCIPL κ agreement ranged between 0.39 and 0.69. After adjusting with the normative Vietnamese database, the percent of yellow and red color-codes increased significantly for peripapillary RNFL thickness. Vietnamese population has a thicker RNFL in comparison with Cirrus normative database. This leads to a poor color-code agreement in average and inferior quadrant between the original and adjusted database. These findings should encourage to create a peripapillary RNFL normative database for each ethnicity.

Interrater agreement of an observational tool to code knockouts and technical knockouts in mixed martial arts.

PubMed

Lawrence, David W; Hutchison, Michael G; Cusimano, Michael D; Singh, Tanveer; Li, Luke

2014-09-01

Interrater agreement evaluation of a tool to document and code the situational factors and mechanisms of knockouts (KOs) and technical knockouts (TKOs) in mixed martial arts (MMA). Retrospective case series. Professional MMA matches from the Ultimate Fighting Championship-2006-2012. Two nonmedically trained independent raters. The MMA Knockout Tool (MMA-KT) consists of 20 factors and captures and codes information on match characteristics, situational context preceding KOs and TKOs, as well as describing competitor states during these outcomes. The MMA-KT also evaluates the mechanism of action and subsequent events surrounding a KO. The 2 raters coded 125 unique events for a total of 250 events. The 8 factors of Part A had an average κ of 0.87 (SD = 0.10; range = 0.65-0.98); 7 were considered "substantial" agreement and 1 "moderate." Part B consists of 12 factors with an average κ of 0.84 (SD = 0.16; range = 0.59-1.0); 7 classified as "substantial" agreement, 4 "moderate," and 1 "fair." The majority of the factors in the MMA-KT demonstrated substantial interrater agreement, with an average κ of 0.86 (SD = 0.13; range = 0.59-1.0). The MMA-KT is a reliable tool to extract and code relevant information to investigate the situational factors and mechanism of KOs and TKOs in MMA competitions.

75 FR 53019 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Regulation Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-30

... soliciting comments concerning an existing regulation, REG-147144-06, (TD 9446) Section 1.367(a)-8, Gain...: Gain Recognition Agreements With Respect to Certain Transfers of Stock or Securities by United States... Internal Revenue Code (Code) concerning gain recognition agreements filed by United States persons with...

CARES/LIFE Software Commercialization

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center has entered into a letter agreement with BIOSYM Technologies Inc. (now merged with Molecular Simulations Inc. (MSI)). Under this agreement, NASA will provide a developmental copy of the CARES/LIFE computer program to BIOSYM for evaluation. This computer code predicts the time-dependent reliability of a thermomechanically loaded component. BIOSYM will become familiar with CARES/LIFE, provide results of computations useful in validating the code, evaluate it for potential commercialization, and submit suggestions for improvements or extensions to the code or its documentation. If BIOSYM/Molecular Simulations reaches a favorable evaluation of CARES/LIFE, NASA will enter into negotiations for a cooperative agreement with BIOSYM/Molecular Simulations to further develop the code--adding features such as a user-friendly interface and other improvements. This agreement would give BIOSYM intellectual property rights in the modified codes, which they could protect and then commercialize. NASA would provide BIOSYM with the NASA-developed source codes and would agree to cooperate with BIOSYM in further developing the code. In return, NASA would receive certain use rights in the modified CARES/LIFE program. Presently BIOSYM Technologies Inc. has been involved with integration issues concerning its merger with Molecular Simulations Inc., since both companies used to compete in the computational chemistry market, and to some degree, in the materials market. Consequently, evaluation of the CARES/LIFE software is on hold for a month or two while the merger is finalized. Their interest in CARES continues, however, and they expect to get back to the evaluation by early November 1995.

Benchmark studies of induced radioactivity produced in LHC materials, Part I: Specific activities.

PubMed

Brugger, M; Khater, H; Mayer, S; Prinz, A; Roesler, S; Ulrici, L; Vincke, H

2005-01-01

Samples of materials which will be used in the LHC machine for shielding and construction components were irradiated in the stray radiation field of the CERN-EU high-energy reference field facility. After irradiation, the specific activities induced in the various samples were analysed with a high-precision gamma spectrometer at various cooling times, allowing identification of isotopes with a wide range of half-lives. Furthermore, the irradiation experiment was simulated in detail with the FLUKA Monte Carlo code. A comparison of measured and calculated specific activities shows good agreement, supporting the use of FLUKA for estimating the level of induced activity in the LHC.

Monte Carlo simulations versus experimental measurements in a small animal PET system. A comparison in the NEMA NU 4-2008 framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popota, F. D.; Aguiar, P.; España, S.; Lois, C.; Udias, J. M.; Ros, D.; Pavia, J.; Gispert, J. D.

2015-01-01

In this work a comparison between experimental and simulated data using GATE and PeneloPET Monte Carlo simulation packages is presented. All simulated setups, as well as the experimental measurements, followed exactly the guidelines of the NEMA NU 4-2008 standards using the microPET R4 scanner. The comparison was focused on spatial resolution, sensitivity, scatter fraction and counting rates performance. Both GATE and PeneloPET showed reasonable agreement for the spatial resolution when compared to experimental measurements, although they lead to slight underestimations for the points close to the edge. High accuracy was obtained between experiments and simulations of the system’s sensitivity and scatter fraction for an energy window of 350-650 keV, as well as for the counting rate simulations. The latter was the most complicated test to perform since each code demands different specifications for the characterization of the system’s dead time. Although simulated and experimental results were in excellent agreement for both simulation codes, PeneloPET demanded more information about the behavior of the real data acquisition system. To our knowledge, this constitutes the first validation of these Monte Carlo codes for the full NEMA NU 4-2008 standards for small animal PET imaging systems.

Monte Carlo simulations versus experimental measurements in a small animal PET system. A comparison in the NEMA NU 4-2008 framework.

PubMed

Popota, F D; Aguiar, P; España, S; Lois, C; Udias, J M; Ros, D; Pavia, J; Gispert, J D

2015-01-07

In this work a comparison between experimental and simulated data using GATE and PeneloPET Monte Carlo simulation packages is presented. All simulated setups, as well as the experimental measurements, followed exactly the guidelines of the NEMA NU 4-2008 standards using the microPET R4 scanner. The comparison was focused on spatial resolution, sensitivity, scatter fraction and counting rates performance. Both GATE and PeneloPET showed reasonable agreement for the spatial resolution when compared to experimental measurements, although they lead to slight underestimations for the points close to the edge. High accuracy was obtained between experiments and simulations of the system's sensitivity and scatter fraction for an energy window of 350-650 keV, as well as for the counting rate simulations. The latter was the most complicated test to perform since each code demands different specifications for the characterization of the system's dead time. Although simulated and experimental results were in excellent agreement for both simulation codes, PeneloPET demanded more information about the behavior of the real data acquisition system. To our knowledge, this constitutes the first validation of these Monte Carlo codes for the full NEMA NU 4-2008 standards for small animal PET imaging systems.

Accuracy of automatic syndromic classification of coded emergency department diagnoses in identifying mental health-related presentations for public health surveillance.

PubMed

Liljeqvist, Henning T G; Muscatello, David; Sara, Grant; Dinh, Michael; Lawrence, Glenda L

2014-09-23

Syndromic surveillance in emergency departments (EDs) may be used to deliver early warnings of increases in disease activity, to provide situational awareness during events of public health significance, to supplement other information on trends in acute disease and injury, and to support the development and monitoring of prevention or response strategies. Changes in mental health related ED presentations may be relevant to these goals, provided they can be identified accurately and efficiently. This study aimed to measure the accuracy of using diagnostic codes in electronic ED presentation records to identify mental health-related visits. We selected a random sample of 500 records from a total of 1,815,588 ED electronic presentation records from 59 NSW public hospitals during 2010. ED diagnoses were recorded using any of ICD-9, ICD-10 or SNOMED CT classifications. Three clinicians, blinded to the automatically generated syndromic grouping and each other's classification, reviewed the triage notes and classified each of the 500 visits as mental health-related or not. A "mental health problem presentation" for the purposes of this study was defined as any ED presentation where either a mental disorder or a mental health problem was the reason for the ED visit. The combined clinicians' assessment of the records was used as reference standard to measure the sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of the automatic classification of coded emergency department diagnoses. Agreement between the reference standard and the automated coded classification was estimated using the Kappa statistic. Agreement between clinician's classification and automated coded classification was substantial (Kappa = 0.73. 95% CI: 0.58 - 0.87). The automatic syndromic grouping of coded ED diagnoses for mental health-related visits was found to be moderately sensitive (68% 95% CI: 46%-84%) and highly specific at 99% (95% CI: 98%-99.7%) when compared with the reference standard in identifying mental health related ED visits. Positive predictive value was 81% (95% CI: 0.57 - 0.94) and negative predictive value was 98% (95% CI: 0.97-0.99). Mental health presentations identified using diagnoses coded with various classifications in electronic ED presentation records offers sufficient accuracy for application in near real-time syndromic surveillance.

Comparison of two methods of MMPI-2 profile classification.

PubMed

Munley, P H; Germain, J M

2000-10-01

The present study investigated the extent of agreement of the highest scale method and the best-fit method in matching MMPI-2 profiles to database code-type profiles and considered profile characteristics that may relate to agreement or disagreement of code-type matches by these two methods. A sample of 519 MMPI-2 profiles that had been classified into database profile code types by these two methods was studied. Resulting code-type matches were classified into three groups: identical (30%), similar (39%), and different (31%), and the profile characteristics of profile elevation, dispersion, and profile code-type definition were studied. Profile code-type definition was significantly different across the three groups with identical and similar match profile groups showing greater profile code-type definition and the different group consisting of profiles that were less well-defined.

TEMPEST code simulations of hydrogen distribution in reactor containment structures. Final report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Trent, D.S.; Eyler, L.L.

The mass transport version of the TEMPEST computer code was used to simulate hydrogen distribution in geometric configurations relevant to reactor containment structures. Predicted results of Battelle-Frankfurt hydrogen distribution tests 1 to 6, and 12 are presented. Agreement between predictions and experimental data is good. Best agreement is obtained using the k-epsilon turbulence model in TEMPEST in flow cases where turbulent diffusion and stable stratification are dominant mechanisms affecting transport. The code's general analysis capabilities are summarized.

Performance of automated and manual coding systems for occupational data: a case study of historical records.

PubMed

Patel, Mehul D; Rose, Kathryn M; Owens, Cindy R; Bang, Heejung; Kaufman, Jay S

2012-03-01

Occupational data are a common source of workplace exposure and socioeconomic information in epidemiologic research. We compared the performance of two occupation coding methods, an automated software and a manual coder, using occupation and industry titles from U.S. historical records. We collected parental occupational data from 1920-40s birth certificates, Census records, and city directories on 3,135 deceased individuals in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study. Unique occupation-industry narratives were assigned codes by a manual coder and the Standardized Occupation and Industry Coding software program. We calculated agreement between coding methods of classification into major Census occupational groups. Automated coding software assigned codes to 71% of occupations and 76% of industries. Of this subset coded by software, 73% of occupation codes and 69% of industry codes matched between automated and manual coding. For major occupational groups, agreement improved to 89% (kappa = 0.86). Automated occupational coding is a cost-efficient alternative to manual coding. However, some manual coding is required to code incomplete information. We found substantial variability between coders in the assignment of occupations although not as large for major groups.

Monte Carlo calculation of dose rate conversion factors for external exposure to photon emitters in soil

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clovas, A.; Zanthos, S.; Antonopoulos-Domis, M.

2000-03-01

The dose rate conversion factors {dot D}{sub CF} (absorbed dose rate in air per unit activity per unit of soil mass, nGy h{sup {minus}1} per Bq kg{sup {minus}1}) are calculated 1 m above ground for photon emitters of natural radionuclides uniformly distributed in the soil. Three Monte Carlo codes are used: (1) The MCNP code of Los Alamos; (2) The GEANT code of CERN; and (3) a Monte Carlo code developed in the Nuclear Technology Laboratory of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. The accuracy of the Monte Carlo results is tested by the comparison of the unscattered flux obtained bymore » the three Monte Carlo codes with an independent straightforward calculation. All codes and particularly the MCNP calculate accurately the absorbed dose rate in air due to the unscattered radiation. For the total radiation (unscattered plus scattered) the {dot D}{sub CF} values calculated from the three codes are in very good agreement between them. The comparison between these results and the results deduced previously by other authors indicates a good agreement (less than 15% of difference) for photon energies above 1,500 keV. Antithetically, the agreement is not as good (difference of 20--30%) for the low energy photons.« less

A research coding method for the basic patient-centered interview.

PubMed

Grayson-Sneed, Katelyn A; Smith, Sandi W; Smith, Robert C

2017-03-01

To develop a more reliable coding method of medical interviewing focused on data-gathering and emotion-handling. Two trained (30h) undergraduates rated videotaped interviews from 127 resident-simulated patient (SP) interactions. Trained on 45 videotapes, raters coded 25 of 127 study set tapes for patient-centeredness. Guetzkow's U, Cohen's Kappa, and percent of agreement were used to measure raters' reliability in unitizing and coding residents' skills for eliciting: agenda (3 yes/no items), physical story (2), personal story (6), emotional story (15), using indirect skills (4), and general patient-centeredness (3). 45 items were dichotomized from the earlier, Likert scale-based method and were reduced to 33 during training. Guetzkow's U ranged from 0.00 to 0.087. Kappa ranged from 0.86 to 1.00 for the 6 variables and 33 individual items. The overall kappa was 0.90, and percent of agreement was 97.5%. Percent of agreement by item ranged from 84 to 100%. A simple, highly reliable coding method, weighted (by no. of items) to highlight personal elements of an interview, was developed and is recommended as a criterion standard research coding method. An easily conducted, reliable coding procedure can be the basis for everyday questionnaires like patient satisfaction with patient-centeredness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development and preliminary evaluation of a practice-based learning and improvement tool for assessing resident competence and guiding curriculum development.

PubMed

Lawrence, Renée H; Tomolo, Anne M

2011-03-01

Although practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI) is now recognized as a fundamental and necessary skill set, we are still in need of tools that yield specific information about gaps in knowledge and application to help nurture the development of quality improvement (QI) skills in physicians in a proficient and proactive manner. We developed a questionnaire and coding system as an assessment tool to evaluate and provide feedback regarding PBLI self-efficacy, knowledge, and application skills for residency programs and related professional requirements. Five nationally recognized QI experts/leaders reviewed and completed our questionnaire. Through an iterative process, a coding system based on identifying key variables needed for ideal responses was developed to score project proposals. The coding system comprised 14 variables related to the QI projects, and an additional 30 variables related to the core knowledge concepts related to PBLI. A total of 86 residents completed the questionnaire, and 2 raters coded their open-ended responses. Interrater reliability was assessed by percentage agreement and Cohen κ for individual variables and Lin concordance correlation for total scores for knowledge and application. Discriminative validity (t test to compare known groups) and coefficient of reproducibility as an indicator of construct validity (item difficulty hierarchy) were also assessed. Interrater reliability estimates were good (percentage of agreements, above 90%; κ, above 0.4 for most variables; concordances for total scores were R  =  .88 for knowledge and R  =  .98 for application). Despite the residents' limited range of experiences in the group with prior PBLI exposure, our tool met our goal of differentiating between the 2 groups in our preliminary analyses. Correcting for chance agreement identified some variables that are potentially problematic. Although additional evaluation is needed, our tool may prove helpful and provide detailed information about trainees' progress and the curriculum.

Development and Preliminary Evaluation of a Practice-Based Learning and Improvement Tool for Assessing Resident Competence and Guiding Curriculum Development

PubMed Central

Lawrence, Renée H; Tomolo, Anne M

2011-01-01

Background Although practice-based learning and improvement (PBLI) is now recognized as a fundamental and necessary skill set, we are still in need of tools that yield specific information about gaps in knowledge and application to help nurture the development of quality improvement (QI) skills in physicians in a proficient and proactive manner. We developed a questionnaire and coding system as an assessment tool to evaluate and provide feedback regarding PBLI self-efficacy, knowledge, and application skills for residency programs and related professional requirements. Methods Five nationally recognized QI experts/leaders reviewed and completed our questionnaire. Through an iterative process, a coding system based on identifying key variables needed for ideal responses was developed to score project proposals. The coding system comprised 14 variables related to the QI projects, and an additional 30 variables related to the core knowledge concepts related to PBLI. A total of 86 residents completed the questionnaire, and 2 raters coded their open-ended responses. Interrater reliability was assessed by percentage agreement and Cohen κ for individual variables and Lin concordance correlation for total scores for knowledge and application. Discriminative validity (t test to compare known groups) and coefficient of reproducibility as an indicator of construct validity (item difficulty hierarchy) were also assessed. Results Interrater reliability estimates were good (percentage of agreements, above 90%; κ, above 0.4 for most variables; concordances for total scores were R  =  .88 for knowledge and R  =  .98 for application). Conclusion Despite the residents' limited range of experiences in the group with prior PBLI exposure, our tool met our goal of differentiating between the 2 groups in our preliminary analyses. Correcting for chance agreement identified some variables that are potentially problematic. Although additional evaluation is needed, our tool may prove helpful and provide detailed information about trainees' progress and the curriculum. PMID:22379522

International codes and agreements to restrict the promotion of harmful products can hold lessons for the control of alcohol marketing.

PubMed

Landon, Jane; Lobstein, Tim; Godfrey, Fiona; Johns, Paula; Brookes, Chris; Jernigan, David

2017-01-01

Background and aims The 2011 UN Summit on Non-Communicable Disease failed to call for global action on alcohol marketing despite calls in the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Action Plan on Non-Communicable Diseases 2013-20 to restrict or ban alcohol advertising. In this paper we ask what it might take to match the global approach to tobacco enshrined in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), and suggest that public health advocates can learn from the development of the FCTC and the Code of Marketing on infant formula milks and the recent recommendations on restricting food marketing to children. Methods Narrative review of qualitative accounts of the processes that created and monitor existing codes and treaties to restrict the marketing of consumer products, specifically breast milk substitutes, unhealthy foods and tobacco. Findings The development of treaties and codes for market restrictions include: (i) evidence of a public health crisis; (ii) the cost of inaction; (iii) civil society advocacy; (iv) the building of capacity; (v) the management of conflicting interests in policy development; and (vi) the need to consider monitoring and accountability to ensure compliance. Conclusion International public health treaties and codes provide an umbrella under which national governments can strengthen their own legislation, assisted by technical support from international agencies and non-governmental organizations. Three examples of international agreements, those for breast milk substitutes, unhealthy foods and tobacco, can provide lessons for the public health community to make progress on alcohol controls. Lessons include stronger alliances of advocates and health professionals and better tools and capacity to monitor and report current marketing practices and trends. © 2016 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Nitric oxide concentration measurements in atmospheric pressure flames using electronic-resonance-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chai, N.; Kulatilaka, W. D.; Naik, S. V.; Laurendeau, N. M.; Lucht, R. P.; Kuehner, J. P.; Roy, S.; Katta, V. R.; Gord, J. R.

2007-06-01

We report the application of electronic-resonance-enhanced coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (ERE-CARS) for measurements of nitric oxide concentration ([NO]) in three different atmospheric pressure flames. Visible pump (532 nm) and Stokes (591 nm) beams are used to probe the Q-branch of the Raman transition. A significant resonance enhancement is obtained by tuning an ultraviolet probe beam (236 nm) into resonance with specific rotational transitions in the (v’=0, v”=1) vibrational band of the A2Σ+-X2Π electronic system of NO. ERE-CARS spectra are recorded at various heights within a hydrogen-air flame producing relatively low concentrations of NO over a Hencken burner. Good agreement is obtained between NO ERE-CARS measurements and the results of flame computations using UNICORN, a two-dimensional flame code. Excellent agreement between measured and calculated NO spectra is also obtained when using a modified version of the Sandia CARSFT code for heavily sooting acetylene-air flames (φ=0.8 to φ=1.6) on the same Hencken burner. Finally, NO concentration profiles are measured using ERE-CARS in a laminar, counter-flow, non-premixed hydrogen-air flame. Spectral scans are recorded by probing the Q1 (9.5), Q1 (13.5) and Q1 (17.5) Raman transitions. The measured shape of the [NO] profile is in good agreement with that predicted using the OPPDIF code, even without correcting for collisional effects. These comparisons between [NO] measurements and predictions establish the utility of ERE-CARS for detection of NO in flames with large temperature and concentration gradients as well as in sooting environments.

Three-Dimensional Simulation of Traveling-Wave Tube Cold-Test Characteristics Using MAFIA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kory, Carol L.; Wilson, Jeffrey D.

1995-01-01

The three-dimensional simulation code MAFIA was used to compute the cold-test parameters - frequency-phase dispersion, beam on-axis interaction impedance, and attenuation - for two types of traveling-wave tube (TWT) slow-wave circuits. The potential for this electromagnetic computer modeling code to reduce the time and cost of TWT development is demonstrated by the high degree of accuracy achieved in calculating these parameters. Generalized input files were developed for ferruled coupled-cavity and TunneLadder slow-wave circuits. These files make it easy to model circuits of arbitrary dimensions. The utility of these files was tested by applying each to a specific TWT slow-wave circuit and comparing the results with experimental data. Excellent agreement was obtained.

Validating the Use of ICD-9 Code Mapping to Generate Injury Severity Scores

PubMed Central

Fleischman, Ross J.; Mann, N. Clay; Dai, Mengtao; Holmes, James F.; Wang, N. Ewen; Haukoos, Jason; Hsia, Renee Y.; Rea, Thomas; Newgard, Craig D.

2017-01-01

The Injury Severity Score (ISS) is a measure of injury severity widely used for research and quality assurance in trauma. Calculation of ISS requires chart abstraction, so it is often unavailable for patients cared for in nontrauma centers. Whether ISS can be accurately calculated from International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes remains unclear. Our objective was to compare ISS derived from ICD-9 codes with those coded by trauma registrars. This was a retrospective study of patients entered into 9 U.S. trauma registries from January 2006 through December 2008. Two computer programs, ICDPIC and ICDMAP, were used to derive ISS from the ICD-9 codes in the registries. We compared derived ISS with ISS hand-coded by trained coders. There were 24,804 cases with a mortality rate of 3.9%. The median ISS derived by both ICDPIC (ISS-ICDPIC) and ICDMAP (ISS-ICDMAP) was 8 (interquartile range [IQR] = 4–13). The median ISS in the registry (ISS-registry) was 9 (IQR = 4–14). The median difference between either of the derived scores and ISS-registry was zero. However, the mean ISS derived by ICD-9 code mapping was lower than the hand-coded ISS in the registries (1.7 lower for ICDPIC, 95% CI [1.7, 1.8], Bland–Altman limits of agreement = −10.5 to 13.9; 1.8 lower for ICDMAP, 95% CI [1.7, 1.9], limits of agreement = −9.6 to 13.3). ICD-9-derived ISS slightly underestimated ISS compared with hand-coded scores. The 2 methods showed moderate to substantial agreement. Although hand-coded scores should be used when possible, ICD-9-derived scores may be useful in quality assurance and research when hand-coded scores are unavailable. PMID:28033134

Clinical indicators for routine use in the evaluation of early psychosis intervention: development, training support and inter-rater reliability.

PubMed

Catts, Stanley V; Frost, Aaron D J; O'Toole, Brian I; Carr, Vaughan J; Lewin, Terry; Neil, Amanda L; Harris, Meredith G; Evans, Russell W; Crissman, Belinda R; Eadie, Kathy

2011-01-01

Clinical practice improvement carried out in a quality assurance framework relies on routinely collected data using clinical indicators. Herein we describe the development, minimum training requirements, and inter-rater agreement of indicators that were used in an Australian multi-site evaluation of the effectiveness of early psychosis (EP) teams. Surveys of clinician opinion and face-to-face consensus-building meetings were used to select and conceptually define indicators. Operationalization of definitions was achieved by iterative refinement until clinicians could be quickly trained to code indicators reliably. Calculation of percentage agreement with expert consensus coding was based on ratings of paper-based clinical vignettes embedded in a 2-h clinician training package. Consensually agreed upon conceptual definitions for seven clinical indicators judged most relevant to evaluating EP teams were operationalized for ease-of-training. Brief training enabled typical clinicians to code indicators with acceptable percentage agreement (60% to 86%). For indicators of suicide risk, psychosocial function, and family functioning this level of agreement was only possible with less precise 'broad range' expert consensus scores. Estimated kappa values indicated fair to good inter-rater reliability (kappa > 0.65). Inspection of contingency tables (coding category by health service) and modal scores across services suggested consistent, unbiased coding across services. Clinicians are able to agree upon what information is essential to routinely evaluate clinical practice. Simple indicators of this information can be designed and coding rules can be reliably applied to written vignettes after brief training. The real world feasibility of the indicators remains to be tested in field trials.

Do emergency medical services dispatch nature and severity codes agree with paramedic field findings?

PubMed

Neely, K W; Eldurkar, J A; Drake, M E

2000-02-01

Emergency medical services (EMS) systems increasingly seek to triage patients to alternative EMS resources. Emergency medical services dispatchers may be asked to perform this triage. New protocols may be necessary. Alternatively, existing protocols may be sufficient for this task. For an existing dispatch protocol to be sufficient, it at least must accurately categorize patient condition and severity based on an external standard. To examine the extent to which nature codes (NCs), or patient condition codes, and severity codes (SCs) currently assigned in one urban 911 center agree with paramedic field findings. The null hypothesis was that there is no routine agreement (75%) between dispatcher-assigned NC or SC and paramedic-assigned NC or SC for the same patient using the same protocol. Emergency medical services dispatch nature and severity code data and matching out-of-hospital data were prospectively gathered over six months. Dispatch data included the NC: caller-identified problem, and the SC: dispatcher-assessed severity. Each NC is modified by one of three SCs (1, 3, or 9): 1 is emergent, 3 is urgent, and 9 is neither. Paramedics verified and/or corrected dispatcher-assigned NCs and SCs using the same dispatch protocol. One thousand forty usable cases fell into 33 unique NC/SC combinations. The designation of SC 1 was assigned 275 times, SC 3 was assigned 736 times, and SC 9 was assigned 24 times. The SC was missing five times. The overall NC agreement was 0.70 (95% CI = 0.697 to 0.703). The overall SC agreement was 0.65 (95% CI = 0.645 to 0.655). The NC agreement exceeded 75% for ten (59%) NC/SC combinations. The SC agreement exceeded 75% for five (29%) NC/SC combinations. There was both NC and SC agreement for four (24%) combinations: urgent breathing problems, urgent diabetic problems, urgent falls, and urgent overdoses. The greatest NC/SC disagreement occurred within emergent and urgent traffic crashes. Paramedics adjusted SC toward lower severity 29% of the time and toward higher severity 5.4% of the time. There was no upward SC adjustment for eight (47%) combinations. Certain dispatcher-assigned NC and SC codes and NC/SC combinations achieved the study threshold. Overall agreement failed to achieve the threshold. The lowest SC level was rarely assigned, preventing a meaningful analysis of all severity levels.

A research coding method to evaluate medical clinicians conduct of behavioral health care in patients with unexplained symptoms.

PubMed

Grayson-Sneed, Katelyn A; Smith, Robert C

2018-04-01

Develop a reliable coding method of a Behavioral Health Treatment Model for patients with Medically Unexplained Symptoms (BHTM-MUS). Two undergraduates trained for 30h coded videotaped interviews from 161 resident-simulated patient (SP) interactions. Trained on 45 videotapes, coders coded 33 (20%) of 161 study set tapes for the BHTM-MUS. Guetzkow's U, Cohen's Kappa, and percent of agreement were used to measure coders' reliability in unitizing and coding residents' skills for eliciting: education and informing (4 yes/no items), motivating (2), treatment statements (5), commitment and goals (2), negotiates plan (8), non-emotion patient-centered skills (4), and patient-centered emotional skills (8). 60 items were dichotomized a priori from analysis of the BHTM-MUS and were reduced to 33 during training. Guetzkow's U ranged from .00 to .082. Kappa ranged from 0.76 to 0.97 for the 7 variables and 33 individual items. The overall kappa was 0.87, and percent of agreement was 95.7%. Percent of agreement by item ranged from 85 to 100%. A highly reliable coding method is recommended to evaluate medical clinicians' behavioral care skills in patients with unexplained symptoms. A way to rate behavioral care in patients with unexplained symptoms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Usefulness of Canadian Public Health Insurance Administrative Databases to Assess Breast and Ovarian Cancer Screening Imaging Technologies for BRCA1/2 Mutation Carriers.

PubMed

Larouche, Geneviève; Chiquette, Jocelyne; Plante, Marie; Pelletier, Sylvie; Simard, Jacques; Dorval, Michel

2016-11-01

In Canada, recommendations for clinical management of hereditary breast and ovarian cancer among individuals carrying a deleterious BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation have been available since 2007. Eight years later, very little is known about the uptake of screening and risk-reduction measures in this population. Because Canada's public health care system falls under provincial jurisdictions, using provincial health care administrative databases appears a valuable option to assess management of BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. The objective was to explore the usefulness of public health insurance administrative databases in British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec to assess management after BRCA1/2 genetic testing. Official public health insurance documents were considered potentially useful if they had specific procedure codes, and pertained to procedures performed in the public and private health care systems. All 3 administrative databases have specific procedures codes for mammography and breast ultrasounds. Only Quebec and Ontario have a specific procedure code for breast magnetic resonance imaging. It is impossible to assess, on an individual basis, the frequency of others screening exams, with the exception of CA-125 testing in British Columbia. Screenings done in private practice are excluded from the administrative databases unless covered by special agreements for reimbursement, such as all breast imaging exams in Ontario and mammograms in British Columbia and Quebec. There are no specific procedure codes for risk-reduction surgeries for breast and ovarian cancer. Population-based assessment of breast and ovarian cancer risk management strategies other than mammographic screening, using only administrative data, is currently challenging in the 3 Canadian provinces studied. Copyright © 2016 Canadian Association of Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A weighted reliability measure for phonetic transcription.

PubMed

Oller, D Kimbrough; Ramsdell, Heather L

2006-12-01

The purpose of the present work is to describe and illustrate the utility of a new tool for assessment of transcription agreement. Traditional measures have not characterized overall transcription agreement with sufficient resolution, specifically because they have often treated all phonetic differences between segments in transcriptions as equivalent, thus constituting an unweighted approach to agreement assessment. The measure the authors have developed calculates a weighted transcription agreement value based on principles derived from widely accepted tenets of phonological theory. To investigate the utility of the new measure, 8 coders transcribed samples of speech and infant vocalizations. Comparing the transcriptions through a computer-based implementation of the new weighted and the traditional unweighted measures, they investigated the scaling properties of both. The results illustrate better scaling with the weighted measure, in particular because the weighted measure is not subject to the floor effects that occur with the traditional measure when applied to samples that are difficult to transcribe. Furthermore, the new weighted measure shows orderly relations in degree of agreement across coded samples of early canonical-stage babbling, early meaningful speech in English, and 3 adult languages. The authors conclude that the weighted measure may provide improved foundations for research on phonetic transcription and for monitoring of transcription reliability.

Calculation of transonic aileron buzz

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steger, J. L.; Bailey, H. E.

1979-01-01

An implicit finite-difference computer code that uses a two-layer algebraic eddy viscosity model and exact geometric specification of the airfoil has been used to simulate transonic aileron buzz. The calculated results, which were performed on both the Illiac IV parallel computer processor and the Control Data 7600 computer, are in essential agreement with the original expository wind-tunnel data taken in the Ames 16-Foot Wind Tunnel just after World War II. These results and a description of the pertinent numerical techniques are included.

A comparison of physicians and medical assistants in interpreting verbal autopsy interviews for allocating cause of neonatal death in Matlab, Bangladesh: can medical assistants be considered an alternative to physicians?

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Objective This study assessed the agreement between medical physicians in their interpretation of verbal autopsy (VA) interview data for identifying causes of neonatal deaths in rural Bangladesh. Methods The study was carried out in Matlab, a rural sub-district in eastern Bangladesh. Trained persons conducted the VA interview with the mother or another family member at the home of the deceased. Three physicians and a medical assistant independently reviewed the VA interviews to assign causes of death using the International Classification of Diseases - Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes. A physician assigned cause was decided when at least two physicians agreed on a cause of death. Cause-specific mortality fraction (CSMF), kappa (k) statistic, sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive values were applied to compare agreement between the reviewers. Results Of the 365 neonatal deaths reviewed, agreement on a direct cause of death was reached by at least two physicians in 339 (93%) of cases. Physician and medical assistant reviews of causes of death demonstrated the following levels of diagnostic agreement for the main causes of deaths: for birth asphyxia the sensitivity was 84%, specificity 93%, and kappa 0.77. For prematurity/low birth weight, the sensitivity, specificity, and kappa statistics were, respectively, 53%, 96%, and 0.55, for sepsis/meningitis they were 48%, 98%, and 0.53, and for pneumonia they were 75%, 94%, and 0.51. Conclusion This study revealed a moderate to strong agreement between physician- assigned and medical assistant- assigned major causes of neonatal death. A well-trained medical assistant could be considered an alternative for assigning major causes of neonatal deaths in rural Bangladesh and in similar settings where physicians are scarce and their time costs more. A validation study with medically confirmed diagnosis will improve the performance of VA for assigning cause of neonatal death. PMID:20712906

Are procedures codes in claims data a reliable indicator of intraoperative splenic injury compared with clinical registry data?

PubMed

Stey, Anne M; Ko, Clifford Y; Hall, Bruce Lee; Louie, Rachel; Lawson, Elise H; Gibbons, Melinda M; Zingmond, David S; Russell, Marcia M

2014-08-01

Identifying iatrogenic injuries using existing data sources is important for improved transparency in the occurrence of intraoperative events. There is evidence that procedure codes are reliably recorded in claims data. The objective of this study was to assess whether concurrent splenic procedure codes in patients undergoing colectomy procedures are reliably coded in claims data as compared with clinical registry data. Patients who underwent colectomy procedures in the absence of neoplastic diagnosis codes were identified from American College of Surgeons (ACS) NSQIP data linked with Medicare inpatient claims data file (2005 to 2008). A κ statistic was used to assess coding concordance between ACS NSQIP and Medicare inpatient claims, with ACS NSQIP serving as the reference standard. A total of 11,367 colectomy patients were identified from 212 hospitals. There were 114 patients (1%) who had a concurrent splenic procedure code recorded in either ACS NSQIP or Medicare inpatient claims. There were 7 patients who had a splenic injury diagnosis code recorded in either data source. Agreement of splenic procedure codes between the data sources was substantial (κ statistic 0.72; 95% CI, 0.64-0.79). Medicare inpatient claims identified 81% of the splenic procedure codes recorded in ACS NSQIP, and 99% of the patients without a splenic procedure code. It is feasible to use Medicare claims data to identify splenic injuries occurring during colectomy procedures, as claims data have moderate sensitivity and excellent specificity for capturing concurrent splenic procedure codes compared with ACS NSQIP. Copyright © 2014 American College of Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Scaling up the evaluation of psychotherapy: evaluating motivational interviewing fidelity via statistical text classification

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Behavioral interventions such as psychotherapy are leading, evidence-based practices for a variety of problems (e.g., substance abuse), but the evaluation of provider fidelity to behavioral interventions is limited by the need for human judgment. The current study evaluated the accuracy of statistical text classification in replicating human-based judgments of provider fidelity in one specific psychotherapy—motivational interviewing (MI). Method Participants (n = 148) came from five previously conducted randomized trials and were either primary care patients at a safety-net hospital or university students. To be eligible for the original studies, participants met criteria for either problematic drug or alcohol use. All participants received a type of brief motivational interview, an evidence-based intervention for alcohol and substance use disorders. The Motivational Interviewing Skills Code is a standard measure of MI provider fidelity based on human ratings that was used to evaluate all therapy sessions. A text classification approach called a labeled topic model was used to learn associations between human-based fidelity ratings and MI session transcripts. It was then used to generate codes for new sessions. The primary comparison was the accuracy of model-based codes with human-based codes. Results Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses of model-based codes showed reasonably strong sensitivity and specificity with those from human raters (range of area under ROC curve (AUC) scores: 0.62 – 0.81; average AUC: 0.72). Agreement with human raters was evaluated based on talk turns as well as code tallies for an entire session. Generated codes had higher reliability with human codes for session tallies and also varied strongly by individual code. Conclusion To scale up the evaluation of behavioral interventions, technological solutions will be required. The current study demonstrated preliminary, encouraging findings regarding the utility of statistical text classification in bridging this methodological gap. PMID:24758152

A comparison between EGS4 and MCNP computer modeling of an in vivo X-ray fluorescence system.

PubMed

Al-Ghorabie, F H; Natto, S S; Al-Lyhiani, S H

2001-03-01

The Monte Carlo computer codes EGS4 and MCNP were used to develop a theoretical model of a 180 degrees geometry in vivo X-ray fluorescence system for the measurement of platinum concentration in head and neck tumors. The model included specification of the photon source, collimators, phantoms and detector. Theoretical results were compared and evaluated against X-ray fluorescence data obtained experimentally from an existing system developed by the Swansea In Vivo Analysis and Cancer Research Group. The EGS4 results agreed well with the MCNP results. However, agreement between the measured spectral shape obtained using the experimental X-ray fluorescence system and the simulated spectral shape obtained using the two Monte Carlo codes was relatively poor. The main reason for the disagreement between the results arises from the basic assumptions which the two codes used in their calculations. Both codes assume a "free" electron model for Compton interactions. This assumption will underestimate the results and invalidates any predicted and experimental spectra when compared with each other.

When Homoplasy Is Not Homoplasy: Dissecting Trait Evolution by Contrasting Composite and Reductive Coding.

PubMed

Torres-Montúfar, Alejandro; Borsch, Thomas; Ochoterena, Helga

2018-05-01

The conceptualization and coding of characters is a difficult issue in phylogenetic systematics, no matter which inference method is used when reconstructing phylogenetic trees or if the characters are just mapped onto a specific tree. Complex characters are groups of features that can be divided into simpler hierarchical characters (reductive coding), although the implied hierarchical relational information may change depending on the type of coding (composite vs. reductive). Up to now, there is no common agreement to either code characters as complex or simple. Phylogeneticists have discussed which coding method is best but have not incorporated the heuristic process of reciprocal illumination to evaluate the coding. Composite coding allows to test whether 1) several characters were linked resulting in a structure described as a complex character or trait or 2) independently evolving characters resulted in the configuration incorrectly interpreted as a complex character. We propose that complex characters or character states should be decomposed iteratively into simpler characters when the original homology hypothesis is not corroborated by a phylogenetic analysis, and the character or character state is retrieved as homoplastic. We tested this approach using the case of fruit types within subfamily Cinchonoideae (Rubiaceae). The iterative reductive coding of characters associated with drupes allowed us to unthread fruit evolution within Cinchonoideae. Our results show that drupes and berries are not homologous. As a consequence, a more precise ontology for the Cinchonoideae drupes is required.

A Model for Simulating the Response of Aluminum Honeycomb Structure to Transverse Loading

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ratcliffe, James G.; Czabaj, Michael W.; Jackson, Wade C.

2012-01-01

A 1-dimensional material model was developed for simulating the transverse (thickness-direction) loading and unloading response of aluminum honeycomb structure. The model was implemented as a user-defined material subroutine (UMAT) in the commercial finite element analysis code, ABAQUS(Registered TradeMark)/Standard. The UMAT has been applied to analyses for simulating quasi-static indentation tests on aluminum honeycomb-based sandwich plates. Comparison of analysis results with data from these experiments shows overall good agreement. Specifically, analyses of quasi-static indentation tests yielded accurate global specimen responses. Predicted residual indentation was also in reasonable agreement with measured values. Overall, this simple model does not involve a significant computational burden, which makes it more tractable to simulate other damage mechanisms in the same analysis.

A Comparison of Natural Language Processing Methods for Automated Coding of Motivational Interviewing.

PubMed

Tanana, Michael; Hallgren, Kevin A; Imel, Zac E; Atkins, David C; Srikumar, Vivek

2016-06-01

Motivational interviewing (MI) is an efficacious treatment for substance use disorders and other problem behaviors. Studies on MI fidelity and mechanisms of change typically use human raters to code therapy sessions, which requires considerable time, training, and financial costs. Natural language processing techniques have recently been utilized for coding MI sessions using machine learning techniques, rather than human coders, and preliminary results have suggested these methods hold promise. The current study extends this previous work by introducing two natural language processing models for automatically coding MI sessions via computer. The two models differ in the way they semantically represent session content, utilizing either 1) simple discrete sentence features (DSF model) and 2) more complex recursive neural networks (RNN model). Utterance- and session-level predictions from these models were compared to ratings provided by human coders using a large sample of MI sessions (N=341 sessions; 78,977 clinician and client talk turns) from 6 MI studies. Results show that the DSF model generally had slightly better performance compared to the RNN model. The DSF model had "good" or higher utterance-level agreement with human coders (Cohen's kappa>0.60) for open and closed questions, affirm, giving information, and follow/neutral (all therapist codes); considerably higher agreement was obtained for session-level indices, and many estimates were competitive with human-to-human agreement. However, there was poor agreement for client change talk, client sustain talk, and therapist MI-inconsistent behaviors. Natural language processing methods provide accurate representations of human derived behavioral codes and could offer substantial improvements to the efficiency and scale in which MI mechanisms of change research and fidelity monitoring are conducted. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementation and validation of a wake model for vortex-surface interactions in low speed forward flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Komerath, Narayanan M.; Schreiber, Olivier A.

1987-01-01

The wake model was implemented using a VAX 750 and a Microvax II workstation. Online graphics capability using a DISSPLA graphics package. The rotor model used by Beddoes was significantly extended to include azimuthal variations due to forward flight and a simplified scheme for locating critical points where vortex elements are placed. A test case was obtained for validation of the predictions of induced velocity. Comparison of the results indicates that the code requires some more features before satisfactory predictions can be made over the whole rotor disk. Specifically, shed vorticity due to the azimuthal variation of blade loading must be incorporated into the model. Interactions between vortices shed from the four blades of the model rotor must be included. The Scully code for calculating the velocity field is being modified in parallel with these efforts to enable comparison with experimental data. To date, some comparisons with flow visualization data obtained at Georgia Tech were performed and show good agreement for the isolated rotor case. Comparison of time-resolved velocity data obtained at Georgia Tech also shows good agreement. Modifications are being implemented to enable generation of time-averaged results for comparison with NASA data.

Coding stimulus amplitude by correlated neural activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Metzen, Michael G.; Ávila-Åkerberg, Oscar; Chacron, Maurice J.

2015-04-01

While correlated activity is observed ubiquitously in the brain, its role in neural coding has remained controversial. Recent experimental results have demonstrated that correlated but not single-neuron activity can encode the detailed time course of the instantaneous amplitude (i.e., envelope) of a stimulus. These have furthermore demonstrated that such coding required and was optimal for a nonzero level of neural variability. However, a theoretical understanding of these results is still lacking. Here we provide a comprehensive theoretical framework explaining these experimental findings. Specifically, we use linear response theory to derive an expression relating the correlation coefficient to the instantaneous stimulus amplitude, which takes into account key single-neuron properties such as firing rate and variability as quantified by the coefficient of variation. The theoretical prediction was in excellent agreement with numerical simulations of various integrate-and-fire type neuron models for various parameter values. Further, we demonstrate a form of stochastic resonance as optimal coding of stimulus variance by correlated activity occurs for a nonzero value of noise intensity. Thus, our results provide a theoretical explanation of the phenomenon by which correlated but not single-neuron activity can code for stimulus amplitude and how key single-neuron properties such as firing rate and variability influence such coding. Correlation coding by correlated but not single-neuron activity is thus predicted to be a ubiquitous feature of sensory processing for neurons responding to weak input.

Development and validation of a complementary map to enhance the existing 1998 to 2008 Abbreviated Injury Scale map

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Introduction Many trauma registries have used the Abbreviated Injury Scale 1990 Revision Update 98 (AIS98) to classify injuries. In the current AIS version (Abbreviated Injury Scale 2005 Update 2008 - AIS08), injury classification and specificity differ substantially from AIS98, and the mapping tools provided in the AIS08 dictionary are incomplete. As a result, data from different AIS versions cannot currently be compared. The aim of this study was to develop an additional AIS98 to AIS08 mapping tool to complement the current AIS dictionary map, and then to evaluate the completed map (produced by combining these two maps) using double-coded data. The value of additional information provided by free text descriptions accompanying assigned codes was also assessed. Methods Using a modified Delphi process, a panel of expert AIS coders established plausible AIS08 equivalents for the 153 AIS98 codes which currently have no AIS08 map. A series of major trauma patients whose injuries had been double-coded in AIS98 and AIS08 was used to assess the maps; both of the AIS datasets had already been mapped to another AIS version using the AIS dictionary maps. Following application of the completed (enhanced) map with or without free text evaluation, up to six AIS codes were available for each injury. Datasets were assessed for agreement in injury severity measures, and the relative performances of the maps in accurately describing the trauma population were evaluated. Results The double-coded injuries sustained by 109 patients were used to assess the maps. For data conversion from AIS98, both the enhanced map and the enhanced map with free text description resulted in higher levels of accuracy and agreement with directly coded AIS08 data than the currently available dictionary map. Paired comparisons demonstrated significant differences between direct coding and the dictionary maps, but not with either of the enhanced maps. Conclusions The newly-developed AIS98 to AIS08 complementary map enabled transformation of the trauma population description given by AIS98 into an AIS08 estimate which was statistically indistinguishable from directly coded AIS08 data. It is recommended that the enhanced map should be adopted for dataset conversion, using free text descriptions if available. PMID:21548991

Development and validation of a complementary map to enhance the existing 1998 to 2008 Abbreviated Injury Scale map.

PubMed

Palmer, Cameron S; Franklyn, Melanie; Read-Allsopp, Christine; McLellan, Susan; Niggemeyer, Louise E

2011-05-08

Many trauma registries have used the Abbreviated Injury Scale 1990 Revision Update 98 (AIS98) to classify injuries. In the current AIS version (Abbreviated Injury Scale 2005 Update 2008 - AIS08), injury classification and specificity differ substantially from AIS98, and the mapping tools provided in the AIS08 dictionary are incomplete. As a result, data from different AIS versions cannot currently be compared. The aim of this study was to develop an additional AIS98 to AIS08 mapping tool to complement the current AIS dictionary map, and then to evaluate the completed map (produced by combining these two maps) using double-coded data. The value of additional information provided by free text descriptions accompanying assigned codes was also assessed. Using a modified Delphi process, a panel of expert AIS coders established plausible AIS08 equivalents for the 153 AIS98 codes which currently have no AIS08 map. A series of major trauma patients whose injuries had been double-coded in AIS98 and AIS08 was used to assess the maps; both of the AIS datasets had already been mapped to another AIS version using the AIS dictionary maps. Following application of the completed (enhanced) map with or without free text evaluation, up to six AIS codes were available for each injury. Datasets were assessed for agreement in injury severity measures, and the relative performances of the maps in accurately describing the trauma population were evaluated. The double-coded injuries sustained by 109 patients were used to assess the maps. For data conversion from AIS98, both the enhanced map and the enhanced map with free text description resulted in higher levels of accuracy and agreement with directly coded AIS08 data than the currently available dictionary map. Paired comparisons demonstrated significant differences between direct coding and the dictionary maps, but not with either of the enhanced maps. The newly-developed AIS98 to AIS08 complementary map enabled transformation of the trauma population description given by AIS98 into an AIS08 estimate which was statistically indistinguishable from directly coded AIS08 data. It is recommended that the enhanced map should be adopted for dataset conversion, using free text descriptions if available.

Methods for Ensuring High Quality of Coding of Cause of Death. The Mortality Register to Follow Southern Urals Populations Exposed to Radiation.

PubMed

Startsev, N; Dimov, P; Grosche, B; Tretyakov, F; Schüz, J; Akleyev, A

2015-01-01

To follow up populations exposed to several radiation accidents in the Southern Urals, a cause-of-death registry was established at the Urals Center capturing deaths in the Chelyabinsk, Kurgan and Sverdlovsk region since 1950. When registering deaths over such a long time period, quality measures need to be in place to maintain quality and reduce the impact of individual coders as well as quality changes in death certificates. To ensure the uniformity of coding, a method for semi-automatic coding was developed, which is described here. Briefly, the method is based on a dynamic thesaurus, database-supported coding and parallel coding by two different individuals. A comparison of the proposed method for organizing the coding process with the common procedure of coding showed good agreement, with, at the end of the coding process, 70  - 90% agreement for the three-digit ICD -9 rubrics. The semi-automatic method ensures a sufficiently high quality of coding by at the same time providing an opportunity to reduce the labor intensity inherent in the creation of large-volume cause-of-death registries.

Validation of computational code UST3D by the example of experimental aerodynamic data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Surzhikov, S. T.

2017-02-01

Numerical simulation of the aerodynamic characteristics of the hypersonic vehicles X-33 and X-34 as well as spherically blunted cone is performed using the unstructured meshes. It is demonstrated that the numerical predictions obtained with the computational code UST3D are in acceptable agreement with the experimental data for approximate parameters of the geometry of the hypersonic vehicles and in excellent agreement with data for blunted cone.

Comparison of codes assessing galactic cosmic radiation exposure of aircraft crew.

PubMed

Bottollier-Depois, J F; Beck, P; Bennett, B; Bennett, L; Bütikofer, R; Clairand, I; Desorgher, L; Dyer, C; Felsberger, E; Flückiger, E; Hands, A; Kindl, P; Latocha, M; Lewis, B; Leuthold, G; Maczka, T; Mares, V; McCall, M J; O'Brien, K; Rollet, S; Rühm, W; Wissmann, F

2009-10-01

The assessment of the exposure to cosmic radiation onboard aircraft is one of the preoccupations of bodies responsible for radiation protection. Cosmic particle flux is significantly higher onboard aircraft than at ground level and its intensity depends on the solar activity. The dose is usually estimated using codes validated by the experimental data. In this paper, a comparison of various codes is presented, some of them are used routinely, to assess the dose received by the aircraft crew caused by the galactic cosmic radiation. Results are provided for periods close to solar maximum and minimum and for selected flights covering major commercial routes in the world. The overall agreement between the codes, particularly for those routinely used for aircraft crew dosimetry, was better than +/-20 % from the median in all but two cases. The agreement within the codes is considered to be fully satisfactory for radiation protection purposes.

NASA Lewis Stirling engine computer code evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sullivan, Timothy J.

1989-01-01

In support of the U.S. Department of Energy's Stirling Engine Highway Vehicle Systems program, the NASA Lewis Stirling engine performance code was evaluated by comparing code predictions without engine-specific calibration factors to GPU-3, P-40, and RE-1000 Stirling engine test data. The error in predicting power output was -11 percent for the P-40 and 12 percent for the Re-1000 at design conditions and 16 percent for the GPU-3 at near-design conditions (2000 rpm engine speed versus 3000 rpm at design). The efficiency and heat input predictions showed better agreement with engine test data than did the power predictions. Concerning all data points, the error in predicting the GPU-3 brake power was significantly larger than for the other engines and was mainly a result of inaccuracy in predicting the pressure phase angle. Analysis into this pressure phase angle prediction error suggested that improvements to the cylinder hysteresis loss model could have a significant effect on overall Stirling engine performance predictions.

Touching ethics: assessing the applicability of ethical rules for safe touch in CAM--outcomes of a CAM (complementary and alternative medicine) practitioner survey in Israel.

PubMed

Schiff, Elad; Ben-Arye, Eran; Shilo, Margalit; Levy, Moti; Schachter, Leora; Weitchner, Na'ama; Golan, Ofra; Stone, Julie

2011-02-01

Recently, ethical guidelines regarding safe touch in CAM were developed in Israel. Publishing ethical codes does not imply that they will actually help practitioners to meet ethical care standards. The effectiveness of ethical rules depends on familiarity with the code and its content. In addition, critical self-examination of the code by individual members of the profession is required to reflect on the moral commitments encompassed in the code. For the purpose of dynamic self-appraisal, we devised a survey to assess how CAM practitioners view the suggested ethical guidelines for safe touch. We surveyed 781 CAM practitioners regarding their perspectives on the safe-touch code. There was a high level of agreement with general statements regarding ethics pertaining to safe touch with a mean rate of agreement of 4.61 out of a maximum of 5. Practitioners concurred substantially with practice guidelines for appropriate touch with a mean rate of agreement of 4.16 out of a maximum of 5. Attitudes toward the necessity to touch intimate areas for treatment purposes varied with 78.6% of respondents strongly disagreeing with any notion of need to touch intimate areas during treatment. 7.9% neither disagreed nor agreed, 7.9% slightly agreed, and 7.6% strongly agreed with the need for touching intimate areas during treatment. There was a direct correlation between disagreement with touching intimate areas for therapeutic purposes and agreement with general statements regarding ethics of safe touch (Spearman r=0.177, p<0.0001), and practice guidelines for appropriate touch (r=0.092, p=0.012). A substantial number of practitioners agreed with the code, although some findings regarding the need to touch intimate area during treatments were disturbing. Our findings can serve as a basis for ethical code development and implementation, as well as for educating CAM practitioners on the ethics of touch. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Methodology for turbulence code validation: Quantification of simulation-experiment agreement and application to the TORPEX experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ricci, Paolo; Theiler, C.; Fasoli, A.

A methodology for plasma turbulence code validation is discussed, focusing on quantitative assessment of the agreement between experiments and simulations. The present work extends the analysis carried out in a previous paper [P. Ricci et al., Phys. Plasmas 16, 055703 (2009)] where the validation observables were introduced. Here, it is discussed how to quantify the agreement between experiments and simulations with respect to each observable, how to define a metric to evaluate this agreement globally, and - finally - how to assess the quality of a validation procedure. The methodology is then applied to the simulation of the basic plasmamore » physics experiment TORPEX [A. Fasoli et al., Phys. Plasmas 13, 055902 (2006)], considering both two-dimensional and three-dimensional simulation models.« less

Thermal expansion and specific heat of Cr2TeO6 and Fe2TeO6 by first principles calculations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mishra, Vinayak

2018-05-01

Cr2TeO6 and Fe2TeO6 crystallize in tetragonal structure. These compounds are formed in nuclear reactors. Therefore, study of thermal expansion of these compounds is important. In this paper, using WIEN2k code we have calculated the volume dependent total energies E(V) of these materials at zero kelvin. Subsequently, we have applied the quasi harmonic approximation, in order to include the thermal effects. Using our calculations, we have predicted the thermal expansion and specific heat at high temperatures. The calculated properties for Fe2TeO6 are in very good agreement with the reported experimental results.

37 CFR 10.38 - Agreements restricting the practice of a practitioner.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... AND TRADEMARK OFFICE, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE REPRESENTATION OF OTHERS BEFORE THE PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE Patent and Trademark Office Code of Professional Responsibility § 10.38 Agreements restricting the... 37 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Agreements restricting the...

2 CFR 1.305 - Federal agency responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Federal agency responsibilities. 1.305 Section 1.305 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Responsibilities of OMB and Federal...

2 CFR 1.305 - Federal agency responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Federal agency responsibilities. 1.305 Section 1.305 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Responsibilities of OMB and Federal...

2 CFR 1.300 - OMB responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false OMB responsibilities. 1.300 Section 1.300 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Responsibilities of OMB and Federal Agencies § 1.300...

2 CFR 1.300 - OMB responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false OMB responsibilities. 1.300 Section 1.300 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Responsibilities of OMB and Federal Agencies § 1.300...

2 CFR 1.305 - Federal agency responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Federal agency responsibilities. 1.305 Section 1.305 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Responsibilities of OMB and Federal...

2 CFR 1.300 - OMB responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false OMB responsibilities. 1.300 Section 1.300 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Responsibilities of OMB and Federal Agencies § 1.300...

2 CFR 1.305 - Federal agency responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Federal agency responsibilities. 1.305 Section 1.305 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Responsibilities of OMB and Federal...

Intercoder Reliability of Mapping Between Pharmaceutical Dose Forms in the German Medication Plan and EDQM Standard Terms.

PubMed

Sass, Julian; Becker, Kim; Ludmann, Dominik; Pantazoglou, Elisabeth; Dewenter, Heike; Thun, Sylvia

2018-01-01

A nationally uniform medication plan has recently been part of German legislation. The specification for the German medication plan was developed in cooperation between various stakeholders of the healthcare system. Its' goal is to enhance usability and interoperability while also providing patients and physicians with the necessary information they require for a safe and high-quality therapy. Within the research and development project named Medication Plan PLUS, the specification of the medication plan was tested and reviewed for semantic interoperability in particular. In this study, the list of pharmaceutical dose forms provided in the specification was mapped to the standard terms of the European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare by different coders. The level of agreement between coders was calculated using Cohen's Kappa (κ). Results show that less than half of the dose forms could be coded with EDQM standard terms. In addition to that Kappa was found to be moderate, which means rather unconvincing agreement among coders. In conclusion, there is still vast room for improvement in utilization of standardized international vocabulary and unused potential considering cross-border eHealth implementations in the future.

Power-law scaling of plasma pressure on laser-ablated tin microdroplets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kurilovich, Dmitry; Basko, Mikhail M.; Kim, Dmitrii A.; Torretti, Francesco; Schupp, Ruben; Visschers, Jim C.; Scheers, Joris; Hoekstra, Ronnie; Ubachs, Wim; Versolato, Oscar O.

2018-01-01

The measurement of the propulsion of metallic microdroplets exposed to nanosecond laser pulses provides an elegant method for probing the ablation pressure in a dense laser-produced plasma. We present the measurements of the propulsion velocity over three decades in the driving Nd:YAG laser pulse energy and observe a near-perfect power law dependence. Simulations performed with the RALEF-2D radiation-hydrodynamic code are shown to be in good agreement with the power law above a specific threshold energy. The simulations highlight the importance of radiative losses which significantly modify the power of the pressure scaling. Having found a good agreement between the experiment and the simulations, we investigate the analytic origins of the obtained power law and conclude that none of the available analytic theories is directly applicable for explaining our power exponent.

Problematic communications during 2016 fellowship recruitment in internal medicine.

PubMed

Cornett, Patricia A; Williams, Chris; Alweis, Richard L; McConville, John; Frank, Michael; Dalal, Bhavin; Kopelman, Richard I; Luther, Vera P; O'connor, Alec B; Muchmore, Elaine A

2017-01-01

Some internal medicine residency program directors have expressed concerns that their third-year residents may have been subjected to inappropriate communication during the 2016 fellowship recruitment season. The authors sought to study applicants' interpersonal communication experiences with fellowship programs. Many respondents indicated that they had been asked questions that would constitute violations of the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) Communications Code of Conduct agreement, including how they plan to rank specific programs. Moreover, female respondents were more likely to have been asked questions during interview experiences about other programs to which they applied, and about their family plans. Post-interview communication policies were not made clear to most applicants. These results suggest ongoing challenges for the internal medicine community to improve communication with applicants and uniform compliance with the NRMP communications code of conduct during the fellowship recruitment process.

Job coding (PCS 2003): feedback from a study conducted in an Occupational Health Service

PubMed

Henrotin, Jean-Bernard; Vaissière, Monique; Etaix, Maryline; Malard, Stéphane; Dziurla, Mathieu; Lafon, Dominique

2016-10-19

Aim: To examine the quality of manual job coding carried out by occupational health teams with access to a software application that provides assistance in job and business sector coding (CAPS). Methods: Data from a study conducted in an Occupational Health Service were used to examine the first-level coding of 1,495 jobs by occupational health teams according to the French job classification entitled “PSC- Professions and socio-professional categories” (INSEE, 2003 version). A second level of coding was also performed by an experienced coder and the first and second level codes were compared. Agreement between the two coding systems was studied using the kappa coefficient (κ) and frequencies were compared by Chi2 tests. Results: Missing data or incorrect codes were observed for 14.5% of social groups (1 digit) and 25.7% of job codes (4 digits). While agreement between the first two levels of PCS 2003 appeared to be satisfactory (κ=0.73 and κ=0.75), imbalances in reassignment flows were effectively noted. The divergent job code rate was 48.2%. Variation in the frequency of socio-occupational variables was as high as 8.6% after correcting for missing data and divergent codes. Conclusions: Compared with other studies, the use of the CAPS tool appeared to provide effective coding assistance. However, our results indicate that job coding based on PSC 2003 should be conducted using ancillary data by personnel trained in the use of this tool.

Preliminary Classification of Army and Navy Entry-Level Occupations by the Holland Coding System.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-12-01

Dictionary of Holland Occupational Codes (DOHC; see Gottfredson , Holland, & Ogawa, 1982) either directly or through expert judgment. Results...publications: The Dictionary of Holland Occupational Codes (DHOC; Gottfredson , Holland, & Ogawa, 192) and The Occupations Finder (Holland, 1978). The...occupational categories ( Gottfredson et al., 1982). The agreement between the first letters codes obtained from the 1977 Occupations Finder and the

2 CFR 1.105 - Organization and subtitle content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Organization and subtitle content. 1.105 Section 1.105 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1...

2 CFR 1.110 - Issuing authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Issuing authorities. 1.110 Section 1.110 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.110 Issuing...

2 CFR 1.230 - Maintenance of this subtitle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Maintenance of this subtitle. 1.230 Section 1.230 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.230 Maintenance...

2 CFR 1.110 - Issuing authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Issuing authorities. 1.110 Section 1.110 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.110 Issuing...

2 CFR 1.105 - Organization and subtitle content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Organization and subtitle content. 1.105 Section 1.105 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1...

2 CFR 1.230 - Maintenance of this subtitle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Maintenance of this subtitle. 1.230 Section 1.230 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.230 Maintenance...

2 CFR 1.105 - Organization and subtitle content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Organization and subtitle content. 1.105 Section 1.105 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1...

2 CFR 1.230 - Maintenance of this subtitle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Maintenance of this subtitle. 1.230 Section 1.230 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.230 Maintenance...

2 CFR 1.110 - Issuing authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Issuing authorities. 1.110 Section 1.110 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.110 Issuing...

2 CFR 1.300 - OMB responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false OMB responsibilities. 1.300 Section 1.300 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Responsibilities of OMB and Federal Agencies § 1.300...

2 CFR 1.110 - Issuing authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Issuing authorities. 1.110 Section 1.110 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.110 Issuing...

2 CFR 1.230 - Maintenance of this subtitle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Maintenance of this subtitle. 1.230 Section 1.230 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.230 Maintenance...

The Rhetoric of Industrial Espionage: The Case of "Starwood v. Hilton"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jameson, Daphne A.

2011-01-01

When Starwood Hotels charged Hilton Hotels with industrial espionage, the case hinged on an employment agreement that two executives had violated. The rhetoric of the employment agreement contrasted greatly with that of the corporation's own code of business conduct. Whereas the private agreement stressed narrow self-interest, the public code…

Modeling radiation belt dynamics using a 3-D layer method code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, C.; Ma, Q.; Tao, X.; Zhang, Y.; Teng, S.; Albert, J. M.; Chan, A. A.; Li, W.; Ni, B.; Lu, Q.; Wang, S.

2017-08-01

A new 3-D diffusion code using a recently published layer method has been developed to analyze radiation belt electron dynamics. The code guarantees the positivity of the solution even when mixed diffusion terms are included. Unlike most of the previous codes, our 3-D code is developed directly in equatorial pitch angle (α0), momentum (p), and L shell coordinates; this eliminates the need to transform back and forth between (α0,p) coordinates and adiabatic invariant coordinates. Using (α0,p,L) is also convenient for direct comparison with satellite data. The new code has been validated by various numerical tests, and we apply the 3-D code to model the rapid electron flux enhancement following the geomagnetic storm on 17 March 2013, which is one of the Geospace Environment Modeling Focus Group challenge events. An event-specific global chorus wave model, an AL-dependent statistical plasmaspheric hiss wave model, and a recently published radial diffusion coefficient formula from Time History of Events and Macroscale Interactions during Substorms (THEMIS) statistics are used. The simulation results show good agreement with satellite observations, in general, supporting the scenario that the rapid enhancement of radiation belt electron flux for this event results from an increased level of the seed population by radial diffusion, with subsequent acceleration by chorus waves. Our results prove that the layer method can be readily used to model global radiation belt dynamics in three dimensions.

Validation and Performance Comparison of Numerical Codes for Tsunami Inundation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Velioglu, D.; Kian, R.; Yalciner, A. C.; Zaytsev, A.

2015-12-01

In inundation zones, tsunami motion turns from wave motion to flow of water. Modelling of this phenomenon is a complex problem since there are many parameters affecting the tsunami flow. In this respect, the performance of numerical codes that analyze tsunami inundation patterns becomes important. The computation of water surface elevation is not sufficient for proper analysis of tsunami behaviour in shallow water zones and on land and hence for the development of mitigation strategies. Velocity and velocity patterns are also crucial parameters and have to be computed at the highest accuracy. There are numerous numerical codes to be used for simulating tsunami inundation. In this study, FLOW 3D and NAMI DANCE codes are selected for validation and performance comparison. Flow 3D simulates linear and nonlinear propagating surface waves as well as long waves by solving three-dimensional Navier-Stokes (3D-NS) equations. FLOW 3D is used specificaly for flood problems. NAMI DANCE uses finite difference computational method to solve linear and nonlinear forms of shallow water equations (NSWE) in long wave problems, specifically tsunamis. In this study, these codes are validated and their performances are compared using two benchmark problems which are discussed in 2015 National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP) Annual meeting in Portland, USA. One of the problems is an experiment of a single long-period wave propagating up a piecewise linear slope and onto a small-scale model of the town of Seaside, Oregon. Other benchmark problem is an experiment of a single solitary wave propagating up a triangular shaped shelf with an island feature located at the offshore point of the shelf. The computed water surface elevation and velocity data are compared with the measured data. The comparisons showed that both codes are in fairly good agreement with each other and benchmark data. All results are presented with discussions and comparisons. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement No 603839 (Project ASTARTE - Assessment, Strategy and Risk Reduction for Tsunamis in Europe)

Modification of codes NUALGAM and BREMRAD, Volume 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steyn, J. J.; Huang, R.; Firstenberg, H.

1971-01-01

The NUGAM2 code predicts forward and backward angular energy differential and integrated distributions for gamma photons and fluorescent radiation emerging from finite laminar transport media. It determines buildup and albedo data for scientific research and engineering purposes; it also predicts the emission characteristics of finite radioisotope sources. The results are shown to be in very good agreement with available published data. The code predicts data for many situations in which no published data is available in the energy range up to 5 MeV. The NUGAM3 code predicts the pulse height response of inorganic (NaI and CsI) scintillation detectors to gamma photons. Because it allows the scintillator to be clad and mounted on a photomultiplier as in the experimental or industrial application, it is a more practical and thus useful code than others previously reported. Results are in excellent agreement with published Monte Carlo and experimental data in the energy range up to 4.5 MeV.

Position specific variation in the rate of evolution in transcription factor binding sites

PubMed Central

Moses, Alan M; Chiang, Derek Y; Kellis, Manolis; Lander, Eric S; Eisen, Michael B

2003-01-01

Background The binding sites of sequence specific transcription factors are an important and relatively well-understood class of functional non-coding DNAs. Although a wide variety of experimental and computational methods have been developed to characterize transcription factor binding sites, they remain difficult to identify. Comparison of non-coding DNA from related species has shown considerable promise in identifying these functional non-coding sequences, even though relatively little is known about their evolution. Results Here we analyse the genome sequences of the budding yeasts Saccharomyces cerevisiae, S. bayanus, S. paradoxus and S. mikatae to study the evolution of transcription factor binding sites. As expected, we find that both experimentally characterized and computationally predicted binding sites evolve slower than surrounding sequence, consistent with the hypothesis that they are under purifying selection. We also observe position-specific variation in the rate of evolution within binding sites. We find that the position-specific rate of evolution is positively correlated with degeneracy among binding sites within S. cerevisiae. We test theoretical predictions for the rate of evolution at positions where the base frequencies deviate from background due to purifying selection and find reasonable agreement with the observed rates of evolution. Finally, we show how the evolutionary characteristics of real binding motifs can be used to distinguish them from artefacts of computational motif finding algorithms. Conclusion As has been observed for protein sequences, the rate of evolution in transcription factor binding sites varies with position, suggesting that some regions are under stronger functional constraint than others. This variation likely reflects the varying importance of different positions in the formation of the protein-DNA complex. The characterization of the pattern of evolution in known binding sites will likely contribute to the effective use of comparative sequence data in the identification of transcription factor binding sites and is an important step toward understanding the evolution of functional non-coding DNA. PMID:12946282

A comparison of models for supernova remnants including cosmic rays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Hyesung; Drury, L. O'C.

1992-11-01

A simplified model which can follow the dynamical evolution of a supernova remnant including the acceleration of cosmic rays without carrying out full numerical simulations has been proposed by Drury, Markiewicz, & Voelk in 1989. To explore the accuracy and the merits of using such a model, we have recalculated with the simplified code the evolution of the supernova remnants considered in Jones & Kang, in which more detailed and accurate numerical simulations were done using a full hydrodynamic code based on the two-fluid approximation. For the total energy transferred to cosmic rays the two codes are in good agreement, the acceleration efficiency being the same within a factor of 2 or so. The dependence of the results of the two codes on the closure parameters for the two-fluid approximation is also qualitatively similar. The agreement is somewhat degraded in those cases where the shock is smoothed out by the cosmic rays.

2 CFR 1.200 - Purpose of chapters I and II.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Purpose of chapters I and II. 1.200 Section 1.200 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.200 Purpose of...

2 CFR 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Content of this title. 1.100 Section 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of...

2 CFR 1.205 - Applicability to grants and other funding instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Applicability to grants and other funding instruments. 1.205 Section 1.205 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.205...

2 CFR 1.220 - Federal agency implementation of this subtitle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Federal agency implementation of this subtitle. 1.220 Section 1.220 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.220...

2 CFR 1.210 - Applicability to Federal agencies and others.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Applicability to Federal agencies and others... Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.210... officials; (2) Non-Federal entities that receive or apply for the agency's grants or agreements or receive...

2 CFR 1.205 - Applicability to grants and other funding instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Applicability to grants and other funding instruments. 1.205 Section 1.205 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.205...

2 CFR 1.220 - Federal agency implementation of this subtitle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Federal agency implementation of this subtitle. 1.220 Section 1.220 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.220...

2 CFR 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Content of this title. 1.100 Section 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of...

2 CFR 1.220 - Federal agency implementation of this subtitle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Federal agency implementation of this subtitle. 1.220 Section 1.220 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.220...

2 CFR 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Content of this title. 1.100 Section 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of...

2 CFR 1.210 - Applicability to Federal agencies and others.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Applicability to Federal agencies and others... Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.210... officials; (2) Non-Federal entities that receive or apply for the agency's grants or agreements or receive...

2 CFR 1.200 - Purpose of chapters I and II.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Purpose of chapters I and II. 1.200 Section 1.200 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.200 Purpose of...

2 CFR 1.205 - Applicability to grants and other funding instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Applicability to grants and other funding instruments. 1.205 Section 1.205 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.205...

2 CFR 1.210 - Applicability to Federal agencies and others.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Applicability to Federal agencies and others... Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.210... officials; (2) Non-Federal entities that receive or apply for the agency's grants or agreements or receive...

2 CFR 1.200 - Purpose of chapters I and II.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Purpose of chapters I and II. 1.200 Section 1.200 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Subtitle A § 1.200 Purpose of...

2 CFR 1.105 - Organization and subtitle content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Organization and subtitle content. 1.105 Section 1.105 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1...

2 CFR 1.210 - Applicability to Federal agencies and others.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Applicability to Federal agencies and others... Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.210... officials; (2) Non-Federal entities that receive or apply for the agency's grants or agreements or receive...

2 CFR 1.220 - Federal agency implementation of this subtitle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Federal agency implementation of this subtitle. 1.220 Section 1.220 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.220...

7 CFR Exhibit C to Subpart B of... - Cooperative Agreement (Example)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 14 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Cooperative Agreement (Example) C Exhibit C to... Pt. 1955, Subpt. B, Note Exhibit C to Subpart B of Part 1955—Cooperative Agreement (Example) Editorial Note: Exhibit C is not published in the Code of Federal Regulations. It is available in any FmHA...

7 CFR Exhibit C to Subpart B of... - Cooperative Agreement (Example)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 14 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Cooperative Agreement (Example) C Exhibit C to... Pt. 1955, Subpt. B, Note Exhibit C to Subpart B of Part 1955—Cooperative Agreement (Example) Editorial Note: Exhibit C is not published in the Code of Federal Regulations. It is available in any FmHA...

7 CFR Exhibit C to Subpart B of... - Cooperative Agreement (Example)

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 14 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Cooperative Agreement (Example) C Exhibit C to... Pt. 1955, Subpt. B, Note Exhibit C to Subpart B of Part 1955—Cooperative Agreement (Example) Editorial Note: Exhibit C is not published in the Code of Federal Regulations. It is available in any FmHA...

2 CFR 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Content of this title. 1.100 Section 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of...

Modeling of boron species in the Falcon 17 and ISP-34 integral tests

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lazaridis, M.; Capitao, J.A.; Drossinos, Y.

1996-09-01

The RAFT computer code for aerosol formation and transport was modified to include boron species in its chemical database. The modification was necessary to calculate fission product transport and deposition in the FAL-17 and ISP-34 Falcon tests, where boric acid was injected. The experimental results suggest that the transport of cesium is modified in the presence of boron. The results obtained with the modified RAFT code are presented; they show good agreement with experimental results for cesium and partial agreement for boron deposition in the Falcon silica tube. The new version of the RAFT code predicts the same behavior formore » iodine deposition as the previous version, where boron species were not included.« less

Linguistic correlates of team performance: toward a tool for monitoring team functioning during space missions.

PubMed

Fischer, Ute; McDonnell, Lori; Orasanu, Judith

2007-05-01

Approaches to mitigating the likelihood of psychosocial problems during space missions emphasize preflight measures such as team training and team composition. Additionally, it may be necessary to monitor team interactions during missions for signs of interpersonal stress. The present research was conducted to identify features in team members' communications indicative of team functioning. Team interactions were studied in the context of six computer-simulated search and rescue missions. There were 12 teams of 4 U.S. men who participated; however, the present analyses contrast the top two teams with the two least successful teams. Communications between team members were analyzed using linguistic analysis software and a coding scheme developed to characterize task-related and social dimensions of team interactions. Coding reliability was established by having two raters independently code three transcripts. Between-rater agreement ranged from 78.1 to 97.9%. Team performance was significantly associated with team members' task-related communications, specifically with the extent to which task-critical information was shared. Successful and unsuccessful teams also showed different interactive patterns, in particular concerning the frequencies of elaborations and no-responses. Moreover, task success was negatively correlated with variability in team members' word count, and positively correlated with the number of positive emotion words and the frequency of assenting relative to dissenting responses. Analyses isolated certain task-related and social features of team communication related to team functioning. Team success was associated with the extent to which team members shared task-critical information, equally participated and built on each other's contributions, showed agreement, and positive affect.

Benchmarking the MCNP Monte Carlo code with a photon skyshine experiment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Olsher, R.H.; Hsu, Hsiao Hua; Harvey, W.F.

1993-07-01

The MCNP Monte Carlo transport code is used by the Los Alamos National Laboratory Health and Safety Division for a broad spectrum of radiation shielding calculations. One such application involves the determination of skyshine dose for a variety of photon sources. To verify the accuracy of the code, it was benchmarked with the Kansas State Univ. (KSU) photon skyshine experiment of 1977. The KSU experiment for the unshielded source geometry was simulated in great detail to include the contribution of groundshine, in-silo photon scatter, and the effect of spectral degradation in the source capsule. The standard deviation of the KSUmore » experimental data was stated to be 7%, while the statistical uncertainty of the simulation was kept at or under 1%. The results of the simulation agreed closely with the experimental data, generally to within 6%. At distances of under 100 m from the silo, the modeling of the in-silo scatter was crucial to achieving close agreement with the experiment. Specifically, scatter off the top layer of the source cask accounted for [approximately]12% of the dose at 50 m. At distance >300m, using the [sup 60]Co line spectrum led to a dose overresponse as great as 19% at 700 m. It was necessary to use the actual source spectrum, which includes a Compton tail from photon collisions in the source capsule, to achieve close agreement with experimental data. These results highlight the importance of using Monte Carlo transport techniques to account for the nonideal features of even simple experiments''.« less

Overview of Recent Radiation Transport Code Comparisons for Space Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Townsend, Lawrence

Recent advances in radiation transport code development for space applications have resulted in various comparisons of code predictions for a variety of scenarios and codes. Comparisons among both Monte Carlo and deterministic codes have been made and published by vari-ous groups and collaborations, including comparisons involving, but not limited to HZETRN, HETC-HEDS, FLUKA, GEANT, PHITS, and MCNPX. In this work, an overview of recent code prediction inter-comparisons, including comparisons to available experimental data, is presented and discussed, with emphases on those areas of agreement and disagreement among the various code predictions and published data.

Validation of OpenFoam for heavy gas dispersion applications.

PubMed

Mack, A; Spruijt, M P N

2013-11-15

In the present paper heavy gas dispersion calculations were performed with OpenFoam. For a wind tunnel test case, numerical data was validated with experiments. For a full scale numerical experiment, a code to code comparison was performed with numerical results obtained from Fluent. The validation was performed in a gravity driven environment (slope), where the heavy gas induced the turbulence. For the code to code comparison, a hypothetical heavy gas release into a strongly turbulent atmospheric boundary layer including terrain effects was selected. The investigations were performed for SF6 and CO2 as heavy gases applying the standard k-ɛ turbulence model. A strong interaction of the heavy gas with the turbulence is present which results in a strong damping of the turbulence and therefore reduced heavy gas mixing. Especially this interaction, based on the buoyancy effects, was studied in order to ensure that the turbulence-buoyancy coupling is the main driver for the reduced mixing and not the global behaviour of the turbulence modelling. For both test cases, comparisons were performed between OpenFoam and Fluent solutions which were mainly in good agreement with each other. Beside steady state solutions, the time accuracy was investigated. In the low turbulence environment (wind tunnel test) which for both codes (laminar solutions) was in good agreement, also with the experimental data. The turbulent solutions of OpenFoam were in much better agreement with the experimental results than the Fluent solutions. Within the strong turbulence environment, both codes showed an excellent comparability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A new calibration code for the JET polarimeter.

PubMed

Gelfusa, M; Murari, A; Gaudio, P; Boboc, A; Brombin, M; Orsitto, F P; Giovannozzi, E

2010-05-01

An equivalent model of JET polarimeter is presented, which overcomes the drawbacks of previous versions of the fitting procedures used to provide calibrated results. First of all the signal processing electronics has been simulated, to confirm that it is still working within the original specifications. Then the effective optical path of both the vertical and lateral chords has been implemented to produce the calibration curves. The principle approach to the model has allowed obtaining a unique procedure which can be applied to any manual calibration and remains constant until the following one. The optical model of the chords is then applied to derive the plasma measurements. The results are in good agreement with the estimates of the most advanced full wave propagation code available and have been benchmarked with other diagnostics. The devised procedure has proved to work properly also for the most recent campaigns and high current experiments.

Comparison of two equation-of-state models for partially ionized aluminum: Zel'dovich and Raizer's model versus the activity expansion code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrach, Robert J.; Rogers, Forest J.

1981-09-01

Two equation-of-state (EOS) models for multipy ionized matter are evaluated for the case of an aluminum plasma in the temperature range from about one eV to several hundred eV, spanning conditions of weak to strong ionization. Specifically, the simple analytical mode of Zel'dovich and Raizer and the more comprehensive model comprised by Rogers' plasma physics avtivity expansion code (ACTEX) are used to calculate the specific internal energy ɛ and average degree of ionization Z¯*, as functons of temperature T and density ρ. In the absence of experimental data, these results are compared against each other, covering almost five orders-of-magnitude variation in ɛ and the full range of Z¯* We find generally good agreement between the two sets of results, especially for low densities and for temperatures near the upper end of the rage. Calculated values of ɛ(T) agree to within ±30% over nearly the full range in T for densities below about 1 g/cm3. Similarly, the two models predict values of Z¯*(T) which track each other fairly well; above 20 eV the discrepancy is less than ±20% fpr ρ≲1 g/cm3. Where the calculations disagree, we expect the ACTEX code to be more accurate than Zel'dovich and Raizer's model, by virtue of its more detailed physics content.

Analysis of Inlet-Compressor Acoustic Interactions Using Coupled CFD Codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suresh, A.; Townsend, S. E.; Cole, G. L.; Slater, J. W.; Chima, R.

1998-01-01

A problem that arises in the numerical simulation of supersonic inlets is the lack of a suitable boundary condition at the engine face. In this paper, a coupled approach, in which the inlet computation is coupled dynamically to a turbomachinery computation, is proposed as a means to overcome this problem. The specific application chosen for validation of this approach is the collapsing bump experiment performed at the University of Cincinnati. The computed results are found to be in reasonable agreement with experimental results. The coupled simulation results could also be used to aid development of a simplified boundary condition.

The rotating movement of three immiscible fluids - A benchmark problem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bakker, M.; Oude, Essink G.H.P.; Langevin, C.D.

2004-01-01

A benchmark problem involving the rotating movement of three immiscible fluids is proposed for verifying the density-dependent flow component of groundwater flow codes. The problem consists of a two-dimensional strip in the vertical plane filled with three fluids of different densities separated by interfaces. Initially, the interfaces between the fluids make a 45??angle with the horizontal. Over time, the fluids rotate to the stable position whereby the interfaces are horizontal; all flow is caused by density differences. Two cases of the problem are presented, one resulting in a symmetric flow field and one resulting in an asymmetric flow field. An exact analytical solution for the initial flow field is presented by application of the vortex theory and complex variables. Numerical results are obtained using three variable-density groundwater flow codes (SWI, MOCDENS3D, and SEAWAT). Initial horizontal velocities of the interfaces, as simulated by the three codes, compare well with the exact solution. The three codes are used to simulate the positions of the interfaces at two times; the three codes produce nearly identical results. The agreement between the results is evidence that the specific rotational behavior predicted by the models is correct. It also shows that the proposed problem may be used to benchmark variable-density codes. It is concluded that the three models can be used to model accurately the movement of interfaces between immiscible fluids, and have little or no numerical dispersion. ?? 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

2 CFR 1.200 - Purpose of chapters I and II.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Purpose of chapters I and II. 1.200 Section 1.200 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.200 Purpose of...

2 CFR 1.205 - Applicability to grants and other funding instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Applicability to grants and other funding instruments. 1.205 Section 1.205 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.205...

26 CFR 31.3121(l)-1 - Agreements entered into by domestic corporations with respect to foreign subsidiaries.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 15 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Agreements entered into by domestic corporations with respect to foreign subsidiaries. 31.3121(l)-1 Section 31.3121(l)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL... (Chapter 21, Internal Revenue Code of 1954) General Provisions § 31.3121(l)-1 Agreements entered into by...

[Quality assurance in coding expertise of hospital cases in the German DRG system. Evaluation of inter-rater reliability in MDK expertise].

PubMed

Huber, H; Brambrink, M; Funk, R; Rieger, M

2012-10-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate differences in the D-DRG results of a hospital case by 2 independently coding MKD raters. Calculation of the 2-inter-rater reliability was performed by examination of the coding of individual hospital cases. The reasons for the non-agreement of the expert evaluations and suggestions to improve the process are discussed. From the expert evaluation pool of the MDK-WL a random sample of 0.7% of the 57,375 expertises was taken. Distribution equality with the basic total was tested by the χ² test or, respectively, Fisher's exact test. For the total of 402 individual hospital cases, the G-DRG case sums of 2 experts of the MDK were determined independently and the results checked for each individual case for agreement or non-agreement. The corresponding confidence intervals with standard errors were analysed to test if certain major diagnosis categories (MDC) were statistically significantly more affected by differing expertise results than others. In 280 of the total 402 tested hospital cases, the 2 MDK raters independently reached the same G-DRG results; in 122 cases the G-DRG case sums determined by the 2 raters differed (agreement 70%; CI 65.2-74.1). Different DRG results between the 2 experts occurred regularly in the entire MDC spectrum. No MDC chapter in which significant differences between the 2 raters arose could be identified. The results of our study demonstrate an almost 70% agreement in the evaluation of hospital cost accounts by 2 independently operating MDK. This result leaves room for improvement. Optimisation potentials can be recognised on the basis of the results. Potential for improvement was established in combination with regular further training and the expansion of binding internal code recommendations as well as exchange of code-relevant information among experts in internal forums. The presented model is in principle suitable for cross-border examinations within the MDK system with the advantage that further trends could be uncovered by more variety and larger numbers of the randomly selected cases. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Behavior change techniques used in group-based behavioral support by the English stop-smoking services and preliminary assessment of association with short-term quit outcomes.

PubMed

West, Robert; Evans, Adam; Michie, Susan

2011-12-01

To develop a reliable coding scheme for components of group-based behavioral support for smoking cessation, to establish the frequency of inclusion in English Stop-Smoking Service (SSS) treatment manuals of specific components, and to investigate the associations between inclusion of behavior change techniques (BCTs) and service success rates. A taxonomy of BCTs specific to group-based behavioral support was developed and reliability of use assessed. All English SSSs (n = 145) were contacted to request their group-support treatment manuals. BCTs included in the manuals were identified using this taxonomy. Associations between inclusion of specific BCTs and short-term (4-week) self-reported quit outcomes were assessed. Fourteen group-support BCTs were identified with >90% agreement between coders. One hundred and seven services responded to the request for group-support manuals of which 30 had suitable documents. On average, 7 BCTs were included in each manual. Two were positively associated with 4-week quit rates: "communicate group member identities" and a "betting game" (a financial deposit that is lost if a stop-smoking "buddy" relapses). It is possible to reliably code group-specific BCTs for smoking cessation. Fourteen such techniques are present in guideline documents of which 2 appear to be associated with higher short-term self-reported quit rates when included in treatment manuals of English SSSs.

Higher Education in Further Education Colleges: Indirectly Funded Partnerships: Codes of Practice for Franchise and Consortia Arrangements. Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higher Education Funding Council for England, Bristol.

This report provides codes of practice for two types of indirectly funded partnerships entered into by higher education institutions and further education sector colleges: franchises and consortia. The codes of practice set out guidance on the principles that should be reflected in the franchise and consortia agreements that underpin indirectly…

Emotional communication in medical consultations with native and non-native patients applying two different methodological approaches.

PubMed

Kale, Emine; Skjeldestad, Kristin; Finset, Arnstein

2013-09-01

To explore the potential agreement between two different methods to investigate emotional communication of native and non-native patients in medical consultations. The data consisted of 12 videotaped hospital consultations with six native and six non-native patients. The consultations were coded according to coding rules of the Verona Coding definitions of Emotional Sequences (VR-CoDES) and afterwards analyzed by discourse analysis (DA) by two co-workers who were blind to the results from VR-CoDES. The agreement between VR-CoDES and DA was high in consultations with many cues and concerns, both with native and non-native patients. In consultations with no (or one cue) according to VR-CoDES criteria the DA still indicated the presence of emotionally salient expressions and themes. In some consultations cues to underlying emotions are communicated so vaguely or veiled by language barriers that standard VR-CoDES coding may miss subtle cues. Many of these sub-threshold cues could potentially be coded as cues according to VR-CoDES main coding categories, if criteria for coding vague or ambiguous cues had been better specified. Combining different analytical frameworks on the same dataset provide us new insights on emotional communication. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Validation and Code-to-Code Verification of FAST for a Megawatt-Scale Wind Turbine with Aeroelastically Tailored Blades

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Guntur, Srinivas; Jonkman, Jason; Sievers, Ryan

This paper presents validation and code-to-code verification of the latest version of the U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory wind turbine aeroelastic engineering simulation tool, FAST v8. A set of 1,141 test cases, for which experimental data from a Siemens 2.3 MW machine have been made available and were in accordance with the International Electrotechnical Commission 61400-13 guidelines, were identified. These conditions were simulated using FAST as well as the Siemens in-house aeroelastic code, BHawC. This paper presents a detailed analysis comparing results from FAST with those from BHawC as well as experimental measurements, using statistics including themore » means and the standard deviations along with the power spectral densities of select turbine parameters and loads. Results indicate a good agreement among the predictions using FAST, BHawC, and experimental measurements. Here, these agreements are discussed in detail in this paper, along with some comments regarding the differences seen in these comparisons relative to the inherent uncertainties in such a model-based analysis.« less

A Validation and Code-to-Code Verification of FAST for a Megawatt-Scale Wind Turbine with Aeroelastically Tailored Blades

DOE PAGES

Guntur, Srinivas; Jonkman, Jason; Sievers, Ryan; ...

2017-08-29

This paper presents validation and code-to-code verification of the latest version of the U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory wind turbine aeroelastic engineering simulation tool, FAST v8. A set of 1,141 test cases, for which experimental data from a Siemens 2.3 MW machine have been made available and were in accordance with the International Electrotechnical Commission 61400-13 guidelines, were identified. These conditions were simulated using FAST as well as the Siemens in-house aeroelastic code, BHawC. This paper presents a detailed analysis comparing results from FAST with those from BHawC as well as experimental measurements, using statistics including themore » means and the standard deviations along with the power spectral densities of select turbine parameters and loads. Results indicate a good agreement among the predictions using FAST, BHawC, and experimental measurements. Here, these agreements are discussed in detail in this paper, along with some comments regarding the differences seen in these comparisons relative to the inherent uncertainties in such a model-based analysis.« less

Section 525(a) of the bankruptcy code plainly does not apply to Medicare provider agreements.

PubMed

Sperow, E H

2001-01-01

Section 525(a) of the Bankruptcy Code prevents government entities from discriminating against debtors based on the debtor's bankruptcy filing. This Article analyzes how this provision is applied to healthcare providers who file for bankruptcy. Some commentators have expressed concerns that because of Section 525, the federal government is unable to deny a bankrupt provider a new Medicare provider agreement due to the debtor's failure to pay debts discharged during bankruptcy. This Article, however, argues that Section 525 does not apply to a provider agreements because it is not a "license, permit, charter, franchise, or other similar grant" as defined by the statute. Therefore, the author concludes that debtor healthcare providers should not be allowed back into the Medicare program without first paying their statutorily required debts.

Code of conduct for the International Space Station Crew. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Interim final rule.

PubMed

2000-12-21

NASA is issuing new regulations entitled "International Space Station Crew," to implement certain provisions of the International Space Station (ISS) Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) regarding ISS crewmembers' observance of an ISS Code of Conduct.

[Study of compatibility of psychiatric diagnoses with ICD-10 diagnostic criteria using the SCAN questionnaire].

PubMed

Adamowski, Tomasz; Kiejna, Andrzej; Hadryś, Tomasz

2006-01-01

Authors aimed at testing whether psychiatrists in their diagnostic process obeyed strict ICD-10 diagnostic criteria. Diagnoses made by psychiatrists at discharge were compared with those of SCAN ver.2.1 on admission. Diagnoses obtained by SCAN I-Shell program were compared with clinical diagnoses obtained by psychiatrists in the psychiatric wards according to ICD-10 criteria on 3 levels: diagnostic group (Fc), diagnostic class (Fcc), and diagnostic category (Fcc.c). Validity assessment was obtained with Cohen's Kappa coefficient, sensitivity, specificity and Yule's Y coefficient. On the diagnostic group level, Cohen's kappa was 0.14-0.65, Yule's Y 0.57-0.71. Sensitivity 0.69-0.95 and specificity 0.41-0.94. In psychotic disorders group F2 kappa was 0.65, Yule's Y 0.71, sensitivity 0.69, specificity 0.94. In affective disorders group F3 kappa was 0.31, Yule's Y 0.57, sensitivity 0.95, specificity 0.41. In neurotic disorders group F4 kappa was low 0.14, Yule's Y 0.62, sensitivity 0.95, specificity 0.50. The study showed a higher level of agreement between SCAN and clinical diagnoses in the group of psychotic disorders with exception of schizoaffective disorders, and lower agreement rates in the group of affective and neurotic disorders where the number of SCAN diagnoses outweighed that of the clinical ones. It could be the result of systematic faults in the coding of diagnoses.

[The law of March 5, 2007 and the care of persons placed under guardianship].

PubMed

Modot, Matthieu; Rougé-Maillart, Clotilde

2018-04-01

The care of persons placed under guardianship has changed considerably since the law of March 5, 2007, as greater autonomy is granted to them. By advocating greater autonomy of protected adults, the French Civil Code is in opposition with the French Public Health Code since the latter states that the systematic consent of the guardian is required in addition to that of the protected adult for so-called general care. In cases of serious injury to bodily integrity, the guardianship judge's opinion must be sought by the guardian. For some specific medical procedures (medically assisted procreation, abortion, etc.), the consent of the guardian does not seem necessary. A protected adult can now, if he/she is able to understand the information, with the agreement of the guardianship judge or the family council, appoint a trusted person and draft advance directives without possible representation by the guardian. The legislator promotes greater autonomy while not neglecting their protection. It also helps relieve the guardian, who is generally trained in asset management, of sometimes difficult medical decisions. Harmony between the Civil Code and the Public Health Code seems essential so as to move towards greater autonomy of the person under guardianship in the care relationship. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Scoring of anatomic injury after trauma: AIS 98 versus AIS 90--do the changes affect overall severity assessment?

PubMed

Skaga, Nils O; Eken, Torsten; Hestnes, Morten; Jones, J Mary; Steen, Petter A

2007-01-01

Although several changes were implemented in the 1998 update of the abbreviated injury scale (AIS 98) versus the previous AIS 90, both are still used worldwide for coding of anatomic injury in trauma. This could possibly invalidate comparisons between systems using different AIS versions. Our aim was to evaluate whether the use of different coding dictionaries affected estimation of Injury Severity Score (ISS), New Injury Severity Score (NISS) and probability of survival (Ps) according to TRISS in a hospital-based trauma registry. In a prospective study including 1654 patients from Ulleval University Hospital, a Norwegian trauma referral centre, patients were coded according to both AIS 98 and AIS 90. Agreement between the classifications of ISS, NISS and Ps according to TRISS methodology was estimated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) with 95% CI. ISS changed for 378 of 1654 patients analysed (22.9%). One hundred and forty seven (8.9%) were coded differently due to different injury descriptions and 369 patients (22.3%) had a change in ISS value in one or more regions due to the different scoring algorithm for skin injuries introduced in AIS 98. This gave a minimal change in mean ISS (14.74 versus 14.54). An ICC value of 0.997 (95% CI 0.9968-0.9974) for ISS indicates excellent agreement between the scoring systems. There were no significant changes in NISS and Ps. There was excellent agreement for the overall population between ISS, NISS and Ps values obtained using AIS 90 and AIS 98 for injury coding. Injury descriptions for hypothermia were re-introduced in the recently published AIS 2005. We support this change as coding differences due to hypothermia were encountered in 4.3% of patients in the present study.

2 CFR 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2009-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2009-01-01 2009-01-01 false Content of this title. 1.100 Section 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of this title. This title contains— (a) Office...

2 CFR 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2008-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2008-01-01 2008-01-01 false Content of this title. 1.100 Section 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of this title. This title contains— (a) Office...

2 CFR 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2005-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2005-01-01 2005-01-01 false Content of this title. 1.100 Section 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of this title. This title contains— (a) Office...

2 CFR 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2006-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2006-01-01 2006-01-01 false Content of this title. 1.100 Section 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of this title. This title contains— (a) Office...

2 CFR 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2007-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2007-01-01 2007-01-01 false Content of this title. 1.100 Section 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of this title. This title contains— (a) Office...

Inter-Coder Agreement in One-to-Many Classification: Fuzzy Kappa.

PubMed

Kirilenko, Andrei P; Stepchenkova, Svetlana

2016-01-01

Content analysis involves classification of textual, visual, or audio data. The inter-coder agreement is estimated by making two or more coders to classify the same data units, with subsequent comparison of their results. The existing methods of agreement estimation, e.g., Cohen's kappa, require that coders place each unit of content into one and only one category (one-to-one coding) from the pre-established set of categories. However, in certain data domains (e.g., maps, photographs, databases of texts and images), this requirement seems overly restrictive. The restriction could be lifted, provided that there is a measure to calculate the inter-coder agreement in the one-to-many protocol. Building on the existing approaches to one-to-many coding in geography and biomedicine, such measure, fuzzy kappa, which is an extension of Cohen's kappa, is proposed. It is argued that the measure is especially compatible with data from certain domains, when holistic reasoning of human coders is utilized in order to describe the data and access the meaning of communication.

The role of sustained observations and data co-management in Arctic Ocean governance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eicken, H.; Lee, O. A.; Rupp, S. T.; Trainor, S.; Walsh, J. E.

2015-12-01

Rapid environmental change, a rise in maritime activities and resource development, and increasing engagement by non-Arctic nations are key to major shifts underway in Arctic social-environmental systems (SES). These shifts are triggering responses by policy makers, regulators and a range of other actors in the Arctic Ocean region. Arctic science can play an important role in informing such responses, in particular by (i) providing data from sustained observations to serve as indicators of change and major transitions and to inform regulatory and policy response; (ii) identifying linkages across subsystems of Arctic SES and across regions; (iii) providing predictions or scenarios of future states of Arctic SES; and (iv) informing adaptation action in response to rapid change. Policy responses to a changing Arctic are taking a multi-faceted approach by advancing international agreements through the Arctic Council (e.g., Search and Rescue Agreement), global forums (e.g., IMO Polar Code) or private sector instruments (e.g., ISO code for offshore structures). At the regional level, co-management of marine living resources involving local, indigenous stakeholders has proven effective. All of these approaches rely on scientific data and information for planning and decision-making. Examples from the Pacific Arctic sector illustrate how such relevant data is currently collected through a multitude of different government agencies, universities, and private entities. Its effective use in informing policy, planning and emergency response requires coordinated, sustained acquisition, common standards or best practices, and data sharing agreements - best achieved through data co-management approaches. For projections and scenarios of future states of Arctic SES, knowledge co-production that involves all relevant stakeholders and specifically addresses major sources of uncertainty is of particular relevance in an international context.

Inter-rater agreement in the assessment of abnormal chest X-ray findings for tuberculosis between two Asian countries

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Inter-rater agreement in the interpretation of chest X-ray (CXR) films is crucial for clinical and epidemiological studies of tuberculosis. We compared the readings of CXR films used for a survey of tuberculosis between raters from two Asian countries. Methods Of the 11,624 people enrolled in a prevalence survey in Hanoi, Viet Nam, in 2003, we studied 258 individuals whose CXR films did not exclude the possibility of active tuberculosis. Follow-up films obtained from accessible individuals in 2006 were also analyzed. Two Japanese and two Vietnamese raters read the CXR films based on a coding system proposed by Den Boon et al. and another system newly developed in this study. Inter-rater agreement was evaluated by kappa statistics. Marginal homogeneity was evaluated by the generalized estimating equation (GEE). Results CXR findings suspected of tuberculosis differed between the four raters. The frequencies of infiltrates and fibrosis/scarring detected on the films significantly differed between the raters from the two countries (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0082, respectively, by GEE). The definition of findings such as primary cavity, used in the coding systems also affected the degree of agreement. Conclusions CXR findings were inconsistent between the raters with different backgrounds. High inter-rater agreement is a component necessary for an optimal CXR coding system, particularly in international studies. An analysis of reading results and a thorough discussion to achieve a consensus would be necessary to achieve further consistency and high quality of reading. PMID:22296612

Helioseismic Constraints on New Solar Models from the MoSEC Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elliott, J. R.

1998-01-01

Evolutionary solar models are computed using a new stellar evolution code, MOSEC (Modular Stellar Evolution Code). This code has been designed with carefully controlled truncation errors in order to achieve a precision which reflects the increasingly accurate determination of solar interior structure by helioseismology. A series of models is constructed to investigate the effects of the choice of equation of state (OPAL or MHD-E, the latter being a version of the MHD equation of state recalculated by the author), the inclusion of helium and heavy-element settling and diffusion, and the inclusion of a simple model of mixing associated with the solar tachocline. The neutrino flux predictions are discussed, while the sound speed of the computed models is compared to that of the sun via the latest inversion of SOI-NMI p-mode frequency data. The comparison between models calculated with the OPAL and MHD-E equations of state is particularly interesting because the MHD-E equation of state includes relativistic effects for the electrons, whereas neither MHD nor OPAL do. This has a significant effect on the sound speed of the computed model, worsening the agreement with the solar sound speed. Using the OPAL equation of state and including the settling and diffusion of helium and heavy elements produces agreement in sound speed with the helioseismic results to within about +.-0.2%; the inclusion of mixing slightly improves the agreement.

2 CFR § 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2017-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2017-01-01 2017-01-01 false Content of this title. § 1.100 Section § 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of this title. This title contains— (a)...

2 CFR § 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2016-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2016-01-01 2016-01-01 false Content of this title. § 1.100 Section § 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of this title. This title contains— (a)...

2 CFR § 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2018-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2018-01-01 2018-01-01 false Content of this title. § 1.100 Section § 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of this title. This title contains— (a)...

2 CFR § 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2015-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2015-01-01 2015-01-01 false Content of this title. § 1.100 Section § 1.100 Grants and Agreements Office of Management and Budget Guidance for Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of this title. This title contains— (a)...

Shielding evaluation for solar particle events using MCNPX, PHITS and OLTARIS codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aghara, S. K.; Sriprisan, S. I.; Singleterry, R. C.; Sato, T.

2015-01-01

Detailed analyses of Solar Particle Events (SPE) were performed to calculate primary and secondary particle spectra behind aluminum, at various thicknesses in water. The simulations were based on Monte Carlo (MC) radiation transport codes, MCNPX 2.7.0 and PHITS 2.64, and the space radiation analysis website called OLTARIS (On-Line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation in Space) version 3.4 (uses deterministic code, HZETRN, for transport). The study is set to investigate the impact of SPEs spectra transporting through 10 or 20 g/cm2 Al shield followed by 30 g/cm2 of water slab. Four historical SPE events were selected and used as input source spectra particle differential spectra for protons, neutrons, and photons are presented. The total particle fluence as a function of depth is presented. In addition to particle flux, the dose and dose equivalent values are calculated and compared between the codes and with the other published results. Overall, the particle fluence spectra from all three codes show good agreement with the MC codes showing closer agreement compared to the OLTARIS results. The neutron particle fluence from OLTARIS is lower than the results from MC codes at lower energies (E < 100 MeV). Based on mean square difference analysis the results from MCNPX and PHITS agree better for fluence, dose and dose equivalent when compared to OLTARIS results.

EMPIRE: A code for nuclear astrophysics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palumbo, A.

The nuclear reaction code EMPIRE is presented as a useful tool for nuclear astrophysics. EMPIRE combines a variety of the reaction models with a comprehensive library of input parameters providing a diversity of options for the user. With exclusion of the directsemidirect capture all reaction mechanisms relevant to the nuclear astrophysics energy range of interest are implemented in the code. Comparison to experimental data show consistent agreement for all relevant channels.

Comparison of spatiotemporal prediction models of daily exposure of individuals to ambient nitrogen dioxide and ozone in Montreal, Canada.

PubMed

Buteau, Stephane; Hatzopoulou, Marianne; Crouse, Dan L; Smargiassi, Audrey; Burnett, Richard T; Logan, Travis; Cavellin, Laure Deville; Goldberg, Mark S

2017-07-01

In previous studies investigating the short-term health effects of ambient air pollution the exposure metric that is often used is the daily average across monitors, thus assuming that all individuals have the same daily exposure. Studies that incorporate space-time exposures of individuals are essential to further our understanding of the short-term health effects of ambient air pollution. As part of a longitudinal cohort study of the acute effects of air pollution that incorporated subject-specific information and medical histories of subjects throughout the follow-up, the purpose of this study was to develop and compare different prediction models using data from fixed-site monitors and other monitoring campaigns to estimate daily, spatially-resolved concentrations of ozone (O 3 ) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2 ) of participants' residences in Montreal, 1991-2002. We used the following methods to predict spatially-resolved daily concentrations of O 3 and NO 2 for each geographic region in Montreal (defined by three-character postal code areas): (1) assigning concentrations from the nearest monitor; (2) spatial interpolation using inverse-distance weighting; (3) back-extrapolation from a land-use regression model from a dense monitoring survey, and; (4) a combination of a land-use and Bayesian maximum entropy model. We used a variety of indices of agreement to compare estimates of exposure assigned from the different methods, notably scatterplots of pairwise predictions, distribution of differences and computation of the absolute agreement intraclass correlation (ICC). For each pairwise prediction, we also produced maps of the ICCs by these regions indicating the spatial variability in the degree of agreement. We found some substantial differences in agreement across pairs of methods in daily mean predicted concentrations of O 3 and NO 2 . On a given day and postal code area the difference in the concentration assigned could be as high as 131ppb for O 3 and 108ppb for NO 2 . For both pollutants, better agreement was found between predictions from the nearest monitor and the inverse-distance weighting interpolation methods, with ICCs of 0.89 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.89, 0.89) for O 3 and 0.81 (95%CI: 0.80, 0.81) for NO 2 , respectively. For this pair of methods the maximum difference on a given day and postal code area was 36ppb for O 3 and 74ppb for NO 2 . The back-extrapolation method showed a higher degree of disagreement with the nearest monitor approach, inverse-distance weighting interpolation, and the Bayesian maximum entropy model, which were strongly constrained by the sparse monitoring network. The maps showed that the patterns of agreement differed across the postal code areas and the variability depended on the pair of methods compared and the pollutants. For O 3 , but not NO 2 , postal areas showing greater disagreement were mostly located near the city centre and along highways, especially in maps involving the back-extrapolation method. In view of the substantial differences in daily concentrations of O 3 and NO 2 predicted by the different methods, we suggest that analyses of the health effects from air pollution should make use of multiple exposure assessment methods. Although we cannot make any recommendations as to which is the most valid method, models that make use of higher spatially resolved data, such as from dense exposure surveys or from high spatial resolution satellite data, likely provide the most valid estimates. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Finite-difference simulation of transonic separated flow using a full potential boundary layer interaction approach

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Van Dalsem, W. R.; Steger, J. L.

1983-01-01

A new, fast, direct-inverse, finite-difference boundary-layer code has been developed and coupled with a full-potential transonic airfoil analysis code via new inviscid-viscous interaction algorithms. The resulting code has been used to calculate transonic separated flows. The results are in good agreement with Navier-Stokes calculations and experimental data. Solutions are obtained in considerably less computer time than Navier-Stokes solutions of equal resolution. Because efficient inviscid and viscous algorithms are used, it is expected this code will also compare favorably with other codes of its type as they become available.

A Spanish version for the new ERA-EDTA coding system for primary renal disease.

PubMed

Zurriaga, Óscar; López-Briones, Carmen; Martín Escobar, Eduardo; Saracho-Rotaeche, Ramón; Moina Eguren, Íñigo; Pallardó Mateu, Luis; Abad Díez, José María; Sánchez Miret, José Ignacio

2015-01-01

The European Renal Association and the European Dialysis and Transplant Association (ERA-EDTA) have issued an English-language new coding system for primary kidney disease (PKD) aimed at solving the problems that were identified in the list of "Primary renal diagnoses" that has been in use for over 40 years. In the context of Registro Español de Enfermos Renales (Spanish Registry of Renal Patients, [REER]), the need for a translation and adaptation of terms, definitions and notes for the new ERA-EDTA codes was perceived in order to help those who have Spanish as their working language when using such codes. Bilingual nephrologists contributed a professional translation and were involved in a terminological adaptation process, which included a number of phases to contrast translation outputs. Codes, paragraphs, definitions and diagnostic criteria were reviewed and agreements and disagreements aroused for each term were labelled. Finally, the version that was accepted by a majority of reviewers was agreed. A wide agreement was reached in the first review phase, with only 5 points of discrepancy remaining, which were agreed on in the final phase. Translation and adaptation into Spanish represent an improvement that will help to introduce and use the new coding system for PKD, as it can help reducing the time devoted to coding and also the period of adaptation of health workers to the new codes. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

2 CFR 1.300 - OMB responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false OMB responsibilities. 1.300 Section 1.300 Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Responsibilities of OMB and Federal Agencies § 1.300 OMB responsibilities. OMB is responsible for: (a) Issuing and...

2 CFR 1.305 - Federal agency responsibilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Federal agency responsibilities. 1.305 Section 1.305 Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Responsibilities of OMB and Federal Agencies § 1.305 Federal agency responsibilities. The head of each Federal...

18 CFR 356.3 - Preservation of records for oil pipeline companies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Accounting 7. Ledgers. 8. Journals. 9. Vouchers. 10. Accounts receivable. 11. Records of accounting codes and... management, accounting, financial or legal service, and agreements with agents 3 years after expiration or... other long-term credit agreements 6 years after redemption. Financial Accounting 7. Ledgers: (a) General...

15 CFR Appendix B to Part 30 - AES Filing Codes

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... charity FS—Foreign Military Sales ZD—North American Free Trade Agreements (NAFTA) duty deferral shipments...—Validated End User Authorization C58CCD—Consumer Communication Devices C59STA—Strategic Trade Authorization Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) Codes E01—DOE/NNSA Nuclear...

26 CFR 301.6331-2 - Procedures and restrictions on levies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... certified mail to the taxpayer's last known address. For further guidance regarding the definition of last...— (i) The Internal Revenue Code provisions and the procedures relating to levy and sale of property... (including the use of an installment agreement under section 6159); and (iv) The Internal Revenue Code...

26 CFR 301.6331-2 - Procedures and restrictions on levies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... certified mail to the taxpayer's last known address. For further guidance regarding the definition of last...— (i) The Internal Revenue Code provisions and the procedures relating to levy and sale of property... (including the use of an installment agreement under section 6159); and (iv) The Internal Revenue Code...

26 CFR 301.6331-2 - Procedures and restrictions on levies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... certified mail to the taxpayer's last known address. For further guidance regarding the definition of last...— (i) The Internal Revenue Code provisions and the procedures relating to levy and sale of property... (including the use of an installment agreement under section 6159); and (iv) The Internal Revenue Code...

26 CFR 301.6331-2 - Procedures and restrictions on levies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... certified mail to the taxpayer's last known address. For further guidance regarding the definition of last...— (i) The Internal Revenue Code provisions and the procedures relating to levy and sale of property... (including the use of an installment agreement under section 6159); and (iv) The Internal Revenue Code...

15 CFR 701.4 - Procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Subject to Offset; (iii) Names/Titles of Signatories to the Offset Agreement; (iv) Value of Export Sale.../naics.html). Paragraphs (c)(1)(iii)(A) through (c)(1)(iii)(E) of this section provide examples that illustrate how to select the appropriate NAICS code(s). (A) Example 1. Company A enters into an offset...

Convergent Validity of O*NET Holland Code Classifications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eggerth, Donald E.; Bowles, Shannon M.; Tunick, Roy H.; Andrew, Michael E.

2005-01-01

The interpretive ease and intuitive appeal of the Holland RIASEC typology have made it nearly ubiquitous in vocational guidance settings. Its incorporation into the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) has moved it another step closer to reification. This research investigated the rates of agreement between Holland code classifications from…

The international implications of national and local coordination on building energy codes: Case studies in six cities

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Evans, Meredydd; Yu, Sha; Staniszewski, Aaron

Building energy efficiency is an important strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally. In fact, 55 countries have included building energy efficiency in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. This research uses building energy code implementation in six cities across different continents as case studies to assess what it may take for countries to implement the ambitions of their energy efficiency goals. Specifically, we look at the cases of Bogota, Colombia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Eskisehir, Turkey; Mexico City, Mexico; Rajkot, India; and Tshwane, South Africa, all of which are “deep dive” cities under the Sustainable Energy formore » All's Building Efficiency Accelerator. The research focuses on understanding the baseline with existing gaps in implementation and coordination. The methodology used a combination of surveys on code status and interviews with stakeholders at the local and national level, as well as review of published documents. We looked at code development, implementation, and evaluation. The cities are all working to improve implementation, however, the challenges they currently face include gaps in resources, capacity, tools, and institutions to check for compliance. Better coordination between national and local governments could help improve implementation, but that coordination is not yet well established. For example, all six of the cities reported that there was little to no involvement of local stakeholders in development of the national code; only one city reported that it had access to national funding to support code implementation. More robust coordination could better link cities with capacity building and funding for compliance, and ensure that the code reflects local priorities. By understanding gaps in implementation, it can also help in designing more targeted interventions to scale up energy savings.« less

The international implications of national and local coordination on building energy codes: Case studies in six cities

DOE PAGES

Evans, Meredydd; Yu, Sha; Staniszewski, Aaron; ...

2018-04-17

Building energy efficiency is an important strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions globally. In fact, 55 countries have included building energy efficiency in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. This research uses building energy code implementation in six cities across different continents as case studies to assess what it may take for countries to implement the ambitions of their energy efficiency goals. Specifically, we look at the cases of Bogota, Colombia; Da Nang, Vietnam; Eskisehir, Turkey; Mexico City, Mexico; Rajkot, India; and Tshwane, South Africa, all of which are “deep dive” cities under the Sustainable Energy formore » All's Building Efficiency Accelerator. The research focuses on understanding the baseline with existing gaps in implementation and coordination. The methodology used a combination of surveys on code status and interviews with stakeholders at the local and national level, as well as review of published documents. We looked at code development, implementation, and evaluation. The cities are all working to improve implementation, however, the challenges they currently face include gaps in resources, capacity, tools, and institutions to check for compliance. Better coordination between national and local governments could help improve implementation, but that coordination is not yet well established. For example, all six of the cities reported that there was little to no involvement of local stakeholders in development of the national code; only one city reported that it had access to national funding to support code implementation. More robust coordination could better link cities with capacity building and funding for compliance, and ensure that the code reflects local priorities. By understanding gaps in implementation, it can also help in designing more targeted interventions to scale up energy savings.« less

Tanning and beauty: Mother and teenage daughters in discussion.

PubMed

Hay, Jennifer L; Geller, Alan C; Schoenhammer, Maria; Gordon, Mallorie; Bishop, Marilyn; Shuk, Elyse; Oliveria, Susan; Halpern, Allan C

2016-07-01

Tanning increases dramatically through the teenage years, but the family context of this health risk behavior is relatively unstudied. We conducted videotaped conversations between teenage girls (10th and 11th grade) and their mothers. We developed a coding system for discussion content and highlight findings including inadequate knowledge concerning the harms of tanning and positive views of outdoor tanning over indoor tanning, yet agreement that all tans are attractive. Many teens believed that indoor tanning is sometimes necessary to achieve the tanned look. These findings can usefully guide intervention development regarding the harms of all tanning, rather than indoor or outdoor tanning specifically. © The Author(s) 2014.

Tanning and beauty: Mother and teenage daughters in discussion

PubMed Central

Hay, Jennifer L.; Geller, Alan C.; Schoenhammer, Maria; Gordon, Mallorie; Bishop, Marilyn; Shuk, Elyse; Oliveria, Susan; Halpern, Allan C.

2017-01-01

Tanning increases dramatically through the teenage years, but the family context of this health risk behavior is relatively unstudied. We conducted videotaped conversations between teenage girls (10th and 11th grade) and their mothers. We developed a coding system for discussion content, and highlight findings including inadequate knowledge concerning the harms of tanning, positive views of outdoor tanning over indoor tanning, yet agreement that all tans are attractive. Many teens believed that indoor tanning is sometimes necessary to achieve the tanned look. These findings can usefully guide intervention development regarding the harms of all tanning, rather than indoor or outdoor tanning specifically. PMID:25318997

PopCORN: Hunting down the differences between binary population synthesis codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toonen, S.; Claeys, J. S. W.; Mennekens, N.; Ruiter, A. J.

2014-02-01

Context. Binary population synthesis (BPS) modelling is a very effective tool to study the evolution and properties of various types of close binary systems. The uncertainty in the parameters of the model and their effect on a population can be tested in a statistical way, which then leads to a deeper understanding of the underlying (sometimes poorly understood) physical processes involved. Several BPS codes exist that have been developed with different philosophies and aims. Although BPS has been very successful for studies of many populations of binary stars, in the particular case of the study of the progenitors of supernovae Type Ia, the predicted rates and ZAMS progenitors vary substantially between different BPS codes. Aims: To understand the predictive power of BPS codes, we study the similarities and differences in the predictions of four different BPS codes for low- and intermediate-mass binaries. We investigate the differences in the characteristics of the predicted populations, and whether they are caused by different assumptions made in the BPS codes or by numerical effects, e.g. a lack of accuracy in BPS codes. Methods: We compare a large number of evolutionary sequences for binary stars, starting with the same initial conditions following the evolution until the first (and when applicable, the second) white dwarf (WD) is formed. To simplify the complex problem of comparing BPS codes that are based on many (often different) assumptions, we equalise the assumptions as much as possible to examine the inherent differences of the four BPS codes. Results: We find that the simulated populations are similar between the codes. Regarding the population of binaries with one WD, there is very good agreement between the physical characteristics, the evolutionary channels that lead to the birth of these systems, and their birthrates. Regarding the double WD population, there is a good agreement on which evolutionary channels exist to create double WDs and a rough agreement on the characteristics of the double WD population. Regarding which progenitor systems lead to a single and double WD system and which systems do not, the four codes agree well. Most importantly, we find that for these two populations, the differences in the predictions from the four codes are not due to numerical differences, but because of different inherent assumptions. We identify critical assumptions for BPS studies that need to be studied in more detail. Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Unsteady Analysis of Inlet-Compressor Acoustic Interactions Using Coupled 3-D and 1-D CFD Codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suresh, A.; Cole, G. L.

2000-01-01

It is well known that the dynamic response of a mixed compression supersonic inlet is very sensitive to the boundary condition imposed at the subsonic exit (engine face) of the inlet. In previous work, a 3-D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) inlet code (NPARC) was coupled at the engine face to a 3-D turbomachinery code (ADPAC) simulating an isolated rotor and the coupled simulation used to study the unsteady response of the inlet. The main problem with this approach is that the high fidelity turbomachinery simulation becomes prohibitively expensive as more stages are included in the simulation. In this paper, an alternative approach is explored, wherein the inlet code is coupled to a lesser fidelity 1-D transient compressor code (DYNTECC) which simulates the whole compressor. The specific application chosen for this evaluation is the collapsing bump experiment performed at the University of Cincinnati, wherein reflections of a large-amplitude acoustic pulse from a compressor were measured. The metrics for comparison are the pulse strength (time integral of the pulse amplitude) and wave form (shape). When the compressor is modeled by stage characteristics the computed strength is about ten percent greater than that for the experiment, but the wave shapes are in poor agreement. An alternate approach that uses a fixed rise in duct total pressure and temperature (so-called 'lossy' duct) to simulate a compressor gives good pulse shapes but the strength is about 30 percent low.

Reliability of a rating procedure to monitor industry self-regulation codes governing alcohol advertising content.

PubMed

Babor, Thomas F; Xuan, Ziming; Proctor, Dwayne

2008-03-01

The purposes of this study were to develop reliable procedures to monitor the content of alcohol advertisements broadcast on television and in other media, and to detect violations of the content guidelines of the alcohol industry's self-regulation codes. A set of rating-scale items was developed to measure the content guidelines of the 1997 version of the U.S. Beer Institute Code. Six focus groups were conducted with 60 college students to evaluate the face validity of the items and the feasibility of the procedure. A test-retest reliability study was then conducted with 74 participants, who rated five alcohol advertisements on two occasions separated by 1 week. Average correlations across all advertisements using three reliability statistics (r, rho, and kappa) were almost all statistically significant and the kappas were good for most items, which indicated high test-retest agreement. We also found high interrater reliabilities (intraclass correlations) among raters for item-level and guideline-level violations, indicating that regardless of the specific item, raters were consistent in their general evaluations of the advertisements. Naïve (untrained) raters can provide consistent (reliable) ratings of the main content guidelines proposed in the U.S. Beer Institute Code. The rating procedure may have future applications for monitoring compliance with industry self-regulation codes and for conducting research on the ways in which alcohol advertisements are perceived by young adults and other vulnerable populations.

Transcripts with in silico predicted RNA structure are enriched everywhere in the mouse brain

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Post-transcriptional control of gene expression is mostly conducted by specific elements in untranslated regions (UTRs) of mRNAs, in collaboration with specific binding proteins and RNAs. In several well characterized cases, these RNA elements are known to form stable secondary structures. RNA secondary structures also may have major functional implications for long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs). Recent transcriptional data has indicated the importance of lncRNAs in brain development and function. However, no methodical efforts to investigate this have been undertaken. Here, we aim to systematically analyze the potential for RNA structure in brain-expressed transcripts. Results By comprehensive spatial expression analysis of the adult mouse in situ hybridization data of the Allen Mouse Brain Atlas, we show that transcripts (coding as well as non-coding) associated with in silico predicted structured probes are highly and significantly enriched in almost all analyzed brain regions. Functional implications of these RNA structures and their role in the brain are discussed in detail along with specific examples. We observe that mRNAs with a structure prediction in their UTRs are enriched for binding, transport and localization gene ontology categories. In addition, after manual examination we observe agreement between RNA binding protein interaction sites near the 3’ UTR structures and correlated expression patterns. Conclusions Our results show a potential use for RNA structures in expressed coding as well as noncoding transcripts in the adult mouse brain, and describe the role of structured RNAs in the context of intracellular signaling pathways and regulatory networks. Based on this data we hypothesize that RNA structure is widely involved in transcriptional and translational regulatory mechanisms in the brain and ultimately plays a role in brain function. PMID:22651826

A comparison of theoretical and experimental pressure distributions for two advanced fighter wings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haney, H. P.; Hicks, R. M.

1981-01-01

A comparison was made between experimental pressure distributions measured during testing of the Vought A-7 fighter and the theoretical predictions of four transonic potential flow codes. Isolated wind and three wing-body codes were used for comparison. All comparisons are for transonic Mach numbers and include both attached and separate flows. In general, the wing-body codes gave better agreement with the experiment than did the isolated wing code but, because of the greater complexity of the geometry, were found to be considerably more expensive and less reliable.

Interactive boundary-layer calculations of a transonic wing flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaups, Kalle; Cebeci, Tuncer; Mehta, Unmeel

1989-01-01

Results obtained from iterative solutions of inviscid and boundary-layer equations are presented and compared with experimental values. The calculated results were obtained with an Euler code and a transonic potential code in order to furnish solutions for the inviscid flow; they were interacted with solutions of two-dimensional boundary-layer equations having a strip-theory approximation. Euler code results are found to be in better agreement with the experimental data than with the full potential code, especially in the presence of shock waves, (with the sole exception of the near-tip region).

Measurement of absolute response functions and detection efficiencies of an NE213 scintillator up to 600 MeV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kajimoto, Tsuyoshi; Shigyo, Nobuhiro; Sanami, Toshiya; Ishibashi, Kenji; Haight, Robert C.; Fotiades, Nikolaos

2011-02-01

Absolute neutron response functions and detection efficiencies of an NE213 liquid scintillator that was 12.7 cm in diameter and 12.7 cm in thickness were measured for neutron energies between 15 and 600 MeV at the Weapons Neutron Research facility of the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center. The experiment was performed with continuous-energy neutrons on a spallation neutron source by 800-MeV proton incidence. The incident neutron flux was measured using a 238U fission ionization chamber. Measured response functions and detection efficiencies were compared with corresponding calculations using the SCINFUL-QMD code. The calculated and experimental values were in good agreement for data below 70 MeV. However, there were discrepancies in the energy region between 70 and 150 MeV. Thus, the code was partly modified and the revised code provided better agreement with the experimental data.

Reliability of diagnostic coding in intensive care patients

PubMed Central

Misset, Benoît; Nakache, Didier; Vesin, Aurélien; Darmon, Mickael; Garrouste-Orgeas, Maïté; Mourvillier, Bruno; Adrie, Christophe; Pease, Sébastian; de Beauregard, Marie-Aliette Costa; Goldgran-Toledano, Dany; Métais, Elisabeth; Timsit, Jean-François

2008-01-01

Introduction Administrative coding of medical diagnoses in intensive care unit (ICU) patients is mandatory in order to create databases for use in epidemiological and economic studies. We assessed the reliability of coding between different ICU physicians. Method One hundred medical records selected randomly from 29,393 cases collected between 1998 and 2004 in the French multicenter Outcomerea ICU database were studied. Each record was sent to two senior physicians from independent ICUs who recoded the diagnoses using the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems: Tenth Revision (ICD-10) after being trained according to guidelines developed by two French national intensive care medicine societies: the French Society of Intensive Care Medicine (SRLF) and the French Society of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine (SFAR). These codes were then compared with the original codes, which had been selected by the physician treating the patient. A specific comparison was done for the diagnoses of septicemia and shock (codes derived from A41 and R57, respectively). Results The ICU physicians coded an average of 4.6 ± 3.0 (range 1 to 32) diagnoses per patient, with little agreement between the three coders. The primary diagnosis was matched by both external coders in 34% (95% confidence interval (CI) 25% to 43%) of cases, by only one in 35% (95% CI 26% to 44%) of cases, and by neither in 31% (95% CI 22% to 40%) of cases. Only 18% (95% CI 16% to 20%) of all codes were selected by all three coders. Similar results were obtained for the diagnoses of septicemia and/or shock. Conclusion In a multicenter database designed primarily for epidemiological and cohort studies in ICU patients, the coding of medical diagnoses varied between different observers. This could limit the interpretation and validity of research and epidemiological programs using diagnoses as inclusion criteria. PMID:18664267

Semi-quantum communication: protocols for key agreement, controlled secure direct communication and dialogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shukla, Chitra; Thapliyal, Kishore; Pathak, Anirban

2017-12-01

Semi-quantum protocols that allow some of the users to remain classical are proposed for a large class of problems associated with secure communication and secure multiparty computation. Specifically, first-time semi-quantum protocols are proposed for key agreement, controlled deterministic secure communication and dialogue, and it is shown that the semi-quantum protocols for controlled deterministic secure communication and dialogue can be reduced to semi-quantum protocols for e-commerce and private comparison (socialist millionaire problem), respectively. Complementing with the earlier proposed semi-quantum schemes for key distribution, secret sharing and deterministic secure communication, set of schemes proposed here and subsequent discussions have established that almost every secure communication and computation tasks that can be performed using fully quantum protocols can also be performed in semi-quantum manner. Some of the proposed schemes are completely orthogonal-state-based, and thus, fundamentally different from the existing semi-quantum schemes that are conjugate coding-based. Security, efficiency and applicability of the proposed schemes have been discussed with appropriate importance.

FAST Model Calibration and Validation of the OC5-DeepCwind Floating Offshore Wind System Against Wave Tank Test Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wendt, Fabian F; Robertson, Amy N; Jonkman, Jason

During the course of the Offshore Code Comparison Collaboration, Continued, with Correlation (OC5) project, which focused on the validation of numerical methods through comparison against tank test data, the authors created a numerical FAST model of the 1:50-scale DeepCwind semisubmersible system that was tested at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands ocean basin in 2013. This paper discusses several model calibration studies that were conducted to identify model adjustments that improve the agreement between the numerical simulations and the experimental test data. These calibration studies cover wind-field-specific parameters (coherence, turbulence), hydrodynamic and aerodynamic modeling approaches, as well as rotor model (blade-pitchmore » and blade-mass imbalances) and tower model (structural tower damping coefficient) adjustments. These calibration studies were conducted based on relatively simple calibration load cases (wave only/wind only). The agreement between the final FAST model and experimental measurements is then assessed based on more-complex combined wind and wave validation cases.« less

Computational analysis of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abudarag, Sakhr; Yagoub, Rashid; Elfatih, Hassan; Filipovic, Zoran

2017-01-01

A computational analysis has been performed to verify the aerodynamics properties of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). The UAV-SUST has been designed and fabricated at the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at Sudan University of Science and Technology in order to meet the specifications required for surveillance and reconnaissance mission. It is classified as a medium range and medium endurance UAV. A commercial CFD solver is used to simulate steady and unsteady aerodynamics characteristics of the entire UAV. In addition to Lift Coefficient (CL), Drag Coefficient (CD), Pitching Moment Coefficient (CM) and Yawing Moment Coefficient (CN), the pressure and velocity contours are illustrated. The aerodynamics parameters are represented a very good agreement with the design consideration at angle of attack ranging from zero to 26 degrees. Moreover, the visualization of the velocity field and static pressure contours is indicated a satisfactory agreement with the proposed design. The turbulence is predicted by enhancing K-ω SST turbulence model within the computational fluid dynamics code.

Quality of pharmaceutical care at the pharmacy counter: patients' experiences versus video observation.

PubMed

Koster, Ellen S; Blom, Lyda; Overbeeke, Marloes R; Philbert, Daphne; Vervloet, Marcia; Koopman, Laura; van Dijk, Liset

2016-01-01

Consumer Quality Index questionnaires are used to assess quality of care from patients' experiences. To provide insight into the agreement about quality of pharmaceutical care, measured both by a patient questionnaire and video observations. Pharmaceutical encounters in four pharmacies were video-recorded. Patients completed a questionnaire based upon the Consumer Quality Index Pharmaceutical Care after the encounter containing questions about patients' experiences regarding information provision, medication counseling, and pharmacy staff's communication style. An observation protocol was used to code the recorded encounters. Agreement between video observation and patients' experiences was calculated. In total, 109 encounters were included for analysis. For the domains "medication counseling" and "communication style", agreement between patients' experiences and observations was very high (>90%). Less agreement (45%) was found for "information provision", which was rated more positive by patients compared to the observations, especially for the topic, encouragement of patients' questioning behavior. A questionnaire is useful to assess the quality of medication counseling and pharmacy staff's communication style, but might be less suitable to evaluate information provision and pharmacy staff's encouragement of patients' questioning behavior. Although patients may believe that they have received all necessary information to use their new medicine, some information on specific instructions was not addressed during the encounter. When using questionnaires to get insight into information provision, observations of encounters are very informative to validate the patient questionnaires and make necessary adjustments.

Automated optical inspection and image analysis of superconducting radio-frequency cavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wenskat, M.

2017-05-01

The inner surface of superconducting cavities plays a crucial role to achieve highest accelerating fields and low losses. For an investigation of this inner surface of more than 100 cavities within the cavity fabrication for the European XFEL and the ILC HiGrade Research Project, an optical inspection robot OBACHT was constructed. To analyze up to 2325 images per cavity, an image processing and analysis code was developed and new variables to describe the cavity surface were obtained. The accuracy of this code is up to 97 % and the positive predictive value (PPV) 99 % within the resolution of 15.63 μm. The optical obtained surface roughness is in agreement with standard profilometric methods. The image analysis algorithm identified and quantified vendor specific fabrication properties as the electron beam welding speed and the different surface roughness due to the different chemical treatments. In addition, a correlation of ρ = -0.93 with a significance of 6 σ between an obtained surface variable and the maximal accelerating field was found.

26 CFR 1.197-2 - Amortization of goodwill and certain other intangibles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

..., process, design, pattern, know-how, format, package design, computer software (as defined in paragraph (c... agreement that provides one of the parties to the agreement with the right to distribute, sell, or provide... any program or routine (that is, any sequence of machine-readable code) that is designed to cause a...

2 CFR 1.220 - Federal agency implementation of this subtitle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Federal agency implementation of this subtitle. 1.220 Section 1.220 Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.220 Federal agency implementation of this subtitle. A Federal...

2 CFR 1.210 - Applicability to Federal agencies and others.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Applicability to Federal agencies and others. 1.210 Section 1.210 Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND... may apply to— (1) The agency's awarding or administering officials; (2) Non-Federal entities that...

2 CFR 1.110 - Issuing authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Issuing authorities. 1.110 Section 1.110 Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.110 Issuing authorities. OMB issues this subtitle. Each Federal agency that has a...

2 CFR 1.230 - Maintenance of this subtitle.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Maintenance of this subtitle. 1.230 Section 1.230 Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.230 Maintenance of this subtitle. OMB issues guidance in this subtitle after...

75 FR 22892 - Aviation Proceedings, Agreements Filed the Week Ending April 17, 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-30

... Week Ending April 17, 2010 The following Agreements were filed with the Department of Transportation... procedures governing proceedings to enforce these provisions. Answers may be filed within 21 days after the..., Docket Operations, Federal Register Liaison. [FR Doc. 2010-10098 Filed 4-29-10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE...

75 FR 18253 - Aviation Proceedings, Agreements Filed the Week Ending March 27, 2010

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-09

... Week Ending March 27, 2010 The following Agreements were filed with the Department of Transportation... procedures governing proceedings to enforce these provisions. Answers may be filed within 21 days after the.... [FR Doc. 2010-8110 Filed 4-8-10; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-9X-P ...

Judges' Agreement and Disagreement Patterns When Encoding Verbal Protocols.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schael, Jocelyne; Dionne, Jean-Paul

The basis of agreement or disagreement among judges/evaluators when applying a coding scheme to concurrent verbal protocols was studied. The sample included 20 university graduates, from varied backgrounds; 10 subjects had and 10 subjects did not have experience in protocol analysis. The total sample was divided into four balanced groups according…

Predicting Phonetic Transcription Agreement: Insights from Research in Infant Vocalizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsdell, Heather L.; Oller, D. Kimbrough; Ethington, Corinna A.

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study is to provide new perspectives on correlates of phonetic transcription agreement. Our research focuses on phonetic transcription and coding of infant vocalizations. The findings are presumed to be broadly applicable to other difficult cases of transcription, such as found in severe disorders of speech, which similarly…

2 CFR 1.215 - Relationship to previous issuances.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Relationship to previous issuances. 1.215 Section 1.215 Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.215 Relationship to previous issuances. Although some of the guidance was...

40 CFR 262.200 - Definitions for this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... research as its primary function and files as a non-profit organization under the tax code of 26 U.S.C. 501... college or university, or a non-profit research institute that is owned by or has a formal written... written affiliation agreement with a college or university. Formal written affiliation agreement for a non...

40 CFR 262.200 - Definitions for this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... research as its primary function and files as a non-profit organization under the tax code of 26 U.S.C. 501... college or university, or a non-profit research institute that is owned by or has a formal written... written affiliation agreement with a college or university. Formal written affiliation agreement for a non...

40 CFR 262.200 - Definitions for this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... research as its primary function and files as a non-profit organization under the tax code of 26 U.S.C. 501... college or university, or a non-profit research institute that is owned by or has a formal written... written affiliation agreement with a college or university. Formal written affiliation agreement for a non...

40 CFR 262.200 - Definitions for this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... research as its primary function and files as a non-profit organization under the tax code of 26 U.S.C. 501... college or university, or a non-profit research institute that is owned by or has a formal written... written affiliation agreement with a college or university. Formal written affiliation agreement for a non...

Inter-Coder Agreement in One-to-Many Classification: Fuzzy Kappa

PubMed Central

Kirilenko, Andrei P.; Stepchenkova, Svetlana

2016-01-01

Content analysis involves classification of textual, visual, or audio data. The inter-coder agreement is estimated by making two or more coders to classify the same data units, with subsequent comparison of their results. The existing methods of agreement estimation, e.g., Cohen’s kappa, require that coders place each unit of content into one and only one category (one-to-one coding) from the pre-established set of categories. However, in certain data domains (e.g., maps, photographs, databases of texts and images), this requirement seems overly restrictive. The restriction could be lifted, provided that there is a measure to calculate the inter-coder agreement in the one-to-many protocol. Building on the existing approaches to one-to-many coding in geography and biomedicine, such measure, fuzzy kappa, which is an extension of Cohen’s kappa, is proposed. It is argued that the measure is especially compatible with data from certain domains, when holistic reasoning of human coders is utilized in order to describe the data and access the meaning of communication. PMID:26933956

Development and validation of an epidemiologic case definition of epilepsy for use with routinely collected Australian health data.

PubMed

Tan, Michael; Wilson, Ian; Braganza, Vanessa; Ignatiadis, Sophia; Boston, Ray; Sundararajan, Vijaya; Cook, Mark J; D'Souza, Wendyl J

2015-10-01

We report the diagnostic validity of a selection algorithm for identifying epilepsy cases. Retrospective validation study of International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision Australian Modification (ICD-10AM)-coded hospital records and pharmaceutical data sampled from 300 consecutive potential epilepsy-coded cases and 300 randomly chosen cases without epilepsy from 3/7/2012 to 10/7/2013. Two epilepsy specialists independently validated the diagnosis of epilepsy. A multivariable logistic regression model was fitted to identify the optimum coding algorithm for epilepsy and was internally validated. One hundred fifty-eight out of three hundred (52.6%) epilepsy-coded records and 0/300 (0%) nonepilepsy records were confirmed to have epilepsy. The kappa for interrater agreement was 0.89 (95% CI=0.81-0.97). The model utilizing epilepsy (G40), status epilepticus (G41) and ≥1 antiepileptic drug (AED) conferred the highest positive predictive value of 81.4% (95% CI=73.1-87.9) and a specificity of 99.9% (95% CI=99.9-100.0). The area under the receiver operating curve was 0.90 (95% CI=0.88-0.93). When combined with pharmaceutical data, the precision of case identification for epilepsy data linkage design was considerably improved and could provide considerable potential for efficient and reasonably accurate case ascertainment in epidemiological studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Using ZIP Code Business Patterns Data to Measure Alcohol Outlet Density

PubMed Central

Matthews, Stephen A.; McCarthy, John D.; Rafail, Patrick S.

2014-01-01

Some states maintain high-quality alcohol outlet databases but quality varies by state, making comprehensive comparative analysis across US communities difficult. This study assesses the adequacy of using ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZIP-BP) data on establishments as estimates of the number of alcohol outlets by ZIP code. Specifically we compare ZIP-BP alcohol outlet counts with high-quality data from state and local records surrounding 44 college campus communities across 10 states plus the District of Columbia. Results show that a composite measure is strongly correlated (R=0.89) with counts of alcohol outlets generated from official state records. Analyses based on Generalized Estimation Equation models show that community and contextual factors have little impact on the concordance between the two data sources. There are also minimal inter-state differences in the level of agreement. To validate the use of a convenient secondary data set (ZIP-BP) it is important to have a high correlation with the more complex, high quality and more costly data product (i.e., datasets based on the acquisition and geocoding of state and local records) and then to clearly demonstrate that the discrepancy between the two to be unrelated to relevant explanatory variables. Thus our overall findings support the adequacy of using a conveniently available data set (ZIP-BP data) to estimate alcohol outlet densities in ZIP code areas in future research. PMID:21411233

Using ZIP code business patterns data to measure alcohol outlet density.

PubMed

Matthews, Stephen A; McCarthy, John D; Rafail, Patrick S

2011-07-01

Some states maintain high-quality alcohol outlet databases but quality varies by state, making comprehensive comparative analysis across US communities difficult. This study assesses the adequacy of using ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZIP-BP) data on establishments as estimates of the number of alcohol outlets by ZIP code. Specifically we compare ZIP-BP alcohol outlet counts with high-quality data from state and local records surrounding 44 college campus communities across 10 states plus the District of Columbia. Results show that a composite measure is strongly correlated (R=0.89) with counts of alcohol outlets generated from official state records. Analyses based on Generalized Estimation Equation models show that community and contextual factors have little impact on the concordance between the two data sources. There are also minimal inter-state differences in the level of agreement. To validate the use of a convenient secondary data set (ZIP-BP) it is important to have a high correlation with the more complex, high quality and more costly data product (i.e., datasets based on the acquisition and geocoding of state and local records) and then to clearly demonstrate that the discrepancy between the two to be unrelated to relevant explanatory variables. Thus our overall findings support the adequacy of using a conveniently available data set (ZIP-BP data) to estimate alcohol outlet densities in ZIP code areas in future research. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 137.368 - Is the Secretary responsible for oversight and compliance of health and safety codes during...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... compliance of health and safety codes during construction projects being performed by a Self-Governance Tribe... SERVICES TRIBAL SELF-GOVERNANCE Construction Roles of the Secretary in Establishing and Implementing Construction Project Agreements § 137.368 Is the Secretary responsible for oversight and compliance of health...

Measuring quality of care in syncope: case definition affects reported electrocardiogram use but does not bias reporting.

PubMed

Schuur, Jeremiah D; Justice, Amy

2009-01-01

The objective was to calculate agreement between syncope as a reason for visiting (RFV) an emergency department (ED) and as a discharge diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification [ICD-9]), to determine whether syncope case definition biases reported electrocardiogram (ECG) usage, a national quality measure. The authors analyzed the ED portion of the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS), 1993-2004, for patients age >or=18 years. A visit was defined as being for syncope if it received one of three RFV or ICD-9 codes. Agreement between RFV and ICD-9 codes was calculated, and the percentages of syncope patients (RFV vs. ICD-9) who had an ECG were compared using chi-square and multivariate logistic regression. Raw agreement between syncope as an RFV and as an ICD-9 diagnosis code was 30.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 32.6% to 35.5%), representing only moderate agreement beyond chance (kappa = 0.50). ECG utilization was lower among visits defined by RFV (64.1%; 95% CI = 62.0% to 66.3%) than for ICD-9 diagnosis (73.6%; 95% CI = 71.4% to 75.8%). There was no meaningful variation in adjusted ECG use by patient, visit, or hospital characteristics between case definitions. Adjusted ECG use was lower under both case definitions among female patients and discharged patients and increased with age (p < 0.05). Despite only moderate agreement, syncope case definition should not bias reported ECG rate by patient, visit, or hospital characteristics. Among ED patients with syncope, ECG is performed less frequently in women, a potentially important disparity.

Sonic Boom Propagation Codes Validated by Flight Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poling, Hugh W.

1996-01-01

The sonic boom propagation codes reviewed in this study, SHOCKN and ZEPHYRUS, implement current theory on air absorption using different computational concepts. Review of the codes with a realistic atmosphere model confirm the agreement of propagation results reported by others for idealized propagation conditions. ZEPHYRUS offers greater flexibility in propagation conditions and is thus preferred for practical aircraft analysis. The ZEPHYRUS code was used to propagate sonic boom waveforms measured approximately 1000 feet away from an SR-71 aircraft flying at Mach 1.25 to 5000 feet away. These extrapolated signatures were compared to measurements at 5000 feet. Pressure values of the significant shocks (bow, canopy, inlet and tail) in the waveforms are consistent between extrapolation and measurement. Of particular interest is that four (independent) measurements taken under the aircraft centerline converge to the same extrapolated result despite differences in measurement conditions. Agreement between extrapolated and measured signature duration is prevented by measured duration of the 5000 foot signatures either much longer or shorter than would be expected. The duration anomalies may be due to signature probing not sufficiently parallel to the aircraft flight direction.

Cross-verification of the GENE and XGC codes in preparation for their coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenko, Frank; Merlo, Gabriele; Bhattacharjee, Amitava; Chang, Cs; Dominski, Julien; Ku, Seunghoe; Parker, Scott; Lanti, Emmanuel

2017-10-01

A high-fidelity Whole Device Model (WDM) of a magnetically confined plasma is a crucial tool for planning and optimizing the design of future fusion reactors, including ITER. Aiming at building such a tool, in the framework of the Exascale Computing Project (ECP) the two existing gyrokinetic codes GENE (Eulerian delta-f) and XGC (PIC full-f) will be coupled, thus enabling to carry out first principle kinetic WDM simulations. In preparation for this ultimate goal, a benchmark between the two codes is carried out looking at ITG modes in the adiabatic electron limit. This verification exercise is also joined by the global Lagrangian PIC code ORB5. Linear and nonlinear comparisons have been carried out, neglecting for simplicity collisions and sources. A very good agreement is recovered on frequency, growth rate and mode structure of linear modes. A similarly excellent agreement is also observed comparing the evolution of the heat flux and of the background temperature profile during nonlinear simulations. Work supported by the US DOE under the Exascale Computing Project (17-SC-20-SC).

How reliable and accurate is the AO/OTA comprehensive classification for adult long-bone fractures?

PubMed

Meling, Terje; Harboe, Knut; Enoksen, Cathrine H; Aarflot, Morten; Arthursson, Astvaldur J; Søreide, Kjetil

2012-07-01

Reliable classification of fractures is important for treatment allocation and study comparisons. The overall accuracy of scoring applied to a general population of fractures is little known. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy and reliability of the comprehensive Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopedic Trauma Association classification for adult long-bone fractures and identify factors associated with poor coding agreement. Adults (>16 years) with long-bone fractures coded in a Fracture and Dislocation Registry at the Stavanger University Hospital during the fiscal year 2008 were included. An unblinded reference code dataset was generated for the overall accuracy assessment by two experienced orthopedic trauma surgeons. Blinded analysis of intrarater reliability was performed by rescoring and of interrater reliability by recoding of a randomly selected fracture sample. Proportion of agreement (PA) and kappa (κ) statistics are presented. Uni- and multivariate logistic regression analyses of factors predicting accuracy were performed. During the study period, 949 fractures were included and coded by 26 surgeons. For the intrarater analysis, overall agreements were κ = 0.67 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.64-0.70) and PA 69%. For interrater assessment, κ = 0.67 (95% CI: 0.62-0.72) and PA 69%. The accuracy of surgeons' blinded recoding was κ = 0.68 (95% CI: 0.65- 0.71) and PA 68%. Fracture type, frequency of the fracture, and segment fractured significantly influenced accuracy whereas the coder's experience did not. Both the reliability and accuracy of the comprehensive Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Orthopedic Trauma Association classification for long-bone fractures ranged from substantial to excellent. Variations in coding accuracy seem to be related more to the fracture itself than the surgeon. Diagnostic study, level I.

Review of knee arthroscopic practice and coding at a major metropolitan centre.

PubMed

Lisik, James P; Dowsey, Michelle M; Petterwood, Joshua; Choong, Peter F M

2017-05-01

Arthroscopic knee surgery has been a topic of significant controversy in recent orthopaedic literature. Multiple studies have used administrative (Victorian Admitted Episodes Dataset and Centre for Health Record Linkage) data to identify trends in practice. This study explored the usage and reporting of arthroscopic knee surgery by conducting a detailed audit at a major Victorian public hospital. A database of orthopaedic procedures at St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne was used to retrospectively identify cases of knee arthroscopy from 1 December 2011 to 1 April 2014. Procedures were categorized as diagnostic or interventional, and native and prosthetic joints were analysed separately. Procedure codes were reviewed by comparing a registrar, auditor and hospital coders for agreement. Of the 401 cases for analysis, 375 were conducted in native knees and 26 in prosthetic joints. Of native knees, 369 (98.4%) were considered interventional. The majority of these were conducted for meniscal pathology (n = 263, 70.1%), osteoarthritis (OA) (n = 25, 6.7%) and infection (n = 28, 7.6%). Comparison of codes assigned by different parties were found to be between 57% (k = 0.324) and 70% (k = 0.572) agreement, but not statistically significant. In this study, the most common indication for arthroscopy was meniscal pathology. Arthroscopy was rarely performed for OA in the absence of meniscal pathology. Diagnostic arthroscopy was rarely performed in the native knee, and fair to moderate agreement existed between parties in assigning Medicare Benefits Schedule procedure codes. © 2016 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Shielding evaluation for solar particle events using MCNPX, PHITS and OLTARIS codes.

PubMed

Aghara, S K; Sriprisan, S I; Singleterry, R C; Sato, T

2015-01-01

Detailed analyses of Solar Particle Events (SPE) were performed to calculate primary and secondary particle spectra behind aluminum, at various thicknesses in water. The simulations were based on Monte Carlo (MC) radiation transport codes, MCNPX 2.7.0 and PHITS 2.64, and the space radiation analysis website called OLTARIS (On-Line Tool for the Assessment of Radiation in Space) version 3.4 (uses deterministic code, HZETRN, for transport). The study is set to investigate the impact of SPEs spectra transporting through 10 or 20 g/cm(2) Al shield followed by 30 g/cm(2) of water slab. Four historical SPE events were selected and used as input source spectra particle differential spectra for protons, neutrons, and photons are presented. The total particle fluence as a function of depth is presented. In addition to particle flux, the dose and dose equivalent values are calculated and compared between the codes and with the other published results. Overall, the particle fluence spectra from all three codes show good agreement with the MC codes showing closer agreement compared to the OLTARIS results. The neutron particle fluence from OLTARIS is lower than the results from MC codes at lower energies (E<100 MeV). Based on mean square difference analysis the results from MCNPX and PHITS agree better for fluence, dose and dose equivalent when compared to OLTARIS results. Copyright © 2015 The Committee on Space Research (COSPAR). All rights reserved.

Validation of numerical codes for impact and explosion cratering: Impacts on strengthless and metal targets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierazzo, E.; Artemieva, N.; Asphaug, E.; Baldwin, E. C.; Cazamias, J.; Coker, R.; Collins, G. S.; Crawford, D. A.; Davison, T.; Elbeshausen, D.; Holsapple, K. A.; Housen, K. R.; Korycansky, D. G.; Wünnemann, K.

2008-12-01

Over the last few decades, rapid improvement of computer capabilities has allowed impact cratering to be modeled with increasing complexity and realism, and has paved the way for a new era of numerical modeling of the impact process, including full, three-dimensional (3D) simulations. When properly benchmarked and validated against observation, computer models offer a powerful tool for understanding the mechanics of impact crater formation. This work presents results from the first phase of a project to benchmark and validate shock codes. A variety of 2D and 3D codes were used in this study, from commercial products like AUTODYN, to codes developed within the scientific community like SOVA, SPH, ZEUS-MP, iSALE, and codes developed at U.S. National Laboratories like CTH, SAGE/RAGE, and ALE3D. Benchmark calculations of shock wave propagation in aluminum-on-aluminum impacts were performed to examine the agreement between codes for simple idealized problems. The benchmark simulations show that variability in code results is to be expected due to differences in the underlying solution algorithm of each code, artificial stability parameters, spatial and temporal resolution, and material models. Overall, the inter-code variability in peak shock pressure as a function of distance is around 10 to 20%. In general, if the impactor is resolved by at least 20 cells across its radius, the underestimation of peak shock pressure due to spatial resolution is less than 10%. In addition to the benchmark tests, three validation tests were performed to examine the ability of the codes to reproduce the time evolution of crater radius and depth observed in vertical laboratory impacts in water and two well-characterized aluminum alloys. Results from these calculations are in good agreement with experiments. There appears to be a general tendency of shock physics codes to underestimate the radius of the forming crater. Overall, the discrepancy between the model and experiment results is between 10 and 20%, similar to the inter-code variability.

Occupational self-coding and automatic recording (OSCAR): a novel web-based tool to collect and code lifetime job histories in large population-based studies.

PubMed

De Matteis, Sara; Jarvis, Deborah; Young, Heather; Young, Alan; Allen, Naomi; Potts, James; Darnton, Andrew; Rushton, Lesley; Cullinan, Paul

2017-03-01

Objectives The standard approach to the assessment of occupational exposures is through the manual collection and coding of job histories. This method is time-consuming and costly and makes it potentially unfeasible to perform high quality analyses on occupational exposures in large population-based studies. Our aim was to develop a novel, efficient web-based tool to collect and code lifetime job histories in the UK Biobank, a population-based cohort of over 500 000 participants. Methods We developed OSCAR (occupations self-coding automatic recording) based on the hierarchical structure of the UK Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) 2000, which allows individuals to collect and automatically code their lifetime job histories via a simple decision-tree model. Participants were asked to find each of their jobs by selecting appropriate job categories until they identified their job title, which was linked to a hidden 4-digit SOC code. For each occupation a job title in free text was also collected to estimate Cohen's kappa (κ) inter-rater agreement between SOC codes assigned by OSCAR and an expert manual coder. Results OSCAR was administered to 324 653 UK Biobank participants with an existing email address between June and September 2015. Complete 4-digit SOC-coded lifetime job histories were collected for 108 784 participants (response rate: 34%). Agreement between the 4-digit SOC codes assigned by OSCAR and the manual coder for a random sample of 400 job titles was moderately good [κ=0.45, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.42-0.49], and improved when broader job categories were considered (κ=0.64, 95% CI 0.61-0.69 at a 1-digit SOC-code level). Conclusions OSCAR is a novel, efficient, and reasonably reliable web-based tool for collecting and automatically coding lifetime job histories in large population-based studies. Further application in other research projects for external validation purposes is warranted.

A Monte Carlo calculation model of electronic portal imaging device for transit dosimetry through heterogeneous media

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yoon, Jihyung; Jung, Jae Won, E-mail: jungj@ecu.edu; Kim, Jong Oh

2016-05-15

Purpose: To develop and evaluate a fast Monte Carlo (MC) dose calculation model of electronic portal imaging device (EPID) based on its effective atomic number modeling in the XVMC code. Methods: A previously developed EPID model, based on the XVMC code by density scaling of EPID structures, was modified by additionally considering effective atomic number (Z{sub eff}) of each structure and adopting a phase space file from the EGSnrc code. The model was tested under various homogeneous and heterogeneous phantoms and field sizes by comparing the calculations in the model with measurements in EPID. In order to better evaluate themore » model, the performance of the XVMC code was separately tested by comparing calculated dose to water with ion chamber (IC) array measurement in the plane of EPID. Results: In the EPID plane, calculated dose to water by the code showed agreement with IC measurements within 1.8%. The difference was averaged across the in-field regions of the acquired profiles for all field sizes and phantoms. The maximum point difference was 2.8%, affected by proximity of the maximum points to penumbra and MC noise. The EPID model showed agreement with measured EPID images within 1.3%. The maximum point difference was 1.9%. The difference dropped from the higher value of the code by employing the calibration that is dependent on field sizes and thicknesses for the conversion of calculated images to measured images. Thanks to the Z{sub eff} correction, the EPID model showed a linear trend of the calibration factors unlike those of the density-only-scaled model. The phase space file from the EGSnrc code sharpened penumbra profiles significantly, improving agreement of calculated profiles with measured profiles. Conclusions: Demonstrating high accuracy, the EPID model with the associated calibration system may be used for in vivo dosimetry of radiation therapy. Through this study, a MC model of EPID has been developed, and their performance has been rigorously investigated for transit dosimetry.« less

Application of FUN3D and CFL3D to the Third Workshop on CFD Uncertainty Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, C. L.; Thomas, J. L.

2008-01-01

Two Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computer codes - one unstructured and one structured - are applied to two workshop cases (for the 3rd Workshop on CFD Uncertainty Analysis, held at Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisbon, in October 2008) for the purpose of uncertainty analysis. The Spalart-Allmaras turbulence model is employed. The first case uses the method of manufactured solution and is intended as a verification case. In other words, the CFD solution is expected to approach the exact solution as the grid is refined. The second case is a validation case (comparison against experiment), for which modeling errors inherent in the turbulence model and errors/uncertainty in the experiment may prevent close agreement. The results from the two computer codes are also compared. This exercise verifies that the codes are consistent both with the exact manufactured solution and with each other. In terms of order property, both codes behave as expected for the manufactured solution. For the backward facing step, CFD uncertainty on the finest grid is computed and is generally very low for both codes (whose results are nearly identical). Agreement with experiment is good at some locations for particular variables, but there are also many areas where the CFD and experimental uncertainties do not overlap.

Assessment of Optical Coherence Tomography Color Probability Codes in Myopic Glaucoma Eyes After Applying a Myopic Normative Database.

PubMed

Seol, Bo Ram; Kim, Dong Myung; Park, Ki Ho; Jeoung, Jin Wook

2017-11-01

To evaluate the optical coherence tomography (OCT) color probability codes based on a myopic normative database and to investigate whether the implementation of the myopic normative database can improve the OCT diagnostic ability in myopic glaucoma. Comparative validity study. In this study, 305 eyes (154 myopic healthy eyes and 151 myopic glaucoma eyes) were included. A myopic normative database was obtained based on myopic healthy eyes. We evaluated the agreement between OCT color probability codes after applying the built-in and myopic normative databases, respectively. Another 120 eyes (60 myopic healthy eyes and 60 myopic glaucoma eyes) were included and the diagnostic performance of OCT color codes using a myopic normative database was investigated. The mean weighted kappa (Kw) coefficients for quadrant retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, clock-hour RNFL thickness, and ganglion cell-inner plexiform layer (GCIPL) thickness were 0.636, 0.627, and 0.564, respectively. The myopic normative database showed a higher specificity than did the built-in normative database in quadrant RNFL thickness, clock-hour RNFL thickness, and GCIPL thickness (P < .001, P < .001, and P < .001, respectively). The receiver operating characteristic curve values increased when using the myopic normative database in quadrant RNFL thickness, clock-hour RNFL thickness, and GCIPL thickness (P = .011, P = .004, P < .001, respectively). The diagnostic ability of OCT color codes for detection of myopic glaucoma significantly improved after application of the myopic normative database. The implementation of a myopic normative database is needed to allow more precise interpretation of OCT color probability codes when used in myopic eyes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

26 CFR 1.197-2 - Amortization of goodwill and certain other intangibles.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

..., process, design, pattern, know-how, format, package design, computer software (as defined in paragraph (c... section 1253(b)(1) and includes any agreement that provides one of the parties to the agreement with the... any program or routine (that is, any sequence of machine-readable code) that is designed to cause a...

2 CFR 1.105 - Organization and subtitle content.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Organization and subtitle content. 1.105 Section 1.105 Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.105 Organization and subtitle content. (a) This title is organized into...

2 CFR 1.205 - Applicability to grants and other funding instruments.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Applicability to grants and other funding instruments. 1.205 Section 1.205 Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction toSubtitle A § 1.205 Applicability to grants and other funding instruments. The...

2 CFR 1.100 - Content of this title.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Content of this title. 1.100 Section 1.100 Grants and Agreements ABOUT TITLE 2 OF THE CODE OF FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND SUBTITLE A Introduction to Title 2 of the CFR § 1.100 Content of this title. This title contains— (a) Office of Management and...

The development and validation of an activity monitoring system for use in measurement of posture of childbearing women during first stage of labor.

PubMed

Martin, Caroline J Hollins; Kenney, Laurence; Pratt, Thomas; Granat, Malcolm H

2015-01-01

There is limited understanding of the type and extent of maternal postures that midwives should encourage or support during labor. The aims of this study were to identify a set of postures and movements commonly seen during labor, to develop an activity monitoring system for use during labor, and to validate this system design. Volunteer student midwives simulated maternal activity during labor in a laboratory setting. Participants (N = 15) wore monitors adhered to the left thigh and left shank, and adopted 13 common postures of laboring women for 3 minutes each. Simulated activities were recorded using a video camera. Postures and movements were coded from the video, and statistical analysis conducted of agreement between coded video data and outputs of the activity monitoring system. Excellent agreement between the 2 raters of the video recordings was found (Cohen's κ = 0.95). Both sensitivity and specificity of the activity monitoring system were greater than 80% for standing, lying, kneeling, and sitting (legs dangling). This validated system can be used to measure elected activity of laboring women and report on effects of postures on length of first stage, pain experience, birth satisfaction, and neonatal condition. This validated maternal posture-monitoring system is available as a reference-and for use by researchers who wish to develop research in this area. © 2015 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.

Estimation of the influence of radical effect in the proton beams using a combined approach with physical data and gel data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haneda, K.

2016-04-01

The purpose of this study was to estimate an impact on radical effect in the proton beams using a combined approach with physical data and gel data. The study used two dosimeters: ionization chambers and polymer gel dosimeters. Polymer gel dosimeters have specific advantages when compared to other dosimeters. They can measure chemical reaction and they are at the same time a phantom that can map in three dimensions continuously and easily. First, a depth-dose curve for a 210 MeV proton beam measured using an ionization chamber and a gel dosimeter. Second, the spatial distribution of the physical dose was calculated by Monte Carlo code system PHITS: To verify of the accuracy of Monte Carlo calculation, and the calculation results were compared with experimental data of the ionization chamber. Last, to evaluate of the rate of the radical effect against the physical dose. The simulation results were compared with the measured depth-dose distribution and showed good agreement. The spatial distribution of a gel dose with threshold LET value of proton beam was calculated by the same simulation code. Then, the relative distribution of the radical effect was calculated from the physical dose and gel dose. The relative distribution of the radical effect was calculated at each depth as the quotient of relative dose obtained using physical and gel dose. The agreement between the relative distributions of the gel dosimeter and Radical effect was good at the proton beams.

Calculation of water equivalent ratio of several dosimetric materials in proton therapy using FLUKA code and SRIM program.

PubMed

Akbari, Mahmoud Reza; Yousefnia, Hassan; Mirrezaei, Ehsan

2014-08-01

Water equivalent ratio (WER) was calculated for different proton energies in polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), polystyrene (PS) and aluminum (Al) using FLUKA and SRIM codes. The results were compared with analytical, experimental and simulated SEICS code data obtained from the literature. The biggest difference between the codes was 3.19%, 1.9% and 0.67% for Al, PMMA and PS, respectively. FLUKA and SEICS had the greatest agreement (≤0.77% difference for PMMA and ≤1.08% difference for Al, respectively) with the experimental data. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multi-dimensional free-electron laser simulation codes : a comparison study.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biedron, S. G.; Chae, Y. C.; Dejus, R. J.

A self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL) is under construction at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Five FEL simulation codes were used in the design phase: GENESIS, GINGER, MEDUSA, RON, and TDA3D. Initial comparisons between each of these independent formulations show good agreement for the parameters of the APS SASE FEL.

Multi-Dimensional Free-Electron Laser Simulation Codes: A Comparison Study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nuhn, Heinz-Dieter

A self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL) is under construction at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Five FEL simulation codes were used in the design phase: GENESIS, GINGER, MEDUSA, RON, and TDA3D. Initial comparisons between each of these independent formulations show good agreement for the parameters of the APS SASE FEL.

The APS SASE FEL : modeling and code comparison.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Biedron, S. G.

A self-amplified spontaneous emission (SASE) free-electron laser (FEL) is under construction at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). Five FEL simulation codes were used in the design phase: GENESIS, GINGER, MEDUSA, RON, and TDA3D. Initial comparisons between each of these independent formulations show good agreement for the parameters of the APS SASE FEL.

Results of a Neutronic Simulation of HTR-Proteus Core 4.2 using PEBBED and other INL Reactor Physics Tools: FY-09 Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hans D. Gougar

The Idaho National Laboratory’s deterministic neutronics analysis codes and methods were applied to the computation of the core multiplication factor of the HTR-Proteus pebble bed reactor critical facility. A combination of unit cell calculations (COMBINE-PEBDAN), 1-D discrete ordinates transport (SCAMP), and nodal diffusion calculations (PEBBED) were employed to yield keff and flux profiles. Preliminary results indicate that these tools, as currently configured and used, do not yield satisfactory estimates of keff. If control rods are not modeled, these methods can deliver much better agreement with experimental core eigenvalues which suggests that development efforts should focus on modeling control rod andmore » other absorber regions. Under some assumptions and in 1D subcore analyses, diffusion theory agrees well with transport. This suggests that developments in specific areas can produce a viable core simulation approach. Some corrections have been identified and can be further developed, specifically: treatment of the upper void region, treatment of inter-pebble streaming, and explicit (multiscale) transport modeling of TRISO fuel particles as a first step in cross section generation. Until corrections are made that yield better agreement with experiment, conclusions from core design and burnup analyses should be regarded as qualitative and not benchmark quality.« less

Crashworthiness simulation of composite automotive structures

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Botkin, M E; Johnson, N L; Simunovic, S

1998-06-01

In 1990 the Automotive Composites Consortium (ACC) began the investigation of crash worthiness simulation methods for composite materials. A contract was given to Livermore Software Technology Corporation (LSTC) to implement a new damage model in LS-DYNA3D TM specifically for composite structures. This model is in LS-DYNA3D TM and is in use by the ACC partners. In 1994 USCAR, a partnership of American auto companies, entered into a partnership called SCAAP (Super Computing Automotive Applications Partnership) for the express purpose of working with the National Labs on computational oriented research. A CRADA (Cooperative Research and Development Agreement) was signed with Lawrencemore » Livermore National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory, and Los Alamos National Laboratory to work in three distinctly different technical areas, one of which was composites material modeling for crash worthiness. Each Laboratory was assigned a specific modeling task. The ACC was responsible for the technical direction of the composites project and provided all test data for code verification. All new models were to be implemented in DYNA3D and periodically distributed to all partners for testing. Several new models have been developed and implemented. Excellent agreement has been shown between tube crush simulation and experiments.« less

Developing and upgrading of solar system thermal energy storage simulation models. Technical progress report, March 1, 1979-February 29, 1980

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuhn, J K; von Fuchs, G F; Zob, A P

1980-05-01

Two water tank component simulation models have been selected and upgraded. These models are called the CSU Model and the Extended SOLSYS Model. The models have been standardized and links have been provided for operation in the TRNSYS simulation program. The models are described in analytical terms as well as in computer code. Specific water tank tests were performed for the purpose of model validation. Agreement between model data and test data is excellent. A description of the limitations has also been included. Streamlining results and criteria for the reduction of computer time have also been shown for both watermore » tank computer models. Computer codes for the models and instructions for operating these models in TRNSYS have also been included, making the models readily available for DOE and industry use. Rock bed component simulation models have been reviewed and a model selected and upgraded. This model is a logical extension of the Mumma-Marvin model. Specific rock bed tests have been performed for the purpose of validation. Data have been reviewed for consistency. Details of the test results concerned with rock characteristics and pressure drop through the bed have been explored and are reported.« less

Simulation of cold magnetized plasmas with the 3D electromagnetic software CST Microwave Studio®

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Louche, Fabrice; Křivská, Alena; Messiaen, André; Wauters, Tom

2017-10-01

Detailed designs of ICRF antennas were made possible by the development of sophisticated commercial 3D codes like CST Microwave Studio® (MWS). This program allows for very detailed geometries of the radiating structures, but was only considering simple materials like equivalent isotropic dielectrics to simulate the reflection and the refraction of RF waves at the vacuum/plasma interface. The code was nevertheless used intensively, notably for computing the coupling properties of the ITER ICRF antenna. Until recently it was not possible to simulate gyrotropic medias like magnetized plasmas, but recent improvements have allowed programming any material described by a general dielectric or/and diamagnetic tensor. A Visual Basic macro was developed to exploit this feature and was tested for the specific case of a monochromatic plane wave propagating longitudinally with respect to the magnetic field direction. For specific cases the exact solution can be expressed in 1D as the sum of two circularly polarized waves connected by a reflection coefficient that can be analytically computed. Solutions for stratified media can also be derived. This allows for a direct comparison with MWS results. The agreement is excellent but accurate simulations for realistic geometries require large memory resources that could significantly restrict the possibility of simulating cold plasmas to small-scale machines.

Simulation Studies for Inspection of the Benchmark Test with PATRASH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimosaki, Y.; Igarashi, S.; Machida, S.; Shirakata, M.; Takayama, K.; Noda, F.; Shigaki, K.

2002-12-01

In order to delineate the halo-formation mechanisms in a typical FODO lattice, a 2-D simulation code PATRASH (PArticle TRAcking in a Synchrotron for Halo analysis) has been developed. The electric field originating from the space charge is calculated by the Hybrid Tree code method. Benchmark tests utilizing three simulation codes of ACCSIM, PATRASH and SIMPSONS were carried out. These results have been confirmed to be fairly in agreement with each other. The details of PATRASH simulation are discussed with some examples.

Radiation in Space and Its Control of Equilibrium Temperatures in the Solar System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Juhasz, Albert J.

2004-01-01

The problem of determining equilibrium temperatures for reradiating surfaces in space vacuum was analyzed and the resulting mathematical relationships were incorporated in a code to determine space sink temperatures in the solar system. A brief treatment of planetary atmospheres is also included. Temperature values obtained with the code are in good agreement with available spacecraft telemetry and meteorological measurements for Venus and Earth. The code has been used in the design of space power system radiators for future interplanetary missions.

Multiple scattering of 13 and 20 MeV electrons by thin foils: a Monte Carlo study with GEANT, Geant4, and PENELOPE.

PubMed

Vilches, M; García-Pareja, S; Guerrero, R; Anguiano, M; Lallena, A M

2009-09-01

In this work, recent results from experiments and simulations (with EGSnrc) performed by Ross et al. [Med. Phys. 35, 4121-4131 (2008)] on electron scattering by foils of different materials and thicknesses are compared to those obtained using several Monte Carlo codes. Three codes have been used: GEANT (version 3.21), Geant4 (version 9.1, patch03), and PENELOPE (version 2006). In the case of PENELOPE, mixed and fully detailed simulations have been carried out. Transverse dose distributions in air have been obtained in order to compare with measurements. The detailed PENELOPE simulations show excellent agreement with experiment. The calculations performed with GEANT and PENELOPE (mixed) agree with experiment within 3% except for the Be foil. In the case of Geant4, the distributions are 5% narrower compared to the experimental ones, though the agreement is very good for the Be foil. Transverse dose distribution in water obtained with PENELOPE (mixed) is 4% wider than those calculated by Ross et al. using EGSnrc and is 1% narrower than the transverse dose distributions in air, as considered in the experiment. All the codes give a reasonable agreement (within 5%) with the experimental results for all the material and thicknesses studied.

Simplified, inverse, ejector design tool

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dechant, Lawrence J.

1993-01-01

A simple lumped parameter based inverse design tool has been developed which provides flow path geometry and entrainment estimates subject to operational, acoustic, and design constraints. These constraints are manifested through specification of primary mass flow rate or ejector thrust, fully-mixed exit velocity, and static pressure matching. Fundamentally, integral forms of the conservation equations coupled with the specified design constraints are combined to yield an easily invertible linear system in terms of the flow path cross-sectional areas. Entrainment is computed by back substitution. Initial comparison with experimental and analogous one-dimensional methods show good agreement. Thus, this simple inverse design code provides an analytically based, preliminary design tool with direct application to High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) design studies.

Industry and Occupation in the Electronic Health Record: An Investigation of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Industry and Occupation Computerized Coding System.

PubMed

Schmitz, Matthew; Forst, Linda

2016-02-15

Inclusion of information about a patient's work, industry, and occupation, in the electronic health record (EHR) could facilitate occupational health surveillance, better health outcomes, prevention activities, and identification of workers' compensation cases. The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed an autocoding system for "industry" and "occupation" based on 1990 Bureau of Census codes; its effectiveness requires evaluation in conjunction with promoting the mandatory addition of these variables to the EHR. The objective of the study was to evaluate the intercoder reliability of NIOSH's Industry and Occupation Computerized Coding System (NIOCCS) when applied to data collected in a community survey conducted under the Affordable Care Act; to determine the proportion of records that are autocoded using NIOCCS. Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes are used by several federal agencies in databases that capture demographic, employment, and health information to harmonize variables related to work activities among these data sources. There are 359 industry and occupation responses that were hand coded by 2 investigators, who came to a consensus on every code. The same variables were autocoded using NIOCCS at the high and moderate criteria level. Kappa was .84 for agreement between hand coders and between the hand coder consensus code versus NIOCCS high confidence level codes for the first 2 digits of the SOC code. For 4 digits, NIOCCS coding versus investigator coding ranged from kappa=.56 to .70. In this study, NIOCCS was able to achieve production rates (ie, to autocode) 31%-36% of entered variables at the "high confidence" level and 49%-58% at the "medium confidence" level. Autocoding (production) rates are somewhat lower than those reported by NIOSH. Agreement between manually coded and autocoded data are "substantial" at the 2-digit level, but only "fair" to "good" at the 4-digit level. This work serves as a baseline for performance of NIOCCS by investigators in the field. Further field testing will clarify NIOCCS effectiveness in terms of ability to assign codes and coding accuracy and will clarify its value as inclusion of these occupational variables in the EHR is promoted.

Assessment of Efficiency and Performance in Tsunami Numerical Modeling with GPU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yalciner, Bora; Zaytsev, Andrey

2017-04-01

Non-linear shallow water equations (NSWE) are used to solve the propagation and coastal amplification of long waves and tsunamis. Leap Frog scheme of finite difference technique is one of the satisfactory numerical methods which is widely used in these problems. Tsunami numerical models are necessary for not only academic but also operational purposes which need faster and accurate solutions. Recent developments in information technology provide considerably faster numerical solutions in this respect and are becoming one of the crucial requirements. Tsunami numerical code NAMI DANCE uses finite difference numerical method to solve linear and non-linear forms of shallow water equations for long wave problems, specifically for tsunamis. In this study, the new code is structured for Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) using CUDA API. The new code is applied to different (analytical, experimental and field) benchmark problems of tsunamis for tests. One of those applications is 2011 Great East Japan tsunami which was instrumentally recorded on various types of gauges including tide and wave gauges and offshore GPS buoys cabled Ocean Bottom Pressure (OBP) gauges and DART buoys. The accuracy of the results are compared with the measurements and fairly well agreements are obtained. The efficiency and performance of the code is also compared with the version using multi-core Central Processing Unit (CPU). Dependence of simulation speed with GPU on linear or non-linear solutions is also investigated. One of the results is that the simulation speed is increased up to 75 times comparing to the process time in the computer using single 4/8 thread multi-core CPU. The results are presented with comparisons and discussions. Furthermore how multi-dimensional finite difference problems fits towards GPU architecture is also discussed. The research leading to this study has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement No: 603839 (Project ASTARTE-Assessment, Strategy and Risk Reduction for Tsunamis in Europe). PARI, Japan and NOAA, USA are acknowledged for the data of the measurements. Prof. Ahmet C. Yalciner is also acknowledged for his long term and sustained support to the authors.

Evaluation of clinical coding data to determine causes of critical bleeding in patients receiving massive transfusion: a bi-national, multicentre, cross-sectional study.

PubMed

McQuilten, Z K; Zatta, A J; Andrianopoulos, N; Aoki, N; Stevenson, L; Badami, K G; Bird, R; Cole-Sinclair, M F; Hurn, C; Cameron, P A; Isbister, J P; Phillips, L E; Wood, E M

2017-04-01

To evaluate the use of routinely collected data to determine the cause(s) of critical bleeding in patients who receive massive transfusion (MT). Routinely collected data are increasingly being used to describe and evaluate transfusion practice. Chart reviews were undertaken on 10 randomly selected MT patients at 48 hospitals across Australia and New Zealand to determine the cause(s) of critical bleeding. Diagnosis-related group (DRG) and International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes were extracted separately and used to assign each patient a cause of critical bleeding. These were compared against chart review using percentage agreement and kappa statistics. A total of 427 MT patients were included with complete ICD and DRG data for 427 (100%) and 396 (93%), respectively. Good overall agreement was found between chart review and ICD codes (78·3%; κ = 0·74, 95% CI 0·70-0·79) and only fair overall agreement with DRG (51%; κ = 0·45, 95% CI 0·40-0·50). Both ICD and DRG were sensitive and accurate for classifying obstetric haemorrhage patients (98% sensitivity and κ > 0·94). However, compared with the ICD algorithm, DRGs were less sensitive and accurate in classifying bleeding as a result of gastrointestinal haemorrhage (74% vs 8%; κ = 0·75 vs 0·1), trauma (92% vs 62%; κ = 0·78 vs 0·67), cardiac (80% vs 57%; κ = 0·79 vs 0·60) and vascular surgery (64% vs 56%; κ = 0·69 vs 0·65). Algorithms using ICD codes can determine the cause of critical bleeding in patients requiring MT with good to excellent agreement with clinical history. DRG are less suitable to determine critical bleeding causes. © 2016 British Blood Transfusion Society.

Assessing distractors and teamwork during surgery: developing an event-based method for direct observation.

PubMed

Seelandt, Julia C; Tschan, Franziska; Keller, Sandra; Beldi, Guido; Jenni, Nadja; Kurmann, Anita; Candinas, Daniel; Semmer, Norbert K

2014-11-01

To develop a behavioural observation method to simultaneously assess distractors and communication/teamwork during surgical procedures through direct, on-site observations; to establish the reliability of the method for long (>3 h) procedures. Observational categories for an event-based coding system were developed based on expert interviews, observations and a literature review. Using Cohen's κ and the intraclass correlation coefficient, interobserver agreement was assessed for 29 procedures. Agreement was calculated for the entire surgery, and for the 1st hour. In addition, interobserver agreement was assessed between two tired observers and between a tired and a non-tired observer after 3 h of surgery. The observational system has five codes for distractors (door openings, noise distractors, technical distractors, side conversations and interruptions), eight codes for communication/teamwork (case-relevant communication, teaching, leadership, problem solving, case-irrelevant communication, laughter, tension and communication with external visitors) and five contextual codes (incision, last stitch, personnel changes in the sterile team, location changes around the table and incidents). Based on 5-min intervals, Cohen's κ was good to excellent for distractors (0.74-0.98) and for communication/teamwork (0.70-1). Based on frequency counts, intraclass correlation coefficient was excellent for distractors (0.86-0.99) and good to excellent for communication/teamwork (0.45-0.99). After 3 h of surgery, Cohen's κ was 0.78-0.93 for distractors, and 0.79-1 for communication/teamwork. The observational method developed allows a single observer to simultaneously assess distractors and communication/teamwork. Even for long procedures, high interobserver agreement can be achieved. Data collected with this method allow for investigating separate or combined effects of distractions and communication/teamwork on surgical performance and patient outcomes. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

Back injuries among union carpenters in Washington State, 1989-2003.

PubMed

Lipscomb, Hester J; Cameron, Wilfrid; Silverstein, Barbara

2008-06-01

There is limited information on occupational back pain specific to carpenters despite their known exposures to recognized occupational risk factors and limited opportunities for modified work due to the predominantly heavy nature of their work. By combining union records with worker's compensation claims, we describe work-related back injuries, including associated medical diagnoses, among a well-defined cohort of union carpenters between 1989 and 2003. High risk subgroups were explored based on age, gender, union tenure, and predominant type of work. Paid lost time claims were contrasted to less serious events, and injuries sustained from overexertion activities were contrasted with those sustained through more acute trauma. Back injuries occurred at an overall rate of 6.2/200,000 hours worked. Most injuries were coded in the compensation records as sprains, but there was little agreement between these nature of injury codes and ICD9 diagnosis codes. Injury rates declined most significantly over time for injuries secondary to overexertion. In multivariate analyses, we observed similar patterns of risk for the types of claims evaluated despite disparate mechanisms and severity. Those who worked predominantly in residential carpentry or drywall installation were consistently at greatest risk. Overexertion injuries from manual materials handling activities are responsible for the largest burden of back injuries among these carpenters, but a growing proportion of injuries result from acute traumatic events. Interventions are called for which specifically address risk among residential carpenters and drywall installers. These data provide additional evidence that Bureau of Labor Statistics data underestimate work-related injuries. Copyright 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Comparison of Medicare Claims vs. Physician Adjudication for Identifying Stroke Outcomes in the Women’s Health Initiative

PubMed Central

Lakshminarayan, Kamakshi; Larson, Joseph C.; Virnig, Beth; Fuller, Candace; Allen, Norrina Bai; Limacher, Marian; Winkelmayer, Wolfgang C.; Safford, Monika M.; Burwen, Dale R.

2014-01-01

Background and Purpose Many studies use medical record review for ascertaining outcomes. One large, longitudinal study, the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) ascertains strokes using participant self-report and subsequent physician review of medical records. This is resource-intensive. Herein, we assess whether Medicare data can reliably assess stroke events in the WHI. Methods Subjects were WHI participants with fee-for-service Medicare. Four stroke definitions were created for Medicare data using discharge diagnoses in hospitalization claims. Definition 1: stroke codes in any position; Definition 2: primary position stroke codes; Definitions 3 & 4: hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke codes respectively. WHI data were randomly split into training (50%) and test sets. A concordance matrix was used to examine agreement between WHI and Medicare stroke diagnosis. A WHI stroke and a Medicare stroke were considered a match if they occurred within +/− 7 days of each other. Refined analyses excluded Medicare events where medical records were unavailable for comparison. Results Training data (n=24,428): There were 577 WHI strokes and 557 Medicare strokes using definition 1. Of these, 478 were a match. Algorithm performance: Specificity 99.7%; Negative Predictive Value 99.7%; Sensitivity 82.8%; Positive Predictive Value 85.8%; kappa 0.84. Performance was similar for test data. While specificity and negative predictive value exceeded 99%, sensitivity ranged from 75 to 88% and positive predictive value ranged from 80 to 90% across stroke definitions. Conclusion Medicare data appear useful for population-based stroke research; however the performance characteristics depend on the definition selected. PMID:24525955

Fast-ion D(alpha) measurements and simulations in DIII-D

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Yadong

The fast-ion Dalpha diagnostic measures the Doppler-shifted Dalpha light emitted by neutralized fast ions. For a favorable viewing geometry, the bright interferences from beam neutrals, halo neutrals, and edge neutrals span over a small wavelength range around the Dalpha rest wavelength and are blocked by a vertical bar at the exit focal plane of the spectrometer. Background subtraction and fitting techniques eliminate various contaminants in the spectrum. Fast-ion data are acquired with a time evolution of ˜1 ms, spatial resolution of ˜5 cm, and energy resolution of ˜10 keV. A weighted Monte Carlo simulation code models the fast-ion Dalpha spectra based on the fast-ion distribution function from other sources. In quiet plasmas, the spectral shape is in excellent agreement and absolute magnitude also has reasonable agreement. The fast-ion D alpha signal has the expected dependencies on plasma and neutral beam parameters. The neutral particle diagnostic and neutron diagnostic corroborate the fast-ion Dalpha measurements. The relative spatial profile is in agreement with the simulated profile based on the fast-ion distribution function from the TRANSP analysis code. During ion cyclotron heating, fast ions with high perpendicular energy are accelerated, while those with low perpendicular energy are barely affected. The spatial profile is compared with the simulated profiles based on the fast-ion distribution functions from the CQL Fokker-Planck code. In discharges with Alfven instabilities, both the spatial profile and spectral shape suggests that fast ions are redistributed. The flattened fast-ion Dalpha profile is in agreement with the fast-ion pressure profile.

Evaluation of Grid Modification Methods for On- and Off-Track Sonic Boom Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nayani, Sudheer N.; Campbell, Richard L.

2013-01-01

Grid modification methods have been under development at NASA to enable better predictions of low boom pressure signatures from supersonic aircraft. As part of this effort, two new codes, Stretched and Sheared Grid - Modified (SSG) and Boom Grid (BG), have been developed in the past year. The CFD results from these codes have been compared with ones from the earlier grid modification codes Stretched and Sheared Grid (SSGRID) and Mach Cone Aligned Prism (MCAP) and also with the available experimental results. NASA's unstructured grid suite of software TetrUSS and the automatic sourcing code AUTOSRC were used for base grid generation and flow solutions. The BG method has been evaluated on three wind tunnel models. Pressure signatures have been obtained up to two body lengths below a Gulfstream aircraft wind tunnel model. Good agreement with the wind tunnel results have been obtained for both on-track and off-track (up to 53 degrees) cases. On-track pressure signatures up to ten body lengths below a Straight Line Segmented Leading Edge (SLSLE) wind tunnel model have been extracted. Good agreement with the wind tunnel results have been obtained. Pressure signatures have been obtained at 1.5 body lengths below a Lockheed Martin aircraft wind tunnel model. Good agreement with the wind tunnel results have been obtained for both on-track and off-track (up to 40 degrees) cases. Grid sensitivity studies have been carried out to investigate any grid size related issues. Methods have been evaluated for fully turbulent, mixed laminar/turbulent and fully laminar flow conditions.

Alternative Methods for Calculating Intercoder Reliability in Content Analysis: Kappa, Weighted Kappa and Agreement Charts Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kang, Namjun

If content analysis is to satisfy the requirement of objectivity, measures and procedures must be reliable. Reliability is usually measured by the proportion of agreement of all categories identically coded by different coders. For such data to be empirically meaningful, a high degree of inter-coder reliability must be demonstrated. Researchers in…

Coupled CFD/CSD Analysis of an Active-Twist Rotor in a Wind Tunnel with Experimental Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Massey, Steven J.; Kreshock, Andrew R.; Sekula, Martin K.

2015-01-01

An unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes analysis loosely coupled with a comprehensive rotorcraft code is presented for a second-generation active-twist rotor. High fidelity Navier-Stokes results for three configurations: an isolated rotor, a rotor with fuselage, and a rotor with fuselage mounted in a wind tunnel, are compared to lifting-line theory based comprehensive rotorcraft code calculations and wind tunnel data. Results indicate that CFD/CSD predictions of flapwise bending moments are in good agreement with wind tunnel measurements for configurations with a fuselage, and that modeling the wind tunnel environment does not significantly enhance computed results. Actuated rotor results for the rotor with fuselage configuration are also validated for predictions of vibratory blade loads and fixed-system vibratory loads. Varying levels of agreement with wind tunnel measurements are observed for blade vibratory loads, depending on the load component (flap, lag, or torsion) and the harmonic being examined. Predicted trends in fixed-system vibratory loads are in good agreement with wind tunnel measurements.

Conflict resolution of grammar and gender for avian species-group names under Article 31.2.2 of the ICZN Code: is gender agreement worth it?

PubMed

Schodde, Richard; Bock, Walter

2016-06-22

We analyze recent nomenclatural treatment of selected avian species-group names that may be either adjective and variable or noun and invariable. In 27 such names, we found that 14 previously identified as adjectives are nouns under Article 31.2.2 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Five of them may require correction in current checklists; they are bresilius in Ramphocelus bresilius (Linnaeus, 1766) to bresilia, germana in Amblyornis macgregoriae germana Rothschild, 1910 to germanus, argentinus in Muscisaxicola cinereus argentinus Hellmayr, 1932 to argentina, martinicus in Porphyrio martinicus (Linnaeus, 1766) to martinica, and moluccus in Threskiornis moluccus (Cuvier, 1829) to molucca. Mindful of the compounding effect of species-genus recombination from taxonomic revision, we reach the conclusion, not new, that the requirement for gender agreement in species-group names is the single biggest cause of nomenclatural instability in zoology. To resolve it, we support replacing gender agreement by original spellings for species-group names.

Cove benchmark calculations using SAGUARO and FEMTRAN

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Eaton, R.R.; Martinez, M.J.

1986-10-01

Three small-scale, time-dependent, benchmarking calculations have been made using the finite element codes SAGUARO, to determine hydraulic head and water velocity profiles, and FEMTRAN, to predict the solute transport. Sand and hard rock porous materials were used. Time scales for the problems, which ranged from tens of hours to thousands of years, have posed no particular diffculty for the two codes. Studies have been performed to determine the effects of computational mesh, boundary conditions, velocity formulation and SAGUARO/FEMTRAN code-coupling on water and solute transport. Results showed that mesh refinement improved mass conservation. Varying the drain-tile size in COVE 1N hadmore » a weak effect on the rate at which the tile field drained. Excellent agreement with published COVE 1N data was obtained for the hydrological field and reasonable agreement for the solute-concentration predictions. The question remains whether these types of calculations can be carried out on repository-scale problems using material characteristic curves representing tuff with fractures.« less

Experiencias y avatares en la instalación local del programa ATLAS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merlo, D. C.; Milone, L. A.

In this paper we briefly describe the steps required for installation of AT- LAS code by Robert Kurucz. Subsequently, we summarize its implementa- tion and its comparison with our code MAPCOR, finding agreement on the structures of pressure when we look deeper layers, but some discrepancies in outer layers due to its limitations. FULL TEXT IN SPANISH

78 FR 5176 - Proposed Settlement Agreement Pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-24

... comments received will be available for public inspection at 5 Post Office Square, Boston, MA 02109. DATES... Square, Suite 100, Mail Code OES 4-4, Boston, Massachusetts 02109-3912, by calling (617) 918-1895 or by... Square, Suite 100, Mail Code OES 4-4, Boston, Massachusetts 02109-3912 or via email at [email protected

Fundamental approaches for analysis thermal hydraulic parameter for Puspati Research Reactor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashim, Zaredah; Lanyau, Tonny Anak; Farid, Mohamad Fairus Abdul; Kassim, Mohammad Suhaimi; Azhar, Noraishah Syahirah

2016-01-01

The 1-MW PUSPATI Research Reactor (RTP) is the one and only nuclear pool type research reactor developed by General Atomic (GA) in Malaysia. It was installed at Malaysian Nuclear Agency and has reached the first criticality on 8 June 1982. Based on the initial core which comprised of 80 standard TRIGA fuel elements, the very fundamental thermal hydraulic model was investigated during steady state operation using the PARET-code. The main objective of this paper is to determine the variation of temperature profiles and Departure of Nucleate Boiling Ratio (DNBR) of RTP at full power operation. The second objective is to confirm that the values obtained from PARET-code are in agreement with Safety Analysis Report (SAR) for RTP. The code was employed for the hot and average channels in the core in order to calculate of fuel's center and surface, cladding, coolant temperatures as well as DNBR's values. In this study, it was found that the results obtained from the PARET-code showed that the thermal hydraulic parameters related to safety for initial core which was cooled by natural convection was in agreement with the designed values and safety limit in SAR.

SNL/JAEA Collaborations on Sodium Fire Benchmarking.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clark, Andrew Jordan; Denman, Matthew R; Takata, Takashi

Two sodium spray fire experiments performed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) were used for a code - to - code comparison between CONTAIN - LMR and SPHINCS. Both computer codes are used for modeling sodium accidents in sodium fast reactors. The comparison between the two codes provides insights into the ability of both codes to model sodium spray fires. The SNL T3 and T4 experiments are 20 kg sodium spray fires with sodium spray temperature s of 200 deg C and 500 deg C, respe ctively. Given the relatively low sodium temperature in the SNL T3 experiment, the sodium spraymore » experienced a period of non - combustion. The vessel in the SNL T4 experiment experienced a rapid pressurization that caused of the instrumentation ports to fail during the sodium spray. Despite these unforeseen difficulties, both codes were shown in good agreement with the experiment s . The subsequent pool fire that develops from the unburned sodium spray is a significant characteristic of the T3 experiment. SPHIN CS showed better long - term agreement with the SNL T3 experiment than CONTAIN - LMR. The unexpected port failure during the SNL T4 experiment presented modelling challenges. The time at which the port failure occurred is unknown, but is believed to have occur red at about 11 seconds into the sodium spray fire. The sensitivity analysis for the SNL T4 experiment shows that with a port failure, the sodium spray fire can still maintain elevated pressures during the spray.« less

Quality of pharmaceutical care at the pharmacy counter: patients’ experiences versus video observation

PubMed Central

Koster, Ellen S; Blom, Lyda; Overbeeke, Marloes R; Philbert, Daphne; Vervloet, Marcia; Koopman, Laura; van Dijk, Liset

2016-01-01

Introduction Consumer Quality Index questionnaires are used to assess quality of care from patients’ experiences. Objective To provide insight into the agreement about quality of pharmaceutical care, measured both by a patient questionnaire and video observations. Methods Pharmaceutical encounters in four pharmacies were video-recorded. Patients completed a questionnaire based upon the Consumer Quality Index Pharmaceutical Care after the encounter containing questions about patients’ experiences regarding information provision, medication counseling, and pharmacy staff’s communication style. An observation protocol was used to code the recorded encounters. Agreement between video observation and patients’ experiences was calculated. Results In total, 109 encounters were included for analysis. For the domains “medication counseling” and “communication style”, agreement between patients’ experiences and observations was very high (>90%). Less agreement (45%) was found for “information provision”, which was rated more positive by patients compared to the observations, especially for the topic, encouragement of patients’ questioning behavior. Conclusion A questionnaire is useful to assess the quality of medication counseling and pharmacy staff’s communication style, but might be less suitable to evaluate information provision and pharmacy staff’s encouragement of patients’ questioning behavior. Although patients may believe that they have received all necessary information to use their new medicine, some information on specific instructions was not addressed during the encounter. When using questionnaires to get insight into information provision, observations of encounters are very informative to validate the patient questionnaires and make necessary adjustments. PMID:27042025

Civil Code, 11 December 1987.

PubMed

1988-01-01

Article 162 of this Mexican Code provides, among other things, that "Every person has the right freely, responsibly, and in an informed fashion to determine the number and spacing of his or her children." When a marriage is involved, this right is to be observed by the spouses "in agreement with each other." The civil codes of the following states contain the same provisions: 1) Baja California (Art. 159 of the Civil Code of 28 April 1972 as revised in Decree No. 167 of 31 January 1974); 2) Morelos (Art. 255 of the Civil Code of 26 September 1949 as revised in Decree No. 135 of 29 December 1981); 3) Queretaro (Art. 162 of the Civil Code of 29 December 1950 as revised in the Act of 9 January 1981); 4) San Luis Potosi (Art. 147 of the Civil Code of 24 March 1946 as revised in 13 June 1978); Sinaloa (Art. 162 of the Civil Code of 18 June 1940 as revised in Decree No. 28 of 14 October 1975); 5) Tamaulipas (Art. 146 of the Civil Code of 21 November 1960 as revised in Decree No. 20 of 30 April 1975); 6) Veracruz-Llave (Art. 98 of the Civil Code of 1 September 1932 as revised in the Act of 30 December 1975); and 7) Zacatecas (Art. 253 of the Civil Code of 9 February 1965 as revised in Decree No. 104 of 13 August 1975). The Civil Codes of Puebla and Tlaxcala provide for this right only in the context of marriage with the spouses in agreement. See Art. 317 of the Civil Code of Puebla of 15 April 1985 and Article 52 of the Civil Code of Tlaxcala of 31 August 1976 as revised in Decree No. 23 of 2 April 1984. The Family Code of Hidalgo requires as a formality of marriage a certification that the spouses are aware of methods of controlling fertility, responsible parenthood, and family planning. In addition, Article 22 the Civil Code of the Federal District provides that the legal capacity of natural persons is acquired at birth and lost at death; however, from the moment of conception the individual comes under the protection of the law, which is valid with respect to the individual as far as the effects of this law provides as if the individual were already born. full text

Energy levels, oscillator strengths, and transition probabilities for sulfur-like scandium, Sc VI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Maaref, A. A.; Abou Halaka, M. M.; Saddeek, Yasser B.

2017-09-01

Energy levels, Oscillator strengths, and transition probabilities for sulfur-like scandium are calculated using CIV3 code. The calculations have been executed in an intermediate coupling scheme using Breit-Pauli Hamiltonian. The present calculations have been compared with the experimental data and other theoretical calculations. LANL code has been used to confirm the accuracy of the present calculations, where the calculations using CIV3 code agree well with the corresponding values by LANL code. The calculated energy levels and oscillator strengths are in reasonable agreement with the published experimental data and theoretical values. We have calculated lifetimes of some excited levels, as well.

Strategy Plan A Methodology to Predict the Uniformity of Double-Shell Tank Waste Slurries Based on Mixing Pump Operation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

J.A. Bamberger; L.M. Liljegren; P.S. Lowery

This document presents an analysis of the mechanisms influencing mixing within double-shell slurry tanks. A research program to characterize mixing of slurries within tanks has been proposed. The research program presents a combined experimental and computational approach to produce correlations describing the tank slurry concentration profile (and therefore uniformity) as a function of mixer pump operating conditions. The TEMPEST computer code was used to simulate both a full-scale (prototype) and scaled (model) double-shell waste tank to predict flow patterns resulting from a stationary jet centered in the tank. The simulation results were used to evaluate flow patterns in the tankmore » and to determine whether flow patterns are similar between the full-scale prototype and an existing 1/12-scale model tank. The flow patterns were sufficiently similar to recommend conducting scoping experiments at 1/12-scale. Also, TEMPEST modeled velocity profiles of the near-floor jet were compared to experimental measurements of the near-floor jet with good agreement. Reported values of physical properties of double-shell tank slurries were analyzed to evaluate the range of properties appropriate for conducting scaled experiments. One-twelfth scale scoping experiments are recommended to confirm the prioritization of the dimensionless groups (gravitational settling, Froude, and Reynolds numbers) that affect slurry suspension in the tank. Two of the proposed 1/12-scale test conditions were modeled using the TEMPEST computer code to observe the anticipated flow fields. This information will be used to guide selection of sampling probe locations. Additional computer modeling is being conducted to model a particulate laden, rotating jet centered in the tank. The results of this modeling effort will be compared to the scaled experimental data to quantify the agreement between the code and the 1/12-scale experiment. The scoping experiment results will guide selection of parameters to be varied in the follow-on experiments. Data from the follow-on experiments will be used to develop correlations to describe slurry concentration profile as a function of mixing pump operating conditions. This data will also be used to further evaluate the computer model applications. If the agreement between the experimental data and the code predictions is good, the computer code will be recommended for use to predict slurry uniformity in the tanks under various operating conditions. If the agreement between the code predictions and experimental results is not good, the experimental data correlations will be used to predict slurry uniformity in the tanks within the range of correlation applicability.« less

NASA Rotor 37 CFD Code Validation: Glenn-HT Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ameri, Ali A.

2010-01-01

In order to advance the goals of NASA aeronautics programs, it is necessary to continuously evaluate and improve the computational tools used for research and design at NASA. One such code is the Glenn-HT code which is used at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) for turbomachinery computations. Although the code has been thoroughly validated for turbine heat transfer computations, it has not been utilized for compressors. In this work, Glenn-HT was used to compute the flow in a transonic compressor and comparisons were made to experimental data. The results presented here are in good agreement with this data. Most of the measures of performance are well within the measurement uncertainties and the exit profiles of interest agree with the experimental measurements.

Calculation of inviscid flow over shuttle-like vehicles at high angles of attack and comparisons with experimental data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weilmuenster, K. J.; Hamilton, H. H., II

1983-01-01

A computer code HALIS, designed to compute the three dimensional flow about shuttle like configurations at angles of attack greater than 25 deg, is described. Results from HALIS are compared where possible with an existing flow field code; such comparisons show excellent agreement. Also, HALIS results are compared with experimental pressure distributions on shuttle models over a wide range of angle of attack. These comparisons are excellent. It is demonstrated that the HALIS code can incorporate equilibrium air chemistry in flow field computations.

CFD Simulation on the J-2X Engine Exhaust in the Center-Body Diffuser and Spray Chamber at the B-2 Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Xiao-Yen; Wey, Thomas; Buehrle, Robert

2009-01-01

A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) code is used to simulate the J-2X engine exhaust in the center-body diffuser and spray chamber at the Spacecraft Propulsion Facility (B-2). The CFD code is named as the space-time conservation element and solution element (CESE) Euler solver and is very robust at shock capturing. The CESE results are compared with independent analysis results obtained by using the National Combustion Code (NCC) and show excellent agreement.

Modeling of the EAST ICRF antenna with ICANT Code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qin Chengming; Zhao Yanping; Colas, L.

2007-09-28

A Resonant Double Loop (RDL) antenna for ion-cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) on Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) is under construction. The new antenna is analyzed using the antenna coupling code ICANT which self-consistently determines the surface currents on all antenna parts. In this work, the modeling of the new ICRF antenna using this code is to assess the near-fields in front of the antenna and analysis its coupling capabilities. Moreover, the antenna reactive radiated power computed by ICANT and shows a good agreement with deduced from Transmission Line (TL) theory.

Modeling of the EAST ICRF antenna with ICANT Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Chengming; Zhao, Yanping; Colas, L.; Heuraux, S.

2007-09-01

A Resonant Double Loop (RDL) antenna for ion-cyclotron range of frequencies (ICRF) on Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) is under construction. The new antenna is analyzed using the antenna coupling code ICANT which self-consistently determines the surface currents on all antenna parts. In this work, the modeling of the new ICRF antenna using this code is to assess the near-fields in front of the antenna and analysis its coupling capabilities. Moreover, the antenna reactive radiated power computed by ICANT and shows a good agreement with deduced from Transmission Line (TL) theory.

The definition of polytrauma: variable interrater versus intrarater agreement--a prospective international study among trauma surgeons.

PubMed

Butcher, Nerida E; Enninghorst, Natalie; Sisak, Krisztian; Balogh, Zsolt J

2013-03-01

The international trauma community has recognized the lack of a validated consensus definition of "polytrauma." We hypothesized that using a subjective definition, trauma surgeons will not have substantial agreement; thus, an objective definition is needed. A prospective observational study was conducted between December 2010 and June 2011 (John Hunter Hospital, Level I trauma center). Inclusion criteria were all trauma call patients with subsequent intensive care unit admission. The study was composed of four stages as follows: (1) four trauma surgeons assessed patients until 24 hours, then coded as either "yes" or "no" for polytrauma, and results compared for agreement; (2) eight trauma surgeons representing the United States, Germany, and the Netherlands graded the same prospectively assessed patients and coded as either "yes" or "no" for polytrauma; (3) 12 months later, the original four trauma surgeons repeated assessment via data sheets to test intrarater variability; and (4) individual subjective definitions were compared with three anatomic scores, namely, (a) Injury Severity Score (ISS) of greater than 15, (b) ISS of greater 17, and (c) Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score of greater than 2 in at least two ISS body regions. A total of 52 trauma patients were included. Results for each stage were as follows: (1) κ score of 0.50, moderate agreement; (2) κ score of 0.41, moderate agreement; (3) Rater 1 had moderate intrarater agreement (κ score, 0.59), while Raters 2, 3, 4 had substantial intrarater agreement (κ scores, 0.75, 0.66, and 0.71, respectively); and (4) none had most agreement with ISS of greater than 15 (κ score, 0.16), while both definitions ISS greater than 17 and Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) score of greater than 2 in at least two ISS body regions had on average fair agreement (κ scores, 0.27 and 0.39, respectively). Based on subjective assessments, trauma surgeons do not agree on the definition of polytrauma, with the subjective definition differing both within and across institutions.

A generic coding approach for the examination of meal patterns.

PubMed

Woolhead, Clara; Gibney, Michael J; Walsh, Marianne C; Brennan, Lorraine; Gibney, Eileen R

2015-08-01

Meal pattern analysis can be complex because of the large variability in meal consumption. The use of aggregated, generic meal data may address some of these issues. The objective was to develop a meal coding system and use it to explore meal patterns. Dietary data were used from the National Adult Nutrition Survey (2008-2010), which collected 4-d food diary information from 1500 healthy adults. Self-recorded meal types were listed for each food item. Common food group combinations were identified to generate a number of generic meals for each meal type: breakfast, light meals, main meals, snacks, and beverages. Mean nutritional compositions of the generic meals were determined and substituted into the data set to produce a generic meal data set. Statistical comparisons were performed against the original National Adult Nutrition Survey data. Principal component analysis was carried out by using these generic meals to identify meal patterns. A total of 21,948 individual meals were reduced to 63 generic meals. Good agreement was seen for nutritional comparisons (original compared with generic data sets mean ± SD), such as fat (75.7 ± 29.4 and 71.7 ± 12.9 g, respectively, P = 0.243) and protein (83.3 ± 26.9 and 80.1 ± 13.4 g, respectively, P = 0.525). Similarly, Bland-Altman plots demonstrated good agreement (<5% outside limits of agreement) for many nutrients, including protein, saturated fat, and polyunsaturated fat. Twelve meal types were identified from the principal component analysis ranging in meal-type inclusion/exclusion, varying in energy-dense meals, and differing in the constituents of the meals. A novel meal coding system was developed; dietary intake data were recoded by using generic meal consumption data. Analysis revealed that the generic meal coding system may be appropriate when examining nutrient intakes in the population. Furthermore, such a coding system was shown to be suitable for use in determining meal-based dietary patterns. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

International Conference on Composite Structures (7th), Held in United Kingdom, July 1993. Volume 25, Numbers 1 - 4

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-07-01

the code number at the end of this paragraph. to the Copýright Clearance Center. 21 Congress Street. Salem . MA 01970. USA. If no code appears in an...failure always occurs at theo Selapex: the values of the critical loads are very low, It is in verv grood agreement with the theore- 0. PFa iAismn

FAST Model Calibration and Validation of the OC5- DeepCwind Floating Offshore Wind System Against Wave Tank Test Data: Preprint

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wendt, Fabian F; Robertson, Amy N; Jonkman, Jason

During the course of the Offshore Code Comparison Collaboration, Continued, with Correlation (OC5) project, which focused on the validation of numerical methods through comparison against tank test data, the authors created a numerical FAST model of the 1:50-scale DeepCwind semisubmersible system that was tested at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands ocean basin in 2013. This paper discusses several model calibration studies that were conducted to identify model adjustments that improve the agreement between the numerical simulations and the experimental test data. These calibration studies cover wind-field-specific parameters (coherence, turbulence), hydrodynamic and aerodynamic modeling approaches, as well as rotor model (blade-pitchmore » and blade-mass imbalances) and tower model (structural tower damping coefficient) adjustments. These calibration studies were conducted based on relatively simple calibration load cases (wave only/wind only). The agreement between the final FAST model and experimental measurements is then assessed based on more-complex combined wind and wave validation cases.« less

Modeling Plasma Turbulence and Flows in LAPD using BOUT++

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friedman, B.; Carter, T. A.; Schaffner, D.; Popovich, P.; Umansky, M. V.; Dudson, B.

2010-11-01

A Braginskii fluid model of plasma turbulence in the BOUT code has recently been applied to LAPD at UCLA [1]. While these initial simulations with a reduced model and periodic axial boundary conditions have shown good agreement with measurements (e.g. power spectrum, correlation lengths), these simulations have lacked physics essential for modeling self-consistent, quantitatively correct flows. In particular, the model did not contain parallel plasma flow induced by sheath boundary conditions, and the axisymmetric radial electric field was not consistent with experiment. This work addresses these issues by extending the simulation model in the BOUT++ code [2], a more advanced version of BOUT. Specifically, end-plate sheath boundary conditions are added, as well as equations to evolve electron temperature and parallel ion velocity. Finally, various techniques are used to attempt to match the experimental electric potential profile, including fixing an equilibrium profile, fixing the radial boundaries, and adding an angular momentum source. [4pt] [1] Popovich et al., http://arxiv.org/abs/1005.2418 (2010).[0pt] [2] Dudson et al., Computer Physics Communications 180 (2009).

Validation of the technique for absolute total electron content and differential code biases estimation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mylnikova, Anna; Yasyukevich, Yury; Yasyukevich, Anna

2017-04-01

We have developed a technique for vertical total electron content (TEC) and differential code biases (DCBs) estimation using data from a single GPS/GLONASS station. The algorithm is based on TEC expansion into Taylor series in space and time (TayAbsTEC). We perform the validation of the technique using Global Ionospheric Maps (GIM) computed by Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) and Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). We compared differences between absolute vertical TEC (VTEC) from GIM and VTEC evaluated by TayAbsTEC for 2009 year (solar activity minimum - sunspot number about 0), and for 2014 year (solar activity maximum - sunspot number 110). Since there is difference between VTEC from CODE and VTEC from JPL, we compare TayAbsTEC VTEC with both of them. We found that TayAbsTEC VTEC is closer to CODE VTEC than to JPL VTEC. The difference between TayAbsTEC VTEC and GIM VTEC is more noticeable for solar activity maximum (2014) than for solar activity minimum (2009) for both CODE and JPL. The distribution of VTEC differences is close to Gaussian distribution, so we conclude that results of TayAbsTEC are in the agreement with GIM VTEC. We also compared DCBs evaluated by TayAbsTEC and DCBs from GIM, computed by CODE. The TayAbsTEC DCBs are in good agreement with CODE DCBs for GPS satellites, but differ noticeable for GLONASS. We used DCBs to correct slant TEC to find out which DCBs give better results. Slant TEC correction with CODE DCBs produces negative and nonphysical TEC values. Slant TEC correction with TayAbsTEC DCBs doesn't produce such artifacts. The technique we developed is used for VTEC and DCBs calculation given only local GPS/GLONASS networks data. The evaluated VTEC data are in GIM framework which is handy when various data analyses are made.

Comparison of laser anemometer measurements and theory in an annular turbine cascade with experimental accuracy determined by parameter estimation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldman, L. J.; Seasholtz, R. G.

1982-01-01

Experimental measurements of the velocity components in the blade to blade (axial tangential) plane were obtained with an axial flow turbine stator passage and were compared with calculations from three turbomachinery computer programs. The theoretical results were calculated from a quasi three dimensional inviscid code, a three dimensional inviscid code, and a three dimensional viscous code. Parameter estimation techniques and a particle dynamics calculation were used to assess the accuracy of the laser measurements, which allow a rational basis for comparison of the experimenal and theoretical results. The general agreement of the experimental data with the results from the two inviscid computer codes indicates the usefulness of these calculation procedures for turbomachinery blading. The comparison with the viscous code, while generally reasonable, was not as good as for the inviscid codes.

Comparison of Einstein-Boltzmann solvers for testing general relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellini, E.; Barreira, A.; Frusciante, N.; Hu, B.; Peirone, S.; Raveri, M.; Zumalacárregui, M.; Avilez-Lopez, A.; Ballardini, M.; Battye, R. A.; Bolliet, B.; Calabrese, E.; Dirian, Y.; Ferreira, P. G.; Finelli, F.; Huang, Z.; Ivanov, M. M.; Lesgourgues, J.; Li, B.; Lima, N. A.; Pace, F.; Paoletti, D.; Sawicki, I.; Silvestri, A.; Skordis, C.; Umiltà, C.; Vernizzi, F.

2018-01-01

We compare Einstein-Boltzmann solvers that include modifications to general relativity and find that, for a wide range of models and parameters, they agree to a high level of precision. We look at three general purpose codes that primarily model general scalar-tensor theories, three codes that model Jordan-Brans-Dicke (JBD) gravity, a code that models f (R ) gravity, a code that models covariant Galileons, a code that models Hořava-Lifschitz gravity, and two codes that model nonlocal models of gravity. Comparing predictions of the angular power spectrum of the cosmic microwave background and the power spectrum of dark matter for a suite of different models, we find agreement at the subpercent level. This means that this suite of Einstein-Boltzmann solvers is now sufficiently accurate for precision constraints on cosmological and gravitational parameters.

Size and habit evolution of PETN crystals - a lattice Monte Carlo study

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zepeda-Ruiz, L A; Maiti, A; Gee, R

2006-02-28

Starting from an accurate inter-atomic potential we develop a simple scheme of generating an ''on-lattice'' molecular potential of short range, which is then incorporated into a lattice Monte Carlo code for simulating size and shape evolution of nanocrystallites. As a specific example, we test such a procedure on the morphological evolution of a molecular crystal of interest to us, e.g., Pentaerythritol Tetranitrate, or PETN, and obtain realistic facetted structures in excellent agreement with experimental morphologies. We investigate several interesting effects including, the evolution of the initial shape of a ''seed'' to an equilibrium configuration, and the variation of growth morphologymore » as a function of the rate of particle addition relative to diffusion.« less

Benchmarking and validation of a Geant4-SHADOW Monte Carlo simulation for dose calculations in microbeam radiation therapy.

PubMed

Cornelius, Iwan; Guatelli, Susanna; Fournier, Pauline; Crosbie, Jeffrey C; Sanchez Del Rio, Manuel; Bräuer-Krisch, Elke; Rosenfeld, Anatoly; Lerch, Michael

2014-05-01

Microbeam radiation therapy (MRT) is a synchrotron-based radiotherapy modality that uses high-intensity beams of spatially fractionated radiation to treat tumours. The rapid evolution of MRT towards clinical trials demands accurate treatment planning systems (TPS), as well as independent tools for the verification of TPS calculated dose distributions in order to ensure patient safety and treatment efficacy. Monte Carlo computer simulation represents the most accurate method of dose calculation in patient geometries and is best suited for the purpose of TPS verification. A Monte Carlo model of the ID17 biomedical beamline at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility has been developed, including recent modifications, using the Geant4 Monte Carlo toolkit interfaced with the SHADOW X-ray optics and ray-tracing libraries. The code was benchmarked by simulating dose profiles in water-equivalent phantoms subject to irradiation by broad-beam (without spatial fractionation) and microbeam (with spatial fractionation) fields, and comparing against those calculated with a previous model of the beamline developed using the PENELOPE code. Validation against additional experimental dose profiles in water-equivalent phantoms subject to broad-beam irradiation was also performed. Good agreement between codes was observed, with the exception of out-of-field doses and toward the field edge for larger field sizes. Microbeam results showed good agreement between both codes and experimental results within uncertainties. Results of the experimental validation showed agreement for different beamline configurations. The asymmetry in the out-of-field dose profiles due to polarization effects was also investigated, yielding important information for the treatment planning process in MRT. This work represents an important step in the development of a Monte Carlo-based independent verification tool for treatment planning in MRT.

Improving Hospital Reporting of Patient Race and Ethnicity--Approaches to Data Auditing.

PubMed

Zingmond, David S; Parikh, Punam; Louie, Rachel; Lichtensztajn, Daphne Y; Ponce, Ninez; Hasnain-Wynia, Romana; Gomez, Scarlett Lin

2015-08-01

To investigate new metrics to improve the reporting of patient race and ethnicity (R/E) by hospitals. California Patient Discharge Database (PDD) and birth registry, 2008-2009, Healthcare and Cost Utilization Project's State Inpatient Database, 2008-2011, cancer registry 2000-2008, and 2010 US Census Summary File 2. We examined agreement between hospital reported R/E versus self-report among mothers delivering babies and a cancer cohort in California. Metrics were created to measure root mean squared differences (RMSD) by hospital between reported R/E distribution and R/E estimates using R/E distribution within each patient's zip code of residence. RMSD comparisons were made to corresponding "gold standard" facility-level measures within the maternal cohort for California and six comparison states. Maternal birth hospitalization (linked to the state birth registry) and cancer cohort records linked to preceding and subsequent hospitalizations. Hospital discharges were linked to the corresponding Census zip code tabulation area using patient zip code. Overall agreement between the PDD and the gold standard for the maternal cohort was 86 percent for the combined R/E measure and 71 percent for race alone. The RMSD measure is modestly correlated with the summary level gold standard measure for R/E (r = 0.44). The RMSD metric revealed general improvement in data agreement and completeness across states. "Other" and "unknown" categories were inconsistently applied within inpatient databases. Comparison between reported R/E and R/E estimates using zip code level data may be a reasonable first approach to evaluate and track hospital R/E reporting. Further work should focus on using more granular geocoded data for estimates and tracking data to improve hospital collection of R/E data. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

Industry and Occupation in the Electronic Health Record: An Investigation of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Industry and Occupation Computerized Coding System

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Background Inclusion of information about a patient’s work, industry, and occupation, in the electronic health record (EHR) could facilitate occupational health surveillance, better health outcomes, prevention activities, and identification of workers’ compensation cases. The US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has developed an autocoding system for “industry” and “occupation” based on 1990 Bureau of Census codes; its effectiveness requires evaluation in conjunction with promoting the mandatory addition of these variables to the EHR. Objective The objective of the study was to evaluate the intercoder reliability of NIOSH’s Industry and Occupation Computerized Coding System (NIOCCS) when applied to data collected in a community survey conducted under the Affordable Care Act; to determine the proportion of records that are autocoded using NIOCCS. Methods Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) codes are used by several federal agencies in databases that capture demographic, employment, and health information to harmonize variables related to work activities among these data sources. There are 359 industry and occupation responses that were hand coded by 2 investigators, who came to a consensus on every code. The same variables were autocoded using NIOCCS at the high and moderate criteria level. Results Kappa was .84 for agreement between hand coders and between the hand coder consensus code versus NIOCCS high confidence level codes for the first 2 digits of the SOC code. For 4 digits, NIOCCS coding versus investigator coding ranged from kappa=.56 to .70. In this study, NIOCCS was able to achieve production rates (ie, to autocode) 31%-36% of entered variables at the “high confidence” level and 49%-58% at the “medium confidence” level. Autocoding (production) rates are somewhat lower than those reported by NIOSH. Agreement between manually coded and autocoded data are “substantial” at the 2-digit level, but only “fair” to “good” at the 4-digit level. Conclusions This work serves as a baseline for performance of NIOCCS by investigators in the field. Further field testing will clarify NIOCCS effectiveness in terms of ability to assign codes and coding accuracy and will clarify its value as inclusion of these occupational variables in the EHR is promoted. PMID:26878932

It is time to revise the international Good Clinical Practices guidelines: recommendations from non-commercial North-South collaborative trials.

PubMed

Ravinetto, Raffaella; Tinto, Halidou; Diro, Ermias; Okebe, Joseph; Mahendradhata, Yodi; Rijal, Suman; Gotuzzo, Eduardo; Lutumba, Pascal; Nahum, Alain; De Nys, Katelijne; Casteels, Minne; Boelaert, Marleen

2016-01-01

The Good Clinical Practices (GCP) codes of the WHO and the International Conference of Harmonization set international standards for clinical research. But critics argue that they were written without consideration for the challenges faced in low and middle income countries (LMICs). Based on our field experience in LMICs, we developed a non-exhaustive set of recommendations for the improvement of GCP. These cover 3 domains: ethical, legal and operational, and 8 specific issues: the double ethical review of 'externally sponsored' trials; the informed consent procedure in minors and in illiterate people; post-trial access to newly-developed products for the trial communities; the role of communities as key research actors; the definition of sponsor; and the guidance for contractual agreements, laboratory quality management systems, and quality assurance of investigational medicinal products. Issues not covered in our analysis include among others biobanking, standard of care, and study designs. The international GCP codes de facto guide national legislators and funding agencies, so the current shortcomings may weaken the regulatory oversight of international research. In addition, activities neglected by GCP are less likely to be implemented or funded. If GCP are meant to serve the interests of global society, a comprehensive revision is needed. The revised guidelines should be strongly rooted in ethics, sensitive to different sociocultural perspectives, and allow consideration for trial-specific and context-specific challenges. This can be only achieved if all stakeholders, including researchers, sponsors, regulators, ethical reviewers and patients' representatives from LMICs, as well as non-commercial researchers and sponsors from affluent countries, are transparently involved in the revision process. We hope that our limited analysis would foster advocacy for a broad and inclusive revision of the international GCP codes, to make them at the same time 'global', 'context centred' and 'patient centred'.

National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Between NASA Headquarters and MSFC (Marshall Space Flight Center) for NASA Principal Center for Review of Clean Air Regulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caruso, Salvadore V.; Clark-Ingram, Marceia A.

2000-01-01

This paper presents a memorandum of agreement on Clean Air Regulations. NASA headquarters (code JE and code M) has asked MSFC to serve as principle center for review of Clean Air Act (CAA) regulations. The purpose of the principle center is to provide centralized support to NASA headquarters for the management and leadership of NASA's CAA regulation review process and to identify the potential impact of proposed CAA reguations on NASA program hardware and supporting facilities. The materials and processes utilized in the manufacture of NASA's programmatic hardware contain HAPs (Hazardous Air Pollutants), VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds), and ODC (Ozone Depleting Chemicals). This paper is presented in viewgraph form.

Analysis of airborne antenna systems using geometrical theory of diffraction and moment method computer codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartenstein, Richard G., Jr.

1985-01-01

Computer codes have been developed to analyze antennas on aircraft and in the presence of scatterers. The purpose of this study is to use these codes to develop accurate computer models of various aircraft and antenna systems. The antenna systems analyzed are a P-3B L-Band antenna, an A-7E UHF relay pod antenna, and traffic advisory antenna system installed on a Bell Long Ranger helicopter. Computer results are compared to measured ones with good agreement. These codes can be used in the design stage of an antenna system to determine the optimum antenna location and save valuable time and costly flight hours.

The NASA-LeRC wind turbine sound prediction code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Viterna, L. A.

1981-01-01

Development of the wind turbine sound prediction code began as part of an effort understand and reduce the noise generated by Mod-1. Tone sound levels predicted with this code are in good agreement with measured data taken in the vicinity Mod-1 wind turbine (less than 2 rotor diameters). Comparison in the far field indicates that propagation effects due to terrain and atmospheric conditions may amplify the actual sound levels by 6 dB. Parametric analysis using the code shows that the predominant contributors to Mod-1 rotor noise are (1) the velocity deficit in the wake of the support tower, (2) the high rotor speed, and (3) off-optimum operation.

Influence of flowfield and vehicle parameters on engineering aerothermal methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wurster, Kathryn E.; Zoby, E. Vincent; Thompson, Richard A.

1989-01-01

The reliability and flexibility of three engineering codes used in the aerosphace industry (AEROHEAT, INCHES, and MINIVER) were investigated by comparing the results of these codes with Reentry F flight data and ground-test heat-transfer data for a range of cone angles, and with the predictions obtained using the detailed VSL3D code; the engineering solutions were also compared. In particular, the impact of several vehicle and flow-field parameters on the heat transfer and the capability of the engineering codes to predict these results were determined. It was found that entropy, pressure gradient, nose bluntness, gas chemistry, and angle of attack all affect heating levels. A comparison of the results of the three engineering codes with Reentry F flight data and with the predictions obtained of the VSL3D code showed a very good agreement in the regions of the applicability of the codes. It is emphasized that the parameters used in this study can significantly influence the actual heating levels and the prediction capability of a code.

Numerical simulation of experiments in the Giant Planet Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Green, M. J.; Davy, W. C.

1979-01-01

Utilizing a series of existing computer codes, ablation experiments in the Giant Planet Facility are numerically simulated. Of primary importance is the simulation of the low Mach number shock layer that envelops the test model. The RASLE shock-layer code, used in the Jupiter entry probe heat-shield design, is adapted to the experimental conditions. RASLE predictions for radiative and convective heat fluxes are in good agreement with calorimeter measurements. In simulating carbonaceous ablation experiments, the RASLE code is coupled directly with the CMA material response code. For the graphite models, predicted and measured recessions agree very well. Predicted recession for the carbon phenolic models is 50% higher than that measured. This is the first time codes used for the Jupiter probe design have been compared with experiments.

A Systematic Method for Verification and Validation of Gyrokinetic Microstability Codes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bravenec, Ronald

My original proposal for the period Feb. 15, 2014 through Feb. 14, 2017 called for an integrated validation and verification effort carried out by myself with collaborators. The validation component would require experimental profile and power-balance analysis. In addition, it would require running the gyrokinetic codes varying the input profiles within experimental uncertainties to seek agreement with experiment before discounting a code as invalidated. Therefore, validation would require a major increase of effort over my previous grant periods which covered only code verification (code benchmarking). Consequently, I had requested full-time funding. Instead, I am being funded at somewhat less thanmore » half time (5 calendar months per year). As a consequence, I decided to forego the validation component and to only continue the verification efforts.« less

Initial verification and validation of RAZORBACK - A research reactor transient analysis code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Talley, Darren G.

2015-09-01

This report describes the work and results of the initial verification and validation (V&V) of the beta release of the Razorback code. Razorback is a computer code designed to simulate the operation of a research reactor (such as the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR)) by a coupled numerical solution of the point reactor kinetics equations, the energy conservation equation for fuel element heat transfer, and the mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations for the water cooling of the fuel elements. This initial V&V effort was intended to confirm that the code work to-date shows good agreement between simulation and actualmore » ACRR operations, indicating that the subsequent V&V effort for the official release of the code will be successful.« less

The automatic neutron guide optimizer guide_bot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertelsen, Mads

2017-09-01

The guide optimization software guide_bot is introduced, the main purpose of which is to reduce the time spent programming when performing numerical optimization of neutron guides. A limited amount of information on the overall guide geometry and a figure of merit describing the desired beam is used to generate the code necessary to solve the problem. A generated McStas instrument file performs the Monte Carlo ray-tracing, which is controlled by iFit optimization scripts. The resulting optimal guide is thoroughly characterized, both in terms of brilliance transfer from an idealized source and on a more realistic source such as the ESS Butterfly moderator. Basic MATLAB knowledge is required from the user, but no experience with McStas or iFit is necessary. This paper briefly describes how guide_bot is used and some important aspects of the code. A short validation against earlier work is performed which shows the expected agreement. In addition a scan over the vertical divergence requirement, where individual guide optimizations are performed for each corresponding figure of merit, provides valuable data on the consequences of this parameter. The guide_bot software package is best suited for the start of an instrument design project as it excels at comparing a large amount of different guide alternatives for a specific set of instrument requirements, but is still applicable in later stages as constraints can be used to optimize more specific guides.

49 CFR 387.323 - Electronic filing of surety bonds, trust fund agreements, certificates of insurance and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Start field End field Record type 1 Numeric 1=Filing2=Cancellation B 1 1 Insurer number 8 Text FMCSA... Filing type 1 Numeric 1 = BI&PD2 = Cargo 3 = Bond 4 = Trust Fund B 10 10 FMCSA docket number 8 Text FMCSA... 264 265 Insured zip code 9 Numeric (Do not include dash if using 9 digit code) B 266 274 Insured...

49 CFR 387.323 - Electronic filing of surety bonds, trust fund agreements, certificates of insurance and...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Start field End field Record type 1 Numeric 1=Filing2=Cancellation B 1 1 Insurer number 8 Text FMCSA... Filing type 1 Numeric 1 = BI&PD2 = Cargo 3 = Bond 4 = Trust Fund B 10 10 FMCSA docket number 8 Text FMCSA... 264 265 Insured zip code 9 Numeric (Do not include dash if using 9 digit code) B 266 274 Insured...

An Analysis of Defense Information and Information Technology Articles: A Sixteen-Year Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

exploratory,” or “subjective” ( Denzin & Lincoln , 2000). Existing Research This research is based on content analysis methodologies utilized by Carter...same codes ( Denzin & Lincoln , 2000). Different analysts should code the same text in a similar manner (Weber, 1990). Typically, researchers compute...chosen. Krippendorf recommends an agreement level of at least .70 (Krippendorff, 2004). Some scholars use a cut-off rate of .80 ( Denzin & Lincoln

Broadband Polarization Conversion Metasurface Based on Metal Cut-Wire Structure for Radar Cross Section Reduction.

PubMed

Yang, Jia Ji; Cheng, Yong Zhi; Ge, Chen Chen; Gong, Rong Zhou

2018-04-19

A class of linear polarization conversion coding metasurfaces (MSs) based on a metal cut-wire structure is proposed, which can be applied to the reduction properties of radar cross section (RCS). We firstly present a hypothesis based on the principle of planar array theory, and then verify the RCS reduction characteristics using linear polarization conversion coding MSs by simulations and experiments. The simulated results show that in the frequency range of 6⁻14 GHz, the linear polarization conversion ratio reaches a maximum value of 90%, which is in good agreement with the theoretical predictions. For normal incident x - and y -polarized waves, RCS reduction of designed coding MSs 01/01 and 01/10 is essentially more than 10 dB in the above-mentioned frequency range. We prepare and measure the 01/10 coding MS sample, and find that the experimental results in terms of reflectance and RCS reduction are in good agreement with the simulated ones under normal incidence. In addition, under oblique incidence, RCS reduction is suppressed as the angle of incidence increases, but still exhibits RCS reduction effects in a certain frequency range. The designed MS is expected to have valuable potential in applications for stealth field technology.

GPUs, a New Tool of Acceleration in CFD: Efficiency and Reliability on Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics Methods

PubMed Central

Crespo, Alejandro C.; Dominguez, Jose M.; Barreiro, Anxo; Gómez-Gesteira, Moncho; Rogers, Benedict D.

2011-01-01

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) is a numerical method commonly used in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate complex free-surface flows. Simulations with this mesh-free particle method far exceed the capacity of a single processor. In this paper, as part of a dual-functioning code for either central processing units (CPUs) or Graphics Processor Units (GPUs), a parallelisation using GPUs is presented. The GPU parallelisation technique uses the Compute Unified Device Architecture (CUDA) of nVidia devices. Simulations with more than one million particles on a single GPU card exhibit speedups of up to two orders of magnitude over using a single-core CPU. It is demonstrated that the code achieves different speedups with different CUDA-enabled GPUs. The numerical behaviour of the SPH code is validated with a standard benchmark test case of dam break flow impacting on an obstacle where good agreement with the experimental results is observed. Both the achieved speed-ups and the quantitative agreement with experiments suggest that CUDA-based GPU programming can be used in SPH methods with efficiency and reliability. PMID:21695185

Convolution Operations on Coding Metasurface to Reach Flexible and Continuous Controls of Terahertz Beams.

PubMed

Liu, Shuo; Cui, Tie Jun; Zhang, Lei; Xu, Quan; Wang, Qiu; Wan, Xiang; Gu, Jian Qiang; Tang, Wen Xuan; Qing Qi, Mei; Han, Jia Guang; Zhang, Wei Li; Zhou, Xiao Yang; Cheng, Qiang

2016-10-01

The concept of coding metasurface makes a link between physically metamaterial particles and digital codes, and hence it is possible to perform digital signal processing on the coding metasurface to realize unusual physical phenomena. Here, this study presents to perform Fourier operations on coding metasurfaces and proposes a principle called as scattering-pattern shift using the convolution theorem, which allows steering of the scattering pattern to an arbitrarily predesigned direction. Owing to the constant reflection amplitude of coding particles, the required coding pattern can be simply achieved by the modulus of two coding matrices. This study demonstrates that the scattering patterns that are directly calculated from the coding pattern using the Fourier transform have excellent agreements to the numerical simulations based on realistic coding structures, providing an efficient method in optimizing coding patterns to achieve predesigned scattering beams. The most important advantage of this approach over the previous schemes in producing anomalous single-beam scattering is its flexible and continuous controls to arbitrary directions. This work opens a new route to study metamaterial from a fully digital perspective, predicting the possibility of combining conventional theorems in digital signal processing with the coding metasurface to realize more powerful manipulations of electromagnetic waves.

PARC Navier-Stokes code upgrade and validation for high speed aeroheating predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liver, Peter A.; Praharaj, Sarat C.; Seaford, C. Mark

1990-01-01

Applications of the PARC full Navier-Stokes code for hypersonic flowfield and aeroheating predictions around blunt bodies such as the Aeroassist Flight Experiment (AFE) and Aeroassisted Orbital Transfer Vehicle (AOTV) are evaluated. Two-dimensional/axisymmetric and three-dimensional perfect gas versions of the code were upgraded and tested against benchmark wind tunnel cases of hemisphere-cylinder, three-dimensional AFE forebody, and axisymmetric AFE and AOTV aerobrake/wake flowfields. PARC calculations are in good agreement with experimental data and results of similar computer codes. Difficulties encountered in flowfield and heat transfer predictions due to effects of grid density, boundary conditions such as singular stagnation line axis and artificial dissipation terms are presented together with subsequent improvements made to the code. The experience gained with the perfect gas code is being currently utilized in applications of an equilibrium air real gas PARC version developed at REMTECH.

Towards industrial-strength Navier-Stokes codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jou, Wen-Huei; Wigton, Laurence B.; Allmaras, Steven R.

1992-01-01

In this paper we discuss our experiences with Navier-Stokes (NS) codes using central differencing (CD) and scalar artificial dissipation (SAD). The NS-CDSAD codes have been developed by several researchers. Our results confirm that for typical commercial transport wing and wing/body configurations flying at transonic conditions with all turbulent boundary layers, NS-CDSAD codes, when used with the Johnson-King turbulence model, are capable of computing pressure distributions in excellent agreement with experimental data. However, results are not as good when laminar boundary layers are present. Exhaustive 2-D grid refinement studies supported by detailed analysis suggest that the numerical errors associated with SAD severely contaminate the solution in the laminar portion of the boundary layer. It is left as a challenge to the CFD community to find and fix the problems with Navier-Stokes codes and to produce a NS code which converges reliably and properly captures the laminar portion of the boundary layer on a reasonable grid.

Collisionless stellar hydrodynamics as an efficient alternative to N-body methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, Nigel L.; Vorobyov, Eduard I.; Hensler, Gerhard

2013-01-01

The dominant constituents of the Universe's matter are believed to be collisionless in nature and thus their modelling in any self-consistent simulation is extremely important. For simulations that deal only with dark matter or stellar systems, the conventional N-body technique is fast, memory efficient and relatively simple to implement. However when extending simulations to include the effects of gas physics, mesh codes are at a distinct disadvantage compared to Smooth Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) codes. Whereas implementing the N-body approach into SPH codes is fairly trivial, the particle-mesh technique used in mesh codes to couple collisionless stars and dark matter to the gas on the mesh has a series of significant scientific and technical limitations. These include spurious entropy generation resulting from discreteness effects, poor load balancing and increased communication overhead which spoil the excellent scaling in massively parallel grid codes. In this paper we propose the use of the collisionless Boltzmann moment equations as a means to model the collisionless material as a fluid on the mesh, implementing it into the massively parallel FLASH Adaptive Mesh Refinement (AMR) code. This approach which we term `collisionless stellar hydrodynamics' enables us to do away with the particle-mesh approach and since the parallelization scheme is identical to that used for the hydrodynamics, it preserves the excellent scaling of the FLASH code already demonstrated on peta-flop machines. We find that the classic hydrodynamic equations and the Boltzmann moment equations can be reconciled under specific conditions, allowing us to generate analytic solutions for collisionless systems using conventional test problems. We confirm the validity of our approach using a suite of demanding test problems, including the use of a modified Sod shock test. By deriving the relevant eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the Boltzmann moment equations, we are able to use high order accurate characteristic tracing methods with Riemann solvers to generate numerical solutions which show excellent agreement with our analytic solutions. We conclude by demonstrating the ability of our code to model complex phenomena by simulating the evolution of a two-armed spiral galaxy whose properties agree with those predicted by the swing amplification theory.

Creep relaxation of fuel pin bending and ovalling stresses. [BEND code, OVAL code, MARC-CDC code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Chan, D.P.; Jackson, R.J.

1981-10-01

Analytical methods for calculating fuel pin cladding bending and ovalling stresses due to pin bundle-duct mechanical interaction taking into account nonlinear creep are presented. Calculated results are in agreement with finite element results by MARC-CDC program. The methods are used to investigate the effect of creep on the FTR fuel cladding bending and ovalling stresses. It is concluded that the cladding of 316 SS 20 percent CW and reference design has high creep rates in the FTR core region to keep the bending and ovalling stresses to acceptable levels. 6 refs.

Experimental research and comparison of LDPC and RS channel coding in ultraviolet communication systems.

PubMed

Wu, Menglong; Han, Dahai; Zhang, Xiang; Zhang, Feng; Zhang, Min; Yue, Guangxin

2014-03-10

We have implemented a modified Low-Density Parity-Check (LDPC) codec algorithm in ultraviolet (UV) communication system. Simulations are conducted with measured parameters to evaluate the LDPC-based UV system performance. Moreover, LDPC (960, 480) and RS (18, 10) are implemented and experimented via a non-line-of-sight (NLOS) UV test bed. The experimental results are in agreement with the simulation and suggest that based on the given power and 10(-3)bit error rate (BER), in comparison with an uncoded system, average communication distance increases 32% with RS code, while 78% with LDPC code.

SHIELD and HZETRN comparisons of pion production cross sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norbury, John W.; Sobolevsky, Nikolai; Werneth, Charles M.

2018-03-01

A program of comparing American (NASA) and Russian (ROSCOSMOS) space radiation transport codes has recently begun, and the first paper directly comparing the NASA and ROSCOSMOS space radiation transport codes, HZETRN and SHIELD respectively has recently appeared. The present work represents the second time that NASA and ROSCOSMOS calculations have been directly compared, and the focus here is on models of pion production cross sections used in the two transport codes mentioned above. It was found that these models are in overall moderate agreement with each other and with experimental data. Disagreements that were found are discussed.

Interlaboratory studies with the Chinese hamster V79 cell metabolic cooperation assay to detect tumor-promoting agents

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bohrman, J.S.; Burg, J.R.; Elmore, E.

1988-01-01

Three laboratories participated in an interlaboratory study to evaluate the usefulness of the Chinese hamster V79 cell metabolic cooperation assay to predict the tumor-promoting activity of selected chemical. Twenty-three chemicals of different chemical structures (phorbol esters, barbiturates, phenols, artificial sweeteners, alkanes, and peroxides) were chosen for testing based on in vivo promotion activities, as reported in the literature. Assay protocols and materials were standardized, and the chemicals were coded to facilitate unbiased evaluation. A chemical was tested only once in each laboratory, with one of the three laboratories testing only 15 out of 23 chemicals. Dunnett's test was used formore » statistical analysis. Chemicals were scored as positive (at least two concentration levels statistically different than control), equivocal (only one concentration statistically different), or negative. For 15 chemicals tested in all three laboratories, there was complete agreement among the laboratories for nine chemicals. For the 23 chemicals tested in only two laboratories, there was agreement on 16 chemicals. With the exception of the peroxides and alkanes, the metabolic cooperation data were in general agreement with in vivo data. However, an overall evaluation of the V79 cell system for predicting in vivo promotion activity was difficult because of the organ specificity of certain chemicals and/or the limited number of adequately tested nonpromoting chemicals.« less

Assessing food selection in a health promotion program: validation of a brief instrument for American Indian children in the southwest United States.

PubMed

Koehler, K M; Cunningham-Sabo, L; Lambert, L C; McCalman, R; Skipper, B J; Davis, S M

2000-02-01

Brief dietary assessment instruments are needed to evaluate behavior changes of participants in dietary intervention programs. The purpose of this project was to design and validate an instrument for children participating in Pathways to Health, a culturally appropriate, cancer prevention curriculum. Validation of a brief food selection instrument, Yesterday's Food Choices (YFC), which contained 33 questions about foods eaten the previous day with response choices of yes, no, or not sure. Reference data for validation were 24-hour dietary recalls administered individually to 120 students selected randomly. The YFC and 24-hour dietary recalls were administered to American Indian children in fifth- and seventh-grade classes in the Southwest United States. Dietary recalls were coded for food items in the YFC and results were compared for each item using percentage agreement and the kappa statistic. Percentage agreement for all items was greater than 60%; for most items it was greater than 70%, and for several items it was greater than 80%. The amount of agreement beyond that explained by chance (kappa statistic) was generally small. Three items showed substantial agreement beyond chance (kappa > or = 0.6); 2 items showed moderate agreement (kappa = 0.40 to 0.59) most items showed fair agreement (kappa = 0.20 to 0.39). The food items showing substantial agreement were hot or cold cereal, low-fat milk, and mutton or chile stew. Fried or scrambled eggs and deep-fried foods showed moderate agreement beyond chances. Previous development and validation of brief food selection instruments for children participating in health promotion programs has had limited success. In this study, instrument-related factors that apparently contributed to poor agreement between data from the YFC and 24-hour dietary recall were inclusion of categories of foods vs specific foods; food knowledge, preparation, and vocabulary, item length, and overreporting of attractive foods. Collecting and scoring the 24-hour recall data may also have contributed to poor agreement. Further development of brief instruments for evaluating changes in children's behavior in dietary programs is necessary. Factors related to the YFC that need further development may be issues that are also important in the development of effective, brief dietary assessments for children as individual clients or patients.

The FLUKA Monte Carlo code coupled with the NIRS approach for clinical dose calculations in carbon ion therapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Magro, G.; Dahle, T. J.; Molinelli, S.; Ciocca, M.; Fossati, P.; Ferrari, A.; Inaniwa, T.; Matsufuji, N.; Ytre-Hauge, K. S.; Mairani, A.

2017-05-01

Particle therapy facilities often require Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to overcome intrinsic limitations of analytical treatment planning systems (TPS) related to the description of the mixed radiation field and beam interaction with tissue inhomogeneities. Some of these uncertainties may affect the computation of effective dose distributions; therefore, particle therapy dedicated MC codes should provide both absorbed and biological doses. Two biophysical models are currently applied clinically in particle therapy: the local effect model (LEM) and the microdosimetric kinetic model (MKM). In this paper, we describe the coupling of the NIRS (National Institute for Radiological Sciences, Japan) clinical dose to the FLUKA MC code. We moved from the implementation of the model itself to its application in clinical cases, according to the NIRS approach, where a scaling factor is introduced to rescale the (carbon-equivalent) biological dose to a clinical dose level. A high level of agreement was found with published data by exploring a range of values for the MKM input parameters, while some differences were registered in forward recalculations of NIRS patient plans, mainly attributable to differences with the analytical TPS dose engine (taken as reference) in describing the mixed radiation field (lateral spread and fragmentation). We presented a tool which is being used at the Italian National Center for Oncological Hadrontherapy to support the comparison study between the NIRS clinical dose level and the LEM dose specification.

The social disutility of software ownership.

PubMed

Douglas, David M

2011-09-01

Software ownership allows the owner to restrict the distribution of software and to prevent others from reading the software's source code and building upon it. However, free software is released to users under software licenses that give them the right to read the source code, modify it, reuse it, and distribute the software to others. Proponents of free software such as Richard M. Stallman and Eben Moglen argue that the social disutility of software ownership is a sufficient justification for prohibiting it. This social disutility includes the social instability of disregarding laws and agreements covering software use and distribution, inequality of software access, and the inability to help others by sharing software with them. Here I consider these and other social disutility claims against withholding specific software rights from users, in particular, the rights to read the source code, duplicate, distribute, modify, imitate, and reuse portions of the software within new programs. I find that generally while withholding these rights from software users does cause some degree of social disutility, only the rights to duplicate, modify and imitate cannot legitimately be denied to users on this basis. The social disutility of withholding the rights to distribute the software, read its source code and reuse portions of it in new programs is insufficient to prohibit software owners from denying them to users. A compromise between the software owner and user can minimise the social disutility of withholding these particular rights from users. However, the social disutility caused by software patents is sufficient for rejecting such patents as they restrict the methods of reducing social disutility possible with other forms of software ownership.

Extending WS-Agreement with Multi-round Negotiation Capability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rumpl, Angela; Wäldrich, Oliver; Ziegler, Wolfgang

The WS-Agreement specification of the Open Grid Forum defines a language and a protocol for advertising the capabilities of service providers and creating agreements based on templates, and for monitoring agreement compliance at runtime. While the specification, which currently is in the process of transition from a proposed recommendation of the Open Grid Forum to a full recommendation, has been widely used after the initial publication in May 2007, it became obvious that the missing possibility to negotiate an agreement rather than just accepting an offer is limiting or inhibiting the use of WS-Agreement for a number of use-cases. Therefore, the Grid Resource Allocation Agreement Working Group of the Open Grid Forum started in 2008 to prepare an extension of WS-Agreement that adds negotiation capabilities without changing the current specification in a way, which leads to an incompatible new version of WS-Agreement. In this paper we present the results of this process with an updated version of the specification in mind and the first implementation in the European project SmartLM.

26 CFR 301.7701-17T - Collective-bargaining plans and agreements (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... TREASURY (CONTINUED) PROCEDURE AND ADMINISTRATION PROCEDURE AND ADMINISTRATION Definitions § 301.7701-17T... of 1984, the Internal Revenue Code provided no clear definition of an employee representative or...

A model for the accurate computation of the lateral scattering of protons in water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bellinzona, E. V.; Ciocca, M.; Embriaco, A.; Ferrari, A.; Fontana, A.; Mairani, A.; Parodi, K.; Rotondi, A.; Sala, P.; Tessonnier, T.

2016-02-01

A pencil beam model for the calculation of the lateral scattering in water of protons for any therapeutic energy and depth is presented. It is based on the full Molière theory, taking into account the energy loss and the effects of mixtures and compounds. Concerning the electromagnetic part, the model has no free parameters and is in very good agreement with the FLUKA Monte Carlo (MC) code. The effects of the nuclear interactions are parametrized with a two-parameter tail function, adjusted on MC data calculated with FLUKA. The model, after the convolution with the beam and the detector response, is in agreement with recent proton data in water from HIT. The model gives results with the same accuracy of the MC codes based on Molière theory, with a much shorter computing time.

A model for the accurate computation of the lateral scattering of protons in water.

PubMed

Bellinzona, E V; Ciocca, M; Embriaco, A; Ferrari, A; Fontana, A; Mairani, A; Parodi, K; Rotondi, A; Sala, P; Tessonnier, T

2016-02-21

A pencil beam model for the calculation of the lateral scattering in water of protons for any therapeutic energy and depth is presented. It is based on the full Molière theory, taking into account the energy loss and the effects of mixtures and compounds. Concerning the electromagnetic part, the model has no free parameters and is in very good agreement with the FLUKA Monte Carlo (MC) code. The effects of the nuclear interactions are parametrized with a two-parameter tail function, adjusted on MC data calculated with FLUKA. The model, after the convolution with the beam and the detector response, is in agreement with recent proton data in water from HIT. The model gives results with the same accuracy of the MC codes based on Molière theory, with a much shorter computing time.

An artificial viscosity method for the design of supercritical airfoils

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcfadden, G. B.

1979-01-01

A numerical technique is presented for the design of two-dimensional supercritical wing sections with low wave drag. The method is a design mode of the analysis code H which gives excellent agreement with experimental results and is widely used in the aircraft industry. Topics covered include the partial differential equations of transonic flow, the computational procedure and results; the design procedure; a convergence theorem; and description of the code.

Caregiver person-centeredness and behavioral symptoms during mealtime interactions: development and feasibility of a coding scheme.

PubMed

Gilmore-Bykovskyi, Andrea L

2015-01-01

Mealtime behavioral symptoms are distressing and frequently interrupt eating for the individual experiencing them and others in the environment. A computer-assisted coding scheme was developed to measure caregiver person-centeredness and behavioral symptoms for nursing home residents with dementia during mealtime interactions. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the feasibility, ease of use, and inter-observer reliability of the coding scheme, and to explore the clinical utility of the coding scheme. Trained observers coded 22 observations. Data collection procedures were acceptable to participants. Overall, the coding scheme proved to be feasible, easy to execute and yielded good to very good inter-observer agreement following observer re-training. The coding scheme captured clinically relevant, modifiable antecedents to mealtime behavioral symptoms, but would be enhanced by the inclusion of measures for resident engagement and consolidation of items for measuring caregiver person-centeredness that co-occurred and were difficult for observers to distinguish. Published by Elsevier Inc.

RAZORBACK - A Research Reactor Transient Analysis Code Version 1.0 - Volume 3: Verification and Validation Report.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Talley, Darren G.

2017-04-01

This report describes the work and results of the verification and validation (V&V) of the version 1.0 release of the Razorback code. Razorback is a computer code designed to simulate the operation of a research reactor (such as the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR)) by a coupled numerical solution of the point reactor kinetics equations, the energy conservation equation for fuel element heat transfer, the equation of motion for fuel element thermal expansion, and the mass, momentum, and energy conservation equations for the water cooling of the fuel elements. This V&V effort was intended to confirm that the code showsmore » good agreement between simulation and actual ACRR operations.« less

Experimental Validation of an Ion Beam Optics Code with a Visualized Ion Thruster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakayama, Yoshinori; Nakano, Masakatsu

For validation of an ion beam optics code, the behavior of ion beam optics was experimentally observed and evaluated with a two-dimensional visualized ion thruster (VIT). Since the observed beam focus positions, sheath positions and measured ion beam currents were in good agreement with the numerical results, it was confirmed that the numerical model of this code was appropriated. In addition, it was also confirmed that the beam focus position was moved on center axis of grid hole according to the applied grid potentials, which differs from conventional understanding/assumption. The VIT operations may be useful not only for the validation of ion beam optics codes but also for the fundamental and intuitive understanding of the Child Law Sheath theory.

[Again on language of biology].

PubMed

Morchio, di Renzo

2004-01-01

Some time ago I proposed in an Editorial in this journal some considerations on the language of biology. I concluded that, to realize an autonomy of such a language (and therefore of biology), we have to develop a valid language for biology. In such a context, it seemed to me that the term "metaphors" referred to the concepts concerning the information carried by genetic code, was a reasonable one. However, Barbieri's article in this issue of Rivista di Biologia / Biology Forum calls for a reply. Of course, we do not know very much in this field, even if we have some evidence that a sequence of bases on a DNA is not determined only by chance. In any case we can exclude that nature in this occasion has "invented" a code. Nature doesn't "invent" anything: it only follows its rules, that we name "laws of nature". Barbieri quotes the Morse code, but forgets to say that such a code is "conventional" in the sense that it is valid only because it is the result of an "agreement" between Morse and the users of that code. There is nothing more unnatural than a "code": with whom nature should actually have to "reach an agreement"? As a matter of fact, we interpret as "information" what happens by law of nature. Also Barbieri's thesis that genes and proteins are molecular artifacts, assembled by external agents, whereas generally molecules are determined by their bonds, i.e. by internal factors, is a disputable one. It is examined how much an external structure plays a role in ordinary chemical reactions. The "information" of physics is not a semantic information. For such information we can refer to history of literature, telegraphic offices, genetics or biochemistry.

48 CFR 3025.7002-3 - Specific application of trade agreements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... trade agreements. 3025.7002-3 Section 3025.7002-3 Federal Acquisition Regulations System DEPARTMENT OF... ACQUISITION 3025.7002-3 Specific application of trade agreements. (a) For covered items entitled to non-discriminatory treatment under the World Trade Organization Agreement on Government Procurement (WTO GPA), or any...

Flexible Generation of Kalman Filter Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richardson, Julian; Wilson, Edward

2006-01-01

Domain-specific program synthesis can automatically generate high quality code in complex domains from succinct specifications, but the range of programs which can be generated by a given synthesis system is typically narrow. Obtaining code which falls outside this narrow scope necessitates either 1) extension of the code generator, which is usually very expensive, or 2) manual modification of the generated code, which is often difficult and which must be redone whenever changes are made to the program specification. In this paper, we describe adaptations and extensions of the AUTOFILTER Kalman filter synthesis system which greatly extend the range of programs which can be generated. Users augment the input specification with a specification of code fragments and how those fragments should interleave with or replace parts of the synthesized filter. This allows users to generate a much wider range of programs without their needing to modify the synthesis system or edit generated code. We demonstrate the usefulness of the approach by applying it to the synthesis of a complex state estimator which combines code from several Kalman filters with user-specified code. The work described in this paper allows the complex design decisions necessary for real-world applications to be reflected in the synthesized code. When executed on simulated input data, the generated state estimator was found to produce comparable estimates to those produced by a handcoded estimator

Predicting the velocity and azimuth of fragments generated by the range destruction or random failure of rocket casings and tankage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eck, Marshall; Mukunda, Meera

1988-01-01

A calculational method is described which provides a powerful tool for predicting solid rocket motor (SRM) casing and liquid rocket tankage fragmentation response. The approach properly partitions the available impulse to each major system-mass component. It uses the Pisces code developed by Physics International to couple the forces generated by an Eulerian-modeled gas flow field to a Lagrangian-modeled fuel and casing system. The details of the predictive analytical modeling process and the development of normalized relations for momentum partition as a function of SRM burn time and initial geometry are discussed. Methods for applying similar modeling techniques to liquid-tankage-overpressure failures are also discussed. Good agreement between predictions and observations are obtained for five specific events.

SSME thrust chamber simulation using Navier-Stokes equations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Przekwas, A. J.; Singhal, A. K.; Tam, L. T.

1984-01-01

The capability of the PHOENICS fluid dynamics code in predicting two-dimensional, compressible, and reacting flow in the combustion chamber and nozzle of the space shuttle main engine (SSME) was evaluated. A non-orthogonal body fitted coordinate system was used to represent the nozzle geometry. The Navier-Stokes equations were solved for the entire nozzle with a turbulence model. The wall boundary conditions were calculated based on the wall functions which account for pressure gradients. Results of the demonstration test case reveal all expected features of the transonic nozzle flows. Of particular interest are the locations of normal and barrel shocks, and regions of highest temperature gradients. Calculated performance (global) parameters such as thrust chamber flow rate, thrust, and specific impulse are also in good agreement with available data.

37 CFR 401.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... organization which is a party to a funding agreement. (c) The term invention means any invention or discovery... taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(a)) or any nonprofit scientific...

37 CFR 401.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... organization which is a party to a funding agreement. (c) The term invention means any invention or discovery... taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(a)) or any nonprofit scientific...

37 CFR 401.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... organization which is a party to a funding agreement. (c) The term invention means any invention or discovery... taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(a)) or any nonprofit scientific...

37 CFR 401.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... organization which is a party to a funding agreement. (c) The term invention means any invention or discovery... taxation under section 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 501(a)) or any nonprofit scientific...

Monte Carlo dose calculations in homogeneous media and at interfaces: a comparison between GEPTS, EGSnrc, MCNP, and measurements.

PubMed

Chibani, Omar; Li, X Allen

2002-05-01

Three Monte Carlo photon/electron transport codes (GEPTS, EGSnrc, and MCNP) are bench-marked against dose measurements in homogeneous (both low- and high-Z) media as well as at interfaces. A brief overview on physical models used by each code for photon and electron (positron) transport is given. Absolute calorimetric dose measurements for 0.5 and 1 MeV electron beams incident on homogeneous and multilayer media are compared with the predictions of the three codes. Comparison with dose measurements in two-layer media exposed to a 60Co gamma source is also performed. In addition, comparisons between the codes (including the EGS4 code) are done for (a) 0.05 to 10 MeV electron beams and positron point sources in lead, (b) high-energy photons (10 and 20 MeV) irradiating a multilayer phantom (water/steel/air), and (c) simulation of a 90Sr/90Y brachytherapy source. A good agreement is observed between the calorimetric electron dose measurements and predictions of GEPTS and EGSnrc in both homogeneous and multilayer media. MCNP outputs are found to be dependent on the energy-indexing method (Default/ITS style). This dependence is significant in homogeneous media as well as at interfaces. MCNP(ITS) fits more closely the experimental data than MCNP(DEF), except for the case of Be. At low energy (0.05 and 0.1 MeV), MCNP(ITS) dose distributions in lead show higher maximums in comparison with GEPTS and EGSnrc. EGS4 produces too penetrating electron-dose distributions in high-Z media, especially at low energy (<0.1 MeV). For positrons, differences between GEPTS and EGSnrc are observed in lead because GEPTS distinguishes positrons from electrons for both elastic multiple scattering and bremsstrahlung emission models. For the 60Co source, a quite good agreement between calculations and measurements is observed with regards to the experimental uncertainty. For the other cases (10 and 20 MeV photon sources and the 90Sr/90Y beta source), a good agreement is found between the three codes. In conclusion, differences between GEPTS and EGSnrc results are found to be very small for almost all media and energies studied. MCNP results depend significantly on the electron energy-indexing method.

Use of Systematic Methods to Improve Disease Identification in Administrative Data: The Case of Severe Sepsis.

PubMed

Shahraz, Saeid; Lagu, Tara; Ritter, Grant A; Liu, Xiadong; Tompkins, Christopher

2017-03-01

Selection of International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-based coded information for complex conditions such as severe sepsis is a subjective process and the results are sensitive to the codes selected. We use an innovative data exploration method to guide ICD-based case selection for severe sepsis. Using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample, we applied Latent Class Analysis (LCA) to determine if medical coders follow any uniform and sensible coding for observations with severe sepsis. We examined whether ICD-9 codes specific to sepsis (038.xx for septicemia, a subset of 995.9 codes representing Systemic Inflammatory Response syndrome, and 785.52 for septic shock) could all be members of the same latent class. Hospitalizations coded with sepsis-specific codes could be assigned to a latent class of their own. This class constituted 22.8% of all potential sepsis observations. The probability of an observation with any sepsis-specific codes being assigned to the residual class was near 0. The chance of an observation in the residual class having a sepsis-specific code as the principal diagnosis was close to 0. Validity of sepsis class assignment is supported by empirical results, which indicated that in-hospital deaths in the sepsis-specific class were around 4 times as likely as that in the residual class. The conventional methods of defining severe sepsis cases in observational data substantially misclassify sepsis cases. We suggest a methodology that helps reliable selection of ICD codes for conditions that require complex coding.

GRADSPMHD: A parallel MHD code based on the SPH formalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vanaverbeke, S.; Keppens, R.; Poedts, S.

2014-03-01

We present GRADSPMHD, a completely Lagrangian parallel magnetohydrodynamics code based on the SPH formalism. The implementation of the equations of SPMHD in the “GRAD-h” formalism assembles known results, including the derivation of the discretized MHD equations from a variational principle, the inclusion of time-dependent artificial viscosity, resistivity and conductivity terms, as well as the inclusion of a mixed hyperbolic/parabolic correction scheme for satisfying the ∇ṡB→ constraint on the magnetic field. The code uses a tree-based formalism for neighbor finding and can optionally use the tree code for computing the self-gravity of the plasma. The structure of the code closely follows the framework of our parallel GRADSPH FORTRAN 90 code which we added previously to the CPC program library. We demonstrate the capabilities of GRADSPMHD by running 1, 2, and 3 dimensional standard benchmark tests and we find good agreement with previous work done by other researchers. The code is also applied to the problem of simulating the magnetorotational instability in 2.5D shearing box tests as well as in global simulations of magnetized accretion disks. We find good agreement with available results on this subject in the literature. Finally, we discuss the performance of the code on a parallel supercomputer with distributed memory architecture. Catalogue identifier: AERP_v1_0 Program summary URL:http://cpc.cs.qub.ac.uk/summaries/AERP_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.: 620503 No. of bytes in distributed program, including test data, etc.: 19837671 Distribution format: tar.gz Programming language: FORTRAN 90/MPI. Computer: HPC cluster. Operating system: Unix. Has the code been vectorized or parallelized?: Yes, parallelized using MPI. RAM: ˜30 MB for a Sedov test including 15625 particles on a single CPU. Classification: 12. Nature of problem: Evolution of a plasma in the ideal MHD approximation. Solution method: The equations of magnetohydrodynamics are solved using the SPH method. Running time: The test provided takes approximately 20 min using 4 processors.

A verification of the gyrokinetic microstability codes GEM, GYRO, and GS2

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bravenec, R. V.; Chen, Y.; Wan, W.

2013-10-15

A previous publication [R. V. Bravenec et al., Phys. Plasmas 18, 122505 (2011)] presented favorable comparisons of linear frequencies and nonlinear fluxes from the Eulerian gyrokinetic codes gyro[J. Candy and R. E. Waltz, J. Comput. Phys. 186, 545 (2003)] and gs2[W. Dorland et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 85, 5579 (2000)]. The motivation was to verify the codes, i.e., demonstrate that they correctly solve the gyrokinetic-Maxwell equations. The premise was that it is highly unlikely for both codes to yield the same incorrect results. In this work, we add the Lagrangian particle-in-cell code gem[Y. Chen and S. Parker, J. Comput. Phys.more » 220, 839 (2007)] to the comparisons, not simply to add another code, but also to demonstrate that the codes' algorithms do not matter. We find good agreement of gem with gyro and gs2 for the plasma conditions considered earlier, thus establishing confidence that the codes are verified and that ongoing validation efforts for these plasma parameters are warranted.« less

Abbreviated Injury Scale: not a reliable basis for summation of injury severity in trauma facilities?

PubMed

Ringdal, Kjetil G; Skaga, Nils Oddvar; Hestnes, Morten; Steen, Petter Andreas; Røislien, Jo; Rehn, Marius; Røise, Olav; Krüger, Andreas J; Lossius, Hans Morten

2013-05-01

Injury severity is most frequently classified using the Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) as a basis for the Injury Severity Score (ISS) and the New Injury Severity Score (NISS), which are used for assessment of overall injury severity in the multiply injured patient and in outcome prediction. European trauma registries recommended the AIS 2008 edition, but the levels of inter-rater agreement and reliability of ISS and NISS, associated with its use, have not been reported. Nineteen Norwegian AIS-certified trauma registry coders were invited to score 50 real, anonymised patient medical records using AIS 2008. Rater agreements for ISS and NISS were analysed using Bland-Altman plots with 95% limits of agreement (LoA). A clinically acceptable LoA range was set at ± 9 units. Reliability was analysed using a two-way mixed model intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) statistics with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) and hierarchical agglomerative clustering. Ten coders submitted their coding results. Of their AIS codes, 2189 (61.5%) agreed with a reference standard, 1187 (31.1%) real injuries were missed, and 392 non-existing injuries were recorded. All LoAs were wider than the predefined, clinically acceptable limit of ± 9, for both ISS and NISS. The joint ICC (range) between each rater and the reference standard was 0.51 (0.29,0.86) for ISS and 0.51 (0.27,0.78) for NISS. The joint ICC (range) for inter-rater reliability was 0.49 (0.19,0.85) for ISS and 0.49 (0.16,0.82) for NISS. Univariate linear regression analyses indicated a significant relationship between the number of correctly AIS-coded injuries and total number of cases coded during the rater's career, but no significant relationship between the rater-against-reference ISS and NISS ICC values and total number of cases coded during the rater's career. Based on AIS 2008, ISS and NISS were not reliable for summarising anatomic injury severity in this study. This result indicates a limitation in their use as benchmarking tools for trauma system performance. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementing the Code of Practice on International Recruitment in Romania - exploring the current state of implementation and what Romania is doing to retain its domestic health workforce.

PubMed

Paina, Ligia; Ungureanu, Marius; Olsavszky, Victor

2016-06-30

The Romanian health system is struggling to retain its health workers, who are currently facing strong incentives for migration to Western European health systems. Retention issues, coupled with high levels of migration, complicate Romania's efforts in providing basic health services for rural, underserved, and marginalized populations, as well as in achieving equitable health access for all. The WHO Global Code of Practice on International Recruitment of Health Personnel (the Code) aims to promote ethical international recruitment and health systems strengthening. We explore Romania's implementation of the Code's principles and recommendations. We analysed peer-reviewed and grey literature, in English and Romanian, and sought secondary data from the websites of Romania's largest medical universities. The analysis was guided by the following themes and recommendations in the Code: health personnel development and health systems sustainability, international cooperation, data gathering, information exchange, and implementation and monitoring of the Code. Romania's implementation of the Code was observed to be limited. Gaps were identified with regards to several aspects of the Romanian health system, including the lack of support to health personnel training, recruitment, and retention in order to increase the appeal for health providers to practice in Romania and in underserved areas. In terms of international cooperation, the Code recommends various policy instruments to guide recruitment, including bilateral agreements. However, we could not determine which of these instruments were used as a result of the Code and whether or not they were effective. We identified little evidence of initiatives for health workers' professional and personal support. Insufficient data and few information exchange platforms exist on health workforce issues, hindering active sharing of data on migration with European Union and WHO audiences. We could not identify any evidence of monitoring of the Code's implementation to date. In the absence of major system reforms, health workers will continue to migrate to urban areas and abroad. Romanian policymakers should address more of the Code's recommendations by developing a national policy for human resources for health, a central database to aid health workforce planning and management, stronger platforms for information exchange and civil society engagement, and updated and transparent bilateral agreements.

Demonstration of Hybrid DSMC-CFD Capability for Nonequilibrium Reacting Flow

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-02-09

Lens-XX facility. This flow was chosen since a recent blind-code validation exercise revealed differences in CFD predictions and experimental data... experimental data that could be due to rarefied flow effects. The CFD solutions (using the US3D code) were run with no-slip boundary conditions and with...excellent agreement with that predicted by CFD. This implies that the dif- ference between CFD predictions and experimental data is not due to rarefied

Deformations of thick two-material cylinder under axially varying radial pressure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Patel, Y. A.

1976-01-01

Stresses and deformations in thick, short, composite cylinder subjected to axially varying radial pressure are studied. Effect of slippage at the interface is examined. In the NASTRAN finite element model, multipoint constraint feature is utilized. Results are compared with theoretical analysis and SAP-IV computer code. Results from NASTRAN computer code are in good agreement with the analytical solutions. Results suggest a considerable influence of interfacial slippage on the axial bending stresses in the cylinder.

National Combustion Code, a Multidisciplinary Combustor Design System, Will Be Transferred to the Commercial Sector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steele, Gynelle C.

1999-01-01

The NASA Lewis Research Center and Flow Parametrics will enter into an agreement to commercialize the National Combustion Code (NCC). This multidisciplinary combustor design system utilizes computer-aided design (CAD) tools for geometry creation, advanced mesh generators for creating solid model representations, a common framework for fluid flow and structural analyses, modern postprocessing tools, and parallel processing. This integrated system can facilitate and enhance various phases of the design and analysis process.

An assessment of the CORCON-MOD3 code. Part 1: Thermal-hydraulic calculations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Strizhov, V.; Kanukova, V.; Vinogradova, T.

1996-09-01

This report deals with the subject of CORCON-Mod3 code validation (thermal-hydraulic modeling capability only) based on MCCI (molten core concrete interaction) experiments conducted under different programs in the past decade. Thermal-hydraulic calculations (i.e., concrete ablation, melt temperature, melt energy, concrete temperature, and condensible and non-condensible gas generation) were performed with the code, and compared with the data from 15 experiments, conducted at different scales using both simulant (metallic and oxidic) and prototypic melt materials, using different concrete types, and with and without an overlying water pool. Sensitivity studies were performed in a few cases involving, for example, heat transfer frommore » melt to concrete, condensed phase chemistry, etc. Further, special analysis was performed using the ACE L8 experimental data to illustrate the differences between the experimental and the reactor conditions, and to demonstrate that with proper corrections made to the code, the calculated results were in better agreement with the experimental data. Generally, in the case of dry cavity and metallic melts, CORCON-Mod3 thermal-hydraulic calculations were in good agreement with the test data. For oxidic melts in a dry cavity, uncertainties in heat transfer models played an important role for two melt configurations--a stratified geometry with segregated metal and oxide layers, and a heterogeneous mixture. Some discrepancies in the gas release data were noted in a few cases.« less

Million-body star cluster simulations: comparisons between Monte Carlo and direct N-body

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodriguez, Carl L.; Morscher, Meagan; Wang, Long; Chatterjee, Sourav; Rasio, Frederic A.; Spurzem, Rainer

2016-12-01

We present the first detailed comparison between million-body globular cluster simulations computed with a Hénon-type Monte Carlo code, CMC, and a direct N-body code, NBODY6++GPU. Both simulations start from an identical cluster model with 106 particles, and include all of the relevant physics needed to treat the system in a highly realistic way. With the two codes `frozen' (no fine-tuning of any free parameters or internal algorithms of the codes) we find good agreement in the overall evolution of the two models. Furthermore, we find that in both models, large numbers of stellar-mass black holes (>1000) are retained for 12 Gyr. Thus, the very accurate direct N-body approach confirms recent predictions that black holes can be retained in present-day, old globular clusters. We find only minor disagreements between the two models and attribute these to the small-N dynamics driving the evolution of the cluster core for which the Monte Carlo assumptions are less ideal. Based on the overwhelming general agreement between the two models computed using these vastly different techniques, we conclude that our Monte Carlo approach, which is more approximate, but dramatically faster compared to the direct N-body, is capable of producing an accurate description of the long-term evolution of massive globular clusters even when the clusters contain large populations of stellar-mass black holes.

Regional and temporal variations in coding of hospital diagnoses referring to upper gastrointestinal and oesophageal bleeding in Germany.

PubMed

Langner, Ingo; Mikolajczyk, Rafael; Garbe, Edeltraut

2011-08-17

Health insurance claims data are increasingly used for health services research in Germany. Hospital diagnoses in these data are coded according to the International Classification of Diseases, German modification (ICD-10-GM). Due to the historical division into West and East Germany, different coding practices might persist in both former parts. Additionally, the introduction of Diagnosis Related Groups (DRGs) in Germany in 2003/2004 might have changed the coding. The aim of this study was to investigate regional and temporal variations in coding of hospitalisation diagnoses in Germany. We analysed hospitalisation diagnoses for oesophageal bleeding (OB) and upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) from the official German Hospital Statistics provided by the Federal Statistical Office. Bleeding diagnoses were classified as "specific" (origin of bleeding provided) or "unspecific" (origin of bleeding not provided) coding. We studied regional (former East versus West Germany) differences in incidence of hospitalisations with specific or unspecific coding for OB and UGIB and temporal variations between 2000 and 2005. For each year, incidence ratios of hospitalisations for former East versus West Germany were estimated with log-linear regression models adjusting for age, gender and population density. Significant differences in specific and unspecific coding between East and West Germany and over time were found for both, OB and UGIB hospitalisation diagnoses, respectively. For example in 2002, incidence ratios of hospitalisations for East versus West Germany were 1.24 (95% CI 1.16-1.32) for specific and 0.67 (95% CI 0.60-0.74) for unspecific OB diagnoses and 1.43 (95% CI 1.36-1.51) for specific and 0.83 (95% CI 0.80-0.87) for unspecific UGIB. Regional differences nearly disappeared and time trends were less marked when using combined specific and unspecific diagnoses of OB or UGIB, respectively. During the study period, there were substantial regional and temporal variations in the coding of OB and UGIB diagnoses in hospitalised patients. Possible explanations for the observed regional variations are different coding preferences, further influenced by changes in coding and reimbursement rules. Analysing groups of diagnoses including specific and unspecific codes reduces the influence of varying coding practices.

[Differentiation of coding quality in orthopaedics by special, illustration-oriented case group analysis in the G-DRG System 2005].

PubMed

Schütz, U; Reichel, H; Dreinhöfer, K

2007-01-01

We introduce a grouping system for clinical practice which allows the separation of DRG coding in specific orthopaedic groups based on anatomic regions, operative procedures, therapeutic interventions and morbidity equivalent diagnosis groups. With this, a differentiated aim-oriented analysis of illustrated internal DRG data becomes possible. The group-specific difference of the coding quality between the DRG groups following primary coding by the orthopaedic surgeon and final coding by the medical controlling is analysed. In a consecutive series of 1600 patients parallel documentation and group-specific comparison of the relevant DRG parameters were carried out in every case after primary and final coding. Analysing the group-specific share in the additional CaseMix coding, the group "spine surgery" dominated, closely followed by the groups "arthroplasty" and "surgery due to infection, tumours, diabetes". Altogether, additional cost-weight-relevant coding was necessary most frequently in the latter group (84%), followed by group "spine surgery" (65%). In DRGs representing conservative orthopaedic treatment documented procedures had nearly no influence on the cost weight. The introduced system of case group analysis in internal DRG documentation can lead to the detection of specific problems in primary coding and cost-weight relevant changes of the case mix. As an instrument for internal process control in the orthopaedic field, it can serve as a communicative interface between an economically oriented classification of the hospital performance and a specific problem solution of the medical staff involved in the department management.

A validation of LTRAN2 with high frequency extensions by comparisons with experimental measurements of unsteady transonic flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hessenius, K. A.; Goorjian, P. M.

1981-01-01

A high frequency extension of the unsteady, transonic code LTRAN2 was created and is evaluated by comparisons with experimental results. The experimental test case is a NACA 64A010 airfoil in pitching motion at a Mach number of 0.8 over a range of reduced frequencies. Comparisons indicate that the modified code is an improvement of the original LTRAN2 and provides closer agreement with experimental lift and moment coefficients. A discussion of the code modifications, which involve the addition of high frequency terms of the boundary conditions of the numerical algorithm, is included.

Rigorous-two-Steps scheme of TRIPOLI-4® Monte Carlo code validation for shutdown dose rate calculation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jaboulay, Jean-Charles; Brun, Emeric; Hugot, François-Xavier; Huynh, Tan-Dat; Malouch, Fadhel; Mancusi, Davide; Tsilanizara, Aime

2017-09-01

After fission or fusion reactor shutdown the activated structure emits decay photons. For maintenance operations the radiation dose map must be established in the reactor building. Several calculation schemes have been developed to calculate the shutdown dose rate. These schemes are widely developed in fusion application and more precisely for the ITER tokamak. This paper presents the rigorous-two-steps scheme implemented at CEA. It is based on the TRIPOLI-4® Monte Carlo code and the inventory code MENDEL. The ITER shutdown dose rate benchmark has been carried out, results are in a good agreement with the other participant.

Automatic removal of cosmic ray signatures in Deep Impact images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ipatov, S. I.; A'Hearn, M. F.; Klaasen, K. P.

The results of recognition of cosmic ray (CR) signatures on single images made during the Deep Impact mission were analyzed for several codes written by several authors. For automatic removal of CR signatures on many images, we suggest using the code imgclean ( http://pdssbn.astro.umd.edu/volume/didoc_0001/document/calibration_software/dical_v5/) written by E. Deutsch as other codes considered do not work properly automatically with a large number of images and do not run to completion for some images; however, other codes can be better for analysis of certain specific images. Sometimes imgclean detects false CR signatures near the edge of a comet nucleus, and it often does not recognize all pixels of long CR signatures. Our code rmcr is the only code among those considered that allows one to work with raw images. For most visual images made during low solar activity at exposure time t > 4 s, the number of clusters of bright pixels on an image per second per sq. cm of CCD was about 2-4, both for dark and normal sky images. At high solar activity, it sometimes exceeded 10. The ratio of the number of CR signatures consisting of n pixels obtained at high solar activity to that at low solar activity was greater for greater n. The number of clusters detected as CR signatures on a single infrared image is by at least a factor of several greater than the actual number of CR signatures; the number of clusters based on analysis of two successive dark infrared frames is in agreement with an expected number of CR signatures. Some glitches of false CR signatures include bright pixels repeatedly present on different infrared images. Our interactive code imr allows a user to choose the regions on a considered image where glitches detected by imgclean as CR signatures are ignored. In other regions chosen by the user, the brightness of some pixels is replaced by the local median brightness if the brightness of these pixels is greater by some factor than the median brightness. The interactive code allows one to delete long CR signatures and prevents removal of false CR signatures near the edge of the nucleus of the comet. The interactive code can be applied to editing any digital images. Results obtained can be used for other missions to comets.

EasyDIAg: A tool for easy determination of interrater agreement.

PubMed

Holle, Henning; Rein, Robert

2015-09-01

Reliable measurements are fundamental for the empirical sciences. In observational research, measurements often consist of observers categorizing behavior into nominal-scaled units. Since the categorization is the outcome of a complex judgment process, it is important to evaluate the extent to which these judgments are reproducible, by having multiple observers independently rate the same behavior. A challenge in determining interrater agreement for timed-event sequential data is to develop clear objective criteria to determine whether two raters' judgments relate to the same event (the linking problem). Furthermore, many studies presently report only raw agreement indices, without considering the degree to which agreement can occur by chance alone. Here, we present a novel, free, and open-source toolbox (EasyDIAg) designed to assist researchers with the linking problem, while also providing chance-corrected estimates of interrater agreement. Additional tools are included to facilitate the development of coding schemes and rater training.

Dietary assessment of British police force employees: a description of diet record coding procedures and cross-sectional evaluation of dietary energy intake reporting (The Airwave Health Monitoring Study)

PubMed Central

Gibson, Rachel; Eriksen, Rebeca; Lamb, Kathryn; McMeel, Yvonne; Vergnaud, Anne-Claire; Spear, Jeanette; Aresu, Maria; Chan, Queenie; Elliott, Paul; Frost, Gary

2017-01-01

Objectives Dietary intake is a key aspect of occupational health. To capture the characteristics of dietary behaviour that is affected by occupational environment that may affect disease risk, a collection of prospective multiday dietary records is required. The aims of this paper are to: (1) collect multiday dietary data in the Airwave Health Monitoring Study, (2) describe the dietary coding procedures applied and (3) investigate the plausibility of dietary reporting in this occupational cohort. Design A dietary coding protocol for this large-scale study was developed to minimise coding error rate. Participants (n 4412) who completed 7-day food records were included for cross-sectional analyses. Energy intake (EI) misreporting was estimated using the Goldberg method. Multivariate logistic regression models were applied to determine participant characteristics associated with EI misreporting. Setting British police force employees enrolled (2007–2012) into the Airwave Health Monitoring Study. Results The mean code error rate per food diary was 3.7% (SD 3.2%). The strongest predictors of EI under-reporting were body mass index (BMI) and physical activity. Compared with participants with BMI<25 kg/m2, those with BMI>30 kg/m2 had increased odds of being classified as under-reporting EI (men OR 5.20 95% CI 3.92 to 6.89; women OR 2.66 95% CI 1.85 to 3.83). Men and women in the highest physical activity category compared with the lowest were also more likely to be classified as under-reporting (men OR 3.33 95% CI 2.46 to 4.50; women OR 4.34 95% CI 2.91 to 6.55). Conclusions A reproducible dietary record coding procedure has been developed to minimise coding error in complex 7-day diet diaries. The prevalence of EI under-reporting is comparable with existing national UK cohorts and, in agreement with previous studies, classification of under-reporting was biased towards specific subgroups of participants. PMID:28377391

What if pediatric residents could bill for their outpatient services?

PubMed

Ng, M; Lawless, S T

2001-10-01

We prospectively studied the potential of billing and coding practices of pediatric residents in outpatient clinics and extrapolated our results to assess the financial implications of billing inaccuracies. Using Medicare as a common measure of "currency," we also used the relative value unit (RVU) and ambulatory payment class methodologies as means of assessing the productivity and financial value of resident-staffed pediatric clinics. Residents were asked to submit voluntarily shadow billing forms and documentation of outpatient clinic visits. Documentation of work was assessed by a blinded reviewer, and current procedure terminology evaluation and management codes were assigned. Comparisons between resident codes and calculated codes were made. Financial implications of physician productivity were calculated in terms of dollar amounts and RVUs. Resource intensity was measured using the ambulatory payment class methodology. A total of 344 charts were reviewed. Coding agreement for health maintenance visits was 86%, whereas agreement for acute care visits was 38%. Eighty-three percent of coding disagreement in the latter group was resulting from undercoding by residents. Errors accounted for a 4.79% difference in potential reimbursement for all visit types and a 19.10% difference for acute care visits. No significant differences in shadow billing discrepancies were found between different levels of training. Residents were predicted to generate $67 230, $87 593, and $96 072 in Medicare revenue in the outpatient clinic setting during each successive year of training. On average, residents generated 1.17 +/- 0.01 and 0.81 +/- 0.02 work RVUs for each health maintenance visit and office visit, respectively. Annual productivity from outpatient clinic settings was estimated at 548, 735, and 893 work RVUs in the postgraduate levels 1, 2, and 3, respectively. When pediatric residents are not trained adequately in proper coding practices, the potential for billing discrepancies is high and potential reimbursement differences may be substantial. Discussion of financial issues should be considered in curriculum development.

Variability in interhospital trauma data coding and scoring: A challenge to the accuracy of aggregated trauma registries.

PubMed

Arabian, Sandra S; Marcus, Michael; Captain, Kevin; Pomphrey, Michelle; Breeze, Janis; Wolfe, Jennefer; Bugaev, Nikolay; Rabinovici, Reuven

2015-09-01

Analyses of data aggregated in state and national trauma registries provide the platform for clinical, research, development, and quality improvement efforts in trauma systems. However, the interhospital variability and accuracy in data abstraction and coding have not yet been directly evaluated. This multi-institutional, Web-based, anonymous study examines interhospital variability and accuracy in data coding and scoring by registrars. Eighty-two American College of Surgeons (ACS)/state-verified Level I and II trauma centers were invited to determine different data elements including diagnostic, procedure, and Abbreviated Injury Scale (AIS) coding as well as selected National Trauma Data Bank definitions for the same fictitious case. Variability and accuracy in data entries were assessed by the maximal percent agreement among the registrars for the tested data elements, and 95% confidence intervals were computed to compare this level of agreement to the ideal value of 100%. Variability and accuracy in all elements were compared (χ testing) based on Trauma Quality Improvement Program (TQIP) membership, level of trauma center, ACS verification, and registrar's certifications. Fifty registrars (61%) completed the survey. The overall accuracy for all tested elements was 64%. Variability was noted in all examined parameters except for the place of occurrence code in all groups and the lower extremity AIS code in Level II trauma centers and in the Certified Specialist in Trauma Registry- and Certified Abbreviated Injury Scale Specialist-certified registrar groups. No differences in variability were noted when groups were compared based on TQIP membership, level of center, ACS verification, and registrar's certifications, except for prehospital Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), where TQIP respondents agreed more than non-TQIP centers (p = 0.004). There is variability and inaccuracy in interhospital data coding and scoring of injury information. This finding casts doubt on the validity of registry data used in all aspects of trauma care and injury surveillance.

Validation of numerical solvers for liquid metal flow in a complex geometry in the presence of a strong magnetic field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Anita; Pulugundla, Gautam; Smolentsev, Sergey; Abdou, Mohamed; Bhattacharyay, Rajendraprasad

2018-04-01

Following the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) code validation and verification proposal by Smolentsev et al. (Fusion Eng Des 100:65-72, 2015), we perform code to code and code to experiment comparisons between two computational solvers, FLUIDYN and HIMAG, which are presently considered as two of the prospective CFD tools for fusion blanket applications. In such applications, an electrically conducting breeder/coolant circulates in the blanket ducts in the presence of a strong plasma-confining magnetic field at high Hartmann numbers, it{Ha} (it{Ha}^2 is the ratio between electromagnetic and viscous forces) and high interaction parameters, it{N} (it{N} is the ratio of electromagnetic to inertial forces). The main objective of this paper is to provide the scientific and engineering community with common references to assist fusion researchers in the selection of adequate computational means to be used for blanket design and analysis. As an initial validation case, the two codes are applied to the classic problem of a laminar fully developed MHD flows in a rectangular duct. Both codes demonstrate a very good agreement with the analytical solution for it{Ha} up to 15, 000. To address the capabilities of the two codes to properly resolve complex geometry flows, we consider a case of three-dimensional developing MHD flow in a geometry comprising of a series of interconnected electrically conducting rectangular ducts. The computed electric potential distributions for two flows (Case A) it{Ha}=515, it{N}=3.2 and (Case B) it{Ha}=2059, it{N}=63.8 are in very good agreement with the experimental data, while the comparisons for the MHD pressure drop are still unsatisfactory. To better interpret the observed differences, the obtained numerical data are analyzed against earlier theoretical and experimental studies for flows that involve changes in the relative orientation between the flow and the magnetic field.

Technical Support Document for Version 3.6.1 of the COMcheck Software

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bartlett, Rosemarie; Connell, Linda M.; Gowri, Krishnan

2009-09-29

This technical support document (TSD) is designed to explain the technical basis for the COMcheck software as originally developed based on the ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-1989 (Standard 90.1-1989). Documentation for other national model codes and standards and specific state energy codes supported in COMcheck has been added to this report as appendices. These appendices are intended to provide technical documentation for features specific to the supported codes and for any changes made for state-specific codes that differ from the standard features that support compliance with the national model codes and standards.

78 FR 13401 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request For Regulation Project

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-27

... must generally file a gain recognition agreement with the IRS in order to defer gain on a Code section... for the proper performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the information shall...

Modelling of thermal shock experiments of carbon based materials in JUDITH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogorodnikova, O. V.; Pestchanyi, S.; Koza, Y.; Linke, J.

2005-03-01

The interaction of hot plasma with material in fusion devices can result in material erosion and irreversible damage. Carbon based materials are proposed for ITER divertor armour. To simulate carbon erosion under high heat fluxes, electron beam heating in the JUDITH facility has been used. In this paper, carbon erosion under energetic electron impact is modeled by the 3D thermomechanics code 'PEGASUS-3D'. The code is based on a crack generation induced by thermal stress. The particle emission observed in thermal shock experiments is a result of breaking bonds between grains caused by thermal stress. The comparison of calculations with experimental data from JUDITH shows good agreement for various incident power densities and pulse durations. A realistic mean failure stress has been found. Pre-heating of test specimens results in earlier onset of brittle destruction and enhanced particle loss in agreement with experiments.

Element analysis and calculation of the attenuation coefficients for gold, bronze and water matrixes using MCNP, WinXCom and experimental data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Esfandiari, M.; Shirmardi, S. P.; Medhat, M. E.

2014-06-01

In this study, element analysis and the mass attenuation coefficient for matrixes of gold, bronze and water with various impurities and the concentrations of heavy metals (Cu, Mn, Pb and Zn) are evaluated and calculated by the MCNP simulation code for photons emitted from Barium-133, Americium-241 and sources with energies between 1 and 100 keV. The MCNP data are compared with the experimental data and WinXCom code simulated results by Medhat. The results showed that the obtained results of bronze and gold matrix are in good agreement with the other methods for energies above 40 and 60 keV, respectively. However for water matrixes with various impurities, there is a good agreement between the three methods MCNP, WinXCom and the experimental one in low and high energies.

Water Hammer Simulations of MMH Propellant - New Capability Demonstration of the Generalized Fluid Flow Simulation Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burkhardt, Z.; Ramachandran, N.; Majumdar, A.

2017-01-01

Fluid Transient analysis is important for the design of spacecraft propulsion system to ensure structural stability of the system in the event of sudden closing or opening of the valve. Generalized Fluid System Simulation Program (GFSSP), a general purpose flow network code developed at NASA/MSFC is capable of simulating pressure surge due to sudden opening or closing of valve when thermodynamic properties of real fluid are available for the entire range of simulation. Specifically GFSSP needs an accurate representation of pressure-density relationship in order to predict pressure surge during a fluid transient. Unfortunately, the available thermodynamic property programs such as REFPROP, GASP or GASPAK does not provide the thermodynamic properties of Monomethylhydrazine (MMH). This paper will illustrate the process used for building a customized table of properties of state variables from available properties and speed of sound that is required by GFSSP for simulation. Good agreement was found between the simulations and measured data. This method can be adopted for modeling flow networks and systems with other fluids whose properties are not known in detail in order to obtain general technical insight. Rigorous code validation of this approach will be done and reported at a future date.

Do third-party plans really pay for CVS care?

PubMed

Soden, Richard

2002-04-01

Until specific CPT and ICD-9 codes are created and approved for CVS, and until there is uniform agreement that CVS is a true medical anomaly (or not), each practitioner will have to decide on how to bill for the signs and symptoms of Computer Vision Syndrome. If the practitioner chooses to view CVS as a medical problem, then the same guidelines and rules for all other patients should be followed with appropriate documentation using CPT and ICD-9 coding. If the practitioner chooses to consider CVS solely as an optical problem, this is a "noncovered" service and the patient or any applicable optical plan will be responsible for payment. One final note: each practitioner who tests for CVS will also have to determine if there is a separate fee for CVS testing. If the practitioner considers CVS to be a medical problem, it may be applicable to include testing for Computer Vision Syndrome as an incidental test to the medical office visit. If the practitioner chooses to consider CVS to be purely an optical problem, it may be appropriate to add an appropriate charge to the noncovered examination. Whatever the decision is, there must be consistency from patient to patient.

[Reliability of birth defect data on birth certificates of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2004].

PubMed

Guerra, Fernando Antônio Ramos; Llerena, Juan Clinton; Gama, Silvana Granado Nogueira da; Cunha, Cynthia Braga da; Theme Filha, Mariza Miranda

2008-02-01

This study assessed the reliability of birth certificate data related to birth defects in Brazil's Live Birth Information System (SINASC). We selected 24 maternity hospitals in the Unified National Health System (SUS) and compared the reports of birth defects from birth certificates with medical records of mothers and live born infants in the city of Rio de Janeiro for the year 2004. After transposing the data to a specific form, the birth defects were coded by types and organ systems and compared to the SINASC data. The most commonly affected organs involved the central nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Agreement was more than 50% for the digestive, genitourinary, and musculoskeletal systems and chromosomal anomalies. Prevalence-adjusted kappa varied according to 2 or 3-digit ICD-10 analysis, with better results for the musculoskeletal, digestive, and genitourinary systems and congenital anomalies, and worse for the central nervous and cardio-circulatory systems, eye, neck, and ear malformations, and cleft lip and palate. The results were unsatisfactory, suggesting the need for more investments to train the persons responsible for completing birth certificates in maternity hospitals and develop a model for coding birth defects on these documents.

Analytical determination of propeller performance degradation due to ice accretion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, T. L.

1986-01-01

A computer code has been developed which is capable of computing propeller performance for clean, glaze, or rime iced propeller configurations, thereby providing a mechanism for determining the degree of performance degradation which results from a given icing encounter. The inviscid, incompressible flow field at each specified propeller radial location is first computed using the Theodorsen transformation method of conformal mapping. A droplet trajectory computation then calculates droplet impingement points and airfoil collection efficiency for each radial location, at which point several user-selectable empirical correlations are available for determining the aerodynamic penalities which arise due to the ice accretion. Propeller performance is finally computed using strip analysis for either the clean or iced propeller. In the iced mode, the differential thrust and torque coefficient equations are modified by the drag and lift coefficient increments due to ice to obtain the appropriate iced values. Comparison with available experimental propeller icing data shows good agreement in several cases. The code's capability to properly predict iced thrust coefficient, power coefficient, and propeller efficiency is shown to be dependent on the choice of empirical correlation employed as well as proper specification of radial icing extent.

Recent Updates to the MELCOR 1.8.2 Code for ITER Applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Merrill, Brad J

This report documents recent changes made to the MELCOR 1.8.2 computer code for application to the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER), as required by ITER Task Agreement ITA 81-18. There are four areas of change documented by this report. The first area is the addition to this code of a model for transporting HTO. The second area is the updating of the material oxidation correlations to match those specified in the ITER Safety Analysis Data List (SADL). The third area replaces a modification to an aerosol tranpsort subroutine that specified the nominal aerosol density internally with one that now allowsmore » the user to specify this density through user input. The fourth area corrected an error that existed in an air condensation subroutine of previous versions of this modified MELCOR code. The appendices of this report contain FORTRAN listings of the coding for these modifications.« less

A Ratio Test of Interrater Agreement with High Specificity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cousineau, Denis; Laurencelle, Louis

2015-01-01

Existing tests of interrater agreements have high statistical power; however, they lack specificity. If the ratings of the two raters do not show agreement but are not random, the current tests, some of which are based on Cohen's kappa, will often reject the null hypothesis, leading to the wrong conclusion that agreement is present. A new test of…

Can rapid integrated polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostics for gastrointestinal pathogens improve routine hospital infection control practice? A diagnostic study.

PubMed

Pankhurst, Louise; Macfarlane-Smith, Louissa; Buchanan, James; Anson, Luke; Davies, Kerrie; O'Connor, Lily; Ashwin, Helen; Pike, Graham; Dingle, Kate E; Peto, Timothy Ea; Wordsworth, Sarah; Walker, A Sarah; Wilcox, Mark H; Crook, Derrick W

2014-08-01

Every year approximately 5000-9000 patients are admitted to a hospital with diarrhoea, which in up to 90% of cases has a non-infectious cause. As a result, single rooms are 'blocked' by patients with non-infectious diarrhoea, while patients with infectious diarrhoea are still in open bays because of a lack of free side rooms. A rapid test for differentiating infectious from non-infectious diarrhoea could be very beneficial for patients. To evaluate MassCode multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the simultaneous diagnosis of multiple enteropathogens directly from stool, in terms of sensitivity/specificity to detect four common important enteropathogens: Clostridium difficile, Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp. and norovirus. A retrospective study of fixed numbers of samples positive for C. difficile (n = 200), Campylobacter spp. (n = 200), Salmonella spp. (n = 100) and norovirus (n = 200) plus samples negative for all these pathogens (n = 300). Samples were sourced from NHS microbiology laboratories in Oxford and Leeds where initial diagnostic testing was performed according to Public Health England methodology. Researchers carrying out MassCode assays were blind to this information. A questionnaire survey, examining current practice for infection control teams and microbiology laboratories managing infectious diarrhoea, was also carried out. MassCode assays were carried out at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. Further multiplex assays, carried out using Luminex, were run on the same set of samples at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. The questionnaire was completed by various NHS trusts. Sensitivity and specificity to detect C. difficile, Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp., and norovirus. Nucleic acids were extracted from 948 clinical samples using an optimised protocol (200 Campylobacter spp., 199 C. difficile, 60 S. enterica, 199 norovirus and 295 negative samples; some samples contained more than one pathogen). Using the MassCode assay, sensitivities for each organism compared with standard microbiological testing ranged from 43% to 94% and specificities from 95% to 98%, with particularly poor performance for S. enterica. Relatively large numbers of unexpected positives not confirmed with quantitative PCR were also observed, particularly for S. enterica, Giardia lamblia and Cryptosporidium spp. As the results indicated that S. enterica detection might provide generic challenges to other multiplex assays for gastrointestinal pathogens, the Luminex xTag(®) gastrointestinal assay was also run blinded on the same extracts (937/948 remaining) and on re-extracted samples (839/948 with sufficient material). For Campylobacter spp., C. difficile and norovirus, high sensitivities (> 92%) and specificities (> 96%) were observed. For S. enterica, on the original MassCode/Oxford extracts, Luminex sensitivity compared with standard microbiological testing was 84% [95% confidence interval (CI) 73% to 93%], but this dropped to 46% on a fresh extract, very similar to MassCode, with a corresponding increase in specificity from 92% to 99%. Overall agreement on the per-sample diagnosis compared with combined microbiology plus PCR for the main four/all pathogens was 85.6%/64.7%, 87.0%/82.9% and 89.8%/86.8% for the MassCode assay, Luminex assay/MassCode extract and Luminex assay/fresh extract, respectively. Luminex assay results from fresh extracts implied that 5% of samples did not represent infectious diarrhoea, even though enteropathogens were genuinely present. Managing infectious diarrhoea was a significant burden for infection control teams (taking 21% of their time) and better diagnostics were identified as having major potential benefits for patients. Overall, the Luminex xTag gastrointestinal panel showed similar or superior sensitivity and specificity to the MassCode assay. However, on fresh extracts, this test had low sensitivity to detect a key enteric pathogen, S. enterica; making it an unrealistic option for most microbiology laboratories. Extraction efficiency appears to be a major obstacle for nucleic acid-based tests for this organism, and possibly the whole Enterobacteriaceae family. To improve workflows in service microbiology laboratories, to reduce workload for infection control practitioners, and to improve outcomes for NHS patients, further research on deoxyribonucleic acid-based multiplex gastrointestinal diagnostics is urgently needed. The Health Technology Assessment programme of the National Institute for Health Research.

A 2D and 3D Code Comparison of Turbulent Mixing in Spherical Implosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flaig, Markus; Thornber, Ben; Grieves, Brian; Youngs, David; Williams, Robin; Clark, Dan; Weber, Chris

2016-10-01

Turbulent mixing due to Richtmyer-Meshkov and Rayleigh-Taylor instabilities has proven to be a major obstacle on the way to achieving ignition in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions. Numerical simulations are an important tool for understanding the mixing process, however, the results of such simulations depend on the choice of grid geometry and the numerical scheme used. In order to clarify this issue, we compare the simulation codes FLASH, TURMOIL, HYDRA, MIRANDA and FLAMENCO for the problem of the growth of single- and multi-mode perturbations on the inner interface of a dense imploding shell. We consider two setups: A single-shock setup with a convergence ratio of 4, as well as a higher convergence multi-shock setup that mimics a typical NIF mixcap experiment. We employ both singlemode and ICF-like broadband perturbations. We find good agreement between all codes concerning the evolution of the mix layer width, however, the are differences in the small scale mixing. We also develop a Bell-Plesset model that is able to predict the mix layer width and find excellent agreement with the simulation results. This work was supported by resources provided by the Pawsey Supercomputing Centre with funding from the Australian Government.

Comparison of manually produced and automated cross country movement maps using digital image processing techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wynn, L. K.

1985-01-01

The Image-Based Information System (IBIS) was used to automate the cross country movement (CCM) mapping model developed by the Defense Mapping Agency (DMA). Existing terrain factor overlays and a CCM map, produced by DMA for the Fort Lewis, Washington area, were digitized and reformatted into geometrically registered images. Terrain factor data from Slope, Soils, and Vegetation overlays were entered into IBIS, and were then combined utilizing IBIS-programmed equations to implement the DMA CCM model. The resulting IBIS-generated CCM map was then compared with the digitized manually produced map to test similarity. The numbers of pixels comprising each CCM region were compared between the two map images, and percent agreement between each two regional counts was computed. The mean percent agreement equalled 86.21%, with an areally weighted standard deviation of 11.11%. Calculation of Pearson's correlation coefficient yielded +9.997. In some cases, the IBIS-calculated map code differed from the DMA codes: analysis revealed that IBIS had calculated the codes correctly. These highly positive results demonstrate the power and accuracy of IBIS in automating models which synthesize a variety of thematic geographic data.

Calculating the Mean Amplitude of Glycemic Excursions from Continuous Glucose Data Using an Open-Code Programmable Algorithm Based on the Integer Nonlinear Method.

PubMed

Yu, Xuefei; Lin, Liangzhuo; Shen, Jie; Chen, Zhi; Jian, Jun; Li, Bin; Xin, Sherman Xuegang

2018-01-01

The mean amplitude of glycemic excursions (MAGE) is an essential index for glycemic variability assessment, which is treated as a key reference for blood glucose controlling at clinic. However, the traditional "ruler and pencil" manual method for the calculation of MAGE is time-consuming and prone to error due to the huge data size, making the development of robust computer-aided program an urgent requirement. Although several software products are available instead of manual calculation, poor agreement among them is reported. Therefore, more studies are required in this field. In this paper, we developed a mathematical algorithm based on integer nonlinear programming. Following the proposed mathematical method, an open-code computer program named MAGECAA v1.0 was developed and validated. The results of the statistical analysis indicated that the developed program was robust compared to the manual method. The agreement among the developed program and currently available popular software is satisfied, indicating that the worry about the disagreement among different software products is not necessary. The open-code programmable algorithm is an extra resource for those peers who are interested in the related study on methodology in the future.

Application of unsteady aeroelastic analysis techniques on the national aerospace plane

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pototzky, Anthony S.; Spain, Charles V.; Soistmann, David L.; Noll, Thomas E.

1988-01-01

A presentation provided at the Fourth National Aerospace Plane Technology Symposium held in Monterey, California, in February 1988 is discussed. The objective is to provide current results of ongoing investigations to develop a methodology for predicting the aerothermoelastic characteristics of NASP-type (hypersonic) flight vehicles. Several existing subsonic and supersonic unsteady aerodynamic codes applicable to the hypersonic class of flight vehicles that are generally available to the aerospace industry are described. These codes were evaluated by comparing calculated results with measured wind-tunnel aeroelastic data. The agreement was quite good in the subsonic speed range but showed mixed agreement in the supersonic range. In addition, a future endeavor to extend the aeroelastic analysis capability to hypersonic speeds is outlined. An investigation to identify the critical parameters affecting the aeroelastic characteristics of a hypersonic vehicle, to define and understand the various flutter mechanisms, and to develop trends for the important parameters using a simplified finite element model of the vehicle is summarized. This study showed the value of performing inexpensive and timely aeroelastic wind-tunnel tests to expand the experimental data base required for code validation using simple to complex models that are representative of the NASP configurations and root boundary conditions are discussed.

Edge gyrokinetic theory and continuum simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, X. Q.; Xiong, Z.; Dorr, M. R.; Hittinger, J. A.; Bodi, K.; Candy, J.; Cohen, B. I.; Cohen, R. H.; Colella, P.; Kerbel, G. D.; Krasheninnikov, S.; Nevins, W. M.; Qin, H.; Rognlien, T. D.; Snyder, P. B.; Umansky, M. V.

2007-08-01

The following results are presented from the development and application of TEMPEST, a fully nonlinear (full-f) five-dimensional (3d2v) gyrokinetic continuum edge-plasma code. (1) As a test of the interaction of collisions and parallel streaming, TEMPEST is compared with published analytic and numerical results for endloss of particles confined by combined electrostatic and magnetic wells. Good agreement is found over a wide range of collisionality, confining potential and mirror ratio, and the required velocity space resolution is modest. (2) In a large-aspect-ratio circular geometry, excellent agreement is found for a neoclassical equilibrium with parallel ion flow in the banana regime with zero temperature gradient and radial electric field. (3) The four-dimensional (2d2v) version of the code produces the first self-consistent simulation results of collisionless damping of geodesic acoustic modes and zonal flow (Rosenbluth-Hinton residual) with Boltzmann electrons using a full-f code. The electric field is also found to agree with the standard neoclassical expression for steep density and ion temperature gradients in the plateau regime. In divertor geometry, it is found that the endloss of particles and energy induces parallel flow stronger than the core neoclassical predictions in the SOL.

Comparison of Measured and Block Structured Simulations for the F-16XL Aircraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boelens, O. J.; Badcock, K. J.; Elmilgui, A.; Abdol-Hamid, K. S.; Massey, S. J.

2008-01-01

This article presents a comparison of the predictions of three RANS codes for flight conditions of the F-16XL aircraft which feature vortical flow. The three codes, ENSOLV, PMB and PAB3D, solve on structured multi-block grids. Flight data for comparison was available in the form of surface pressures, skin friction, boundary layer data and photographs of tufts. The three codes provided predictions which were consistent with expectations based on the turbulence modelling used, which was k- , k- with vortex corrections and an Algebraic Stress Model. The agreement with flight data was good, with the exception of the outer wing primary vortex strength. The confidence in the application of the CFD codes to complex fighter configurations increased significantly through this study.

BISON and MARMOT Development for Modeling Fast Reactor Fuel Performance

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gamble, Kyle Allan Lawrence; Williamson, Richard L.; Schwen, Daniel

2015-09-01

BISON and MARMOT are two codes under development at the Idaho National Laboratory for engineering scale and lower length scale fuel performance modeling. It is desired to add capabilities for fast reactor applications to these codes. The fast reactor fuel types under consideration are metal (U-Pu-Zr) and oxide (MOX). The cladding types of interest include 316SS, D9, and HT9. The purpose of this report is to outline the proposed plans for code development and provide an overview of the models added to the BISON and MARMOT codes for fast reactor fuel behavior. A brief overview of preliminary discussions on themore » formation of a bilateral agreement between the Idaho National Laboratory and the National Nuclear Laboratory in the United Kingdom is presented.« less

Fuel burnup analysis for IRIS reactor using MCNPX and WIMS-D5 codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, E. A.; Bashter, I. I.; Hassan, Nabil M.; Mustafa, S. S.

2017-02-01

International Reactor Innovative and Secure (IRIS) reactor is a compact power reactor designed with especial features. It contains Integral Fuel Burnable Absorber (IFBA). The core is heterogeneous both axially and radially. This work provides the full core burn up analysis for IRIS reactor using MCNPX and WIMDS-D5 codes. Criticality calculations, radial and axial power distributions and nuclear peaking factor at the different stages of burnup were studied. Effective multiplication factor values for the core were estimated by coupling MCNPX code with WIMS-D5 code and compared with SAS2H/KENO-V code values at different stages of burnup. The two calculation codes show good agreement and correlation. The values of radial and axial powers for the full core were also compared with published results given by SAS2H/KENO-V code (at the beginning and end of reactor operation). The behavior of both radial and axial power distribution is quiet similar to the other data published by SAS2H/KENO-V code. The peaking factor values estimated in the present work are close to its values calculated by SAS2H/KENO-V code.

A Radiation Chemistry Code Based on the Green's Function of the Diffusion Equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plante, Ianik; Wu, Honglu

2014-01-01

Stochastic radiation track structure codes are of great interest for space radiation studies and hadron therapy in medicine. These codes are used for a many purposes, notably for microdosimetry and DNA damage studies. In the last two decades, they were also used with the Independent Reaction Times (IRT) method in the simulation of chemical reactions, to calculate the yield of various radiolytic species produced during the radiolysis of water and in chemical dosimeters. Recently, we have developed a Green's function based code to simulate reversible chemical reactions with an intermediate state, which yielded results in excellent agreement with those obtained by using the IRT method. This code was also used to simulate and the interaction of particles with membrane receptors. We are in the process of including this program for use with the Monte-Carlo track structure code Relativistic Ion Tracks (RITRACKS). This recent addition should greatly expand the capabilities of RITRACKS, notably to simulate DNA damage by both the direct and indirect effect.

XGC developments for a more efficient XGC-GENE code coupling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dominski, Julien; Hager, Robert; Ku, Seung-Hoe; Chang, Cs

2017-10-01

In the Exascale Computing Program, the High-Fidelity Whole Device Modeling project initially aims at delivering a tightly-coupled simulation of plasma neoclassical and turbulence dynamics from the core to the edge of the tokamak. To permit such simulations, the gyrokinetic codes GENE and XGC will be coupled together. Numerical efforts are made to improve the numerical schemes agreement in the coupling region. One of the difficulties of coupling those codes together is the incompatibility of their grids. GENE is a continuum grid-based code and XGC is a Particle-In-Cell code using unstructured triangular mesh. A field-aligned filter is thus implemented in XGC. Even if XGC originally had an approximately field-following mesh, this field-aligned filter permits to have a perturbation discretization closer to the one solved in the field-aligned code GENE. Additionally, new XGC gyro-averaging matrices are implemented on a velocity grid adapted to the plasma properties, thus ensuring same accuracy from the core to the edge regions.

Comparison of COBRA III-C and SABRE-1 (wire-wrap version) computational results with steady-state data from a 19-pin internally guard heated sodium-cooled bundle with a six-channel central blockage (THORS Bundle 3C). [LMFBR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dearing, J F; Nelson, W R; Rose, S D

Computational thermal-hydraulic models of a 19-pin, electrically heated, wire-wrap liquid-metal fast breeder reactor test bundle were developed using two well-known subchannel analysis codes, COBRA III-C and SABRE-1 (wire-wrap version). These two codes use similar subchannel control volumes for the finite difference conservation equations but vary markedly in solution strategy and modeling capability. In particular, the empirical wire-wrap-forced diversion crossflow models are different. Surprisingly, however, crossflow velocity predictions of the two codes are very similar. Both codes show generally good agreement with experimental temperature data from a test in which a large radial temperature gradient was imposed. Differences between data andmore » code results are probably caused by experimental pin bowing, which is presently the limiting factor in validating coded empirical models.« less

Reliability of SNOMED-CT Coding by Three Physicians using Two Terminology Browsers

PubMed Central

Chiang, Michael F.; Hwang, John C.; Yu, Alexander C.; Casper, Daniel S.; Cimino, James J.; Starren, Justin

2006-01-01

SNOMED-CT has been promoted as a reference terminology for electronic health record (EHR) systems. Many important EHR functions are based on the assumption that medical concepts will be coded consistently by different users. This study is designed to measure agreement among three physicians using two SNOMED-CT terminology browsers to encode 242 concepts from five ophthalmology case presentations in a publicly-available clinical journal. Inter-coder reliability, based on exact coding match by each physician, was 44% using one browser and 53% using the other. Intra-coder reliability testing revealed that a different SNOMED-CT code was obtained up to 55% of the time when the two browsers were used by one user to encode the same concept. These results suggest that the reliability of SNOMED-CT coding is imperfect, and may be a function of browsing methodology. A combination of physician training, terminology refinement, and browser improvement may help increase the reproducibility of SNOMED-CT coding. PMID:17238317

Variation in the recording of common health conditions in routine hospital data: study using linked survey and administrative data in New South Wales, Australia

PubMed Central

Lujic, Sanja; Watson, Diane E; Randall, Deborah A; Simpson, Judy M; Jorm, Louisa R

2014-01-01

Objectives To investigate the nature and potential implications of under-reporting of morbidity information in administrative hospital data. Setting and participants Retrospective analysis of linked self-report and administrative hospital data for 32 832 participants in the large-scale cohort study (45 and Up Study), who joined the study from 2006 to 2009 and who were admitted to 313 hospitals in New South Wales, Australia, for at least an overnight stay, up to a year prior to study entry. Outcome measures Agreement between self-report and recording of six morbidities in administrative hospital data, and between-hospital variation and predictors of positive agreement between the two data sources. Results Agreement between data sources was good for diabetes (κ=0.79); moderate for smoking (κ=0.59); fair for heart disease, stroke and hypertension (κ=0.40, κ=0.30 and κ =0.24, respectively); and poor for obesity (κ=0.09), indicating that a large number of individuals with self-reported morbidities did not have a corresponding diagnosis coded in their hospital records. Significant between-hospital variation was found (ranging from 8% of unexplained variation for diabetes to 22% for heart disease), with higher agreement in public and large hospitals, and hospitals with greater depth of coding. Conclusions The recording of six common health conditions in administrative hospital data is highly variable, and for some conditions, very poor. To support more valid performance comparisons, it is important to stratify or control for factors that predict the completeness of recording, including hospital depth of coding and hospital type (public/private), and to increase efforts to standardise recording across hospitals. Studies using these conditions for risk adjustment should also be cautious of their use in smaller hospitals. PMID:25186157

Parallelization of Rocket Engine Simulator Software (PRESS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cezzar, Ruknet

1997-01-01

Parallelization of Rocket Engine System Software (PRESS) project is part of a collaborative effort with Southern University at Baton Rouge (SUBR), University of West Florida (UWF), and Jackson State University (JSU). The second-year funding, which supports two graduate students enrolled in our new Master's program in Computer Science at Hampton University and the principal investigator, have been obtained for the period from October 19, 1996 through October 18, 1997. The key part of the interim report was new directions for the second year funding. This came about from discussions during Rocket Engine Numeric Simulator (RENS) project meeting in Pensacola on January 17-18, 1997. At that time, a software agreement between Hampton University and NASA Lewis Research Center had already been concluded. That agreement concerns off-NASA-site experimentation with PUMPDES/TURBDES software. Before this agreement, during the first year of the project, another large-scale FORTRAN-based software, Two-Dimensional Kinetics (TDK), was being used for translation to an object-oriented language and parallelization experiments. However, that package proved to be too complex and lacking sufficient documentation for effective translation effort to the object-oriented C + + source code. The focus, this time with better documented and more manageable PUMPDES/TURBDES package, was still on translation to C + + with design improvements. At the RENS Meeting, however, the new impetus for the RENS projects in general, and PRESS in particular, has shifted in two important ways. One was closer alignment with the work on Numerical Propulsion System Simulator (NPSS) through cooperation and collaboration with LERC ACLU organization. The other was to see whether and how NASA's various rocket design software can be run over local and intra nets without any radical efforts for redesign and translation into object-oriented source code. There were also suggestions that the Fortran based code be encapsulated in C + + code thereby facilitating reuse without undue development effort. The details are covered in the aforementioned section of the interim report filed on April 28, 1997.

The Role of Spatial Disorientation in Fatal General Aviation Accidents

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scheuring, RIchard

2005-01-01

In-flight Spatial Disorientation (SD) in pilots is a serious threat to aviation safety. Indeed, SD may play a much larger role in aviation accidents than the approximate 6-8% reported by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) each year, because some accidents coded by the NTSB as aircraft control-not maintained (ACNM) may actually result from SD. The purpose of this study is to determine whether SD is underestimated as a cause of fatal general aviation (GA) accidents in the NTSB database. Fatal GA airplane accidents occurring between January 1995 and December 1999 were reviewed from the NTSB aviation accident database. Cases coded as ACNM or SD as the probable cause were selected for review by a panel of aerospace medicine specialists. Using a rating scale, each rater was instructed to determine if SD was the probable cause of the accident. Agreement between the raters and agreement between the raters and the NTSB were evaluated by Kappa statistics. The raters agreed that 11 out of 20 (55%) accidents coded by the NTSB as ACNM were probably caused by SD (p less than 0.05). Agreement between the raters and the NTSB did not reach significance (p greater than 0.05). The 95% C.I. for the sampling population estimated that between 33-77% of cases that the NTSB identified as ACNM could be identified by aerospace medicine experts as SD. Aerospace medicine specialists agreed that some cases coded by the NTSB as ACNM were probably caused by SD. Consequently, a larger number of accidents may be caused by the pilot succumbing to SD than indicated in the NTSB database. This new information should encourage regulating agencies to insure that pilots receive SD recognition training, enabling them to take appropriate corrective actions during flight. This could lead to new training standards, ultimately saving lives among GA airplane pilots.

The Impact of Total Liberalization of Domestic Air Transport on the Social Welfare and on the Dynamic of Competition: Comparison Between the United States and the European Union

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zbidi, Karim

2003-01-01

Since the lst of April 1997 date of the implementation of the third package of the liberalization, air transport, within the european Union has become totally liberalized. In the United States the deregulation of domestic air traffic was earlier and faster since it took place in October 1978 after the adoption of the only act of deregulation. This paper, in its first part, deals with the liberalization of the industry of air traffic in the european union. After a comparison with US system based on market demand, fare policy and network restrictions, we present our descriptive results coming from treatments on the OAG data. These results present several aspects such as the evolution of the competitive structure of the intra-european routes, the level of airport dominance and the growth of hub structure. The second part of the paper presents models of entry in the airline industry. As profitability" of route flown explains correctly decisions taken by airlines to serve or not a route, the paper focuses on the specification and the estimation of the determinants of city, pair profitability in the european union. Treatments done on the OAG data show a rapid development of leasing space agreement (partial and total) and code sharing practices between 1995 and 2000 in Europe that's why we differentiate first between the two type of competitive strategy of entry(direct entry and leasing space agreement) and second between the competitive strategy of entry and the alliance strategy of code sharing. So the estimation of model will be able to answer the question if the european air transport market is contestable and in case not to see if the decision of entry is more directed by the level of airport dominance (as in the domestic United States market)or essentially by the competitive structure of the routes. We try to explain the nature of entry(directleasing or code sharing) by the different levels of these two determinants.

A comparative evaluation of software for the analysis of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry data from isotope coded affinity tag experiments.

PubMed

Moulder, Robert; Filén, Jan-Jonas; Salmi, Jussi; Katajamaa, Mikko; Nevalainen, Olli S; Oresic, Matej; Aittokallio, Tero; Lahesmaa, Riitta; Nyman, Tuula A

2005-07-01

The options available for processing quantitative data from isotope coded affinity tag (ICAT) experiments have mostly been confined to software specific to the instrument of acquisition. However, recent developments with data format conversion have subsequently increased such processing opportunities. In the present study, data sets from ICAT experiments, analysed with liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS), using an Applied Biosystems QSTAR Pulsar quadrupole-TOF mass spectrometer, were processed in triplicate using separate mass spectrometry software packages. The programs Pro ICAT, Spectrum Mill and SEQUEST with XPRESS were employed. Attention was paid towards the extent of common identification and agreement of quantitative results, with additional interest in the flexibility and productivity of these programs. The comparisons were made with data from the analysis of a specifically prepared test mixture, nine proteins at a range of relative concentration ratios from 0.1 to 10 (light to heavy labelled forms), as a known control, and data selected from an ICAT study involving the measurement of cytokine induced protein expression in human lymphoblasts, as an applied example. Dissimilarities were detected in peptide identification that reflected how the associated scoring parameters favoured information from the MS/MS data sets. Accordingly, there were differences in the numbers of peptides and protein identifications, although from these it was apparent that both confirmatory and complementary information was present. In the quantitative results from the three programs, no statistically significant differences were observed.

Comparison of cause of death between anzdata and the australian national death index.

PubMed

Sypek, Matthew P; Dansie, Kathryn B; Clayton, Phil; Webster, Angela C; McDonald, Stephen

2018-03-01

To understand the differences in how cause of death for patients receiving renal replacement therapy in Australia is recorded in The Australian and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant Registry (ANZDATA) compared to the National Death Index (NDI). Data linkage was performed between ANZDATA and NDI for all deaths in the period 1980-2013. Cause of death was classified according to ICD-10 chapter. Overall and chapter specific agreement were assessed using the Kappa statistic. Descriptive analysis was used to explore differences where there was disagreement on primary cause of death. The analysis cohort included 28,675 patients. Ninety five percent of ANZDATA reported deaths fell within +/- 3 days of the date recorded by NDI. Circulatory death was the most common cause of death in both databases (ANZDATA 48%, NDI 32%). Overall agreement at ICD chapter level of primary cause was poor (36%, kappa 0.22). Agreement was best for malignancy (kappa 0.71). When there was disagreement on primary cause of death these were most commonly coded as genitourinary (35%) and endocrine (25.0%) in NDI, and circulatory (39%) and withdrawal (24%) in ANZDATA. Sixty-nine percent of patients had a renal related cause documented as either primary or a contributing cause of death in the NDI. There is poor agreement in primary cause of death between ANZDATA and NDI which is in part explained by the absence of diabetes and renal failure as causes of death in ANZDATA and the absence of 'withdrawal' in NDI. These differences should be appreciated when interpreting epidemiological data on cause of death in the Australian end stage kidney disease population. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

EMPIRE: A Reaction Model Code for Nuclear Astrophysics

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palumbo, A., E-mail: apalumbo@bnl.gov; Herman, M.; Capote, R.

The correct modeling of abundances requires knowledge of nuclear cross sections for a variety of neutron, charged particle and γ induced reactions. These involve targets far from stability and are therefore difficult (or currently impossible) to measure. Nuclear reaction theory provides the only way to estimate values of such cross sections. In this paper we present application of the EMPIRE reaction code to nuclear astrophysics. Recent measurements are compared to the calculated cross sections showing consistent agreement for n-, p- and α-induced reactions of strophysical relevance.

TRAC-PD2 posttest analysis of the CCTF Evaluation-Model Test C1-19 (Run 38). [PWR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Motley, F.

The results of a Transient Reactor Analysis Code posttest analysis of the Cylindral Core Test Facility Evaluation-Model Test agree very well with the results of the experiment. The good agreement obtained verifies the multidimensional analysis capability of the TRAC code. Because of the steep radial power profile, the importance of using fine noding in the core region was demonstrated (as compared with poorer results obtained from an earlier pretest prediction that used a coarsely noded model).

FLUKA simulation studies on in-phantom dosimetric parameters of a LINAC-based BNCT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghal-Eh, N.; Goudarzi, H.; Rahmani, F.

2017-12-01

The Monte Carlo simulation code, FLUKA version 2011.2c.5, has been used to estimate the in-phantom dosimetric parameters for use in BNCT studies. The in-phantom parameters of a typical Snyder head, which are necessary information prior to any clinical treatment, have been calculated with both FLUKA and MCNPX codes, which exhibit a promising agreement. The results confirm that FLUKA can be regarded as a good alternative for the MCNPX in BNCT dosimetry simulations.

Sponsorship in non-commercial clinical trials: definitions, challenges and the role of Good Clinical Practices guidelines.

PubMed

Ravinetto, Raffaella; De Nys, Katelijne; Boelaert, Marleen; Diro, Ermias; Meintjes, Graeme; Adoke, Yeka; Tagbor, Harry; Casteels, Minne

2015-12-30

Non-commercial clinical research plays an increasingly essential role for global health. Multiple partners join in international consortia that operate under the limited timeframe of a specific funding period. One organisation (the sponsor) designs and carries out the trial in collaboration with research partners, and is ultimately responsible for the trial's scientific, ethical, regulatory and legal aspects, while another organization, generally in the North (the funder), provides the external funding and sets funding conditions. Even if external funding mechanisms are key for most non-commercial research, the dependence on an external funder's policies may heavily influence the choices of a sponsor. In addition, the competition for accessing the available external funds is great, and non-commercial sponsors may not be in a position to discuss or refuse standard conditions set by a funder. To see whether the current definitions adequately address the intricacies of sponsorship in externally-funded trials, we looked at how a "sponsor" of clinical trials is defined in selected international guidelines, with particular focus on international Good Clinical Practices codes, and in selected European and African regulations/legislations. Our limited analysis suggests that the sponsors definition from the 1995 WHO Good Clinical Practices code has been integrated as such into many legislations, guidelines and regulations, and that it is not adequate to cover today's reality of funding arrangements in global health, where the legal responsibility and the funding source are de facto split. In agreement with other groups, we suggest that the international Good Clinical Practices codes should be updated to reflect the reality of non-commercial clinical research. In particular, they should explicitly include the distinction between commercial and non-commercial sponsors, and provide guidance to non-commercial sponsors for negotiating with external funding agencies and other research counterparts. Non-commercial sponsors of clinical trials should surely invest in the development of adequate legal, administrative and management skills. By acknowledging their role and specificities, and by providing them with adapted guidance, the international Good Clinical Practices codes would provide valuable guidance and support to non-commercial clinical research, whose relevance for global health is increasingly evident.

Report: The Environmental Careers Organization Reported Outlays for Five EPA Cooperative Agreements

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #2007-4-00065, June 25, 2007. The Recipient did not comply with the financial and program management standards promulgated in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Subchapter B and OMB Circular A-122.

77 FR 31392 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request; Settlement...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-25

... certain taxes of the Code, settlement agreements entered into between a plan and a party in interest in avoidance of litigation. This information collection is subject to the PRA. A Federal agency generally...

Color-coded automated signal intensity curves for detection and characterization of breast lesions: preliminary evaluation of a new software package for integrated magnetic resonance-based breast imaging.

PubMed

Pediconi, Federica; Catalano, Carlo; Venditti, Fiammetta; Ercolani, Mauro; Carotenuto, Luigi; Padula, Simona; Moriconi, Enrica; Roselli, Antonella; Giacomelli, Laura; Kirchin, Miles A; Passariello, Roberto

2005-07-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the value of a color-coded automated signal intensity curve software package for contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance mammography (CE-MRM) in patients with suspected breast cancer. Thirty-six women with suspected breast cancer based on mammographic and sonographic examinations were preoperatively evaluated on CE-MRM. CE-MRM was performed on a 1.5-T magnet using a 2D Flash dynamic T1-weighted sequence. A dosage of 0.1 mmol/kg of Gd-BOPTA was administered at a flow rate of 2 mL/s followed by 10 mL of saline. Images were analyzed with the new software package and separately with a standard display method. Statistical comparison was performed of the confidence for lesion detection and characterization with the 2 methods and of the diagnostic accuracy for characterization compared with histopathologic findings. At pathology, 54 malignant lesions and 14 benign lesions were evaluated. All 68 (100%) lesions were detected with both methods and good correlation with histopathologic specimens was obtained. Confidence for both detection and characterization was significantly (P < or = 0.025) better with the color-coded method, although no difference (P > 0.05) between the methods was noted in terms of the sensitivity, specificity, and overall accuracy for lesion characterization. Excellent agreement between the 2 methods was noted for both the determination of lesion size (kappa = 0.77) and determination of SI/T curves (kappa = 0.85). The novel color-coded signal intensity curve software allows lesions to be visualized as false color maps that correspond to conventional signal intensity time curves. Detection and characterization of breast lesions with this method is quick and easily interpretable.

Cooperation on Improved Isotopic Identification and Analysis Software for Portable, Electrically Cooled High-Resolution Gamma Spectrometry Systems Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dreyer, Jonathan G.; Wang, Tzu-Fang; Vo, Duc T.

Under a 2006 agreement between the Department of Energy (DOE) of the United States of America and the Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire (IRSN) of France, the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) within DOE and IRSN initiated a collaboration to improve isotopic identification and analysis of nuclear material [i.e., plutonium (Pu) and uranium (U)]. The specific aim of the collaborative project was to develop new versions of two types of isotopic identification and analysis software: (1) the fixed-energy response-function analysis for multiple energies (FRAM) codes and (2) multi-group analysis (MGA) codes. The project is entitled Action Sheet 4more » – Cooperation on Improved Isotopic Identification and Analysis Software for Portable, Electrically Cooled, High-Resolution Gamma Spectrometry Systems (Action Sheet 4). FRAM and MGA/U235HI are software codes used to analyze isotopic ratios of U and Pu. FRAM is an application that uses parameter sets for the analysis of U or Pu. MGA and U235HI are two separate applications that analyze Pu or U, respectively. They have traditionally been used by safeguards practitioners to analyze gamma spectra acquired with high-resolution gamma spectrometry (HRGS) systems that are cooled by liquid nitrogen. However, it was discovered that these analysis programs were not as accurate when used on spectra acquired with a newer generation of more portable, electrically cooled HRGS (ECHRGS) systems. In response to this need, DOE/NNSA and IRSN collaborated to update the FRAM and U235HI codes to improve their performance with newer ECHRGS systems. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) performed this work for DOE/NNSA.« less

Development of the 3DHZETRN code for space radiation protection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilson, John; Badavi, Francis; Slaba, Tony; Reddell, Brandon; Bahadori, Amir; Singleterry, Robert

Space radiation protection requires computationally efficient shield assessment methods that have been verified and validated. The HZETRN code is the engineering design code used for low Earth orbit dosimetric analysis and astronaut record keeping with end-to-end validation to twenty percent in Space Shuttle and International Space Station operations. HZETRN treated diffusive leakage only at the distal surface limiting its application to systems with a large radius of curvature. A revision of HZETRN that included forward and backward diffusion allowed neutron leakage to be evaluated at both the near and distal surfaces. That revision provided a deterministic code of high computational efficiency that was in substantial agreement with Monte Carlo (MC) codes in flat plates (at least to the degree that MC codes agree among themselves). In the present paper, the 3DHZETRN formalism capable of evaluation in general geometry is described. Benchmarking will help quantify uncertainty with MC codes (Geant4, FLUKA, MCNP6, and PHITS) in simple shapes such as spheres within spherical shells and boxes. Connection of the 3DHZETRN to general geometry will be discussed.

Object Agreement and Specificity in Early Swahili

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deen, Kamil Ud

2006-01-01

Schaeffer (1997, 2000) argues that children lack knowledge of specificity because Dutch children omit determiners and fail to scramble pronouns. Avrutin & Brun (2001), however, find that Russian children place arguments correctly according to whether they are specific or non-specific. This paper investigates object agreement and specificity in…

44 CFR 206.400 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... standards of safety, decency, and sanitation and in conformity with applicable codes, specifications and standards. (b) Applicable codes, specifications, and standards shall include any disaster resistant building code that meets the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as well as...

44 CFR 206.400 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... standards of safety, decency, and sanitation and in conformity with applicable codes, specifications and standards. (b) Applicable codes, specifications, and standards shall include any disaster resistant building code that meets the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as well as...

44 CFR 206.400 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... standards of safety, decency, and sanitation and in conformity with applicable codes, specifications and standards. (b) Applicable codes, specifications, and standards shall include any disaster resistant building code that meets the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as well as...

44 CFR 206.400 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... standards of safety, decency, and sanitation and in conformity with applicable codes, specifications and standards. (b) Applicable codes, specifications, and standards shall include any disaster resistant building code that meets the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as well as...

44 CFR 206.400 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... standards of safety, decency, and sanitation and in conformity with applicable codes, specifications and standards. (b) Applicable codes, specifications, and standards shall include any disaster resistant building code that meets the minimum requirements of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) as well as...

Differentiation of ileostomy from colostomy procedures: assessing the accuracy of current procedural terminology codes and the utility of natural language processing.

PubMed

Vo, Elaine; Davila, Jessica A; Hou, Jason; Hodge, Krystle; Li, Linda T; Suliburk, James W; Kao, Lillian S; Berger, David H; Liang, Mike K

2013-08-01

Large databases provide a wealth of information for researchers, but identifying patient cohorts often relies on the use of current procedural terminology (CPT) codes. In particular, studies of stoma surgery have been limited by the accuracy of CPT codes in identifying and differentiating ileostomy procedures from colostomy procedures. It is important to make this distinction because the prevalence of complications associated with stoma formation and reversal differ dramatically between types of stoma. Natural language processing (NLP) is a process that allows text-based searching. The Automated Retrieval Console is an NLP-based software that allows investigators to design and perform NLP-assisted document classification. In this study, we evaluated the role of CPT codes and NLP in differentiating ileostomy from colostomy procedures. Using CPT codes, we conducted a retrospective study that identified all patients undergoing a stoma-related procedure at a single institution between January 2005 and December 2011. All operative reports during this time were reviewed manually to abstract the following variables: formation or reversal and ileostomy or colostomy. Sensitivity and specificity for validation of the CPT codes against the mastery surgery schedule were calculated. Operative reports were evaluated by use of NLP to differentiate ileostomy- from colostomy-related procedures. Sensitivity and specificity for identifying patients with ileostomy or colostomy procedures were calculated for CPT codes and NLP for the entire cohort. CPT codes performed well in identifying stoma procedures (sensitivity 87.4%, specificity 97.5%). A total of 664 stoma procedures were identified by CPT codes between 2005 and 2011. The CPT codes were adequate in identifying stoma formation (sensitivity 97.7%, specificity 72.4%) and stoma reversal (sensitivity 74.1%, specificity 98.7%), but they were inadequate in identifying ileostomy (sensitivity 35.0%, specificity 88.1%) and colostomy (75.2% and 80.9%). NLP performed with greater sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy than CPT codes in identifying stoma procedures and stoma types. Major differences where NLP outperformed CPT included identifying ileostomy (specificity 95.8%, sensitivity 88.3%, and accuracy 91.5%) and colostomy (97.6%, 90.5%, and 92.8%, respectively). CPT codes can identify effectively patients who have had stoma procedures and are adequate in distinguishing between formation and reversal; however, CPT codes cannot differentiate ileostomy from colostomy. NLP can be used to differentiate between ileostomy- and colostomy-related procedures. The role of NLP in conjunction with electronic medical records in data retrieval warrants further investigation. Published by Mosby, Inc.

W-026, Waste Receiving and Processing Facility data management system validation and verification report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Palmer, M.E.

1997-12-05

This V and V Report includes analysis of two revisions of the DMS [data management system] System Requirements Specification (SRS) and the Preliminary System Design Document (PSDD); the source code for the DMS Communication Module (DMSCOM) messages; the source code for selected DMS Screens, and the code for the BWAS Simulator. BDM Federal analysts used a series of matrices to: compare the requirements in the System Requirements Specification (SRS) to the specifications found in the System Design Document (SDD), to ensure the design supports the business functions, compare the discreet parts of the SDD with each other, to ensure thatmore » the design is consistent and cohesive, compare the source code of the DMS Communication Module with the specifications, to ensure that the resultant messages will support the design, compare the source code of selected screens to the specifications to ensure that resultant system screens will support the design, compare the source code of the BWAS simulator with the requirements to interface with DMS messages and data transfers relating to the BWAS operations.« less

The spectrum of rheumatic in-patient diagnoses at a pediatric hospital in Kenya.

PubMed

Migowa, Angela; Colmegna, Inés; Hitchon, Carol; Were, Eugene; Ng'ang'a, Evelyn; Ngwiri, Thomas; Wachira, John; Bernatsky, Sasha; Scuccimarri, Rosie

2017-01-14

Pediatric rheumatic diseases are chronic illnesses that can cause considerable disease burden to children and their families. There is limited epidemiologic data on these diseases in East Africa. The aim of this study was to assess the spectrum of pediatric rheumatic diagnoses in an in-patient setting and determine the accuracy of ICD-10 codes in identifying these conditions. Medical records from Gertrude's Children's Hospital in Kenya were reviewed for patients diagnosed with "diseases of the musculoskeletal system and connective tissue" as per ICD-10 diagnostic codes assigned at discharge between January and December 2011. Cases were classified as "rheumatic" or "non-rheumatic". Accuracy of the assigned ICD-10 code was ascertained. Death records were reviewed. Longitudinal follow-up of "rheumatic" cases was done by chart review up to March 2014. Twenty six patients were classified as having a "rheumatic" condition accounting for 0.32% of patients admitted. Of these, 11 (42.3%) had an acute inflammatory arthropathy, 6 (23.1%) had septic arthritis, 4 (15.4%) had Kawasaki disease, 2 (7.7%) had pyomyositis, and there was one case each of septic bursitis, rheumatic fever, and a non-specific soft tissue disorder. No cases of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) were identified. One case of systemic lupus erythematosus was documented by death records. The agreement between the treating physician's discharge diagnosis and medical records ICD-10 code assignment was good (Kappa: 0.769). On follow-up, one child had recurrent knee swelling that was suspicious for JIA. Pediatric rheumatic conditions represented 0.32% of admissions at a pediatric hospital in Kenya. Acute inflammatory arthropathies, septic arthritis and Kawasaki disease were the most frequent in-patient rheumatic diagnoses. Chronic pediatric rheumatic diseases were rare amongst this in-patient population. Despite limitations associated with the use of administrative diagnostic codes, they can be a first step in evaluating the spectrum of pediatric rheumatic conditions in Kenya and other countries in East Africa.

Computer modeling of pulsed CO2 lasers for lidar applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spiers, Gary D.

1993-01-01

The object of this effort is to develop code to enable the accurate prediction of the performance of pulsed transversely excited (TE) CO2 lasers prior to their construction. This is of particular benefit to the NASA Laser Atmospheric Wind Sounder (LAWS) project. A benefit of the completed code is that although developed specifically for the pulsed CO2 laser much of the code can be modified to model other laser systems of interest to the lidar community. A Boltzmann equation solver has been developed which enables the electron excitation rates for the vibrational levels of CO2 and N2, together with the electron ionization and attachment coefficients to be determined for any CO2 laser gas mixture consisting of a combination of CO2, N2, CO, He and CO. The validity of the model has been verified by comparison with published material. The results from the Boltzmann equation solver have been used as input to the laser kinetics code which is currently under development. A numerical code to model the laser induced medium perturbation (LIMP) arising from the relaxation of the lower laser level has been developed and used to determine the effect of LIMP on the frequency spectrum of the LAWS laser output pulse. The enclosed figures show representative results for a laser operating at 0.5 atm. with a discharge cross-section of 4.5 cm to produce a 20 J pulse with aFWHM of 3.1 microns. The first four plots show the temporal evolution of the laser pulse power, energy evolution, LIMP frequency chirp and electric field magnitude. The electric field magnitude is taken by beating the calculated complex electric field and beating it with a local oscillator signal. The remaining two figures show the power spectrum and energy distribution in the pulse as a function of the varying pulse frequency. The LIMP theory has been compared with experimental data from the NOAA Windvan Lidar and has been found to be in good agreement.

CNSFV code development, virtual zone Navier-Stokes computations of oscillating control surfaces and computational support of the laminar flow supersonic wind tunnel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klopfer, Goetz H.

1993-01-01

The work performed during the past year on this cooperative agreement covered two major areas and two lesser ones. The two major items included further development and validation of the Compressible Navier-Stokes Finite Volume (CNSFV) code and providing computational support for the Laminar Flow Supersonic Wind Tunnel (LFSWT). The two lesser items involve a Navier-Stokes simulation of an oscillating control surface at transonic speeds and improving the basic algorithm used in the CNSFV code for faster convergence rates and more robustness. The work done in all four areas is in support of the High Speed Research Program at NASA Ames Research Center.

A proto-code of ethics and conduct for European nurse directors.

PubMed

Stievano, Alessandro; De Marinis, Maria Grazia; Kelly, Denise; Filkins, Jacqueline; Meyenburg-Altwarg, Iris; Petrangeli, Mauro; Tschudin, Verena

2012-03-01

The proto-code of ethics and conduct for European nurse directors was developed as a strategic and dynamic document for nurse managers in Europe. It invites critical dialogue, reflective thinking about different situations, and the development of specific codes of ethics and conduct by nursing associations in different countries. The term proto-code is used for this document so that specifically country-orientated or organization-based and practical codes can be developed from it to guide professionals in more particular or situation-explicit reflection and values. The proto-code of ethics and conduct for European nurse directors was designed and developed by the European Nurse Directors Association's (ENDA) advisory team. This article gives short explanations of the code' s preamble and two main parts: Nurse directors' ethical basis, and Principles of professional practice, which is divided into six specific points: competence, care, safety, staff, life-long learning and multi-sectorial working.

Methodology, status and plans for development and assessment of TUF and CATHENA codes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Luxat, J.C.; Liu, W.S.; Leung, R.K.

1997-07-01

An overview is presented of the Canadian two-fluid computer codes TUF and CATHENA with specific focus on the constraints imposed during development of these codes and the areas of application for which they are intended. Additionally a process for systematic assessment of these codes is described which is part of a broader, industry based initiative for validation of computer codes used in all major disciplines of safety analysis. This is intended to provide both the licensee and the regulator in Canada with an objective basis for assessing the adequacy of codes for use in specific applications. Although focused specifically onmore » CANDU reactors, Canadian experience in developing advanced two-fluid codes to meet wide-ranging application needs while maintaining past investment in plant modelling provides a useful contribution to international efforts in this area.« less

Comparisons of time explicit hybrid kinetic-fluid code Architect for Plasma Wakefield Acceleration with a full PIC code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Massimo, F., E-mail: francesco.massimo@ensta-paristech.fr; Dipartimento SBAI, Università di Roma “La Sapienza“, Via A. Scarpa 14, 00161 Roma; Atzeni, S.

Architect, a time explicit hybrid code designed to perform quick simulations for electron driven plasma wakefield acceleration, is described. In order to obtain beam quality acceptable for applications, control of the beam-plasma-dynamics is necessary. Particle in Cell (PIC) codes represent the state-of-the-art technique to investigate the underlying physics and possible experimental scenarios; however PIC codes demand the necessity of heavy computational resources. Architect code substantially reduces the need for computational resources by using a hybrid approach: relativistic electron bunches are treated kinetically as in a PIC code and the background plasma as a fluid. Cylindrical symmetry is assumed for themore » solution of the electromagnetic fields and fluid equations. In this paper both the underlying algorithms as well as a comparison with a fully three dimensional particle in cell code are reported. The comparison highlights the good agreement between the two models up to the weakly non-linear regimes. In highly non-linear regimes the two models only disagree in a localized region, where the plasma electrons expelled by the bunch close up at the end of the first plasma oscillation.« less

Ab-intio study of phonon and thermodynamic properties of Znic-blende ZnSe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khatta, Swati; Kaur, Veerpal; Tripathi, S. K.; Prakash, Satya

2018-04-01

The Phonon and thermodynamic properties of ZnSe are investigated using density functional perturbation theory (DFPT) and quasi-harmonic approximation (QHA) implemented in Quantum espresso code. The phonon dispersion curve and phonon density of states of ZnSe are obtained. It is shown that high symmetries D→X and D→L directions, there are four branches of dispersion curves which split into six branches along the X→W, W→X and X→D directions. The LO-TO splitting frequencies (in cm-1) at the zone center (D point) are LO=255 and TO=215. The total and partial phonon density of states is used to compute the entropy and specific heat capacity of ZnSe. The computed values are in reasonable agreement with experimental data and other with available theoretical calculations.

Geriatric teledermatology: store-and-forward vs. face-to-face examination.

PubMed

Rubegni, P; Nami, N; Cevenini, G; Poggiali, S; Hofmann-Wellenhof, R; Massone, C; Bilenchi, R; Bartalini, M; Cappelli, R; Fimiani, M

2011-11-01

Telemedicine could be useful in countries like Italy to meet the needs of elderly patients and in particular in those in precarious general conditions, for whom travelling even short distances can pose considerable practical and economical difficulties. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of store-and-forward teledermatology vs face-to-face consultations in elderly patients. A total of 130 geriatric patients with skin diseases requiring dermatological examination were enrolled. The patients examined, consisting of 60 men (46.15%) and 70 women (53.85%), were aged between 66 and 97 years (mean age 80.58 years). Three dermatologists of the department, with equal experience took turns in face-to-face examination and teledermatology (store-and-forward). To compare face-to-face dermatological examinations with the asynchronous store-and-forward approach of teledermatology, we considered diagnostic agreement (ICD-9 code), therapeutic agreement and concordance of diagnostic confidence. One hundred and fourteen of 130 patients were diagnosed with the same ICD-9 code, making a total observed agreement of 87.7% with a Cohen's κ estimated of 0.863. Agreement between therapies was 69.6% (Cohen's κ = 0.640). As it concerns diagnostic confidence, dermatologists appeared generally slightly less certain of their diagnosis by telemedicine. Store-and-forward teledermatology can improve diagnostic and therapeutic care for skin disease in elderly who lack easy and/or direct access to dermatologists. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology © 2011 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Numerical simulation of jet aerodynamics using the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes code PAB3D

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pao, S. Paul; Abdol-Hamid, Khaled S.

1996-01-01

This report presents a unified method for subsonic and supersonic jet analysis using the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes code PAB3D. The Navier-Stokes code was used to obtain solutions for axisymmetric jets with on-design operating conditions at Mach numbers ranging from 0.6 to 3.0, supersonic jets containing weak shocks and Mach disks, and supersonic jets with nonaxisymmetric nozzle exit geometries. This report discusses computational methods, code implementation, computed results, and comparisons with available experimental data. Very good agreement is shown between the numerical solutions and available experimental data over a wide range of operating conditions. The Navier-Stokes method using the standard Jones-Launder two-equation kappa-epsilon turbulence model can accurately predict jet flow, and such predictions are made without any modification to the published constants for the turbulence model.

The COSIMA experiments and their verification, a data base for the validation of two phase flow computer codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Class, G.; Meyder, R.; Stratmanns, E.

1985-12-01

The large data base for validation and development of computer codes for two-phase flow, generated at the COSIMA facility, is reviewed. The aim of COSIMA is to simulate the hydraulic, thermal, and mechanical conditions in the subchannel and the cladding of fuel rods in pressurized water reactors during the blowout phase of a loss of coolant accident. In terms of fuel rod behavior, it is found that during blowout under realistic conditions only small strains are reached. For cladding rupture extremely high rod internal pressures are necessary. The behavior of fuel rod simulators and the effect of thermocouples attached to the cladding outer surface are clarified. Calculations performed with the codes RELAP and DRUFAN show satisfactory agreement with experiments. This can be improved by updating the phase separation models in the codes.

Transport of Light Ions in Matter

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. W.; Cucinotta, F. A.; Tai, H.; Shinn, J. L.; Chun, S. Y.; Tripathi, R. K.; Sihver, L.

1998-01-01

A recent set of light ion experiments are analyzed using the Green's function method of solving the Boltzmann equation for ions of high charge and energy (the GRNTRN transport code) and the NUCFRG2 fragmentation database generator code. Although the NUCFRG2 code reasonably represents the fragmentation of heavy ions, the effects of light ion fragmentation requires a more detailed nuclear model including shell structure and short range correlations appearing as tightly bound clusters in the light ion nucleus. The most recent NTJCFRG2 code is augmented with a quasielastic alpha knockout model and semiempirical adjustments (up to 30 percent in charge removal) in the fragmentation process allowing reasonable agreement with the experiments to be obtained. A final resolution of the appropriate cross sections must await the full development of a coupled channel reaction model in which shell structure and clustering can be accurately evaluated.

Comparison of deterministic and stochastic approaches for isotopic concentration and decay heat uncertainty quantification on elementary fission pulse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahaye, S.; Huynh, T. D.; Tsilanizara, A.

2016-03-01

Uncertainty quantification of interest outputs in nuclear fuel cycle is an important issue for nuclear safety, from nuclear facilities to long term deposits. Most of those outputs are functions of the isotopic vector density which is estimated by fuel cycle codes, such as DARWIN/PEPIN2, MENDEL, ORIGEN or FISPACT. CEA code systems DARWIN/PEPIN2 and MENDEL propagate by two different methods the uncertainty from nuclear data inputs to isotopic concentrations and decay heat. This paper shows comparisons between those two codes on a Uranium-235 thermal fission pulse. Effects of nuclear data evaluation's choice (ENDF/B-VII.1, JEFF-3.1.1 and JENDL-2011) is inspected in this paper. All results show good agreement between both codes and methods, ensuring the reliability of both approaches for a given evaluation.

Benchmarking kinetic calculations of resistive wall mode stability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berkery, J. W.; Liu, Y. Q.; Wang, Z. R.; Sabbagh, S. A.; Logan, N. C.; Park, J.-K.; Manickam, J.; Betti, R.

2014-05-01

Validating the calculations of kinetic resistive wall mode (RWM) stability is important for confidently predicting RWM stable operating regions in ITER and other high performance tokamaks for disruption avoidance. Benchmarking the calculations of the Magnetohydrodynamic Resistive Spectrum—Kinetic (MARS-K) [Y. Liu et al., Phys. Plasmas 15, 112503 (2008)], Modification to Ideal Stability by Kinetic effects (MISK) [B. Hu et al., Phys. Plasmas 12, 057301 (2005)], and Perturbed Equilibrium Nonambipolar Transport PENT) [N. Logan et al., Phys. Plasmas 20, 122507 (2013)] codes for two Solov'ev analytical equilibria and a projected ITER equilibrium has demonstrated good agreement between the codes. The important particle frequencies, the frequency resonance energy integral in which they are used, the marginally stable eigenfunctions, perturbed Lagrangians, and fluid growth rates are all generally consistent between the codes. The most important kinetic effect at low rotation is the resonance between the mode rotation and the trapped thermal particle's precession drift, and MARS-K, MISK, and PENT show good agreement in this term. The different ways the rational surface contribution was treated historically in the codes is identified as a source of disagreement in the bounce and transit resonance terms at higher plasma rotation. Calculations from all of the codes support the present understanding that RWM stability can be increased by kinetic effects at low rotation through precession drift resonance and at high rotation by bounce and transit resonances, while intermediate rotation can remain susceptible to instability. The applicability of benchmarked kinetic stability calculations to experimental results is demonstrated by the prediction of MISK calculations of near marginal growth rates for experimental marginal stability points from the National Spherical Torus Experiment (NSTX) [M. Ono et al., Nucl. Fusion 40, 557 (2000)].

Development of the Chronic Pain Coding System (CPCS) for Characterizing Patient-Clinician Discussions About Chronic Pain and Opioids

PubMed Central

Chen, Meng; Matthias, Marianne S.; Bell, Robert A.; Kravitz, Richard L.

2016-01-01

Objective. To describe the development and initial application of the Chronic Pain Coding System. Design. Secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial. Setting. Six primary care clinics in northern California. Subjects. Forty-five primary care visits involving 33 clinicians and 45 patients on opioids for chronic noncancer pain. Methods. The authors developed a structured coding system to accurately and objectively characterize discussions about pain and opioids. Two coders applied the final system to visit transcripts. Intercoder agreement for major coding categories was moderate to substantial (kappa = 0.5–0.7). Mixed effects regression was used to test six hypotheses to assess preliminary construct validity. Results. Greater baseline pain interference was associated with longer pain discussions (P = 0.007) and more patient requests for clinician action (P = 0.02) but not more frequent negative patient evaluations of pain (P = 0.15). Greater clinician-reported visit difficulty was associated with more frequent disagreements with clinician recommendations (P = 0.003) and longer discussions of opioid risks (P = 0.049) but not more frequent requests for clinician action (P = 0.11). Rates of agreement versus disagreement with patient requests and clinician recommendations were similar for opioid-related and non-opioid–related utterances. Conclusions. This coding system appears to be a reliable and valid tool for characterizing patient-clinician communication about opioids and chronic pain during clinic visits. Objective data on how patients and clinicians discuss chronic pain and opioids are necessary to identify communication patterns and strategies for improving the quality and productivity of discussions about chronic pain that may lead to more effective pain management and reduce inappropriate opioid prescribing. PMID:26936453

Development of the Chronic Pain Coding System (CPCS) for Characterizing Patient-Clinician Discussions About Chronic Pain and Opioids.

PubMed

Henry, Stephen G; Chen, Meng; Matthias, Marianne S; Bell, Robert A; Kravitz, Richard L

2016-10-01

To describe the development and initial application of the Chronic Pain Coding System. Secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial. Six primary care clinics in northern California. Forty-five primary care visits involving 33 clinicians and 45 patients on opioids for chronic noncancer pain. The authors developed a structured coding system to accurately and objectively characterize discussions about pain and opioids. Two coders applied the final system to visit transcripts. Intercoder agreement for major coding categories was moderate to substantial (kappa = 0.5-0.7). Mixed effects regression was used to test six hypotheses to assess preliminary construct validity. Greater baseline pain interference was associated with longer pain discussions (P = 0.007) and more patient requests for clinician action (P = 0.02) but not more frequent negative patient evaluations of pain (P = 0.15). Greater clinician-reported visit difficulty was associated with more frequent disagreements with clinician recommendations (P = 0.003) and longer discussions of opioid risks (P = 0.049) but not more frequent requests for clinician action (P = 0.11). Rates of agreement versus disagreement with patient requests and clinician recommendations were similar for opioid-related and non-opioid-related utterances. This coding system appears to be a reliable and valid tool for characterizing patient-clinician communication about opioids and chronic pain during clinic visits. Objective data on how patients and clinicians discuss chronic pain and opioids are necessary to identify communication patterns and strategies for improving the quality and productivity of discussions about chronic pain that may lead to more effective pain management and reduce inappropriate opioid prescribing. © 2016 American Academy of Pain Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Simulation of nonlinear propagation of biomedical ultrasound using PZFlex and the KZK Texas code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Shan; Jackson, Edward; Coussios, Constantin-C.; Cleveland, Robin

2015-10-01

In biomedical ultrasound nonlinear acoustics can be important in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications and robust simulations tools are needed in the design process but also for day-to-day use such as treatment planning. For most biomedical application the ultrasound sources generate focused sound beams of finite amplitude. The KZK equation is a common model as it accounts for nonlinearity, absorption and paraxial diffraction and there are a number of solvers available, primarily developed by research groups. We compare the predictions of the KZK Texas code (a finite-difference time-domain algorithm) to an FEM-based commercial software, PZFlex. PZFlex solves the continuity equation and momentum conservation equation with a correction for nonlinearity in the equation of state incorporated using an incrementally linear, 2nd order accurate, explicit algorithm in time domain. Nonlinear ultrasound beams from two transducers driven at 1 MHz and 3.3 MHz respectively were simulated by both the KZK Texas code and PZFlex, and the pressure field was also measured by a fibre-optic hydrophone to validate the models. Further simulations were carried out a wide range of frequencies. The comparisons showed good agreement for the fundamental frequency for PZFlex, the KZK Texas code and the experiments. For the harmonic components, the KZK Texas code was in good agreement with measurements but PZFlex underestimated the amplitude: 32% for the 2nd harmonic and 66% for the 3rd harmonic. The underestimation of harmonics by PZFlex was more significant when the fundamental frequency increased. Furthermore non-physical oscillations in the axial profile of harmonics occurred in the PZFlex results when the amplitudes were relatively low. These results suggest that careful benchmarking of nonlinear simulations is important.

Simulation of nonlinear propagation of biomedical ultrasound using PZFlex and the KZK Texas code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qiao, Shan, E-mail: shan.qiao@eng.ox.ac.uk; Jackson, Edward; Coussios, Constantin-C

In biomedical ultrasound nonlinear acoustics can be important in both diagnostic and therapeutic applications and robust simulations tools are needed in the design process but also for day-to-day use such as treatment planning. For most biomedical application the ultrasound sources generate focused sound beams of finite amplitude. The KZK equation is a common model as it accounts for nonlinearity, absorption and paraxial diffraction and there are a number of solvers available, primarily developed by research groups. We compare the predictions of the KZK Texas code (a finite-difference time-domain algorithm) to an FEM-based commercial software, PZFlex. PZFlex solves the continuity equationmore » and momentum conservation equation with a correction for nonlinearity in the equation of state incorporated using an incrementally linear, 2nd order accurate, explicit algorithm in time domain. Nonlinear ultrasound beams from two transducers driven at 1 MHz and 3.3 MHz respectively were simulated by both the KZK Texas code and PZFlex, and the pressure field was also measured by a fibre-optic hydrophone to validate the models. Further simulations were carried out a wide range of frequencies. The comparisons showed good agreement for the fundamental frequency for PZFlex, the KZK Texas code and the experiments. For the harmonic components, the KZK Texas code was in good agreement with measurements but PZFlex underestimated the amplitude: 32% for the 2nd harmonic and 66% for the 3rd harmonic. The underestimation of harmonics by PZFlex was more significant when the fundamental frequency increased. Furthermore non-physical oscillations in the axial profile of harmonics occurred in the PZFlex results when the amplitudes were relatively low. These results suggest that careful benchmarking of nonlinear simulations is important.« less

Improving the accuracy of operation coding in surgical discharge summaries

PubMed Central

Martinou, Eirini; Shouls, Genevieve; Betambeau, Nadine

2014-01-01

Procedural coding in surgical discharge summaries is extremely important; as well as communicating to healthcare staff which procedures have been performed, it also provides information that is used by the hospital's coding department. The OPCS code (Office of Population, Censuses and Surveys Classification of Surgical Operations and Procedures) is used to generate the tariff that allows the hospital to be reimbursed for the procedure. We felt that the OPCS coding on discharge summaries was often incorrect within our breast and endocrine surgery department. A baseline measurement over two months demonstrated that 32% of operations had been incorrectly coded, resulting in an incorrect tariff being applied and an estimated loss to the Trust of £17,000. We developed a simple but specific OPCS coding table in collaboration with the clinical coding team and breast surgeons that summarised all operations performed within our department. This table was disseminated across the team, specifically to the junior doctors who most frequently complete the discharge summaries. Re-audit showed 100% of operations were accurately coded, demonstrating the effectiveness of the coding table. We suggest that specifically designed coding tables be introduced across each surgical department to ensure accurate OPCS codes are used to produce better quality surgical discharge summaries and to ensure correct reimbursement to the Trust. PMID:26734286

Numerical modeling of separated flows at moderate Reynolds numbers appropriate for turbine blades and unmanned aero vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Castiglioni, Giacomo

Flows over airfoils and blades in rotating machinery, for unmanned and micro-aerial vehicles, wind turbines, and propellers consist of a laminar boundary layer near the leading edge that is often followed by a laminar separation bubble and transition to turbulence further downstream. Typical Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes turbulence models are inadequate for such flows. Direct numerical simulation is the most reliable, but is also the most computationally expensive alternative. This work assesses the capability of immersed boundary methods and large eddy simulations to reduce the computational requirements for such flows and still provide high quality results. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional simulations of a laminar separation bubble on a NACA-0012 airfoil at Rec = 5x104 and at 5° of incidence have been performed with an immersed boundary code and a commercial code using body fitted grids. Several sub-grid scale models have been implemented in both codes and their performance evaluated. For the two-dimensional simulations with the immersed boundary method the results show good agreement with the direct numerical simulation benchmark data for the pressure coefficient Cp and the friction coefficient Cf, but only when using dissipative numerical schemes. There is evidence that this behavior can be attributed to the ability of dissipative schemes to damp numerical noise coming from the immersed boundary. For the three-dimensional simulations the results show a good prediction of the separation point, but an inaccurate prediction of the reattachment point unless full direct numerical simulation resolution is used. The commercial code shows good agreement with the direct numerical simulation benchmark data in both two and three-dimensional simulations, but the presence of significant, unquantified numerical dissipation prevents a conclusive assessment of the actual prediction capabilities of very coarse large eddy simulations with low order schemes in general cases. Additionally, a two-dimensional sweep of angles of attack from 0° to 5° is performed showing a qualitative prediction of the jump in lift and drag coefficients due to the appearance of the laminar separation bubble. The numerical dissipation inhibits the predictive capabilities of large eddy simulations whenever it is of the same order of magnitude or larger than the sub-grid scale dissipation. The need to estimate the numerical dissipation is most pressing for low-order methods employed by commercial computational fluid dynamics codes. Following the recent work of Schranner et al., the equations and procedure for estimating the numerical dissipation rate and the numerical viscosity in a commercial code are presented. The method allows for the computation of the numerical dissipation rate and numerical viscosity in the physical space for arbitrary sub-domains in a self-consistent way, using only information provided by the code in question. The method is first tested for a three-dimensional Taylor-Green vortex flow in a simple cubic domain and compared with benchmark results obtained using an accurate, incompressible spectral solver. Afterwards the same procedure is applied for the first time to a realistic flow configuration, specifically to the above discussed laminar separation bubble flow over a NACA 0012 airfoil. The method appears to be quite robust and its application reveals that for the code and the flow in question the numerical dissipation can be significantly larger than the viscous dissipation or the dissipation of the classical Smagorinsky sub-grid scale model, confirming the previously qualitative finding.

Modification and validation of an analytical source model for external beam radiotherapy Monte Carlo dose calculations.

PubMed

Davidson, Scott E; Cui, Jing; Kry, Stephen; Deasy, Joseph O; Ibbott, Geoffrey S; Vicic, Milos; White, R Allen; Followill, David S

2016-08-01

A dose calculation tool, which combines the accuracy of the dose planning method (DPM) Monte Carlo code and the versatility of a practical analytical multisource model, which was previously reported has been improved and validated for the Varian 6 and 10 MV linear accelerators (linacs). The calculation tool can be used to calculate doses in advanced clinical application studies. One shortcoming of current clinical trials that report dose from patient plans is the lack of a standardized dose calculation methodology. Because commercial treatment planning systems (TPSs) have their own dose calculation algorithms and the clinical trial participant who uses these systems is responsible for commissioning the beam model, variation exists in the reported calculated dose distributions. Today's modern linac is manufactured to tight specifications so that variability within a linac model is quite low. The expectation is that a single dose calculation tool for a specific linac model can be used to accurately recalculate dose from patient plans that have been submitted to the clinical trial community from any institution. The calculation tool would provide for a more meaningful outcome analysis. The analytical source model was described by a primary point source, a secondary extra-focal source, and a contaminant electron source. Off-axis energy softening and fluence effects were also included. The additions of hyperbolic functions have been incorporated into the model to correct for the changes in output and in electron contamination with field size. A multileaf collimator (MLC) model is included to facilitate phantom and patient dose calculations. An offset to the MLC leaf positions was used to correct for the rudimentary assumed primary point source. Dose calculations of the depth dose and profiles for field sizes 4 × 4 to 40 × 40 cm agree with measurement within 2% of the maximum dose or 2 mm distance to agreement (DTA) for 95% of the data points tested. The model was capable of predicting the depth of the maximum dose within 1 mm. Anthropomorphic phantom benchmark testing of modulated and patterned MLCs treatment plans showed agreement to measurement within 3% in target regions using thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLD). Using radiochromic film normalized to TLD, a gamma criteria of 3% of maximum dose and 2 mm DTA was applied with a pass rate of least 85% in the high dose, high gradient, and low dose regions. Finally, recalculations of patient plans using DPM showed good agreement relative to a commercial TPS when comparing dose volume histograms and 2D dose distributions. A unique analytical source model coupled to the dose planning method Monte Carlo dose calculation code has been modified and validated using basic beam data and anthropomorphic phantom measurement. While this tool can be applied in general use for a particular linac model, specifically it was developed to provide a singular methodology to independently assess treatment plan dose distributions from those clinical institutions participating in National Cancer Institute trials.

Development of tools and techniques for momentum compression of fast rare isotopes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

David J. Morrissey; Bradley M. Sherrill; Oleg Tarasov

2010-11-21

As part of our past research and development work, we have created and developed the LISE++ simulation code [Tar04, Tar08]. The LISE++ package was significantly extended with the addition of a Monte Carlo option that includes an option for calculating ion trajectories using a Taylor-series expansion up to fifth order, and implementation of the MOTER Monte Carlo code [Kow87] for ray tracing of the ions into the suite of LISE++ codes. The MOTER code was rewritten from FORTRAN into C++ and transported to the MS-Windows operating system. Extensive work went into the creation of a user-friendly interface for the code.more » An example of the graphical user interface created for the MOTER code is shown in the left panel of Figure 1 and the results of a typical calculation for the trajectories of particles that pass through the A1900 fragment separator are shown in the right panel. The MOTER code is presently included as part of the LISE++ package for downloading without restriction by the worldwide community. The LISE++ was extensively developed and generalized to apply to any projectile fragment separator during the early phase of this grant. In addition to the inclusion of the MOTER code, other important additions to the LISE++ code made during FY08/FY09 are listed. The LISE++ is distributed over the web (http://groups.nscl.msu.edu/lise ) and is available without charge to anyone by anonymous download, thus, the number of individual users is not recorded. The number of 'hits' on the servers that provide the LISE++ code is shown in Figure 3 for the last eight calendar years (left panel) along with the country from the IP address (right panel). The data show an increase in web-activity with the release of the new version of the program during the grant period and a worldwide impact. An important part of the proposed work carried out during FY07, FY08 and FY09 by a graduate student in the MSU Physics program was to benchmark the codes by comparison of detailed measurements to the LISE++ predictions. A large data set was obtained for fission fragments from the reaction of 238U ions at 81 MeV/u in a 92 mg/cm2 beryllium target with the A1900 projectile fragment separator. The data were analyzed and form the bulk of a Ph.D. dissertation that is nearing completion. The rich data set provides a number of benchmarks for the improved LISE++ code and only a few examples can be shown here. The primary information obtained from the measurements is the yield of the products as a function of mass, charge and momentum. Examples of the momentum distributions of individually identified fragments can be seen in Figures 2 and 4 along with comparisons to the predicted distributions. The agreement is remarkably good and indicates the general validity of the model of the nuclear reactions producing these fragments and of the higher order transmission calculations in the LISE++ code. The momentum distributions were integrated to provide the cross sections for the individual isotopes. As shown in Figure 5, there is good agreement with the model predictions although the observed cross sections are a factor of five or so higher in this case. Other comparisons of measured production cross sections from abrasion-fission reactions have been published by our group working at the NSCL during this period [Fol09] and through our collaboration with Japanese researchers working at RIKEN with the BigRIPS separator [Ohn08, Ohn10]. The agreement of the model predictions with the data obtained with two different fragment separators is very good and indicates the usefulness of the new LISE++ code.« less

Capabilities needed for the next generation of thermo-hydraulic codes for use in real time applications

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arndt, S.A.

1997-07-01

The real-time reactor simulation field is currently at a crossroads in terms of the capability to perform real-time analysis using the most sophisticated computer codes. Current generation safety analysis codes are being modified to replace simplified codes that were specifically designed to meet the competing requirement for real-time applications. The next generation of thermo-hydraulic codes will need to have included in their specifications the specific requirement for use in a real-time environment. Use of the codes in real-time applications imposes much stricter requirements on robustness, reliability and repeatability than do design and analysis applications. In addition, the need for codemore » use by a variety of users is a critical issue for real-time users, trainers and emergency planners who currently use real-time simulation, and PRA practitioners who will increasingly use real-time simulation for evaluating PRA success criteria in near real-time to validate PRA results for specific configurations and plant system unavailabilities.« less

Specific agreement on dichotomous outcomes can be calculated for more than two raters.

PubMed

de Vet, Henrica C W; Dikmans, Rieky E; Eekhout, Iris

2017-03-01

For assessing interrater agreement, the concepts of observed agreement and specific agreement have been proposed. The situation of two raters and dichotomous outcomes has been described, whereas often, multiple raters are involved. We aim to extend it for more than two raters and examine how to calculate agreement estimates and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). As an illustration, we used a reliability study that includes the scores of four plastic surgeons classifying photographs of breasts of 50 women after breast reconstruction into "satisfied" or "not satisfied." In a simulation study, we checked the hypothesized sample size for calculation of 95% CIs. For m raters, all pairwise tables [ie, m (m - 1)/2] were summed. Then, the discordant cells were averaged before observed and specific agreements were calculated. The total number (N) in the summed table is m (m - 1)/2 times larger than the number of subjects (n), in the example, N = 300 compared to n = 50 subjects times m = 4 raters. A correction of n√(m - 1) was appropriate to find 95% CIs comparable to bootstrapped CIs. The concept of observed agreement and specific agreement can be extended to more than two raters with a valid estimation of the 95% CIs. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Inter-comparison of Computer Codes for TRISO-based Fuel Micro-Modeling and Performance Assessment

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brian Boer; Chang Keun Jo; Wen Wu

2010-10-01

The Next Generation Nuclear Plant (NGNP), the Deep Burn Pebble Bed Reactor (DB-PBR) and the Deep Burn Prismatic Block Reactor (DB-PMR) are all based on fuels that use TRISO particles as their fundamental constituent. The TRISO particle properties include very high durability in radiation environments, hence the designs reliance on the TRISO to form the principal barrier to radioactive materials release. This durability forms the basis for the selection of this fuel type for applications such as Deep Bun (DB), which require exposures up to four times those expected for light water reactors. It follows that the study and predictionmore » of the durability of TRISO particles must be carried as part of the safety and overall performance characterization of all the designs mentioned above. Such evaluations have been carried out independently by the performers of the DB project using independently developed codes. These codes, PASTA, PISA and COPA, incorporate models for stress analysis on the various layers of the TRISO particle (and of the intervening matrix material for some of them), model for fission products release and migration then accumulation within the SiC layer of the TRISO particle, just next to the layer, models for free oxygen and CO formation and migration to the same location, models for temperature field modeling within the various layers of the TRISO particle and models for the prediction of failure rates. All these models may be either internal to the code or external. This large number of models and the possibility of different constitutive data and model formulations and the possibility of a variety of solution techniques makes it highly unlikely that the model would give identical results in the modeling of identical situations. The purpose of this paper is to present the results of an inter-comparison between the codes and to identify areas of agreement and areas that need reconciliation. The inter-comparison has been carried out by the cooperating institutions using a set of pre-defined TRISO conditions (burnup levels, temperature or power levels, etc.) and the outcome will be tabulated in the full length paper. The areas of agreement will be pointed out and the areas that require further modeling or reconciliation will be shown. In general the agreement between the codes is good within less than one order of magnitude in the prediction of TRISO failure rates.« less

Beyond Molecular Codes: Simple Rules to Wire Complex Brains

PubMed Central

Hassan, Bassem A.; Hiesinger, P. Robin

2015-01-01

Summary Molecular codes, like postal zip codes, are generally considered a robust way to ensure the specificity of neuronal target selection. However, a code capable of unambiguously generating complex neural circuits is difficult to conceive. Here, we re-examine the notion of molecular codes in the light of developmental algorithms. We explore how molecules and mechanisms that have been considered part of a code may alternatively implement simple pattern formation rules sufficient to ensure wiring specificity in neural circuits. This analysis delineates a pattern-based framework for circuit construction that may contribute to our understanding of brain wiring. PMID:26451480

Report: Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Outlays Reported Under Five EPA Assistance Agreements

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #2007-4-00078, September 24, 2007. The Tribe did not comply with the financial and program management standards under Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 31 and 35, and Office of Management and Budget Circular A-87.

From Verified Models to Verifiable Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lensink, Leonard; Munoz, Cesar A.; Goodloe, Alwyn E.

2009-01-01

Declarative specifications of digital systems often contain parts that can be automatically translated into executable code. Automated code generation may reduce or eliminate the kinds of errors typically introduced through manual code writing. For this approach to be effective, the generated code should be reasonably efficient and, more importantly, verifiable. This paper presents a prototype code generator for the Prototype Verification System (PVS) that translates a subset of PVS functional specifications into an intermediate language and subsequently to multiple target programming languages. Several case studies are presented to illustrate the tool's functionality. The generated code can be analyzed by software verification tools such as verification condition generators, static analyzers, and software model-checkers to increase the confidence that the generated code is correct.

Conversion of the agent-oriented domain-specific language ALAS into JavaScript

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sredojević, Dejan; Vidaković, Milan; Okanović, Dušan; Mitrović, Dejan; Ivanović, Mirjana

2016-06-01

This paper shows generation of JavaScript code from code written in agent-oriented domain-specific language ALAS. ALAS is an agent-oriented domain-specific language for writing software agents that are executed within XJAF middleware. Since the agents can be executed on various platforms, they must be converted into a language of the target platform. We also try to utilize existing tools and technologies to make the whole conversion process as simple as possible, as well as faster and more efficient. We use the Xtext framework that is compatible with Java to implement ALAS infrastructure - editor and code generator. Since Xtext supports Java, generation of Java code from ALAS code is straightforward. To generate a JavaScript code that will be executed within the target JavaScript XJAF implementation, Google Web Toolkit (GWT) is used.

The semantic specificity of gestures when verbal communication is not possible: the case of emergency evacuation.

PubMed

Prati, Gabriele; Pietrantoni, Luca

2013-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the comprehension of gesture in a situation in which the communicator cannot (or can only with difficulty) use verbal communication. Based on theoretical considerations, we expected to obtain higher semantic comprehension for emblems (gestures with a direct verbal definition or translation that is well known by all members of a group, or culture) compared to illustrators (gestures regarded as spontaneous and idiosyncratic and that do not have a conventional definition). Based on the extant literature, we predicted higher semantic specificity associated with arbitrarily coded and iconically coded emblems compared to intrinsically coded illustrators. Using a scenario of emergency evacuation, we tested the difference in semantic specificity between different categories of gestures. 138 participants saw 10 videos each illustrating a gesture performed by a firefighter. They were requested to imagine themselves in a dangerous situation and to report the meaning associated with each gesture. The results showed that intrinsically coded illustrators were more successfully understood than arbitrarily coded emblems, probably because the meaning of intrinsically coded illustrators is immediately comprehensible without recourse to symbolic interpretation. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the comprehension of iconically coded emblems and that of both arbitrarily coded emblems and intrinsically coded illustrators. It seems that the difference between the latter two types of gestures was supported by their difference in semantic specificity, although in a direction opposite to that predicted. These results are in line with those of Hadar and Pinchas-Zamir (2004), which showed that iconic gestures have higher semantic specificity than conventional gestures.

Update of an occupational asthma-specific job exposure matrix to assess exposure to 30 specific agents.

PubMed

Le Moual, Nicole; Zock, Jan-Paul; Dumas, Orianne; Lytras, Theodore; Andersson, Eva; Lillienberg, Linnéa; Schlünssen, Vivi; Benke, Geza; Kromhout, Hans

2018-07-01

We aimed to update an asthmagen job exposure matrix (JEM) developed in the late 1990s. Main reasons were: the number of suspected and recognised asthmagens has since tripled; understanding of the aetiological role of irritants in asthma and methodological insights in application of JEMs have emerged in the period. For each agent of the new occupational asthma-specific JEM (OAsJEM), a working group of three experts out of eight evaluated exposure for each International Standard Classification of Occupations, 1988 (ISCO-88) job code into three categories: 'high' (high probability of exposure and moderate-to-high intensity), 'medium' (low-to-moderate probability or low intensity) and 'unexposed'. Within a working group, experts evaluated exposures independently from each other. If expert assessments were inconsistent the final decision was taken by consensus. Specificity was favoured over sensitivity, that is, jobs were classified with high exposure only if the probability of exposure was high and the intensity moderate-to-high. In the final review, all experts checked assigned exposures and proposed/improved recommendations for expert re-evaluation after default application of the JEM. The OAsJEM covers exposures to 30 sensitisers/irritants, including 12 newly recognised, classified into seven broad groups. Initial agreement between the three experts was mostly fair to moderate (κ values 0.2-0.5). Out of 506 ISCO-88 codes, the majority was classified as unexposed (from 82.6% (organic solvents) to 99.8% (persulfates)) and a minority as 'high-exposed' (0.2% (persulfates) to 2.6% (organic solvents)). The OAsJEM developed to improve occupational exposure assessment may improve evaluations of associations with asthma in epidemiological studies and contribute to assessment of the burden of work-related asthma. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Mathematical modelling of scanner-specific bowtie filters for Monte Carlo CT dosimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kramer, R.; Cassola, V. F.; Andrade, M. E. A.; de Araújo, M. W. C.; Brenner, D. J.; Khoury, H. J.

2017-02-01

The purpose of bowtie filters in CT scanners is to homogenize the x-ray intensity measured by the detectors in order to improve the image quality and at the same time to reduce the dose to the patient because of the preferential filtering near the periphery of the fan beam. For CT dosimetry, especially for Monte Carlo calculations of organ and tissue absorbed doses to patients, it is important to take the effect of bowtie filters into account. However, material composition and dimensions of these filters are proprietary. Consequently, a method for bowtie filter simulation independent of access to proprietary data and/or to a specific scanner would be of interest to many researchers involved in CT dosimetry. This study presents such a method based on the weighted computer tomography dose index, CTDIw, defined in two cylindrical PMMA phantoms of 16 cm and 32 cm diameter. With an EGSnrc-based Monte Carlo (MC) code, ratios CTDIw/CTDI100,a were calculated for a specific CT scanner using PMMA bowtie filter models based on sigmoid Boltzmann functions combined with a scanner filter factor (SFF) which is modified during calculations until the calculated MC CTDIw/CTDI100,a matches ratios CTDIw/CTDI100,a, determined by measurements or found in publications for that specific scanner. Once the scanner-specific value for an SFF has been found, the bowtie filter algorithm can be used in any MC code to perform CT dosimetry for that specific scanner. The bowtie filter model proposed here was validated for CTDIw/CTDI100,a considering 11 different CT scanners and for CTDI100,c, CTDI100,p and their ratio considering 4 different CT scanners. Additionally, comparisons were made for lateral dose profiles free in air and using computational anthropomorphic phantoms. CTDIw/CTDI100,a determined with this new method agreed on average within 0.89% (max. 3.4%) and 1.64% (max. 4.5%) with corresponding data published by CTDosimetry (www.impactscan.org) for the CTDI HEAD and BODY phantoms, respectively. Comparison with results calculated using proprietary data for the PHILIPS Brilliance 64 scanner showed agreement on average within 2.5% (max. 5.8%) and with data measured for that scanner within 2.1% (max. 3.7%). Ratios of CTDI100,c/CTDI100, p for this study and corresponding data published by CTDosimetry (www.impactscan.org) agree on average within about 11% (max. 28.6%). Lateral dose profiles calculated with the proposed bowtie filter and with proprietary data agreed within 2% (max. 5.9%), and both calculated data agreed within 5.4% (max. 11.2%) with measured results. Application of the proposed bowtie filter and of the exactly modelled filter to human phantom Monte Carlo calculations show agreement on the average within less than 5% (max. 7.9%) for organ and tissue absorbed doses.

Benchmark of neutron production cross sections with Monte Carlo codes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Pi-En; Lai, Bo-Lun; Heilbronn, Lawrence H.; Sheu, Rong-Jiun

2018-02-01

Aiming to provide critical information in the fields of heavy ion therapy, radiation shielding in space, and facility design for heavy-ion research accelerators, the physics models in three Monte Carlo simulation codes - PHITS, FLUKA, and MCNP6, were systematically benchmarked with comparisons to fifteen sets of experimental data for neutron production cross sections, which include various combinations of 12C, 20Ne, 40Ar, 84Kr and 132Xe projectiles and natLi, natC, natAl, natCu, and natPb target nuclides at incident energies between 135 MeV/nucleon and 600 MeV/nucleon. For neutron energies above 60% of the specific projectile energy per nucleon, the LAQGMS03.03 in MCNP6, the JQMD/JQMD-2.0 in PHITS, and the RQMD-2.4 in FLUKA all show a better agreement with data in heavy-projectile systems than with light-projectile systems, suggesting that the collective properties of projectile nuclei and nucleon interactions in the nucleus should be considered for light projectiles. For intermediate-energy neutrons whose energies are below the 60% projectile energy per nucleon and above 20 MeV, FLUKA is likely to overestimate the secondary neutron production, while MCNP6 tends towards underestimation. PHITS with JQMD shows a mild tendency for underestimation, but the JQMD-2.0 model with a modified physics description for central collisions generally improves the agreement between data and calculations. For low-energy neutrons (below 20 MeV), which are dominated by the evaporation mechanism, PHITS (which uses GEM linked with JQMD and JQMD-2.0) and FLUKA both tend to overestimate the production cross section, whereas MCNP6 tends to underestimate more systems than to overestimate. For total neutron production cross sections, the trends of the benchmark results over the entire energy range are similar to the trends seen in the dominate energy region. Also, the comparison of GEM coupled with either JQMD or JQMD-2.0 in the PHITS code indicates that the model used to describe the first stage of a nucleus-nucleus collision also affects the low-energy neutron production. Thus, in this case, a proper combination of two physics models is desired to reproduce the measured results. In addition, code users should be aware that certain models consistently produce secondary neutrons within a constant fraction of another model in certain energy regions, which might be correlated to different physics treatments in different models.

Investigation of the transport shortfall in Alcator C-Mod L-mode plasmas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Howard, N. T.; White, A. E.; Greenwald, M.

2013-03-15

A so-called 'transport shortfall,' where ion and electron heat fluxes and turbulence are underpredicted by gyrokinetic codes, has been robustly identified in DIII-D L-mode plasmas for {rho}>0.55[T. L. Rhodes et al., Nucl. Fusion 51(6), 063022 (2011); and C. Holland et al., Phys. Plasmas 16(5), 052301 (2009)]. To probe the existence of a transport shortfall across different tokamaks, a dedicated scan of auxiliary heated L-mode discharges in Alcator C-Mod are studied in detail with nonlinear gyrokinetic simulations for the first time. Two discharges, only differing by the amount of auxiliary heating are investigated using both linear and nonlinear simulation of themore » GYRO code [J. Candy and R. E. Waltz, J. Comput. Phys. 186, 545 (2003)]. Nonlinear gyrokinetic simulation of the low and high input power discharges reveals a discrepancy between simulation and experiment in only the electron heat flux channel of the low input power discharge. However, both discharges demonstrate excellent agreement in the ion heat flux channel, and the high input power discharge demonstrates simultaneous agreement with experiment in both the electron and ion heat flux channels. A summary of linear and nonlinear gyrokinetic results and a discussion of possible explanations for the agreement/disagreement in each heat flux channel is presented.« less

Dirac R-matrix calculations of photoionization cross sections of Ni XII and atomic structure data of Ni XIII

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nazir, R. T.; Bari, M. A.; Bilal, M.; Sardar, S.; Nasim, M. H.; Salahuddin, M.

2017-02-01

We performed R-matrix calculations for photoionization cross sections of the two ground state configuration 3s23p5 (^2P^o3/2,1/2) levels and 12 excited states of Ni XII using relativistic Dirac Atomic R-matrix Codes (DARC) across the photon energy range between the ionizations thresholds of the corresponding states and well above the thresholds of the last level of the Ni XIII target ion. Generally, a good agreement is obtained between our results and the earlier theoretical photoionization cross sections. Moreover, we have used two independent fully relativistic GRASP and FAC codes to calculate fine-structure energy levels, wavelengths, oscillator strengths, transitions rates among the lowest 48 levels belonging to the configuration (3s23p4, 3s3p5, 3p6, 3s23p33d) in Ni XIII. Additionally, radiative lifetimes of all the excited states of Ni XIII are presented. Our results of the atomic structure of Ni XIII show good agreement with other theoretical and experimental results available in the literature. A good agreement is found between our calculated lifetimes and the experimental ones. Our present results are useful for plasma diagnostic of fusion and astrophysical plasmas.

Administrative database code accuracy did not vary notably with changes in disease prevalence.

PubMed

van Walraven, Carl; English, Shane; Austin, Peter C

2016-11-01

Previous mathematical analyses of diagnostic tests based on the categorization of a continuous measure have found that test sensitivity and specificity varies significantly by disease prevalence. This study determined if the accuracy of diagnostic codes varied by disease prevalence. We used data from two previous studies in which the true status of renal disease and primary subarachnoid hemorrhage, respectively, had been determined. In multiple stratified random samples from the two previous studies having varying disease prevalence, we measured the accuracy of diagnostic codes for each disease using sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value. Diagnostic code sensitivity and specificity did not change notably within clinically sensible disease prevalence. In contrast, positive and negative predictive values changed significantly with disease prevalence. Disease prevalence had no important influence on the sensitivity and specificity of diagnostic codes in administrative databases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of jet plume shape predictions and plume influence on sonic boom signature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barger, Raymond L.; Melson, N. Duane

1992-01-01

An Euler shock-fitting marching code yields good agreement with semiempirically determined plume shapes, although the agreement decreases somewhat with increasing nozzle angle and the attendant increase in the nonisentropic nature of the flow. Some calculations for the low boom configuration with a simple engine indicated that, for flight at altitudes above 60,000 feet, the plume effect is dominant. This negates the advantages of a low boom design. At lower altitudes, plume effects are significant, but of the order that can be incorporated into the low boom design process.

Accretional evolution of a planetesimal swarm. I - A new simulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spaute, Dominique; Weidenschilling, Stuart J.; Davis, Donald R.; Marzari, Francesco

1991-01-01

This novel simulation of planetary accretion simultaneously treats many interacting heliocentric distance zones and characterizes planetesimals via Keplerian elements. The numerical code employed, in addition to following the size distribution and the orbit-element distribution of a planetesimal swarm from arbitrary size and orbit distributions, treats a small number of the largest bodies as discrete objects with individual orbits. The accretion algorithm used yields good agreement with the analytic solutions; agreement is also obtained with the results of Weatherill and Stewart (1989) for gravitational accretion of planetesimals having equivalent initial conditions.

GAME: GAlaxy Machine learning for Emission lines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ucci, G.; Ferrara, A.; Pallottini, A.; Gallerani, S.

2018-06-01

We present an updated, optimized version of GAME (GAlaxy Machine learning for Emission lines), a code designed to infer key interstellar medium physical properties from emission line intensities of ultraviolet /optical/far-infrared galaxy spectra. The improvements concern (a) an enlarged spectral library including Pop III stars, (b) the inclusion of spectral noise in the training procedure, and (c) an accurate evaluation of uncertainties. We extensively validate the optimized code and compare its performance against empirical methods and other available emission line codes (PYQZ and HII-CHI-MISTRY) on a sample of 62 SDSS stacked galaxy spectra and 75 observed HII regions. Very good agreement is found for metallicity. However, ionization parameters derived by GAME tend to be higher. We show that this is due to the use of too limited libraries in the other codes. The main advantages of GAME are the simultaneous use of all the measured spectral lines and the extremely short computational times. We finally discuss the code potential and limitations.

Numerical Simulation of a Double-anode Magnetron Injection Gun for 110 GHz, 1 MW Gyrotron

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Udaybir; Kumar, Nitin; Purohit, L. P.; Sinha, Ashok K.

2010-07-01

A 40 A double-anode magnetron injection gun for a 1 MW, 110 GHz gyrotron has been designed. The preliminary design has been obtained by using some trade-off equations. The electron beam analysis has been performed by using the commercially available code EGUN and the in-house developed code MIGANS. The operating mode of the gyrotron is TE22,6 and it is operated in the fundamental harmonic. The electron beam with a low transverse velocity spread ( δ {β_{ bot max }} = 2.26% ) and the transverse-to-axial velocity ratio of the electron beam (α) = 1.37 is obtained. The simulated results of the MIG obtained with the EGUN code have been validated with another trajectory code TRAK. The results on the design output parameters obtained by both the codes are in good agreement. The sensitivity analysis has been carried out by changing the different gun parameters to decide the fabrication tolerance.

Experimental check of bremsstrahlung dosimetry predictions for 0.75 MeV electrons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanford, T. W. L.; Halbleib, J. A.; Beezhold, W.

Bremsstrahlung dose in CaF2 TLDs from the radiation produced by 0.75 MeV electrons incident on Ta/C targets is measured and compared with that calculated via the CYLTRAN Monte Carlo code. The comparison was made to validate the code, which is used to predict and analyze radiation environments of flash X-ray simulators measured by TLDs. Over a wide range of Ta target thicknesses and radiation angles the code is found to agree with the 5% measurements. For Ta thickness near those that optimize the radiation output, however, the code overestimates the radiation dose at small angles. Maximum overprediction is about 14 + or - 5%. The general agreement, nonetheless, gives confidence in using the code at this energy and in the TLD calibration procedure. For the bulk of the measurements, a standard TLD employing a 2.2 mm thick Al equilibrator was used. In this paper we also show that this thickness can significantly attenuate the free-field dose and introduces significant photon buildup in the equalibrator.

Two-dimensional implosion simulations with a kinetic particle code [2D implosion simulations with a kinetic particle code

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sagert, Irina; Even, Wesley Paul; Strother, Terrance Timothy

Here, we perform two-dimensional implosion simulations using a Monte Carlo kinetic particle code. The application of a kinetic transport code is motivated, in part, by the occurrence of nonequilibrium effects in inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions, which cannot be fully captured by hydrodynamic simulations. Kinetic methods, on the other hand, are able to describe both continuum and rarefied flows. We perform simple two-dimensional disk implosion simulations using one-particle species and compare the results to simulations with the hydrodynamics code rage. The impact of the particle mean free path on the implosion is also explored. In a second study, we focusmore » on the formation of fluid instabilities from induced perturbations. We find good agreement with hydrodynamic studies regarding the location of the shock and the implosion dynamics. Differences are found in the evolution of fluid instabilities, originating from the higher resolution of rage and statistical noise in the kinetic studies.« less

Direct observation of mother-child communication in pediatric cancer: assessment of verbal and non-verbal behavior and emotion.

PubMed

Dunn, Madeleine J; Rodriguez, Erin M; Miller, Kimberly S; Gerhardt, Cynthia A; Vannatta, Kathryn; Saylor, Megan; Scheule, C Melanie; Compas, Bruce E

2011-06-01

To examine the acceptability and feasibility of coding observed verbal and nonverbal behavioral and emotional components of mother-child communication among families of children with cancer. Mother-child dyads (N=33, children ages 5-17 years) were asked to engage in a videotaped 15-min conversation about the child's cancer. Coding was done using the Iowa Family Interaction Rating Scale (IFIRS). Acceptability and feasibility of direct observation in this population were partially supported: 58% consented and 81% of those (47% of all eligible dyads) completed the task; trained raters achieved 78% agreement in ratings across codes. The construct validity of the IFIRS was demonstrated by expected associations within and between positive and negative behavioral/emotional code ratings and between mothers' and children's corresponding code ratings. Direct observation of mother-child communication about childhood cancer has the potential to be an acceptable and feasible method of assessing verbal and nonverbal behavior and emotion in this population.

NESSY: NLTE spectral synthesis code for solar and stellar atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tagirov, R. V.; Shapiro, A. I.; Schmutz, W.

2017-07-01

Context. Physics-based models of solar and stellar magnetically-driven variability are based on the calculation of synthetic spectra for various surface magnetic features as well as quiet regions, which are a function of their position on the solar or stellar disc. Such calculations are performed with radiative transfer codes tailored for modeling broad spectral intervals. Aims: We aim to present the NLTE Spectral SYnthesis code (NESSY), which can be used for modeling of the entire (UV-visible-IR and radio) spectra of solar and stellar magnetic features and quiet regions. Methods: NESSY is a further development of the COde for Solar Irradiance (COSI), in which we have implemented an accelerated Λ-iteration (ALI) scheme for co-moving frame (CMF) line radiation transfer based on a new estimate of the local approximate Λ-operator. Results: We show that the new version of the code performs substantially faster than the previous one and yields a reliable calculation of the entire solar spectrum. This calculation is in a good agreement with the available observations.

Two-dimensional implosion simulations with a kinetic particle code [2D implosion simulations with a kinetic particle code

DOE PAGES

Sagert, Irina; Even, Wesley Paul; Strother, Terrance Timothy

2017-05-17

Here, we perform two-dimensional implosion simulations using a Monte Carlo kinetic particle code. The application of a kinetic transport code is motivated, in part, by the occurrence of nonequilibrium effects in inertial confinement fusion capsule implosions, which cannot be fully captured by hydrodynamic simulations. Kinetic methods, on the other hand, are able to describe both continuum and rarefied flows. We perform simple two-dimensional disk implosion simulations using one-particle species and compare the results to simulations with the hydrodynamics code rage. The impact of the particle mean free path on the implosion is also explored. In a second study, we focusmore » on the formation of fluid instabilities from induced perturbations. We find good agreement with hydrodynamic studies regarding the location of the shock and the implosion dynamics. Differences are found in the evolution of fluid instabilities, originating from the higher resolution of rage and statistical noise in the kinetic studies.« less

Presentation of the Coding and Assessment System for Narratives of Trauma (CASNOT): Application in Spanish Battered Women and Preliminary Analyses.

PubMed

Fernández-Lansac, Violeta; Crespo, María

2017-07-26

This study introduces a new coding system, the Coding and Assessment System for Narratives of Trauma (CASNOT), to analyse several language domains in narratives of autobiographical memories, especially in trauma narratives. The development of the coding system is described. It was applied to assess positive and traumatic/negative narratives in 50 battered women (trauma-exposed group) and 50 nontrauma-exposed women (control group). Three blind raters coded each narrative. Inter-rater reliability analyses were conducted for the CASNOT language categories (multirater Kfree coefficients) and dimensions (intraclass correlation coefficients). High levels of inter-rater agreement were found for most of the language domains. Categories that did not reach the expected reliability were mainly those related to cognitive processes, which reflects difficulties in operationalizing constructs such as lack of control or helplessness, control or planning, and rationalization or memory elaboration. Applications and limitations of the CASNOT are discussed to enhance narrative measures for autobiographical memories.

Formal specification and verification of Ada software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hird, Geoffrey R.

1991-01-01

The use of formal methods in software development achieves levels of quality assurance unobtainable by other means. The Larch approach to specification is described, and the specification of avionics software designed to implement the logic of a flight control system is given as an example. Penelope is described which is an Ada-verification environment. The Penelope user inputs mathematical definitions, Larch-style specifications and Ada code and performs machine-assisted proofs that the code obeys its specifications. As an example, the verification of a binary search function is considered. Emphasis is given to techniques assisting the reuse of a verification effort on modified code.

Decree No. 1900 of 24 August 1989 authorizing civil divorce before a notary for reasons provided in Section 8 of Article 154 of the Civil Code.

PubMed

1989-01-01

This Colombian Decree authorizes civil divorce to take place before a notary by means of public document when the spouses are in mutual agreement; the ground for the divorce is separation, either decreed by a court or formalized before a notary; and the separation has lasted more than 2 years. Such a divorce produces the same legal effects as a divorce decreed by a court. The document is to set forth the duties of both spouses with respect to the provisions of sentence 3 of Article 166 of the Civil Code. If there are minors, the document must receive the approval of the municipal or district representative. Decree No. 2275 of 7 October 1989 (Diario Oficial, 7 October 1989, pp. 75-76) amends this Decree to provide that the judgment of the municipal or district representative must be made within 10 days after the document is received. Sentence 3 of Article 166 of the Civil Code requires that spouses who are separating by mutual consent send to a judge their agreement with respect to the care and support of children, which the judge may reject if necessary in the interests of the children.

Validation of Heat Transfer and Film Cooling Capabilities of the 3-D RANS Code TURBO

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shyam, Vikram; Ameri, Ali; Chen, Jen-Ping

2010-01-01

The capabilities of the 3-D unsteady RANS code TURBO have been extended to include heat transfer and film cooling applications. The results of simulations performed with the modified code are compared to experiment and to theory, where applicable. Wilcox s k-turbulence model has been implemented to close the RANS equations. Two simulations are conducted: (1) flow over a flat plate and (2) flow over an adiabatic flat plate cooled by one hole inclined at 35 to the free stream. For (1) agreement with theory is found to be excellent for heat transfer, represented by local Nusselt number, and quite good for momentum, as represented by the local skin friction coefficient. This report compares the local skin friction coefficients and Nusselt numbers on a flat plate obtained using Wilcox's k-model with the theory of Blasius. The study looks at laminar and turbulent flows over an adiabatic flat plate and over an isothermal flat plate for two different wall temperatures. It is shown that TURBO is able to accurately predict heat transfer on a flat plate. For (2) TURBO shows good qualitative agreement with film cooling experiments performed on a flat plate with one cooling hole. Quantitatively, film effectiveness is under predicted downstream of the hole.

Solution of the lossy nonlinear Tricomi equation with application to sonic boom focusing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salamone, Joseph A., III

Sonic boom focusing theory has been augmented with new terms that account for mean flow effects in the direction of propagation and also for atmospheric absorption/dispersion due to molecular relaxation due to oxygen and nitrogen. The newly derived model equation was numerically implemented using a computer code. The computer code was numerically validated using a spectral solution for nonlinear propagation of a sinusoid through a lossy homogeneous medium. An additional numerical check was performed to verify the linear diffraction component of the code calculations. The computer code was experimentally validated using measured sonic boom focusing data from the NASA sponsored Superboom Caustic and Analysis Measurement Program (SCAMP) flight test. The computer code was in good agreement with both the numerical and experimental validation. The newly developed code was applied to examine the focusing of a NASA low-boom demonstration vehicle concept. The resulting pressure field was calculated for several supersonic climb profiles. The shaping efforts designed into the signatures were still somewhat evident despite the effects of sonic boom focusing.

The challenge of mapping between two medical coding systems.

PubMed

Wojcik, Barbara E; Stein, Catherine R; Devore, Raymond B; Hassell, L Harrison

2006-11-01

Deployable medical systems patient conditions (PCs) designate groups of patients with similar medical conditions and, therefore, similar treatment requirements. PCs are used by the U.S. military to estimate field medical resources needed in combat operations. Information associated with each of the 389 PCs is based on subject matter expert opinion, instead of direct derivation from standard medical codes. Currently, no mechanisms exist to tie current or historical medical data to PCs. Our study objective was to determine whether reliable conversion between PC codes and International Classification of Diseases, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis codes is possible. Data were analyzed for three professional coders assigning all applicable ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes to each PC code. Inter-rater reliability was measured by using Cohen's K statistic and percent agreement. Methods were developed to calculate kappa statistics when multiple responses could be selected from many possible categories. Overall, we found moderate support for the possibility of reliable conversion between PCs and ICD-9-CM diagnoses (mean kappa = 0.61). Current PCs should be modified into a system that is verifiable with real data.

Verification and benchmark testing of the NUFT computer code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, K. H.; Nitao, J. J.; Kulshrestha, A.

1993-10-01

This interim report presents results of work completed in the ongoing verification and benchmark testing of the NUFT (Nonisothermal Unsaturated-saturated Flow and Transport) computer code. NUFT is a suite of multiphase, multicomponent models for numerical solution of thermal and isothermal flow and transport in porous media, with application to subsurface contaminant transport problems. The code simulates the coupled transport of heat, fluids, and chemical components, including volatile organic compounds. Grid systems may be cartesian or cylindrical, with one-, two-, or fully three-dimensional configurations possible. In this initial phase of testing, the NUFT code was used to solve seven one-dimensional unsaturated flow and heat transfer problems. Three verification and four benchmarking problems were solved. In the verification testing, excellent agreement was observed between NUFT results and the analytical or quasianalytical solutions. In the benchmark testing, results of code intercomparison were very satisfactory. From these testing results, it is concluded that the NUFT code is ready for application to field and laboratory problems similar to those addressed here. Multidimensional problems, including those dealing with chemical transport, will be addressed in a subsequent report.

The MARS15-based FermiCORD code system for calculation of the accelerator-induced residual dose

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grebe, A.; Leveling, A.; Lu, T.

The FermiCORD code system, a set of codes based on MARS15 that calculates the accelerator-induced residual doses at experimental facilities of arbitrary configurations, has been developed. FermiCORD is written in C++ as an add-on to Fortran-based MARS15. The FermiCORD algorithm consists of two stages: 1) simulation of residual doses on contact with the surfaces surrounding the studied location and of radionuclide inventories in the structures surrounding those locations using MARS15, and 2) simulation of the emission of the nuclear decay gamma-quanta by the residuals in the activated structures and scoring the prompt doses of these gamma-quanta at arbitrary distances frommore » those structures. The FermiCORD code system has been benchmarked against similar algorithms based on other code systems and showed a good agreement. The code system has been applied for calculation of the residual dose of the target station for the Mu2e experiment and the results have been compared to approximate dosimetric approaches.« less

The MARS15-based FermiCORD code system for calculation of the accelerator-induced residual dose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grebe, A.; Leveling, A.; Lu, T.; Mokhov, N.; Pronskikh, V.

2018-01-01

The FermiCORD code system, a set of codes based on MARS15 that calculates the accelerator-induced residual doses at experimental facilities of arbitrary configurations, has been developed. FermiCORD is written in C++ as an add-on to Fortran-based MARS15. The FermiCORD algorithm consists of two stages: 1) simulation of residual doses on contact with the surfaces surrounding the studied location and of radionuclide inventories in the structures surrounding those locations using MARS15, and 2) simulation of the emission of the nuclear decay γ-quanta by the residuals in the activated structures and scoring the prompt doses of these γ-quanta at arbitrary distances from those structures. The FermiCORD code system has been benchmarked against similar algorithms based on other code systems and against experimental data from the CERF facility at CERN, and FermiCORD showed reasonable agreement with these. The code system has been applied for calculation of the residual dose of the target station for the Mu2e experiment and the results have been compared to approximate dosimetric approaches.

Off-design computer code for calculating the aerodynamic performance of axial-flow fans and compressors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schmidt, James F.

1995-01-01

An off-design axial-flow compressor code is presented and is available from COSMIC for predicting the aerodynamic performance maps of fans and compressors. Steady axisymmetric flow is assumed and the aerodynamic solution reduces to solving the two-dimensional flow field in the meridional plane. A streamline curvature method is used for calculating this flow-field outside the blade rows. This code allows for bleed flows and the first five stators can be reset for each rotational speed, capabilities which are necessary for large multistage compressors. The accuracy of the off-design performance predictions depend upon the validity of the flow loss and deviation correlation models. These empirical correlations for the flow loss and deviation are used to model the real flow effects and the off-design code will compute through small reverse flow regions. The input to this off-design code is fully described and a user's example case for a two-stage fan is included with complete input and output data sets. Also, a comparison of the off-design code predictions with experimental data is included which generally shows good agreement.

Comparisons of 'Identical' Simulations by the Eulerian Gyrokinetic Codes GS2 and GYRO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bravenec, R. V.; Ross, D. W.; Candy, J.; Dorland, W.; McKee, G. R.

2003-10-01

A major goal of the fusion program is to be able to predict tokamak transport from first-principles theory. To this end, the Eulerian gyrokinetic code GS2 was developed years ago and continues to be improved [1]. Recently, the Eulerian code GYRO was developed [2]. These codes are not subject to the statistical noise inherent to particle-in-cell (PIC) codes, and have been very successful in treating electromagnetic fluctuations. GS2 is fully spectral in the radial coordinate while GYRO uses finite-differences and ``banded" spectral schemes. To gain confidence in nonlinear simulations of experiment with these codes, ``apples-to-apples" comparisons (identical profile inputs, flux-tube geometry, two species, etc.) are first performed. We report on a series of linear and nonlinear comparisons (with overall agreement) including kinetic electrons, collisions, and shaped flux surfaces. We also compare nonlinear simulations of a DIII-D discharge to measurements of not only the fluxes but also the turbulence parameters. [1] F. Jenko, et al., Phys. Plasmas 7, 1904 (2000) and refs. therein. [2] J. Candy, J. Comput. Phys. 186, 545 (2003).

Validation of a vector version of the 6S radiative transfer code for atmospheric correction of satellite data. Part I: Path radiance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotchenova, Svetlana Y.; Vermote, Eric F.; Matarrese, Raffaella; Klemm, Frank J., Jr.

2006-09-01

A vector version of the 6S (Second Simulation of a Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum) radiative transfer code (6SV1), which enables accounting for radiation polarization, has been developed and validated against a Monte Carlo code, Coulson's tabulated values, and MOBY (Marine Optical Buoy System) water-leaving reflectance measurements. The developed code was also tested against the scalar codes SHARM, DISORT, and MODTRAN to evaluate its performance in scalar mode and the influence of polarization. The obtained results have shown a good agreement of 0.7% in comparison with the Monte Carlo code, 0.2% for Coulson's tabulated values, and 0.001-0.002 for the 400-550 nm region for the MOBY reflectances. Ignoring the effects of polarization led to large errors in calculated top-of-atmosphere reflectances: more than 10% for a molecular atmosphere and up to 5% for an aerosol atmosphere. This new version of 6S is intended to replace the previous scalar version used for calculation of lookup tables in the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) atmospheric correction algorithm.

Validation of a vector version of the 6S radiative transfer code for atmospheric correction of satellite data. Part I: path radiance.

PubMed

Kotchenova, Svetlana Y; Vermote, Eric F; Matarrese, Raffaella; Klemm, Frank J

2006-09-10

A vector version of the 6S (Second Simulation of a Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum) radiative transfer code (6SV1), which enables accounting for radiation polarization, has been developed and validated against a Monte Carlo code, Coulson's tabulated values, and MOBY (Marine Optical Buoy System) water-leaving reflectance measurements. The developed code was also tested against the scalar codes SHARM, DISORT, and MODTRAN to evaluate its performance in scalar mode and the influence of polarization. The obtained results have shown a good agreement of 0.7% in comparison with the Monte Carlo code, 0.2% for Coulson's tabulated values, and 0.001-0.002 for the 400-550 nm region for the MOBY reflectances. Ignoring the effects of polarization led to large errors in calculated top-of-atmosphere reflectances: more than 10% for a molecular atmosphere and up to 5% for an aerosol atmosphere. This new version of 6S is intended to replace the previous scalar version used for calculation of lookup tables in the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) atmospheric correction algorithm.

Reactive Flow Modeling of Liquid Explosives via ALE3D/Cheetah Simulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuo, I W; Bastea, S; Fried, L E

2010-03-10

We carried out reactive flow simulations of liquid explosives such as nitromethane using the hydrodynamic code ALE3D coupled with equations of state and reaction kinetics modeled by the thermochemical code Cheetah. The simulation set-up was chosen to mimic cylinder experiments. For pure unconfined nitromethane we find that the failure diameter and detonation velocity dependence on charge diameter are in agreement with available experimental results. Such simulations are likely to be useful for determining detonability and failure behavior for a wide range of experimental conditions and explosive compounds.

TRAC posttest calculations of Semiscale Test S-06-3. [PWR

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ireland, J.R.; Bleiweis, P.B.

A comparison of Transient Reactor Analysis Code (TRAC) steady-state and transient results with Semiscale Test S-06-3 (US Standard Problem 8) experimental data is discussed. The TRAC model used employs fewer mesh cells than normal data comparison models so that TRAC's ability to obtain reasonable results with less computer time can be assessed. In general, the TRAC results are in good agreement with the data and the major phenomena found in the experiment are reproduced by the code with a substantial reduction in computing times.

Simulation study on ion extraction from electron cyclotron resonance ion sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, S.; Kitagawa, A.; Yamada, S.

1994-04-01

In order to study beam optics of NIRS-ECR ion source used in the HIMAC project, the EGUN code has been modified to make it capable of modeling ion extraction from a plasma. Two versions of the modified code are worked out with two different methods in which 1D and 2D sheath theories are used, respectively. Convergence problem of the strong nonlinear self-consistent equations is investigated. Simulations on NIRS-ECR ion source and HYPER-ECR ion source are presented in this paper, exhibiting an agreement with the experiment results.

New test techniques and analytical procedures for understanding the behavior of advanced propellers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stefko, G. L.; Bober, L. J.; Neumann, H. E.

1983-01-01

Analytical procedures and experimental techniques were developed to improve the capability to design advanced high speed propellers. Some results from the propeller lifting line and lifting surface aerodynamic analysis codes are compared with propeller force data, probe data and laser velocimeter data. In general, the code comparisons with data indicate good qualitative agreement. A rotating propeller force balance demonstrated good accuracy and reduced test time by 50 percent. Results from three propeller flow visualization techniques are shown which illustrate some of the physical phenomena occurring on these propellers.

A simplified model for tritium permeation transient predictions when trapping is active*1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Longhurst, G. R.

1994-09-01

This report describes a simplified one-dimensional tritium permeation and retention model. The model makes use of the same physical mechanisms as more sophisticated, time-transient codes such as implantation, recombination, diffusion, trapping and thermal gradient effects. It takes advantage of a number of simplifications and approximations to solve the steady-state problem and then provides interpolating functions to make estimates of intermediate states based on the steady-state solution. Comparison calculations with the verified and validated TMAP4 transient code show good agreement.

Interfacing VPSC with finite element codes. Demonstration of irradiation growth simulation in a cladding tube

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Patra, Anirban; Tome, Carlos

This Milestone report shows good progress in interfacing VPSC with the FE codes ABAQUS and MOOSE, to perform component-level simulations of irradiation-induced deformation in Zirconium alloys. In this preliminary application, we have performed an irradiation growth simulation in the quarter geometry of a cladding tube. We have benchmarked VPSC-ABAQUS and VPSC-MOOSE predictions with VPSC-SA predictions to verify the accuracy of the VPSCFE interface. Predictions from the FE simulations are in general agreement with VPSC-SA simulations and also with experimental trends.

Production and Processing of Subject-Verb Agreement in Monolingual Dutch Children with Specific Language Impairment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blom, Elma; Vasic, Nada; de Jong, Jan

2014-01-01

Purpose: In this study, the authors investigated whether errors with subject-verb agreement in monolingual Dutch children with specific language impairment (SLI) are influenced by verb phonology. In addition, the productive and receptive abilities of Dutch acquiring children with SLI regarding agreement inflection were compared. Method: An SLI…

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Clausen, Jonathan R.; Brunini, Victor E.; Moffat, Harry K.

We develop a capability to simulate reduction-oxidation (redox) flow batteries in the Sierra Multi-Mechanics code base. Specifically, we focus on all-vanadium redox flow batteries; however, the capability is general in implementation and could be adopted to other chemistries. The electrochemical and porous flow models follow those developed in the recent publication by [28]. We review the model implemented in this work and its assumptions, and we show several verification cases including a binary electrolyte, and a battery half-cell. Then, we compare our model implementation with the experimental results shown in [28], with good agreement seen. Next, a sensitivity study ismore » conducted for the major model parameters, which is beneficial in targeting specific features of the redox flow cell for improvement. Lastly, we simulate a three-dimensional version of the flow cell to determine the impact of plenum channels on the performance of the cell. Such channels are frequently seen in experimental designs where the current collector plates are borrowed from fuel cell designs. These designs use a serpentine channel etched into a solid collector plate.« less

Fat stigmatization in television shows and movies: a content analysis.

PubMed

Himes, Susan M; Thompson, J Kevin

2007-03-01

To examine the phenomenon of fat stigmatization messages presented in television shows and movies, a content analysis was used to quantify and categorize fat-specific commentary and humor. Fat stigmatization vignettes were identified using a targeted sampling procedure, and 135 scenes were excised from movies and television shows. The material was coded by trained raters. Reliability indices were uniformly high for the seven categories (percentage agreement ranged from 0.90 to 0.98; kappas ranged from 0.66 to 0.94). Results indicated that fat stigmatization commentary and fat humor were often verbal, directed toward another person, and often presented directly in the presence of the overweight target. Results also indicated that male characters were three times more likely to engage in fat stigmatization commentary or fat humor than female characters. To our knowledge, these findings provide the first information regarding the specific gender, age, and types of fat stigmatization that occur frequently in movies and television shows. The stimuli should prove useful in future research examining the role of individual difference factors (e.g., BMI) in the reaction to viewing such vignettes.

Coding conventions and principles for a National Land-Change Modeling Framework

USGS Publications Warehouse

Donato, David I.

2017-07-14

This report establishes specific rules for writing computer source code for use with the National Land-Change Modeling Framework (NLCMF). These specific rules consist of conventions and principles for writing code primarily in the C and C++ programming languages. Collectively, these coding conventions and coding principles create an NLCMF programming style. In addition to detailed naming conventions, this report provides general coding conventions and principles intended to facilitate the development of high-performance software implemented with code that is extensible, flexible, and interoperable. Conventions for developing modular code are explained in general terms and also enabled and demonstrated through the appended templates for C++ base source-code and header files. The NLCMF limited-extern approach to module structure, code inclusion, and cross-module access to data is both explained in the text and then illustrated through the module templates. Advice on the use of global variables is provided.

Energy dynamics and current sheet structure in fluid and kinetic simulations of decaying magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Makwana, K. D., E-mail: kirit.makwana@gmx.com; Cattaneo, F.; Zhdankin, V.

Simulations of decaying magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence are performed with a fluid and a kinetic code. The initial condition is an ensemble of long-wavelength, counter-propagating, shear-Alfvén waves, which interact and rapidly generate strong MHD turbulence. The total energy is conserved and the rate of turbulent energy decay is very similar in both codes, although the fluid code has numerical dissipation, whereas the kinetic code has kinetic dissipation. The inertial range power spectrum index is similar in both the codes. The fluid code shows a perpendicular wavenumber spectral slope of k{sub ⊥}{sup −1.3}. The kinetic code shows a spectral slope of k{submore » ⊥}{sup −1.5} for smaller simulation domain, and k{sub ⊥}{sup −1.3} for larger domain. We estimate that collisionless damping mechanisms in the kinetic code can account for the dissipation of the observed nonlinear energy cascade. Current sheets are geometrically characterized. Their lengths and widths are in good agreement between the two codes. The length scales linearly with the driving scale of the turbulence. In the fluid code, their thickness is determined by the grid resolution as there is no explicit diffusivity. In the kinetic code, their thickness is very close to the skin-depth, irrespective of the grid resolution. This work shows that kinetic codes can reproduce the MHD inertial range dynamics at large scales, while at the same time capturing important kinetic physics at small scales.« less

Report: Association of State and Interstate Water Pollution Control Administrators Incurred Costs for Seven EPA Assistance Agreements

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #2006-4-00122, July 31, 2006. The Association did not comply with the financial and program management standards and the procurement standards promulgated in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Subchapter B, Part 30.

Report: America’s Clean Water Foundation Incurred Costs for EPA Assistance Agreements X82835301, X783142301, and X82672301

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #2007-4-00045, February 20, 2007. The Foundation did not comply with the financial and program management standards and the procurement standards promulgated in Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 30.

Software Product Liability

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-08-01

disclaimers should be a top priority. Contract law involves the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC). This is an agreement between all the states (except...to contract law than this, the basic issue with software is that the sup- plier is generally an expert on an arcane and sophisticated technology and

In-flight radiometric calibration of the Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Conel, James E.; Green, Robert O.; Alley, Ronald E.; Bruegge, Carol J.; Carrere, Veronique; Margolis, Jack S.; Vane, Gregg; Chrien, Thomas G.; Slater, Philip N.; Biggard, Stuart F.

1988-01-01

A reflectance-based method was used to provide an analysis of the in-flight radiometric performance of AVIRIS. Field spectral reflectance measurements of the surface and extinction measurements of the atmosphere using solar radiation were used as input to atmospheric radiative transfer calculations. Five separate codes were used in the analysis. Four include multiple scattering, and the computed radiances from these for flight conditions were in good agreement. Code-generated radiances were compared with AVIRIS-predicted radiances based on two laboratory calibrations (pre- and post-season of flight) for a uniform highly reflecting natural dry lake target. For one spectrometer (C), the pre- and post-season calibration factors were found to give identical results, and to be in agreement with the atmospheric models that include multiple scattering. This positive result validates the field and laboratory calibration technique. Results for the other spectrometers (A, B and D) were widely at variance with the models no matter which calibration factors were used. Potential causes of these discrepancies are discussed.

No cataclysmic variables missing: higher merger rate brings into agreement observed and predicted space densities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belloni, Diogo; Schreiber, Matthias R.; Zorotovic, Mónica; Iłkiewicz, Krystian; Hurley, Jarrod R.; Giersz, Mirek; Lagos, Felipe

2018-06-01

The predicted and observed space density of cataclysmic variables (CVs) have been for a long time discrepant by at least an order of magnitude. The standard model of CV evolution predicts that the vast majority of CVs should be period bouncers, whose space density has been recently measured to be ρ ≲ 2 × 10-5 pc-3. We performed population synthesis of CVs using an updated version of the Binary Stellar Evolution (BSE) code for single and binary star evolution. We find that the recently suggested empirical prescription of consequential angular momentum loss (CAML) brings into agreement predicted and observed space densities of CVs and period bouncers. To progress with our understanding of CV evolution it is crucial to understand the physical mechanism behind empirical CAML. Our changes to the BSE code are also provided in details, which will allow the community to accurately model mass transfer in interacting binaries in which degenerate objects accrete from low-mass main-sequence donor stars.

Ducted-Fan Engine Acoustic Predictions using a Navier-Stokes Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rumsey, C. L.; Biedron, R. T.; Farassat, F.; Spence, P. L.

1998-01-01

A Navier-Stokes computer code is used to predict one of the ducted-fan engine acoustic modes that results from rotor-wake/stator-blade interaction. A patched sliding-zone interface is employed to pass information between the moving rotor row and the stationary stator row. The code produces averaged aerodynamic results downstream of the rotor that agree well with a widely used average-passage code. The acoustic mode of interest is generated successfully by the code and is propagated well upstream of the rotor; temporal and spatial numerical resolution are fine enough such that attenuation of the signal is small. Two acoustic codes are used to find the far-field noise. Near-field propagation is computed by using Eversman's wave envelope code, which is based on a finite-element model. Propagation to the far field is accomplished by using the Kirchhoff formula for moving surfaces with the results of the wave envelope code as input data. Comparison of measured and computed far-field noise levels show fair agreement in the range of directivity angles where the peak radiation lobes from the inlet are observed. Although only a single acoustic mode is targeted in this study, the main conclusion is a proof-of-concept: Navier-Stokes codes can be used both to generate and propagate rotor/stator acoustic modes forward through an engine, where the results can be coupled to other far-field noise prediction codes.

Validation of a vector version of the 6S radiative transfer code for atmospheric correction of satellite data. Part II. Homogeneous Lambertian and anisotropic surfaces.

PubMed

Kotchenova, Svetlana Y; Vermote, Eric F

2007-07-10

This is the second part of the validation effort of the recently developed vector version of the 6S (Second Simulation of a Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum) radiative transfer code (6SV1), primarily used for the calculation of look-up tables in the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) atmospheric correction algorithm. The 6SV1 code was tested against a Monte Carlo code and Coulson's tabulated values for molecular and aerosol atmospheres bounded by different Lambertian and anisotropic surfaces. The code was also tested in scalar mode against the scalar code SHARM to resolve the previous 6S accuracy issues in the case of an anisotropic surface. All test cases were characterized by good agreement between the 6SV1 and the other codes: The overall relative error did not exceed 0.8%. The study also showed that ignoring the effects of radiation polarization in the atmosphere led to large errors in the simulated top-of-atmosphere reflectances: The maximum observed error was approximately 7.2% for both Lambertian and anisotropic surfaces.

Validation of a vector version of the 6S radiative transfer code for atmospheric correction of satellite data. Part II. Homogeneous Lambertian and anisotropic surfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotchenova, Svetlana Y.; Vermote, Eric F.

2007-07-01

This is the second part of the validation effort of the recently developed vector version of the 6S (Second Simulation of a Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum) radiative transfer code (6SV1), primarily used for the calculation of look-up tables in the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) atmospheric correction algorithm. The 6SV1 code was tested against a Monte Carlo code and Coulson's tabulated values for molecular and aerosol atmospheres bounded by different Lambertian and anisotropic surfaces. The code was also tested in scalar mode against the scalar code SHARM to resolve the previous 6S accuracy issues in the case of an anisotropic surface. All test cases were characterized by good agreement between the 6SV1 and the other codes: The overall relative error did not exceed 0.8%. The study also showed that ignoring the effects of radiation polarization in the atmosphere led to large errors in the simulated top-of-atmosphere reflectances: The maximum observed error was approximately 7.2% for both Lambertian and anisotropic surfaces.

Caregiver Person-Centeredness and Behavioral Symptoms during Mealtime Interactions: Development and Feasibility of a Coding Scheme

PubMed Central

Gilmore-Bykovskyi, Andrea L.

2015-01-01

Mealtime behavioral symptoms are distressing and frequently interrupt eating for the individual experiencing them and others in the environment. In order to enable identification of potential antecedents to mealtime behavioral symptoms, a computer-assisted coding scheme was developed to measure caregiver person-centeredness and behavioral symptoms for nursing home residents with dementia during mealtime interactions. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the acceptability and feasibility of procedures for video-capturing naturally-occurring mealtime interactions between caregivers and residents with dementia, to assess the feasibility, ease of use, and inter-observer reliability of the coding scheme, and to explore the clinical utility of the coding scheme. Trained observers coded 22 observations. Data collection procedures were feasible and acceptable to caregivers, residents and their legally authorized representatives. Overall, the coding scheme proved to be feasible, easy to execute and yielded good to very good inter-observer agreement following observer re-training. The coding scheme captured clinically relevant, modifiable antecedents to mealtime behavioral symptoms, but would be enhanced by the inclusion of measures for resident engagement and consolidation of items for measuring caregiver person-centeredness that co-occurred and were difficult for observers to distinguish. PMID:25784080