The Validation by Measurement Theory of Proposed Object-Oriented Software Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neal, Ralph D.

1996-01-01

Moving software development into the engineering arena requires controllability, and to control a process, it must be measurable. Measuring the process does no good if the product is not also measured, i.e., being the best at producing an inferior product does not define a quality process. Also, not every number extracted from software development is a valid measurement. A valid measurement only results when we are able to verify that the number is representative of the attribute that we wish to measure. Many proposed software metrics are used by practitioners without these metrics ever having been validated, leading to costly but often useless calculations. Several researchers have bemoaned the lack of scientific precision in much of the published software measurement work and have called for validation of software metrics by measurement theory. This dissertation applies measurement theory to validate fifty proposed object-oriented software metrics.

Software Quality Assurance Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McRae, Kalindra A.

2004-01-01

Software Quality Assurance (SQA) is a planned and systematic set of activities that ensures conformance of software life cycle processes and products conform to requirements, standards and procedures. In software development, software quality means meeting requirements and a degree of excellence and refinement of a project or product. Software Quality is a set of attributes of a software product by which its quality is described and evaluated. The set of attributes includes functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability, and portability. Software Metrics help us understand the technical process that is used to develop a product. The process is measured to improve it and the product is measured to increase quality throughout the life cycle of software. Software Metrics are measurements of the quality of software. Software is measured to indicate the quality of the product, to assess the productivity of the people who produce the product, to assess the benefits derived from new software engineering methods and tools, to form a baseline for estimation, and to help justify requests for new tools or additional training. Any part of the software development can be measured. If Software Metrics are implemented in software development, it can save time, money, and allow the organization to identify the caused of defects which have the greatest effect on software development. The summer of 2004, I worked with Cynthia Calhoun and Frank Robinson in the Software Assurance/Risk Management department. My task was to research and collect, compile, and analyze SQA Metrics that have been used in other projects that are not currently being used by the SA team and report them to the Software Assurance team to see if any metrics can be implemented in their software assurance life cycle process.

A software quality model and metrics for risk assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyatt, L.; Rosenberg, L.

1996-01-01

A software quality model and its associated attributes are defined and used as the model for the basis for a discussion on risk. Specific quality goals and attributes are selected based on their importance to a software development project and their ability to be quantified. Risks that can be determined by the model's metrics are identified. A core set of metrics relating to the software development process and its products is defined. Measurements for each metric and their usability and applicability are discussed.

Automating Software Design Metrics.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-02-01

INTRODUCTION 1 ", ... 0..1 1.2 HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE High quality software is of interest to both the software engineering com- munity and its users. As...contributions of many other software engineering efforts, most notably [MCC 77] and [Boe 83b], which have defined and refined a framework for quantifying...AUTOMATION OF DESIGN METRICS Software metrics can be useful within the context of an integrated soft- ware engineering environment. The purpose of this

Empirical Evaluation of Hunk Metrics as Bug Predictors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferzund, Javed; Ahsan, Syed Nadeem; Wotawa, Franz

Reducing the number of bugs is a crucial issue during software development and maintenance. Software process and product metrics are good indicators of software complexity. These metrics have been used to build bug predictor models to help developers maintain the quality of software. In this paper we empirically evaluate the use of hunk metrics as predictor of bugs. We present a technique for bug prediction that works at smallest units of code change called hunks. We build bug prediction models using random forests, which is an efficient machine learning classifier. Hunk metrics are used to train the classifier and each hunk metric is evaluated for its bug prediction capabilities. Our classifier can classify individual hunks as buggy or bug-free with 86 % accuracy, 83 % buggy hunk precision and 77% buggy hunk recall. We find that history based and change level hunk metrics are better predictors of bugs than code level hunk metrics.

Establishing Quantitative Software Metrics in Department of the Navy Programs

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-01

13 Quality to Metrics Dependency Matrix...11 7. Quality characteristics to metrics dependecy matrix...In accomplishing this goal, a need exists for a formalized set of software quality metrics . This document establishes the validity of those necessary

Agile Software Development in Defense Acquisition: A Mission Assurance Perspective

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-03-23

based information retrieval system, we might say that this program works like a hive of bees , going out for pollen and bringing it back to the hive...developers ® Six Siqma is reqistered in the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office by Motorola ^_ 33 @ AEROSPACE Major Areas in a Typical Software...requirements - Capturing and evaluating quality metrics, identifying common problem areas **» Despite its positive impact on quality, pair programming

The validation by measurement theory of proposed object-oriented software metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neal, Ralph D.

1994-01-01

Moving software development into the engineering arena requires controllability, and to control a process, it must be measurable. Measuring the process does no good if the product is not also measured, i.e., being the best at producing an inferior product does not define a quality process. Also, not every number extracted from software development is a valid measurement. A valid measurement only results when we are able to verify that the number is representative of the attribute that we wish to measure. Many proposed software metrics are used by practitioners without these metrics ever having been validated, leading to costly but often useless calculations. Several researchers have bemoaned the lack of scientific precision in much of the published software measurement work and have called for validation of software metrics by measurement theory. This dissertation applies measurement theory to validate fifty proposed object-oriented software metrics (Li and Henry, 1993; Chidamber and Kemerrer, 1994; Lorenz and Kidd, 1994).

An Improved Suite of Object Oriented Software Measures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neal, Ralph D.; Weistroffer, H. Roland; Coppins, Richard J.

1997-01-01

In the pursuit of ever increasing productivity, the need to be able to measure specific aspects of software is generally agreed upon. As object oriented programming languages are becoming more and more widely used, metrics specifically designed for object oriented software are required. In recent years there has been an explosion of new, object oriented software metrics proposed in the literature. Unfortunately, many or most of these proposed metrics have not been validated to measure what they claim to measure. In fact, an analysis of many of these metrics shows that they do not satisfy basic properties of measurement theory, and thus their application has to be suspect. In this paper ten improved metrics are proposed and are validated using measurement theory.

A bridge role metric model for nodes in software networks.

PubMed

Li, Bo; Feng, Yanli; Ge, Shiyu; Li, Dashe

2014-01-01

A bridge role metric model is put forward in this paper. Compared with previous metric models, our solution of a large-scale object-oriented software system as a complex network is inherently more realistic. To acquire nodes and links in an undirected network, a new model that presents the crucial connectivity of a module or the hub instead of only centrality as in previous metric models is presented. Two previous metric models are described for comparison. In addition, it is obvious that the fitting curve between the Bre results and degrees can well be fitted by a power law. The model represents many realistic characteristics of actual software structures, and a hydropower simulation system is taken as an example. This paper makes additional contributions to an accurate understanding of module design of software systems and is expected to be beneficial to software engineering practices.

A Bridge Role Metric Model for Nodes in Software Networks

PubMed Central

Li, Bo; Feng, Yanli; Ge, Shiyu; Li, Dashe

2014-01-01

A bridge role metric model is put forward in this paper. Compared with previous metric models, our solution of a large-scale object-oriented software system as a complex network is inherently more realistic. To acquire nodes and links in an undirected network, a new model that presents the crucial connectivity of a module or the hub instead of only centrality as in previous metric models is presented. Two previous metric models are described for comparison. In addition, it is obvious that the fitting curve between the results and degrees can well be fitted by a power law. The model represents many realistic characteristics of actual software structures, and a hydropower simulation system is taken as an example. This paper makes additional contributions to an accurate understanding of module design of software systems and is expected to be beneficial to software engineering practices. PMID:25364938

Specification-based software sizing: An empirical investigation of function metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jeffery, Ross; Stathis, John

1993-01-01

For some time the software industry has espoused the need for improved specification-based software size metrics. This paper reports on a study of nineteen recently developed systems in a variety of application domains. The systems were developed by a single software services corporation using a variety of languages. The study investigated several metric characteristics. It shows that: earlier research into inter-item correlation within the overall function count is partially supported; a priori function counts, in themself, do not explain the majority of the effort variation in software development in the organization studied; documentation quality is critical to accurate function identification; and rater error is substantial in manual function counting. The implication of these findings for organizations using function based metrics are explored.

Validation of a Quality Management Metric

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-09-01

quality management metric (QMM) was used to measure the performance of ten software managers on Department of Defense (DoD) software development programs. Informal verification and validation of the metric compared the QMM score to an overall program success score for the entire program and yielded positive correlation. The results of applying the QMM can be used to characterize the quality of software management and can serve as a template to improve software management performance. Future work includes further refining the QMM, applying the QMM scores to provide feedback

Models and metrics for software management and engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, V. R.

1988-01-01

This paper attempts to characterize and present a state of the art view of several quantitative models and metrics of the software life cycle. These models and metrics can be used to aid in managing and engineering software projects. They deal with various aspects of the software process and product, including resources allocation and estimation, changes and errors, size, complexity and reliability. Some indication is given of the extent to which the various models have been used and the success they have achieved.

Metric analysis and data validation across FORTRAN projects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.; Selby, Richard W., Jr.; Phillips, Tsai-Yun

1983-01-01

The desire to predict the effort in developing or explaining the quality of software has led to the proposal of several metrics. As a step toward validating these metrics, the Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) has analyzed the software science metrics, cyclomatic complexity, and various standard program measures for their relation to effort (including design through acceptance testing), development errors (both discrete and weighted according to the amount of time to locate and fix), and one another. The data investigated are collected from a project FORTRAN environment and examined across several projects at once, within individual projects and by reporting accuracy checks demonstrating the need to validate a database. When the data comes from individual programmers or certain validated projects, the metrics' correlations with actual effort seem to be strongest. For modules developed entirely by individual programmers, the validity ratios induce a statistically significant ordering of several of the metrics' correlations. When comparing the strongest correlations, neither software science's E metric cyclomatic complexity not source lines of code appears to relate convincingly better with effort than the others.

Configuration management and software measurement in the Ground Systems Development Environment (GSDE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Church, Victor E.; Long, D.; Hartenstein, Ray; Perez-Davila, Alfredo

1992-01-01

A set of functional requirements for software configuration management (CM) and metrics reporting for Space Station Freedom ground systems software are described. This report is one of a series from a study of the interfaces among the Ground Systems Development Environment (GSDE), the development systems for the Space Station Training Facility (SSTF) and the Space Station Control Center (SSCC), and the target systems for SSCC and SSTF. The focus is on the CM of the software following delivery to NASA and on the software metrics that relate to the quality and maintainability of the delivered software. The CM and metrics requirements address specific problems that occur in large-scale software development. Mechanisms to assist in the continuing improvement of mission operations software development are described.

WISE: Automated support for software project management and measurement. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramakrishnan, Sudhakar

1995-01-01

One important aspect of software development and IV&V is measurement. Unless a software development effort is measured in some way, it is difficult to judge the effectiveness of current efforts and predict future performances. Collection of metrics and adherence to a process are difficult tasks in a software project. Change activity is a powerful indicator of project status. Automated systems that can handle change requests, issues, and other process documents provide an excellent platform for tracking the status of the project. A World Wide Web based architecture is developed for (a) making metrics collection an implicit part of the software process, (b) providing metric analysis dynamically, (c) supporting automated tools that can complement current practices of in-process improvement, and (d) overcoming geographical barrier. An operational system (WISE) instantiates this architecture allowing for the improvement of software process in a realistic environment. The tool tracks issues in software development process, provides informal communication between the users with different roles, supports to-do lists (TDL), and helps in software process improvement. WISE minimizes the time devoted to metrics collection, analysis, and captures software change data. Automated tools like WISE focus on understanding and managing the software process. The goal is improvement through measurement.

Calculation and use of an environment's characteristic software metric set

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.; Selby, Richard W., Jr.

1985-01-01

Since both cost/quality and production environments differ, this study presents an approach for customizing a characteristic set of software metrics to an environment. The approach is applied in the Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL), a NASA Goddard production environment, to 49 candidate process and product metrics of 652 modules from six (51,000 to 112,000 lines) projects. For this particular environment, the method yielded the characteristic metric set (source lines, fault correction effort per executable statement, design effort, code effort, number of I/O parameters, number of versions). The uses examined for a characteristic metric set include forecasting the effort for development, modification, and fault correction of modules based on historical data.

Measurements over distributed high performance computing and storage systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Elizabeth; Myers, Tom

1993-01-01

A strawman proposal is given for a framework for presenting a common set of metrics for supercomputers, workstations, file servers, mass storage systems, and the networks that interconnect them. Production control and database systems are also included. Though other applications and third part software systems are not addressed, it is important to measure them as well.

A Predictive Approach to Eliminating Errors in Software Code

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2006-01-01

NASA s Metrics Data Program Data Repository is a database that stores problem, product, and metrics data. The primary goal of this data repository is to provide project data to the software community. In doing so, the Metrics Data Program collects artifacts from a large NASA dataset, generates metrics on the artifacts, and then generates reports that are made available to the public at no cost. The data that are made available to general users have been sanitized and authorized for publication through the Metrics Data Program Web site by officials representing the projects from which the data originated. The data repository is operated by NASA s Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility, which is located in Fairmont, West Virginia, a high-tech hub for emerging innovation in the Mountain State. The IV&V Facility was founded in 1993, under the NASA Office of Safety and Mission Assurance, as a direct result of recommendations made by the National Research Council and the Report of the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident. Today, under the direction of Goddard Space Flight Center, the IV&V Facility continues its mission to provide the highest achievable levels of safety and cost-effectiveness for mission-critical software. By extending its data to public users, the facility has helped improve the safety, reliability, and quality of complex software systems throughout private industry and other government agencies. Integrated Software Metrics, Inc., is one of the organizations that has benefited from studying the metrics data. As a result, the company has evolved into a leading developer of innovative software-error prediction tools that help organizations deliver better software, on time and on budget.

Top 10 metrics for life science software good practices.

PubMed

Artaza, Haydee; Chue Hong, Neil; Corpas, Manuel; Corpuz, Angel; Hooft, Rob; Jimenez, Rafael C; Leskošek, Brane; Olivier, Brett G; Stourac, Jan; Svobodová Vařeková, Radka; Van Parys, Thomas; Vaughan, Daniel

2016-01-01

Metrics for assessing adoption of good development practices are a useful way to ensure that software is sustainable, reusable and functional. Sustainability means that the software used today will be available - and continue to be improved and supported - in the future. We report here an initial set of metrics that measure good practices in software development. This initiative differs from previously developed efforts in being a community-driven grassroots approach where experts from different organisations propose good software practices that have reasonable potential to be adopted by the communities they represent. We not only focus our efforts on understanding and prioritising good practices, we assess their feasibility for implementation and publish them here.

Top 10 metrics for life science software good practices

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Metrics for assessing adoption of good development practices are a useful way to ensure that software is sustainable, reusable and functional. Sustainability means that the software used today will be available - and continue to be improved and supported - in the future. We report here an initial set of metrics that measure good practices in software development. This initiative differs from previously developed efforts in being a community-driven grassroots approach where experts from different organisations propose good software practices that have reasonable potential to be adopted by the communities they represent. We not only focus our efforts on understanding and prioritising good practices, we assess their feasibility for implementation and publish them here. PMID:27635232

Image Navigation and Registration Performance Assessment Evaluation Tools for GOES-R ABI and GLM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Houchin, Scott; Porter, Brian; Graybill, Justin; Slingerland, Philip

2017-01-01

The GOES-R Flight Project has developed an Image Navigation and Registration (INR) Performance Assessment Tool Set (IPATS) for measuring Advanced Baseline Imager (ABI) and Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) INR performance metrics in the post-launch period for performance evaluation and long term monitoring. IPATS utilizes a modular algorithmic design to allow user selection of data processing sequences optimized for generation of each INR metric. This novel modular approach minimizes duplication of common processing elements, thereby maximizing code efficiency and speed. Fast processing is essential given the large number of sub-image registrations required to generate INR metrics for the many images produced over a 24 hour evaluation period. This paper describes the software design and implementation of IPATS and provides preliminary test results.

Getting started on metrics - Jet Propulsion Laboratory productivity and quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bush, M. W.

1990-01-01

A review is presented to describe the effort and difficulties of reconstructing fifteen years of JPL software history. In 1987 the collection and analysis of project data were started with the objective of creating laboratory-wide measures of quality and productivity for software development. As a result of this two-year Software Product Assurance metrics study, a rough measurement foundation for software productivity and software quality, and an order-of-magnitude quantitative baseline for software systems and subsystems are now available.

NASA Software Engineering Benchmarking Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rarick, Heather L.; Godfrey, Sara H.; Kelly, John C.; Crumbley, Robert T.; Wifl, Joel M.

2013-01-01

To identify best practices for the improvement of software engineering on projects, NASA's Offices of Chief Engineer (OCE) and Safety and Mission Assurance (OSMA) formed a team led by Heather Rarick and Sally Godfrey to conduct this benchmarking study. The primary goals of the study are to identify best practices that: Improve the management and technical development of software intensive systems; Have a track record of successful deployment by aerospace industries, universities [including research and development (R&D) laboratories], and defense services, as well as NASA's own component Centers; and Identify candidate solutions for NASA's software issues. Beginning in the late fall of 2010, focus topics were chosen and interview questions were developed, based on the NASA top software challenges. Between February 2011 and November 2011, the Benchmark Team interviewed a total of 18 organizations, consisting of five NASA Centers, five industry organizations, four defense services organizations, and four university or university R and D laboratory organizations. A software assurance representative also participated in each of the interviews to focus on assurance and software safety best practices. Interviewees provided a wealth of information on each topic area that included: software policy, software acquisition, software assurance, testing, training, maintaining rigor in small projects, metrics, and use of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) framework, as well as a number of special topics that came up in the discussions. NASA's software engineering practices compared favorably with the external organizations in most benchmark areas, but in every topic, there were ways in which NASA could improve its practices. Compared to defense services organizations and some of the industry organizations, one of NASA's notable weaknesses involved communication with contractors regarding its policies and requirements for acquired software. One of NASA's strengths was its software assurance practices, which seemed to rate well in comparison to the other organizational groups and also seemed to include a larger scope of activities. An unexpected benefit of the software benchmarking study was the identification of many opportunities for collaboration in areas including metrics, training, sharing of CMMI experiences and resources such as instructors and CMMI Lead Appraisers, and even sharing of assets such as documented processes. A further unexpected benefit of the study was the feedback on NASA practices that was received from some of the organizations interviewed. From that feedback, other potential areas where NASA could improve were highlighted, such as accuracy of software cost estimation and budgetary practices. The detailed report contains discussion of the practices noted in each of the topic areas, as well as a summary of observations and recommendations from each of the topic areas. The resulting 24 recommendations from the topic areas were then consolidated to eliminate duplication and culled into a set of 14 suggested actionable recommendations. This final set of actionable recommendations, listed below, are items that can be implemented to improve NASA's software engineering practices and to help address many of the items that were listed in the NASA top software engineering issues. 1. Develop and implement standard contract language for software procurements. 2. Advance accurate and trusted software cost estimates for both procured and in-house software and improve the capture of actual cost data to facilitate further improvements. 3. Establish a consistent set of objectives and expectations, specifically types of metrics at the Agency level, so key trends and models can be identified and used to continuously improve software processes and each software development effort. 4. Maintain the CMMI Maturity Level requirement for critical NASA projects and use CMMI to measure organizations developing software for NASA. 5.onsolidate, collect and, if needed, develop common processes principles and other assets across the Agency in order to provide more consistency in software development and acquisition practices and to reduce the overall cost of maintaining or increasing current NASA CMMI maturity levels. 6. Provide additional support for small projects that includes: (a) guidance for appropriate tailoring of requirements for small projects, (b) availability of suitable tools, including support tool set-up and training, and (c) training for small project personnel, assurance personnel and technical authorities on the acceptable options for tailoring requirements and performing assurance on small projects. 7. Develop software training classes for the more experienced software engineers using on-line training, videos, or small separate modules of training that can be accommodated as needed throughout a project. 8. Create guidelines to structure non-classroom training opportunities such as mentoring, peer reviews, lessons learned sessions, and on-the-job training. 9. Develop a set of predictive software defect data and a process for assessing software testing metric data against it. 10. Assess Agency-wide licenses for commonly used software tools. 11. Fill the knowledge gap in common software engineering practices for new hires and co-ops.12. Work through the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) program with universities in strengthening education in the use of common software engineering practices and standards. 13. Follow up this benchmark study with a deeper look into what both internal and external organizations perceive as the scope of software assurance, the value they expect to obtain from it, and the shortcomings they experience in the current practice. 14. Continue interactions with external software engineering environment through collaborations, knowledge sharing, and benchmarking.

Object-oriented productivity metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connell, John L.; Eller, Nancy

1992-01-01

Software productivity metrics are useful for sizing and costing proposed software and for measuring development productivity. Estimating and measuring source lines of code (SLOC) has proven to be a bad idea because it encourages writing more lines of code and using lower level languages. Function Point Analysis is an improved software metric system, but it is not compatible with newer rapid prototyping and object-oriented approaches to software development. A process is presented here for counting object-oriented effort points, based on a preliminary object-oriented analysis. It is proposed that this approach is compatible with object-oriented analysis, design, programming, and rapid prototyping. Statistics gathered on actual projects are presented to validate the approach.

Requirement Metrics for Risk Identification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hammer, Theodore; Huffman, Lenore; Wilson, William; Rosenberg, Linda; Hyatt, Lawrence

1996-01-01

The Software Assurance Technology Center (SATC) is part of the Office of Mission Assurance of the Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The SATC's mission is to assist National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) projects to improve the quality of software which they acquire or develop. The SATC's efforts are currently focused on the development and use of metric methodologies and tools that identify and assess risks associated with software performance and scheduled delivery. This starts at the requirements phase, where the SATC, in conjunction with software projects at GSFC and other NASA centers is working to identify tools and metric methodologies to assist project managers in identifying and mitigating risks. This paper discusses requirement metrics currently being used at NASA in a collaborative effort between the SATC and the Quality Assurance Office at GSFC to utilize the information available through the application of requirements management tools.

The Applicability of Proposed Object-Oriented Metrics to Developer Feedback in Time to Impact Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neal, Ralph D.

1996-01-01

This paper looks closely at each of the software metrics generated by the McCabe object-Oriented Tool(TM) and its ability to convey timely information to developers. The metrics are examined for meaningfulness in terms of the scale assignable to the metric by the rules of measurement theory and the software dimension being measured. Recommendations are made as to the proper use of each metric and its ability to influence development at an early stage. The metrics of the McCabe Object-Oriented Tool(TM) set were selected because of the tool's use in a couple of NASA IV&V projects.

The software product assurance metrics study: JPL's software systems quality and productivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bush, Marilyn W.

1989-01-01

The findings are reported of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)/Software Product Assurance (SPA) Metrics Study, conducted as part of a larger JPL effort to improve software quality and productivity. Until recently, no comprehensive data had been assembled on how JPL manages and develops software-intensive systems. The first objective was to collect data on software development from as many projects and for as many years as possible. Results from five projects are discussed. These results reflect 15 years of JPL software development, representing over 100 data points (systems and subsystems), over a third of a billion dollars, over four million lines of code and 28,000 person months. Analysis of this data provides a benchmark for gauging the effectiveness of past, present and future software development work. In addition, the study is meant to encourage projects to record existing metrics data and to gather future data. The SPA long term goal is to integrate the collection of historical data and ongoing project data with future project estimations.

Reuse Metrics for Object Oriented Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bieman, James M.

1998-01-01

One way to increase the quality of software products and the productivity of software development is to reuse existing software components when building new software systems. In order to monitor improvements in reuse, the level of reuse must be measured. In this NASA supported project we (1) derived a suite of metrics which quantify reuse attributes for object oriented, object based, and procedural software, (2) designed prototype tools to take these measurements in Ada, C++, Java, and C software, (3) evaluated the reuse in available software, (4) analyzed the relationship between coupling, cohesion, inheritance, and reuse, (5) collected object oriented software systems for our empirical analyses, and (6) developed quantitative criteria and methods for restructuring software to improve reusability.

GRC GSFC TDRSS Waveform Metrics Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mortensen, Dale J.

2013-01-01

The report presents software metrics and porting metrics for the GGT Waveform. The porting was from a ground-based COTS SDR, the SDR-3000, to the CoNNeCT JPL SDR. The report does not address any of the Operating Environment (OE) software development, nor the original TDRSS waveform development at GSFC for the COTS SDR. With regard to STRS, the report presents compliance data and lessons learned.

Integrating automated support for a software management cycle into the TAME system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sunazuka, Toshihiko; Basili, Victor R.

1989-01-01

Software managers are interested in the quantitative management of software quality, cost and progress. An integrated software management methodology, which can be applied throughout the software life cycle for any number purposes, is required. The TAME (Tailoring A Measurement Environment) methodology is based on the improvement paradigm and the goal/question/metric (GQM) paradigm. This methodology helps generate a software engineering process and measurement environment based on the project characteristics. The SQMAR (software quality measurement and assurance technology) is a software quality metric system and methodology applied to the development processes. It is based on the feed forward control principle. Quality target setting is carried out before the plan-do-check-action activities are performed. These methodologies are integrated to realize goal oriented measurement, process control and visual management. A metric setting procedure based on the GQM paradigm, a management system called the software management cycle (SMC), and its application to a case study based on NASA/SEL data are discussed. The expected effects of SMC are quality improvement, managerial cost reduction, accumulation and reuse of experience, and a highly visual management reporting system.

Gaining Control and Predictability of Software-Intensive Systems Development and Sustainment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-04

implementation of the baselines, audits , and technical reviews within an overarching systems engineering process (SEP; Defense Acquisition University...warfighters’ needs. This management and metrics effort supplements and supports the system’s technical development through the baselines, audits and...other areas that could be researched and added into the nine-tier model. Areas including software metrics, quality assurance , software-oriented

Evaluating Process Sustainability Using Flowsheet Monitoring

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental metric software can be used to evaluate the sustainability of a chemical based on data from the chemical process that is used to manufacture it. One problem in developing environmental metric software is that chemical process simulation packages typically do not rea...

Software quality: Process or people

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Palmer, Regina; Labaugh, Modenna

1993-01-01

This paper will present data related to software development processes and personnel involvement from the perspective of software quality assurance. We examine eight years of data collected from six projects. Data collected varied by project but usually included defect and fault density with limited use of code metrics, schedule adherence, and budget growth information. The data are a blend of AFSCP 800-14 and suggested productivity measures in Software Metrics: A Practioner's Guide to Improved Product Development. A software quality assurance database tool, SQUID, was used to store and tabulate the data.

Evaluating Process Sustainability Using Flowsheet Monitoring (Abstract)

EPA Science Inventory

Environmental metric software can be used to evaluate the sustainability of a chemical based upon data from the chemical process that is used to manufacture it. One problem in developing environmental metric software is that chemical process simulation packages typically do not p...

The development and application of composite complexity models and a relative complexity metric in a software maintenance environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hops, J. M.; Sherif, J. S.

1994-01-01

A great deal of effort is now being devoted to the study, analysis, prediction, and minimization of software maintenance expected cost, long before software is delivered to users or customers. It has been estimated that, on the average, the effort spent on software maintenance is as costly as the effort spent on all other software costs. Software design methods should be the starting point to aid in alleviating the problems of software maintenance complexity and high costs. Two aspects of maintenance deserve attention: (1) protocols for locating and rectifying defects, and for ensuring that noe new defects are introduced in the development phase of the software process; and (2) protocols for modification, enhancement, and upgrading. This article focuses primarily on the second aspect, the development of protocols to help increase the quality and reduce the costs associated with modifications, enhancements, and upgrades of existing software. This study developed parsimonious models and a relative complexity metric for complexity measurement of software that were used to rank the modules in the system relative to one another. Some success was achieved in using the models and the relative metric to identify maintenance-prone modules.

Aquatic Acoustic Metrics Interface

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

2012-12-18

Fishes and marine mammals may suffer a range of potential effects from exposure to intense underwater sound generated by anthropogenic activities such as pile driving, shipping, sonars, and underwater blasting. Several underwater sound recording (USR) devices have been built to acquire samples of the underwater sound generated by anthropogenic activities. Software becomes indispensable for processing and analyzing the audio files recorded by these USRs. The new Aquatic Acoustic Metrics Interface Utility Software (AAMI) is specifically designed for analysis of underwater sound recordings to provide data in metrics that facilitate evaluation of the potential impacts of the sound on aquatic animals.more » In addition to the basic functions, such as loading and editing audio files recorded by USRs and batch processing of sound files, the software utilizes recording system calibration data to compute important parameters in physical units. The software also facilitates comparison of the noise sound sample metrics with biological measures such as audiograms of the sensitivity of aquatic animals to the sound, integrating various components into a single analytical frame.« less

State of the art metrics for aspect oriented programming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghareb, Mazen Ismaeel; Allen, Gary

2018-04-01

The quality evaluation of software, e.g., defect measurement, gains significance with higher use of software applications. Metric measurements are considered as the primary indicator of imperfection prediction and software maintenance in various empirical studies of software products. However, there is no agreement on which metrics are compelling quality indicators for novel development approaches such as Aspect Oriented Programming (AOP). AOP intends to enhance programming quality, by providing new and novel constructs for the development of systems, for example, point cuts, advice and inter-type relationships. Hence, it is not evident if quality pointers for AOP can be derived from direct expansions of traditional OO measurements. Then again, investigations of AOP do regularly depend on established coupling measurements. Notwithstanding the late reception of AOP in empirical studies, coupling measurements have been adopted as useful markers of flaw inclination in this context. In this paper we will investigate the state of the art metrics for measurement of Aspect Oriented systems development.

Comprehensive Quantitative Analysis on Privacy Leak Behavior

PubMed Central

Fan, Lejun; Wang, Yuanzhuo; Jin, Xiaolong; Li, Jingyuan; Cheng, Xueqi; Jin, Shuyuan

2013-01-01

Privacy information is prone to be leaked by illegal software providers with various motivations. Privacy leak behavior has thus become an important research issue of cyber security. However, existing approaches can only qualitatively analyze privacy leak behavior of software applications. No quantitative approach, to the best of our knowledge, has been developed in the open literature. To fill this gap, in this paper we propose for the first time four quantitative metrics, namely, possibility, severity, crypticity, and manipulability, for privacy leak behavior analysis based on Privacy Petri Net (PPN). In order to compare the privacy leak behavior among different software, we further propose a comprehensive metric, namely, overall leak degree, based on these four metrics. Finally, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach using real-world software applications. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach can quantitatively analyze the privacy leak behaviors of various software types and reveal their characteristics from different aspects. PMID:24066046

Comprehensive quantitative analysis on privacy leak behavior.

PubMed

Fan, Lejun; Wang, Yuanzhuo; Jin, Xiaolong; Li, Jingyuan; Cheng, Xueqi; Jin, Shuyuan

2013-01-01

Privacy information is prone to be leaked by illegal software providers with various motivations. Privacy leak behavior has thus become an important research issue of cyber security. However, existing approaches can only qualitatively analyze privacy leak behavior of software applications. No quantitative approach, to the best of our knowledge, has been developed in the open literature. To fill this gap, in this paper we propose for the first time four quantitative metrics, namely, possibility, severity, crypticity, and manipulability, for privacy leak behavior analysis based on Privacy Petri Net (PPN). In order to compare the privacy leak behavior among different software, we further propose a comprehensive metric, namely, overall leak degree, based on these four metrics. Finally, we validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach using real-world software applications. The experimental results demonstrate that our approach can quantitatively analyze the privacy leak behaviors of various software types and reveal their characteristics from different aspects.

Calibration of a COTS Integration Cost Model Using Local Project Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boland, Dillard; Coon, Richard; Byers, Kathryn; Levitt, David

1997-01-01

The software measures and estimation techniques appropriate to a Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) integration project differ from those commonly used for custom software development. Labor and schedule estimation tools that model COTS integration are available. Like all estimation tools, they must be calibrated with the organization's local project data. This paper describes the calibration of a commercial model using data collected by the Flight Dynamics Division (FDD) of the NASA Goddard Spaceflight Center (GSFC). The model calibrated is SLIM Release 4.0 from Quantitative Software Management (QSM). By adopting the SLIM reuse model and by treating configuration parameters as lines of code, we were able to establish a consistent calibration for COTS integration projects. The paper summarizes the metrics, the calibration process and results, and the validation of the calibration.

Coverage Metrics for Model Checking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Penix, John; Visser, Willem; Norvig, Peter (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

When using model checking to verify programs in practice, it is not usually possible to achieve complete coverage of the system. In this position paper we describe ongoing research within the Automated Software Engineering group at NASA Ames on the use of test coverage metrics to measure partial coverage and provide heuristic guidance for program model checking. We are specifically interested in applying and developing coverage metrics for concurrent programs that might be used to support certification of next generation avionics software.

SIMPATIQCO: a server-based software suite which facilitates monitoring the time course of LC-MS performance metrics on Orbitrap instruments.

PubMed

Pichler, Peter; Mazanek, Michael; Dusberger, Frederico; Weilnböck, Lisa; Huber, Christian G; Stingl, Christoph; Luider, Theo M; Straube, Werner L; Köcher, Thomas; Mechtler, Karl

2012-11-02

While the performance of liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation continues to increase, applications such as analyses of complete or near-complete proteomes and quantitative studies require constant and optimal system performance. For this reason, research laboratories and core facilities alike are recommended to implement quality control (QC) measures as part of their routine workflows. Many laboratories perform sporadic quality control checks. However, successive and systematic longitudinal monitoring of system performance would be facilitated by dedicated automatic or semiautomatic software solutions that aid an effortless analysis and display of QC metrics over time. We present the software package SIMPATIQCO (SIMPle AuTomatIc Quality COntrol) designed for evaluation of data from LTQ Orbitrap, Q-Exactive, LTQ FT, and LTQ instruments. A centralized SIMPATIQCO server can process QC data from multiple instruments. The software calculates QC metrics supervising every step of data acquisition from LC and electrospray to MS. For each QC metric the software learns the range indicating adequate system performance from the uploaded data using robust statistics. Results are stored in a database and can be displayed in a comfortable manner from any computer in the laboratory via a web browser. QC data can be monitored for individual LC runs as well as plotted over time. SIMPATIQCO thus assists the longitudinal monitoring of important QC metrics such as peptide elution times, peak widths, intensities, total ion current (TIC) as well as sensitivity, and overall LC-MS system performance; in this way the software also helps identify potential problems. The SIMPATIQCO software package is available free of charge.

SIMPATIQCO: A Server-Based Software Suite Which Facilitates Monitoring the Time Course of LC–MS Performance Metrics on Orbitrap Instruments

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

While the performance of liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS) instrumentation continues to increase, applications such as analyses of complete or near-complete proteomes and quantitative studies require constant and optimal system performance. For this reason, research laboratories and core facilities alike are recommended to implement quality control (QC) measures as part of their routine workflows. Many laboratories perform sporadic quality control checks. However, successive and systematic longitudinal monitoring of system performance would be facilitated by dedicated automatic or semiautomatic software solutions that aid an effortless analysis and display of QC metrics over time. We present the software package SIMPATIQCO (SIMPle AuTomatIc Quality COntrol) designed for evaluation of data from LTQ Orbitrap, Q-Exactive, LTQ FT, and LTQ instruments. A centralized SIMPATIQCO server can process QC data from multiple instruments. The software calculates QC metrics supervising every step of data acquisition from LC and electrospray to MS. For each QC metric the software learns the range indicating adequate system performance from the uploaded data using robust statistics. Results are stored in a database and can be displayed in a comfortable manner from any computer in the laboratory via a web browser. QC data can be monitored for individual LC runs as well as plotted over time. SIMPATIQCO thus assists the longitudinal monitoring of important QC metrics such as peptide elution times, peak widths, intensities, total ion current (TIC) as well as sensitivity, and overall LC–MS system performance; in this way the software also helps identify potential problems. The SIMPATIQCO software package is available free of charge. PMID:23088386

Aquatic Acoustic Metrics Interface Utility for Underwater Sound Monitoring and Analysis

PubMed Central

Ren, Huiying; Halvorsen, Michele B.; Deng, Zhiqun Daniel; Carlson, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

Fishes and marine mammals may suffer a range of potential effects from exposure to intense underwater sound generated by anthropogenic activities such as pile driving, shipping, sonars, and underwater blasting. Several underwater sound recording (USR) devices have been built to acquire samples of the underwater sound generated by anthropogenic activities. Software becomes indispensable for processing and analyzing the audio files recorded by these USRs. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of a new software package, the Aquatic Acoustic Metrics Interface (AAMI), specifically designed for analysis of underwater sound recordings to provide data in metrics that facilitate evaluation of the potential impacts of the sound on aquatic animals. In addition to the basic functions, such as loading and editing audio files recorded by USRs and batch processing of sound files, the software utilizes recording system calibration data to compute important parameters in physical units. The software also facilitates comparison of the noise sound sample metrics with biological measures such as audiograms of the sensitivity of aquatic animals to the sound, integrating various components into a single analytical frame. The features of the AAMI software are discussed, and several case studies are presented to illustrate its functionality. PMID:22969353

Software development predictors, error analysis, reliability models and software metric analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor

1983-01-01

The use of dynamic characteristics as predictors for software development was studied. It was found that there are some significant factors that could be useful as predictors. From a study on software errors and complexity, it was shown that meaningful results can be obtained which allow insight into software traits and the environment in which it is developed. Reliability models were studied. The research included the field of program testing because the validity of some reliability models depends on the answers to some unanswered questions about testing. In studying software metrics, data collected from seven software engineering laboratory (FORTRAN) projects were examined and three effort reporting accuracy checks were applied to demonstrate the need to validate a data base. Results are discussed.

The Effects of Development Team Skill on Software Product Quality

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beaver, Justin M.; Schiavone, Guy A.

2006-01-01

This paper provides an analysis of the effect of the skill/experience of the software development team on the quality of the final software product. A method for the assessment of software development team skill and experience is proposed, and was derived from a workforce management tool currently in use by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Using data from 26 smallscale software development projects, the team skill measures are correlated to 5 software product quality metrics from the ISO/IEC 9126 Software Engineering Product Quality standard. in the analysis of the results, development team skill is found to be a significant factor in the adequacy of the design and implementation. In addition, the results imply that inexperienced software developers are tasked with responsibilities ill-suited to their skill level, and thus have a significant adverse effect on the quality of the software product. Keywords: software quality, development skill, software metrics

On the Use of Software Metrics as a Predictor of Software Security Problems

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

models to determine if additional metrics are required to increase the accuracy of the model: non-security SCSA warnings, code churn and size, the...vulnerabilities reported by testing and those found in the field. Summary of Most Important Results We evaluated our model on three commercial telecommunications

Report on the Third Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE3)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katz, Daniel S.; Choi, Sou-Cheng T.; Niemeyer, Kyle E.; Hetherington, James; Löffler, Frank; Gunter, Dan; Idaszak, Ray; Brandt, Steven R.; Miller, Mark A.; Gesing, Sandra; Jones, Nick D.; Weber, Nic; Marru, Suresh; Allen, Gabrielle; Penzenstadler, Birgit; Venters, Colin C.; Davis, Ethan; Hwang, Lorraine; Todorov, Ilian; Patra, Abani; de Val-Borro, Miguel

2016-02-01

This report records and discusses the Third Workshop on Sustainable Software for Science: Practice and Experiences (WSSSPE3). The report includes a description of the keynote presentation of the workshop, which served as an overview of sustainable scientific software. It also summarizes a set of lightning talks in which speakers highlighted to-the-point lessons and challenges pertaining to sustaining scientific software. The final and main contribution of the report is a summary of the discussions, future steps, and future organization for a set of self-organized working groups on topics including developing pathways to funding scientific software; constructing useful common metrics for crediting software stakeholders; identifying principles for sustainable software engineering design; reaching out to research software organizations around the world; and building communities for software sustainability. For each group, we include a point of contact and a landing page that can be used by those who want to join that group's future activities. The main challenge left by the workshop is to see if the groups will execute these activities that they have scheduled, and how the WSSSPE community can encourage this to happen.

Pragmatic quality metrics for evolutionary software development models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Royce, Walker

1990-01-01

Due to the large number of product, project, and people parameters which impact large custom software development efforts, measurement of software product quality is a complex undertaking. Furthermore, the absolute perspective from which quality is measured (customer satisfaction) is intangible. While we probably can't say what the absolute quality of a software product is, we can determine the relative quality, the adequacy of this quality with respect to pragmatic considerations, and identify good and bad trends during development. While no two software engineers will ever agree on an optimum definition of software quality, they will agree that the most important perspective of software quality is its ease of change. We can call this flexibility, adaptability, or some other vague term, but the critical characteristic of software is that it is soft. The easier the product is to modify, the easier it is to achieve any other software quality perspective. This paper presents objective quality metrics derived from consistent lifecycle perspectives of rework which, when used in concert with an evolutionary development approach, can provide useful insight to produce better quality per unit cost/schedule or to achieve adequate quality more efficiently. The usefulness of these metrics is evaluated by applying them to a large, real world, Ada project.

www.common-metrics.org: a web application to estimate scores from different patient-reported outcome measures on a common scale.

PubMed

Fischer, H Felix; Rose, Matthias

2016-10-19

Recently, a growing number of Item-Response Theory (IRT) models has been published, which allow estimation of a common latent variable from data derived by different Patient Reported Outcomes (PROs). When using data from different PROs, direct estimation of the latent variable has some advantages over the use of sum score conversion tables. It requires substantial proficiency in the field of psychometrics to fit such models using contemporary IRT software. We developed a web application ( http://www.common-metrics.org ), which allows estimation of latent variable scores more easily using IRT models calibrating different measures on instrument independent scales. Currently, the application allows estimation using six different IRT models for Depression, Anxiety, and Physical Function. Based on published item parameters, users of the application can directly estimate latent trait estimates using expected a posteriori (EAP) for sum scores as well as for specific response patterns, Bayes modal (MAP), Weighted likelihood estimation (WLE) and Maximum likelihood (ML) methods and under three different prior distributions. The obtained estimates can be downloaded and analyzed using standard statistical software. This application enhances the usability of IRT modeling for researchers by allowing comparison of the latent trait estimates over different PROs, such as the Patient Health Questionnaire Depression (PHQ-9) and Anxiety (GAD-7) scales, the Center of Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), PROMIS Anxiety and Depression Short Forms and others. Advantages of this approach include comparability of data derived with different measures and tolerance against missing values. The validity of the underlying models needs to be investigated in the future.

The Role and Quality of Software Safety in the NASA Constellation Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Layman, Lucas; Basili, Victor R.; Zelkowitz, Marvin V.

2010-01-01

In this study, we examine software safety risk in the early design phase of the NASA Constellation spaceflight program. Obtaining an accurate, program-wide picture of software safety risk is difficult across multiple, independently-developing systems. We leverage one source of safety information, hazard analysis, to provide NASA quality assurance managers with information regarding the ongoing state of software safety across the program. The goal of this research is two-fold: 1) to quantify the relative importance of software with respect to system safety; and 2) to quantify the level of risk presented by software in the hazard analysis. We examined 154 hazard reports created during the preliminary design phase of three major flight hardware systems within the Constellation program. To quantify the importance of software, we collected metrics based on the number of software-related causes and controls of hazardous conditions. To quantify the level of risk presented by software, we created a metric scheme to measure the specificity of these software causes. We found that from 49-70% of hazardous conditions in the three systems could be caused by software or software was involved in the prevention of the hazardous condition. We also found that 12-17% of the 2013 hazard causes involved software, and that 23-29% of all causes had a software control. Furthermore, 10-12% of all controls were software-based. There is potential for inaccuracy in these counts, however, as software causes are not consistently scoped, and the presence of software in a cause or control is not always clear. The application of our software specificity metrics also identified risks in the hazard reporting process. In particular, we found a number of traceability risks in the hazard reports may impede verification of software and system safety.

Initial Ada components evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moebes, Travis

1989-01-01

The SAIC has the responsibility for independent test and validation of the SSE. They have been using a mathematical functions library package implemented in Ada to test the SSE IV and V process. The library package consists of elementary mathematical functions and is both machine and accuracy independent. The SSE Ada components evaluation includes code complexity metrics based on Halstead's software science metrics and McCabe's measure of cyclomatic complexity. Halstead's metrics are based on the number of operators and operands on a logical unit of code and are compiled from the number of distinct operators, distinct operands, and total number of occurrences of operators and operands. These metrics give an indication of the physical size of a program in terms of operators and operands and are used diagnostically to point to potential problems. McCabe's Cyclomatic Complexity Metrics (CCM) are compiled from flow charts transformed to equivalent directed graphs. The CCM is a measure of the total number of linearly independent paths through the code's control structure. These metrics were computed for the Ada mathematical functions library using Software Automated Verification and Validation (SAVVAS), the SSE IV and V tool. A table with selected results was shown, indicating that most of these routines are of good quality. Thresholds for the Halstead measures indicate poor quality if the length metric exceeds 260 or difficulty is greater than 190. The McCabe CCM indicated a high quality of software products.

Software Engineering Education Directory

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-04-01

and Engineering (CMSC 735) Codes: GPEV2 * Textiooks: IEEE Tutoria on Models and Metrics for Software Management and Engameeing by Basi, Victor R...Software Engineering (Comp 227) Codes: GPRY5 Textbooks: IEEE Tutoria on Software Design Techniques by Freeman, Peter and Wasserman, Anthony 1. Software

An Aquatic Acoustic Metrics Interface Utility for Underwater Sound Monitoring and Analysis

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

Ren, Huiying; Halvorsen, Michele B.; Deng, Zhiqun

Fishes and other marine mammals suffer a range of potential effects from intense sound sources generated by anthropogenic underwater processes such as pile driving, shipping, sonars, and underwater blasting. Several underwater sound recording devices (USR) were built to monitor the acoustic sound pressure waves generated by those anthropogenic underwater activities, so the relevant processing software becomes indispensable for analyzing the audio files recorded by these USRs. However, existing software packages did not meet performance and flexibility requirements. In this paper, we provide a detailed description of a new software package, named Aquatic Acoustic Metrics Interface (AAMI), which is a Graphicalmore » User Interface (GUI) designed for underwater sound monitoring and analysis. In addition to the general functions, such as loading and editing audio files recorded by USRs, the software can compute a series of acoustic metrics in physical units, monitor the sound's influence on fish hearing according to audiograms from different species of fishes and marine mammals, and batch process the sound files. The detailed applications of the software AAMI will be discussed along with several test case scenarios to illustrate its functionality.« less

StreamThermal: A software package for calculating thermal metrics from stream temperature data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tsang, Yin-Phan; Infante, Dana M.; Stewart, Jana S.; Wang, Lizhu; Tingly, Ralph; Thornbrugh, Darren; Cooper, Arthur; Wesley, Daniel

2016-01-01

Improving quality and better availability of continuous stream temperature data allows natural resource managers, particularly in fisheries, to understand associations between different characteristics of stream thermal regimes and stream fishes. However, there is no convenient tool to efficiently characterize multiple metrics reflecting stream thermal regimes with the increasing amount of data. This article describes a software program packaged as a library in R to facilitate this process. With this freely-available package, users will be able to quickly summarize metrics that describe five categories of stream thermal regimes: magnitude, variability, frequency, timing, and rate of change. The installation and usage instruction of this package, the definition of calculated thermal metrics, as well as the output format from the package are described, along with an application showing the utility for multiple metrics. We believe this package can be widely utilized by interested stakeholders and greatly assist more studies in fisheries.

Quality assurance software inspections at NASA Ames: Metrics for feedback and modification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wenneson, G.

1985-01-01

Software inspections are a set of formal technical review procedures held at selected key points during software development in order to find defects in software documents--is described in terms of history, participants, tools, procedures, statistics, and database analysis.

A Validation Metrics Framework for Safety-Critical Software-Intensive Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-03-01

so does its definition, tools, and techniques, including means for measuring the validation activity, its outputs, and impact on development...independent of the SDLP. When considering the above SDLPs from the safety engineering team’s perspective, there are also large impacts on the way... impact . Interpretation of any actionable metric data will need to be undertaken in the context of the SDLP. 2. Safety Input The software safety

Software engineering methodologies and tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilcox, Lawrence M.

1993-01-01

Over the years many engineering disciplines have developed, including chemical, electronic, etc. Common to all engineering disciplines is the use of rigor, models, metrics, and predefined methodologies. Recently, a new engineering discipline has appeared on the scene, called software engineering. For over thirty years computer software has been developed and the track record has not been good. Software development projects often miss schedules, are over budget, do not give the user what is wanted, and produce defects. One estimate is there are one to three defects per 1000 lines of deployed code. More and more systems are requiring larger and more complex software for support. As this requirement grows, the software development problems grow exponentially. It is believed that software quality can be improved by applying engineering principles. Another compelling reason to bring the engineering disciplines to software development is productivity. It has been estimated that productivity of producing software has only increased one to two percent a year in the last thirty years. Ironically, the computer and its software have contributed significantly to the industry-wide productivity, but computer professionals have done a poor job of using the computer to do their job. Engineering disciplines and methodologies are now emerging supported by software tools that address the problems of software development. This paper addresses some of the current software engineering methodologies as a backdrop for the general evaluation of computer assisted software engineering (CASE) tools from actual installation of and experimentation with some specific tools.

Testing, Requirements, and Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberg, Linda; Hyatt, Larry; Hammer, Theodore F.; Huffman, Lenore; Wilson, William

1998-01-01

The criticality of correct, complete, testable requirements is a fundamental tenet of software engineering. Also critical is complete requirements based testing of the final product. Modern tools for managing requirements allow new metrics to be used in support of both of these critical processes. Using these tools, potential problems with the quality of the requirements and the test plan can be identified early in the life cycle. Some of these quality factors include: ambiguous or incomplete requirements, poorly designed requirements databases, excessive or insufficient test cases, and incomplete linkage of tests to requirements. This paper discusses how metrics can be used to evaluate the quality of the requirements and test to avoid problems later. Requirements management and requirements based testing have always been critical in the implementation of high quality software systems. Recently, automated tools have become available to support requirements management. At NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), automated requirements management tools are being used on several large projects. The use of these tools opens the door to innovative uses of metrics in characterizing test plan quality and assessing overall testing risks. In support of these projects, the Software Assurance Technology Center (SATC) is working to develop and apply a metrics program that utilizes the information now available through the application of requirements management tools. Metrics based on this information provides real-time insight into the testing of requirements and these metrics assist the Project Quality Office in its testing oversight role. This paper discusses three facets of the SATC's efforts to evaluate the quality of the requirements and test plan early in the life cycle, thus preventing costly errors and time delays later.

Real time biometric surveillance with gait recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohapatra, Subasish; Swain, Anisha; Das, Manaswini; Mohanty, Subhadarshini

2018-04-01

Bio metric surveillance has become indispensable for every system in the recent years. The contribution of bio metric authentication, identification, and screening purposes are widely used in various domains for preventing unauthorized access. A large amount of data needs to be updated, segregated and safeguarded from malicious software and misuse. Bio metrics is the intrinsic characteristics of each individual. Recently fingerprints, iris, passwords, unique keys, and cards are commonly used for authentication purposes. These methods have various issues related to security and confidentiality. These systems are not yet automated to provide the safety and security. The gait recognition system is the alternative for overcoming the drawbacks of the recent bio metric based authentication systems. Gait recognition is newer as it hasn't been implemented in the real-world scenario so far. This is an un-intrusive system that requires no knowledge or co-operation of the subject. Gait is a unique behavioral characteristic of every human being which is hard to imitate. The walking style of an individual teamed with the orientation of joints in the skeletal structure and inclinations between them imparts the unique characteristic. A person can alter one's own external appearance but not skeletal structure. These are real-time, automatic systems that can even process low-resolution images and video frames. In this paper, we have proposed a gait recognition system and compared the performance with conventional bio metric identification systems.

Comparing de novo genome assembly: the long and short of it.

PubMed

Narzisi, Giuseppe; Mishra, Bud

2011-04-29

Recent advances in DNA sequencing technology and their focal role in Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) have rekindled a growing interest in the whole-genome sequence assembly (WGSA) problem, thereby, inundating the field with a plethora of new formalizations, algorithms, heuristics and implementations. And yet, scant attention has been paid to comparative assessments of these assemblers' quality and accuracy. No commonly accepted and standardized method for comparison exists yet. Even worse, widely used metrics to compare the assembled sequences emphasize only size, poorly capturing the contig quality and accuracy. This paper addresses these concerns: it highlights common anomalies in assembly accuracy through a rigorous study of several assemblers, compared under both standard metrics (N50, coverage, contig sizes, etc.) as well as a more comprehensive metric (Feature-Response Curves, FRC) that is introduced here; FRC transparently captures the trade-offs between contigs' quality against their sizes. For this purpose, most of the publicly available major sequence assemblers--both for low-coverage long (Sanger) and high-coverage short (Illumina) reads technologies--are compared. These assemblers are applied to microbial (Escherichia coli, Brucella, Wolbachia, Staphylococcus, Helicobacter) and partial human genome sequences (Chr. Y), using sequence reads of various read-lengths, coverages, accuracies, and with and without mate-pairs. It is hoped that, based on these evaluations, computational biologists will identify innovative sequence assembly paradigms, bioinformaticists will determine promising approaches for developing "next-generation" assemblers, and biotechnologists will formulate more meaningful design desiderata for sequencing technology platforms. A new software tool for computing the FRC metric has been developed and is available through the AMOS open-source consortium.

Mapping Resource Selection Functions in Wildlife Studies: Concerns and Recommendations

PubMed Central

Morris, Lillian R.; Proffitt, Kelly M.; Blackburn, Jason K.

2018-01-01

Predicting the spatial distribution of animals is an important and widely used tool with applications in wildlife management, conservation, and population health. Wildlife telemetry technology coupled with the availability of spatial data and GIS software have facilitated advancements in species distribution modeling. There are also challenges related to these advancements including the accurate and appropriate implementation of species distribution modeling methodology. Resource Selection Function (RSF) modeling is a commonly used approach for understanding species distributions and habitat usage, and mapping the RSF results can enhance study findings and make them more accessible to researchers and wildlife managers. Currently, there is no consensus in the literature on the most appropriate method for mapping RSF results, methods are frequently not described, and mapping approaches are not always related to accuracy metrics. We conducted a systematic review of the RSF literature to summarize the methods used to map RSF outputs, discuss the relationship between mapping approaches and accuracy metrics, performed a case study on the implications of employing different mapping methods, and provide recommendations as to appropriate mapping techniques for RSF studies. We found extensive variability in methodology for mapping RSF results. Our case study revealed that the most commonly used approaches for mapping RSF results led to notable differences in the visual interpretation of RSF results, and there is a concerning disconnect between accuracy metrics and mapping methods. We make 5 recommendations for researchers mapping the results of RSF studies, which are focused on carefully selecting and describing the method used to map RSF studies, and relating mapping approaches to accuracy metrics. PMID:29887652

Bootstrapping Process Improvement Metrics: CMMI Level 4 Process Improvement Metrics in a Level 3 World

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hihn, Jairus; Lewicki, Scott; Morgan, Scott

2011-01-01

The measurement techniques for organizations which have achieved the Software Engineering Institutes CMMI Maturity Levels 4 and 5 are well documented. On the other hand, how to effectively measure when an organization is Maturity Level 3 is less well understood, especially when there is no consistency in tool use and there is extensive tailoring of the organizational software processes. Most organizations fail in their attempts to generate, collect, and analyze standard process improvement metrics under these conditions. But at JPL, NASA's prime center for deep space robotic exploration, we have a long history of proving there is always a solution: It just may not be what you expected. In this paper we describe the wide variety of qualitative and quantitative techniques we have been implementing over the last few years, including the various approaches used to communicate the results to both software technical managers and senior managers.

The X-windows interactive navigation data editor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rinker, G. C.

1992-01-01

A new computer program called the X-Windows Interactive Data Editor (XIDE) was developed and demonstrated as a prototype application for editing radio metric data in the orbit-determination process. The program runs on a variety of workstations and employs pull-down menus and graphical displays, which allow users to easily inspect and edit radio metric data in the orbit data files received from the Deep Space Network (DSN). The XIDE program is based on the Open Software Foundation OSF/Motif Graphical User Interface (GUI) and has proven to be an efficient tool for editing radio metric data in the navigation operations environment. It was adopted by the Magellan Navigation Team as their primary data-editing tool. Because the software was designed from the beginning to be portable, the prototype was successfully moved to new workstation environments. It was also itegrated into the design of the next-generation software tool for DSN multimission navigation interactive launch support.

Performance analysis of three-dimensional ridge acquisition from live finger and palm surface scans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fatehpuria, Abhishika; Lau, Daniel L.; Yalla, Veeraganesh; Hassebrook, Laurence G.

2007-04-01

Fingerprints are one of the most commonly used and relied-upon biometric technology. But often the captured fingerprint image is far from ideal due to imperfect acquisition techniques that can be slow and cumbersome to use without providing complete fingerprint information. Most of the diffculties arise due to the contact of the fingerprint surface with the sensor platen. To overcome these diffculties we have been developing a noncontact scanning system for acquiring a 3-D scan of a finger with suffciently high resolution which is then converted into a 2-D rolled equivalent image. In this paper, we describe certain quantitative measures evaluating scanner performance. Specifically, we use some image software components developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, to derive our performance metrics. Out of the eleven identified metrics, three were found to be most suitable for evaluating scanner performance. A comparison is also made between 2D fingerprint images obtained by the traditional means and the 2D images obtained after unrolling the 3D scans and the quality of the acquired scans is quantified using the metrics.

AdaMeasure: An Implementation of the Halstead and Henry Metrics.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-01

of Departne t o Computer Science Kneale T..Nar4 ___. Dean of Information and Policy bScic:-n-- 2 Allr ABSTRACT I A software metric is a tool that...CONTENTS INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ......................... 6 A. DEFINITIONS ..................................................... 6 B. SALLIE HENRY’S...METRIC.................................... 6 C. INFORMATION FLOW .......................................... 7 D. RELATIONS

A Quantitative Analysis of Open Source Software's Acceptability as Production-Quality Code

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fischer, Michael

2011-01-01

The difficulty in writing defect-free software has been long acknowledged both by academia and industry. A constant battle occurs as developers seek to craft software that works within aggressive business schedules and deadlines. Many tools and techniques are used in attempt to manage these software projects. Software metrics are a tool that has…

Draft Software Metrics Panels Final Report. Papers Presented at the 30 June 1980 Meeting on Software Metrics, Washington DC.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

measuring program understanding. Shneiderman, Mayer, McKay, and Heller [241 found that flowcharts are redundant and have a potential negative affect on...dictionaries of program variables are superior to macro flowcharts as an aid to understand program control and data structures. Chrysler [5], using no...procedures as do beginners . Also; guaranteeing that groups of begining programmers have equal ability is not trivial. 3-10 The problem with material

Hadoop and friends - first experience at CERN with a new platform for high throughput analysis steps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duellmann, D.; Surdy, K.; Menichetti, L.; Toebbicke, R.

2017-10-01

The statistical analysis of infrastructure metrics comes with several specific challenges, including the fairly large volume of unstructured metrics from a large set of independent data sources. Hadoop and Spark provide an ideal environment in particular for the first steps of skimming rapidly through hundreds of TB of low relevance data to find and extract the much smaller data volume that is relevant for statistical analysis and modelling. This presentation will describe the new Hadoop service at CERN and the use of several of its components for high throughput data aggregation and ad-hoc pattern searches. We will describe the hardware setup used, the service structure with a small set of decoupled clusters and the first experience with co-hosting different applications and performing software upgrades. We will further detail the common infrastructure used for data extraction and preparation from continuous monitoring and database input sources.

Rule groupings in expert systems using nearest neighbour decision rules, and convex hulls

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anastasiadis, Stergios

1991-01-01

Expert System shells are lacking in many areas of software engineering. Large rule based systems are not semantically comprehensible, difficult to debug, and impossible to modify or validate. Partitioning a set of rules found in CLIPS (C Language Integrated Production System) into groups of rules which reflect the underlying semantic subdomains of the problem, will address adequately the concerns stated above. Techniques are introduced to structure a CLIPS rule base into groups of rules that inherently have common semantic information. The concepts involved are imported from the field of A.I., Pattern Recognition, and Statistical Inference. Techniques focus on the areas of feature selection, classification, and a criteria of how 'good' the classification technique is, based on Bayesian Decision Theory. A variety of distance metrics are discussed for measuring the 'closeness' of CLIPS rules and various Nearest Neighbor classification algorithms are described based on the above metric.

Assessing efficiency of software production for NASA-SEL data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vonmayrhauser, Anneliese; Roeseler, Armin

1993-01-01

This paper uses production models to identify and quantify efficient allocation of resources and key drivers of software productivity for project data in the NASA-SEL database. While analysis allows identification of efficient projects, many of the metrics that could have provided a more detailed analysis are not at a level of measurement to allow production model analysis. Production models must be used with proper parameterization to be successful. This may mean a new look at which metrics are helpful for efficiency assessment.

Automated Method of Frequency Determination in Software Metric Data Through the Use of the Multiple Signal Classification (MUSIC) Algorithm

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-06-26

METHOD OF FREQUENCY DETERMINATION 4 IN SOFTWARE METRIC DATA THROUGH THE USE OF THE 5 MULTIPLE SIGNAL CLASSIFICATION ( MUSIC ) ALGORITHM 6 7 STATEMENT OF...graph showing the estimated power spectral 12 density (PSD) generated by the multiple signal classification 13 ( MUSIC ) algorithm from the data set used...implemented in this module; however, it is preferred to use 1 the Multiple Signal Classification ( MUSIC ) algorithm. The MUSIC 2 algorithm is

Vegetation Phenology Metrics Derived from Temporally Smoothed and Gap-filled MODIS Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tan, Bin; Morisette, Jeff; Wolfe, Robert; Esaias, Wayne; Gao, Feng; Ederer, Greg; Nightingale, Joanne; Nickeson, Jamie E.; Ma, Pete; Pedely, Jeff

2012-01-01

Smoothed and gap-filled VI provides a good base for estimating vegetation phenology metrics. The TIMESAT software was improved by incorporating the ancillary information from MODIS products. A simple assessment of the association between retrieved greenup dates and ground observations indicates satisfactory result from improved TIMESAT software. One application example shows that mapping Nectar Flow Phenology is tractable on a continental scale using hive weight and satellite vegetation data. The phenology data product is supporting more researches in ecology, climate change fields.

Despeckle filtering software toolbox for ultrasound imaging of the common carotid artery.

PubMed

Loizou, Christos P; Theofanous, Charoula; Pantziaris, Marios; Kasparis, Takis

2014-04-01

Ultrasound imaging of the common carotid artery (CCA) is a non-invasive tool used in medicine to assess the severity of atherosclerosis and monitor its progression through time. It is also used in border detection and texture characterization of the atherosclerotic carotid plaque in the CCA, the identification and measurement of the intima-media thickness (IMT) and the lumen diameter that all are very important in the assessment of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Visual perception, however, is hindered by speckle, a multiplicative noise, that degrades the quality of ultrasound B-mode imaging. Noise reduction is therefore essential for improving the visual observation quality or as a pre-processing step for further automated analysis, such as image segmentation of the IMT and the atherosclerotic carotid plaque in ultrasound images. In order to facilitate this preprocessing step, we have developed in MATLAB(®) a unified toolbox that integrates image despeckle filtering (IDF), texture analysis and image quality evaluation techniques to automate the pre-processing and complement the disease evaluation in ultrasound CCA images. The proposed software, is based on a graphical user interface (GUI) and incorporates image normalization, 10 different despeckle filtering techniques (DsFlsmv, DsFwiener, DsFlsminsc, DsFkuwahara, DsFgf, DsFmedian, DsFhmedian, DsFad, DsFnldif, DsFsrad), image intensity normalization, 65 texture features, 15 quantitative image quality metrics and objective image quality evaluation. The software is publicly available in an executable form, which can be downloaded from http://www.cs.ucy.ac.cy/medinfo/. It was validated on 100 ultrasound images of the CCA, by comparing its results with quantitative visual analysis performed by a medical expert. It was observed that the despeckle filters DsFlsmv, and DsFhmedian improved image quality perception (based on the expert's assessment and the image texture and quality metrics). It is anticipated that the system could help the physician in the assessment of cardiovascular image analysis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identifying Memory Allocation Patterns in HEP Software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kama, S.; Rauschmayr, N.

2017-10-01

HEP applications perform an excessive amount of allocations/deallocations within short time intervals which results in memory churn, poor locality and performance degradation. These issues are already known for a decade, but due to the complexity of software frameworks and billions of allocations for a single job, up until recently no efficient mechanism has been available to correlate these issues with source code lines. However, with the advent of the Big Data era, many tools and platforms are now available to do large scale memory profiling. This paper presents, a prototype program developed to track and identify each single (de-)allocation. The CERN IT Hadoop cluster is used to compute memory key metrics, like locality, variation, lifetime and density of allocations. The prototype further provides a web based visualization back-end that allows the user to explore the results generated on the Hadoop cluster. Plotting these metrics for every single allocation over time gives a new insight into application’s memory handling. For instance, it shows which algorithms cause which kind of memory allocation patterns, which function flow causes how many short-lived objects, what are the most commonly allocated sizes etc. The paper will give an insight into the prototype and will show profiling examples for the LHC reconstruction, digitization and simulation jobs.

Using Patient Health Questionnaire-9 item parameters of a common metric resulted in similar depression scores compared to independent item response theory model reestimation.

PubMed

Liegl, Gregor; Wahl, Inka; Berghöfer, Anne; Nolte, Sandra; Pieh, Christoph; Rose, Matthias; Fischer, Felix

2016-03-01

To investigate the validity of a common depression metric in independent samples. We applied a common metrics approach based on item-response theory for measuring depression to four German-speaking samples that completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). We compared the PHQ item parameters reported for this common metric to reestimated item parameters that derived from fitting a generalized partial credit model solely to the PHQ-9 items. We calibrated the new model on the same scale as the common metric using two approaches (estimation with shifted prior and Stocking-Lord linking). By fitting a mixed-effects model and using Bland-Altman plots, we investigated the agreement between latent depression scores resulting from the different estimation models. We found different item parameters across samples and estimation methods. Although differences in latent depression scores between different estimation methods were statistically significant, these were clinically irrelevant. Our findings provide evidence that it is possible to estimate latent depression scores by using the item parameters from a common metric instead of reestimating and linking a model. The use of common metric parameters is simple, for example, using a Web application (http://www.common-metrics.org) and offers a long-term perspective to improve the comparability of patient-reported outcome measures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CellAnimation: an open source MATLAB framework for microscopy assays.

PubMed

Georgescu, Walter; Wikswo, John P; Quaranta, Vito

2012-01-01

Advances in microscopy technology have led to the creation of high-throughput microscopes that are capable of generating several hundred gigabytes of images in a few days. Analyzing such wealth of data manually is nearly impossible and requires an automated approach. There are at present a number of open-source and commercial software packages that allow the user to apply algorithms of different degrees of sophistication to the images and extract desired metrics. However, the types of metrics that can be extracted are severely limited by the specific image processing algorithms that the application implements, and by the expertise of the user. In most commercial software, code unavailability prevents implementation by the end user of newly developed algorithms better suited for a particular type of imaging assay. While it is possible to implement new algorithms in open-source software, rewiring an image processing application requires a high degree of expertise. To obviate these limitations, we have developed an open-source high-throughput application that allows implementation of different biological assays such as cell tracking or ancestry recording, through the use of small, relatively simple image processing modules connected into sophisticated imaging pipelines. By connecting modules, non-expert users can apply the particular combination of well-established and novel algorithms developed by us and others that are best suited for each individual assay type. In addition, our data exploration and visualization modules make it easy to discover or select specific cell phenotypes from a heterogeneous population. CellAnimation is distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/). CellAnimationsource code and documentation may be downloaded from www.vanderbilt.edu/viibre/software/documents/CellAnimation.zip. Sample data are available at www.vanderbilt.edu/viibre/software/documents/movies.zip. walter.georgescu@vanderbilt.edu Supplementary data available at Bioinformatics online.

A software technology evaluation program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Novaes-Card, David N.

1985-01-01

A set of quantitative approaches is presented for evaluating software development methods and tools. The basic idea is to generate a set of goals which are refined into quantifiable questions which specify metrics to be collected on the software development and maintenance process and product. These metrics can be used to characterize, evaluate, predict, and motivate. They can be used in an active as well as passive way by learning form analyzing the data and improving the methods and tools based upon what is learned from that analysis. Several examples were given representing each of the different approaches to evaluation. The cost of the approaches varied inversely with the level of confidence in the interpretation of the results.

Software risk management through independent verification and validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callahan, John R.; Zhou, Tong C.; Wood, Ralph

1995-01-01

Software project managers need tools to estimate and track project goals in a continuous fashion before, during, and after development of a system. In addition, they need an ability to compare the current project status with past project profiles to validate management intuition, identify problems, and then direct appropriate resources to the sources of problems. This paper describes a measurement-based approach to calculating the risk inherent in meeting project goals that leverages past project metrics and existing estimation and tracking models. We introduce the IV&V Goal/Questions/Metrics model, explain its use in the software development life cycle, and describe our attempts to validate the model through the reverse engineering of existing projects.

Measuring the software process and product: Lessons learned in the SEL

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, V. R.

1985-01-01

The software development process and product can and should be measured. The software measurement process at the Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) has taught a major lesson: develop a goal-driven paradigm (also characterized as a goal/question/metric paradigm) for data collection. Project analysis under this paradigm leads to a design for evaluating and improving the methodology of software development and maintenance.

ChiLin: a comprehensive ChIP-seq and DNase-seq quality control and analysis pipeline.

PubMed

Qin, Qian; Mei, Shenglin; Wu, Qiu; Sun, Hanfei; Li, Lewyn; Taing, Len; Chen, Sujun; Li, Fugen; Liu, Tao; Zang, Chongzhi; Xu, Han; Chen, Yiwen; Meyer, Clifford A; Zhang, Yong; Brown, Myles; Long, Henry W; Liu, X Shirley

2016-10-03

Transcription factor binding, histone modification, and chromatin accessibility studies are important approaches to understanding the biology of gene regulation. ChIP-seq and DNase-seq have become the standard techniques for studying protein-DNA interactions and chromatin accessibility respectively, and comprehensive quality control (QC) and analysis tools are critical to extracting the most value from these assay types. Although many analysis and QC tools have been reported, few combine ChIP-seq and DNase-seq data analysis and quality control in a unified framework with a comprehensive and unbiased reference of data quality metrics. ChiLin is a computational pipeline that automates the quality control and data analyses of ChIP-seq and DNase-seq data. It is developed using a flexible and modular software framework that can be easily extended and modified. ChiLin is ideal for batch processing of many datasets and is well suited for large collaborative projects involving ChIP-seq and DNase-seq from different designs. ChiLin generates comprehensive quality control reports that include comparisons with historical data derived from over 23,677 public ChIP-seq and DNase-seq samples (11,265 datasets) from eight literature-based classified categories. To the best of our knowledge, this atlas represents the most comprehensive ChIP-seq and DNase-seq related quality metric resource currently available. These historical metrics provide useful heuristic quality references for experiment across all commonly used assay types. Using representative datasets, we demonstrate the versatility of the pipeline by applying it to different assay types of ChIP-seq data. The pipeline software is available open source at https://github.com/cfce/chilin . ChiLin is a scalable and powerful tool to process large batches of ChIP-seq and DNase-seq datasets. The analysis output and quality metrics have been structured into user-friendly directories and reports. We have successfully compiled 23,677 profiles into a comprehensive quality atlas with fine classification for users.

Common Metrics for Human-Robot Interaction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Steinfeld, Aaron; Lewis, Michael; Fong, Terrence; Scholtz, Jean; Schultz, Alan; Kaber, David; Goodrich, Michael

2006-01-01

This paper describes an effort to identify common metrics for task-oriented human-robot interaction (HRI). We begin by discussing the need for a toolkit of HRI metrics. We then describe the framework of our work and identify important biasing factors that must be taken into consideration. Finally, we present suggested common metrics for standardization and a case study. Preparation of a larger, more detailed toolkit is in progress.

Using software metrics and software reliability models to attain acceptable quality software for flight and ground support software for avionic systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lawrence, Stella

1992-01-01

This paper is concerned with methods of measuring and developing quality software. Reliable flight and ground support software is a highly important factor in the successful operation of the space shuttle program. Reliability is probably the most important of the characteristics inherent in the concept of 'software quality'. It is the probability of failure free operation of a computer program for a specified time and environment.

Software Quality Metrics Enhancements. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-04-01

the mathematical relationships which relate metrics to ratings of the various quality factors) for factors which were not validated previously were...function, provides a mathematical relationship between the metrics and the quality factors. (3) Validation of these normalization functions was performed by...samples, further research is needed before a high degree of confidence can be placed on the mathematical relationships established to date l (3.3.3) 6

Relative Utility of Selected Software Requirement Metrics

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-12-01

testing . They can also help in deciding if and how to use complexity reduction techniques. In summary, requirement metrics can be useful because they...answer items in a test instrument. In order to differentiate between misinterpretation and comprehension, the measurement technique must be able to...effectively test a requirement, it is verifiable. Ramamoorthy and others have proposed requirements complexity metrics that can be used to infer the

Framework for performance evaluation of face, text, and vehicle detection and tracking in video: data, metrics, and protocol.

PubMed

Kasturi, Rangachar; Goldgof, Dmitry; Soundararajan, Padmanabhan; Manohar, Vasant; Garofolo, John; Bowers, Rachel; Boonstra, Matthew; Korzhova, Valentina; Zhang, Jing

2009-02-01

Common benchmark data sets, standardized performance metrics, and baseline algorithms have demonstrated considerable impact on research and development in a variety of application domains. These resources provide both consumers and developers of technology with a common framework to objectively compare the performance of different algorithms and algorithmic improvements. In this paper, we present such a framework for evaluating object detection and tracking in video: specifically for face, text, and vehicle objects. This framework includes the source video data, ground-truth annotations (along with guidelines for annotation), performance metrics, evaluation protocols, and tools including scoring software and baseline algorithms. For each detection and tracking task and supported domain, we developed a 50-clip training set and a 50-clip test set. Each data clip is approximately 2.5 minutes long and has been completely spatially/temporally annotated at the I-frame level. Each task/domain, therefore, has an associated annotated corpus of approximately 450,000 frames. The scope of such annotation is unprecedented and was designed to begin to support the necessary quantities of data for robust machine learning approaches, as well as a statistically significant comparison of the performance of algorithms. The goal of this work was to systematically address the challenges of object detection and tracking through a common evaluation framework that permits a meaningful objective comparison of techniques, provides the research community with sufficient data for the exploration of automatic modeling techniques, encourages the incorporation of objective evaluation into the development process, and contributes useful lasting resources of a scale and magnitude that will prove to be extremely useful to the computer vision research community for years to come.

Enhancements and Extensions of Formal Models for Risk Assessment in Software Projects

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-09-01

the five defect categories. Cosmetic Defects. The name that corresponds to QSM®’s cosmetic defects. Cosmetic defects can be described as deferred...California. June 2002. (Fent00) Fenton , N. E. and Neil, M., Software Metrics: Roadmap. Proceedings of the Conference on the Future of Software

Attack-Resistant Trust Metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levien, Raph

The Internet is an amazingly powerful tool for connecting people together, unmatched in human history. Yet, with that power comes great potential for spam and abuse. Trust metrics are an attempt to compute the set of which people are trustworthy and which are likely attackers. This chapter presents two specific trust metrics developed and deployed on the Advogato Website, which is a community blog for free software developers. This real-world experience demonstrates that the trust metrics fulfilled their goals, but that for good results, it is important to match the assumptions of the abstract trust metric computation to the real-world implementation.

Development of Management Metrics for Research and Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheskin, Theodore J.

2003-01-01

Professor Ted Sheskin from CSU will be tasked to research and investigate metrics that can be used to determine the technical progress for advanced development and research tasks. These metrics will be implemented in a software environment that hosts engineering design, analysis and management tools to be used to support power system and component research work at GRC. Professor Sheskin is an Industrial Engineer and has been involved in issues related to management of engineering tasks and will use his knowledge from this area to allow extrapolation into the research and technology management area. Over the course of the summer, Professor Sheskin will develop a bibliography of management papers covering current management methods that may be applicable to research management. At the completion of the summer work we expect to have him recommend a metric system to be reviewed prior to implementation in the software environment. This task has been discussed with Professor Sheskin and some review material has already been given to him.

R&D100: Lightweight Distributed Metric Service

ScienceCinema

Gentile, Ann; Brandt, Jim; Tucker, Tom; Showerman, Mike

2018-06-12

On today's High Performance Computing platforms, the complexity of applications and configurations makes efficient use of resources difficult. The Lightweight Distributed Metric Service (LDMS) is monitoring software developed by Sandia National Laboratories to provide detailed metrics of system performance. LDMS provides collection, transport, and storage of data from extreme-scale systems at fidelities and timescales to provide understanding of application and system performance with no statistically significant impact on application performance.

R&D100: Lightweight Distributed Metric Service

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

Gentile, Ann; Brandt, Jim; Tucker, Tom

2015-11-19

On today's High Performance Computing platforms, the complexity of applications and configurations makes efficient use of resources difficult. The Lightweight Distributed Metric Service (LDMS) is monitoring software developed by Sandia National Laboratories to provide detailed metrics of system performance. LDMS provides collection, transport, and storage of data from extreme-scale systems at fidelities and timescales to provide understanding of application and system performance with no statistically significant impact on application performance.

Metric Evaluation Pipeline for 3d Modeling of Urban Scenes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bosch, M.; Leichtman, A.; Chilcott, D.; Goldberg, H.; Brown, M.

2017-05-01

Publicly available benchmark data and metric evaluation approaches have been instrumental in enabling research to advance state of the art methods for remote sensing applications in urban 3D modeling. Most publicly available benchmark datasets have consisted of high resolution airborne imagery and lidar suitable for 3D modeling on a relatively modest scale. To enable research in larger scale 3D mapping, we have recently released a public benchmark dataset with multi-view commercial satellite imagery and metrics to compare 3D point clouds with lidar ground truth. We now define a more complete metric evaluation pipeline developed as publicly available open source software to assess semantically labeled 3D models of complex urban scenes derived from multi-view commercial satellite imagery. Evaluation metrics in our pipeline include horizontal and vertical accuracy and completeness, volumetric completeness and correctness, perceptual quality, and model simplicity. Sources of ground truth include airborne lidar and overhead imagery, and we demonstrate a semi-automated process for producing accurate ground truth shape files to characterize building footprints. We validate our current metric evaluation pipeline using 3D models produced using open source multi-view stereo methods. Data and software is made publicly available to enable further research and planned benchmarking activities.

StatsDB: platform-agnostic storage and understanding of next generation sequencing run metrics

PubMed Central

Ramirez-Gonzalez, Ricardo H.; Leggett, Richard M.; Waite, Darren; Thanki, Anil; Drou, Nizar; Caccamo, Mario; Davey, Robert

2014-01-01

Modern sequencing platforms generate enormous quantities of data in ever-decreasing amounts of time. Additionally, techniques such as multiplex sequencing allow one run to contain hundreds of different samples. With such data comes a significant challenge to understand its quality and to understand how the quality and yield are changing across instruments and over time. As well as the desire to understand historical data, sequencing centres often have a duty to provide clear summaries of individual run performance to collaborators or customers. We present StatsDB, an open-source software package for storage and analysis of next generation sequencing run metrics. The system has been designed for incorporation into a primary analysis pipeline, either at the programmatic level or via integration into existing user interfaces. Statistics are stored in an SQL database and APIs provide the ability to store and access the data while abstracting the underlying database design. This abstraction allows simpler, wider querying across multiple fields than is possible by the manual steps and calculation required to dissect individual reports, e.g. ”provide metrics about nucleotide bias in libraries using adaptor barcode X, across all runs on sequencer A, within the last month”. The software is supplied with modules for storage of statistics from FastQC, a commonly used tool for analysis of sequence reads, but the open nature of the database schema means it can be easily adapted to other tools. Currently at The Genome Analysis Centre (TGAC), reports are accessed through our LIMS system or through a standalone GUI tool, but the API and supplied examples make it easy to develop custom reports and to interface with other packages. PMID:24627795

Enhancing User Customization through Novel Software Architecture for Utility Scale Solar Siting Software

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

Brant Peery; Sam Alessi; Randy Lee

2014-06-01

There is a need for a spatial decision support application that allows users to create customized metrics for comparing proposed locations of a new solar installation. This document discusses how PVMapper was designed to overcome the customization problem through the development of loosely coupled spatial and decision components in a JavaScript plugin architecture. This allows the user to easily add functionality and data to the system. The paper also explains how PVMapper provides the user with a dynamic and customizable decision tool that enables them to visually modify the formulas that are used in the decision algorithms that convert datamore » to comparable metrics. The technologies that make up the presentation and calculation software stack are outlined. This document also explains the architecture that allows the tool to grow through custom plugins created by the software users. Some discussion is given on the difficulties encountered while designing the system.« less

Software Management Metrics

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-05-01

obtained from Dr. Barry Boehm’s Software 5650, Contract No. F19628-86-C-O001, Engineering Economics [1] and from T. J. ESD/MITRE Software Center Acquisition...of References 1. Boehm, Barry W., SoJtware Engineering 3. Halstead, M. H., Elements of SoJhtare Economics, Englewood Cliffs, New Science, New York...1983, pp. 639-648. 35 35 - Bibliography Beizer, B., Software System Testing and Pressman , Roger S., Software Engineering:QualtyO Assurance, New York: Van

Software Reporting Metrics. Revision 2.

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-11-01

MITRE Corporation and ESD. Some of the data has been obtained from Dr. Barry Boehm’s Software Engineering Economics (Ref. 1). Thanks are also given to...data level control management " SP = structured programming Barry W. Boehm, Software Engineering Economics, &©1981, p. 122. Reprinted by permission of...investigated and implemented in future prototypes. 43 REFERENCES For further reading: " 1. Boehm, Barry W. Software Engineering Economics; Englewood

Four applications of a software data collection and analysis methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.; Selby, Richard W., Jr.

1985-01-01

The evaluation of software technologies suffers because of the lack of quantitative assessment of their effect on software development and modification. A seven-step data collection and analysis methodology couples software technology evaluation with software measurement. Four in-depth applications of the methodology are presented. The four studies represent each of the general categories of analyses on the software product and development process: blocked subject-project studies, replicated project studies, multi-project variation studies, and single project strategies. The four applications are in the areas of, respectively, software testing, cleanroom software development, characteristic software metric sets, and software error analysis.

Summer temperature metrics for predicting brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) distribution in streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parrish, Donna; Butryn, Ryan S.; Rizzo, Donna M.

2012-01-01

We developed a methodology to predict brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) distribution using summer temperature metrics as predictor variables. Our analysis used long-term fish and hourly water temperature data from the Dog River, Vermont (USA). Commonly used metrics (e.g., mean, maximum, maximum 7-day maximum) tend to smooth the data so information on temperature variation is lost. Therefore, we developed a new set of metrics (called event metrics) to capture temperature variation by describing the frequency, area, duration, and magnitude of events that exceeded a user-defined temperature threshold. We used 16, 18, 20, and 22°C. We built linear discriminant models and tested and compared the event metrics against the commonly used metrics. Correct classification of the observations was 66% with event metrics and 87% with commonly used metrics. However, combined event and commonly used metrics correctly classified 92%. Of the four individual temperature thresholds, it was difficult to assess which threshold had the “best” accuracy. The 16°C threshold had slightly fewer misclassifications; however, the 20°C threshold had the fewest extreme misclassifications. Our method leveraged the volumes of existing long-term data and provided a simple, systematic, and adaptable framework for monitoring changes in fish distribution, specifically in the case of irregular, extreme temperature events.

caBIG compatibility review system: software to support the evaluation of applications using defined interoperability criteria.

PubMed

Freimuth, Robert R; Schauer, Michael W; Lodha, Preeti; Govindrao, Poornima; Nagarajan, Rakesh; Chute, Christopher G

2008-11-06

The caBIG Compatibility Review System (CRS) is a web-based application to support compatibility reviews, which certify that software applications that pass the review meet a specific set of criteria that allow them to interoperate. The CRS contains workflows that support both semantic and syntactic reviews, which are performed by the caBIG Vocabularies and Common Data Elements (VCDE) and Architecture workspaces, respectively. The CRS increases the efficiency of compatibility reviews by reducing administrative overhead and it improves uniformity by ensuring that each review is conducted according to a standard process. The CRS provides metrics that allow the review team to evaluate the level of data element reuse in an application, a first step towards quantifying the extent of harmonization between applications. Finally, functionality is being added that will provide automated validation of checklist criteria, which will further simplify the review process.

Not seeing the forest for the trees: size of the minimum spanning trees (MSTs) forest and branch significance in MST-based phylogenetic analysis.

PubMed

Teixeira, Andreia Sofia; Monteiro, Pedro T; Carriço, João A; Ramirez, Mário; Francisco, Alexandre P

2015-01-01

Trees, including minimum spanning trees (MSTs), are commonly used in phylogenetic studies. But, for the research community, it may be unclear that the presented tree is just a hypothesis, chosen from among many possible alternatives. In this scenario, it is important to quantify our confidence in both the trees and the branches/edges included in such trees. In this paper, we address this problem for MSTs by introducing a new edge betweenness metric for undirected and weighted graphs. This spanning edge betweenness metric is defined as the fraction of equivalent MSTs where a given edge is present. The metric provides a per edge statistic that is similar to that of the bootstrap approach frequently used in phylogenetics to support the grouping of taxa. We provide methods for the exact computation of this metric based on the well known Kirchhoff's matrix tree theorem. Moreover, we implement and make available a module for the PHYLOViZ software and evaluate the proposed metric concerning both effectiveness and computational performance. Analysis of trees generated using multilocus sequence typing data (MLST) and the goeBURST algorithm revealed that the space of possible MSTs in real data sets is extremely large. Selection of the edge to be represented using bootstrap could lead to unreliable results since alternative edges are present in the same fraction of equivalent MSTs. The choice of the MST to be presented, results from criteria implemented in the algorithm that must be based in biologically plausible models.

MASTtreedist: visualization of tree space based on maximum agreement subtree.

PubMed

Huang, Hong; Li, Yongji

2013-01-01

Phylogenetic tree construction process might produce many candidate trees as the "best estimates." As the number of constructed phylogenetic trees grows, the need to efficiently compare their topological or physical structures arises. One of the tree comparison's software tools, the Mesquite's Tree Set Viz module, allows the rapid and efficient visualization of the tree comparison distances using multidimensional scaling (MDS). Tree-distance measures, such as Robinson-Foulds (RF), for the topological distance among different trees have been implemented in Tree Set Viz. New and sophisticated measures such as Maximum Agreement Subtree (MAST) can be continuously built upon Tree Set Viz. MAST can detect the common substructures among trees and provide more precise information on the similarity of the trees, but it is NP-hard and difficult to implement. In this article, we present a practical tree-distance metric: MASTtreedist, a MAST-based comparison metric in Mesquite's Tree Set Viz module. In this metric, the efficient optimizations for the maximum weight clique problem are applied. The results suggest that the proposed method can efficiently compute the MAST distances among trees, and such tree topological differences can be translated as a scatter of points in two-dimensional (2D) space. We also provide statistical evaluation of provided measures with respect to RF-using experimental data sets. This new comparison module provides a new tree-tree pairwise comparison metric based on the differences of the number of MAST leaves among constructed phylogenetic trees. Such a new phylogenetic tree comparison metric improves the visualization of taxa differences by discriminating small divergences of subtree structures for phylogenetic tree reconstruction.

Agile deployment and code coverage testing metrics of the boot software on-board Solar Orbiter's Energetic Particle Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parra, Pablo; da Silva, Antonio; Polo, Óscar R.; Sánchez, Sebastián

2018-02-01

In this day and age, successful embedded critical software needs agile and continuous development and testing procedures. This paper presents the overall testing and code coverage metrics obtained during the unit testing procedure carried out to verify the correctness of the boot software that will run in the Instrument Control Unit (ICU) of the Energetic Particle Detector (EPD) on-board Solar Orbiter. The ICU boot software is a critical part of the project so its verification should be addressed at an early development stage, so any test case missed in this process may affect the quality of the overall on-board software. According to the European Cooperation for Space Standardization ESA standards, testing this kind of critical software must cover 100% of the source code statement and decision paths. This leads to the complete testing of fault tolerance and recovery mechanisms that have to resolve every possible memory corruption or communication error brought about by the space environment. The introduced procedure enables fault injection from the beginning of the development process and enables to fulfill the exigent code coverage demands on the boot software.

Test Methods for Robot Agility in Manufacturing.

PubMed

Downs, Anthony; Harrison, William; Schlenoff, Craig

2016-01-01

The paper aims to define and describe test methods and metrics to assess industrial robot system agility in both simulation and in reality. The paper describes test methods and associated quantitative and qualitative metrics for assessing robot system efficiency and effectiveness which can then be used for the assessment of system agility. The paper describes how the test methods were implemented in a simulation environment and real world environment. It also shows how the metrics are measured and assessed as they would be in a future competition. The test methods described in this paper will push forward the state of the art in software agility for manufacturing robots, allowing small and medium manufacturers to better utilize robotic systems. The paper fulfills the identified need for standard test methods to measure and allow for improvement in software agility for manufacturing robots.

Improving the Effectiveness of Program Managers

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-05-03

Improving the Effectiveness of Program Managers Systems and Software Technology Conference Salt Lake City, Utah May 3, 2006 Presented by GAO’s...Companies’ best practices Motorola Caterpillar Toyota FedEx NCR Teradata Boeing Hughes Space and Communications Disciplined software and management...and total ownership costs Collection of metrics data to improve software reliability Technology readiness levels and design maturity Statistical

METRICS DEVELOPMENT FOR THE QUALIS OF SOFTWARE TECHNICAL PRODUCTION.

PubMed

Scarpi, Marinho Jorge

2015-01-01

To recommend metrics to qualify software production and to propose guidelines for the CAPES quadrennial evaluation of the Post-Graduation Programs of Medicine III about this issue. Identification of the development process quality features, of the product attributes and of the software use, determined by Brazilian Association of Technical Standards (ABNT), International Organization Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical (IEC), important in the perspective of the CAPES Medicine III Area correlate users, basing the creation proposal of metrics aiming to be used on four-year evaluation of Medicine III. The in use software quality perception by the user results from the provided effectiveness, productivity, security and satisfaction that originate from its characteristics of functionality, reliability, usability, efficiency, maintainability and portability (in use metrics quality). This perception depends on the specific use scenario. The software metrics should be included in the intellectual production of the program, considering the system behavior measurements results obtained by users' performance evaluation through out the favorable responses punctuation sum for the six in use metrics quality (27 sub-items, 0 to 2 points each) and for quality perception proof (four items, 0 to 10 points each). It will be considered as very good (VG) 85 to 94 points; good (G) 75 to 84 points; regular (R) 65 to 74 points; weak (W) 55 to 64 points; poor (P) <55 points. Recomendar métrica para qualificar a produção de software propondo diretrizes para a avaliação dos Programas de Pós-Graduação da Medicina III. Identificação das características de qualidade para o processo de desenvolvimento, para os atributos do produto e para o uso de software, determinadas pela Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas (ABNT), International Organization Standardization (ISO) e International Electrotechnical (IEC), importantes na perspectiva dos usuários correlatos da Área Medicina III da CAPES, embasando a criação de proposta para métrica do tema, com vistas à avaliação quadrienal dos cursos de pós-graduação. A percepção de qualidade em uso do software pelo usuário resulta da efetividade, produtividade, segurança e satisfação proporcionada, que têm origem nas suas características de funcionalidade, confiabilidade, usabilidade, eficiência, manutenibilidade e portabilidade (métricas de qualidade em uso). Tal percepção depende do cenário de uso específico. A métrica de software deve ser incluída na produção intelectual do Documento de Área do programa, ponderando os resultados nas medidas de comportamento do sistema em avaliação de desempenho por usuários, considerando a somatória da pontuação favorável para as seis métricas de qualidade em uso (27 sub-itens, de 0 a 2 pontos cada) e a comprovação da percepção de qualidade (quatro itens, de 0 a 10 pontos cada). Será considerado muito bom (MB) de 85 a 94 pontos; bom (B) de 75 a 84 pontos; Regular (R) de 65 a 74 pontos; fraco (F) de 55 a 64 pontos; deficiente (D) < 55.

Standardized reporting of functioning information on ICF-based common metrics.

PubMed

Prodinger, Birgit; Tennant, Alan; Stucki, Gerold

2018-02-01

In clinical practice and research a variety of clinical data collection tools are used to collect information on people's functioning for clinical practice and research and national health information systems. Reporting on ICF-based common metrics enables standardized documentation of functioning information in national health information systems. The objective of this methodological note on applying the ICF in rehabilitation is to demonstrate how to report functioning information collected with a data collection tool on ICF-based common metrics. We first specify the requirements for the standardized reporting of functioning information. Secondly, we introduce the methods needed for transforming functioning data to ICF-based common metrics. Finally, we provide an example. The requirements for standardized reporting are as follows: 1) having a common conceptual framework to enable content comparability between any health information; and 2) a measurement framework so that scores between two or more clinical data collection tools can be directly compared. The methods needed to achieve these requirements are the ICF Linking Rules and the Rasch measurement model. Using data collected incorporating the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36), the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0), and the Stroke Impact Scale 3.0 (SIS 3.0), the application of the standardized reporting based on common metrics is demonstrated. A subset of items from the three tools linked to common chapters of the ICF (d4 Mobility, d5 Self-care and d6 Domestic life), were entered as "super items" into the Rasch model. Good fit was achieved with no residual local dependency and a unidimensional metric. A transformation table allows for comparison between scales, and between a scale and the reporting common metric. Being able to report functioning information collected with commonly used clinical data collection tools with ICF-based common metrics enables clinicians and researchers to continue using their tools while still being able to compare and aggregate the information within and across tools.

Production of Reliable Flight Crucial Software: Validation Methods Research for Fault Tolerant Avionics and Control Systems Sub-Working Group Meeting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunham, J. R. (Editor); Knight, J. C. (Editor)

1982-01-01

The state of the art in the production of crucial software for flight control applications was addressed. The association between reliability metrics and software is considered. Thirteen software development projects are discussed. A short term need for research in the areas of tool development and software fault tolerance was indicated. For the long term, research in format verification or proof methods was recommended. Formal specification and software reliability modeling, were recommended as topics for both short and long term research.

Field Validity of Heart Rate Variability Metrics Produced by QRSTool and CMetX

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hibbert, Anita S.; Weinberg, Anna; Klonsky, E. David

2012-01-01

Interest in heart rate variability (HRV) metrics as markers of physiological and psychological health continues to grow beyond those with psychophysiological expertise, increasing the importance of developing suitable tools for researchers new to the field. Allen, Chambers, and Towers (2007) developed QRSTool and CMetX software as simple,…

An Examination of Selected Software Testing Tools: 1992

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-01

Report ....................................................... 27-19 Figure 27-17. Metrics Manager Database Full Report...historical test database , the test management and problem reporting tools were examined using the sample test database provided by each supplier. 4-4...track the impact of new methods, organi- zational structures, and technologies. Metrics Manager is supported by an industry database that allows

Don't give an inch!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geller, Robert J.

The camera ready copy (CRC) procedures for Geophysical Research Letters are now being revised. As one of the new editors, I looked through preliminary versions of the new forms and instructions for authors. Remarkably, all of the units (for example, maximum length = 75 inches or 189.9 cm) are given in both British and metric units, despite the fact that AGU's style guide for authors (Eos, October 11, 1988) states that “all quantities must be in metric units.”When I contacted the AGU staff to ask them to eliminate the anachronistic British units they refused, claiming that “In the word-processing packages with which we are familiar all margins are given in inches. It is inconvenient for folks not to have both measurements if the software they are using for making CRC requires them to give commands in the British system.” They did not, however, cite any examples of a software package that will not also accept metric units, perhaps because none exists. All packages with which I am familiar accept both inches and metric units.

Benchmarking the ATLAS software through the Kit Validation engine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Salvo, Alessandro; Brasolin, Franco

2010-04-01

The measurement of the experiment software performance is a very important metric in order to choose the most effective resources to be used and to discover the bottlenecks of the code implementation. In this work we present the benchmark techniques used to measure the ATLAS software performance through the ATLAS offline testing engine Kit Validation and the online portal Global Kit Validation. The performance measurements, the data collection, the online analysis and display of the results will be presented. The results of the measurement on different platforms and architectures will be shown, giving a full report on the CPU power and memory consumption of the Monte Carlo generation, simulation, digitization and reconstruction of the most CPU-intensive channels. The impact of the multi-core computing on the ATLAS software performance will also be presented, comparing the behavior of different architectures when increasing the number of concurrent processes. The benchmark techniques described in this paper have been used in the HEPiX group since the beginning of 2008 to help defining the performance metrics for the High Energy Physics applications, based on the real experiment software.

Software Metrics

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-01

software development scene is often charac- c. SPQR Model-Jones terized by: * schedule and cost estimates that are gross-d. COPMO-Thebaut ly inaccurate, SEI...time c. SPQR Model-Jones (in seconds) is simply derived from E by dividing T. Capers Jones has developed a software cost by the Stroud number, S...estimation model called the Software Produc- T=E/S tivity, Quality, and Reliability ( SPQR ) model. The basic approach is similar to that of Boehm’s The value

Objective measurement of complex multimodal and multidimensional display formats: a common metric for predicting format effectiveness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshak, William P.; Darkow, David J.; Wesler, Mary M.; Fix, Edward L.

2000-08-01

Computer-based display designers have more sensory modes and more dimensions within sensory modality with which to encode information in a user interface than ever before. This elaboration of information presentation has made measurement of display/format effectiveness and predicting display/format performance extremely difficult. A multivariate method has been devised which isolates critical information, physically measures its signal strength, and compares it with other elements of the display, which act like background noise. This common Metric relates signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) within each stimulus dimension, then combines SNRs among display modes, dimensions and cognitive factors can predict display format effectiveness. Examples with their Common Metric assessment and validation in performance will be presented along with the derivation of the metric. Implications of the Common Metric in display design and evaluation will be discussed.

Future Software Sizing Metrics and Estimation Challenges

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-01

systems 4. Ultrahigh software system assurance 5. Legacy maintenance and Brownfield development 6. Agile and Lean/ Kanban development. This paper...refined as the design of the maintenance modifications or Brownfield re-engineering is determined. VII. 6. AGILE AND LEAN/ KANBAN DEVELOPMENT The...difficulties of software maintenance estimation can often be mitigated by using lean workflow management techniques such as Kanban [25]. In Kanban

Modular Filter and Source-Management Upgrade of RADAC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lanzi, R. James; Smith, Donna C.

2007-01-01

In an upgrade of the Range Data Acquisition Computer (RADAC) software, a modular software object library was developed to implement required functionality for filtering of flight-vehicle-tracking data and management of tracking-data sources. (The RADAC software is used to process flight-vehicle metric data for realtime display in the Wallops Flight Facility Range Control Center and Mobile Control Center.)

Comparison of two high-resolution manometry software systems in evaluating esophageal motor function.

PubMed

Rengarajan, A; Drapekin, J; Patel, A; Gyawali, C P

2016-12-01

High-resolution manometry (HRM) utilizes software tools to diagnose esophageal motor disorders. Performance of these software metrics could be affected by averaging and by software characteristics of different manufacturers. High-resolution manometry studies on 86 patients referred for antireflux surgery (61.6 ± 1.4 year, 70% F) and 20 healthy controls (27.9 ± 0.7 year, 45% F) were first subject to standard analysis (Medtronic, Duluth, GA, USA). Coordinates for each of 10 test swallows were exported and averaged to generate a composite swallow. The swallows and averaged composites were imported as ASCII file format into Manoview (Medtronic) and Medical Measurement Systems database reporter (MMS, Dover, NH, USA), and analyses repeated. Comparisons were made between standard and composite swallow interpretations. Correlation between the two systems was high for mean distal contractile integral (DCI, r 2 ≥ 0.9) but lower for integrated relaxation pressure (IRP, r 2 = 0.7). Excluding achalasia, six patients with outflow obstruction (mean IRP 23.2 ± 2.1 with 10-swallow average) were identified by both systems. An additional nine patients (10.5%) were identified as outflow obstruction (15 mmHg threshold) with MMS 10-swallow and four with MMS composite swallow evaluation; only one was confirmed. Ineffective esophageal motility was diagnosed by 10-swallow evaluation in 19 (22.1%) with Manoview, and 20 (23.3%) with MMS. On Manoview composite, 17 had DCI <450 mmHg/cm/s, and on MMS composite, 21, (p ≥ 0.85 for each comparison) but these did not impact diagnostic conclusions. Comparison of 10 swallow and composite swallows demonstrate variability in software metrics between manometry systems. Our data support use of manufacturer specific software metrics on 10-swallow sequences. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Test Methods for Robot Agility in Manufacturing

PubMed Central

Downs, Anthony; Harrison, William; Schlenoff, Craig

2017-01-01

Purpose The paper aims to define and describe test methods and metrics to assess industrial robot system agility in both simulation and in reality. Design/methodology/approach The paper describes test methods and associated quantitative and qualitative metrics for assessing robot system efficiency and effectiveness which can then be used for the assessment of system agility. Findings The paper describes how the test methods were implemented in a simulation environment and real world environment. It also shows how the metrics are measured and assessed as they would be in a future competition. Practical Implications The test methods described in this paper will push forward the state of the art in software agility for manufacturing robots, allowing small and medium manufacturers to better utilize robotic systems. Originality / value The paper fulfills the identified need for standard test methods to measure and allow for improvement in software agility for manufacturing robots. PMID:28203034

Usability: Human Research Program - Space Human Factors and Habitability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sandor, Aniko; Holden, Kritina L.

2009-01-01

The Usability project addresses the need for research in the area of metrics and methodologies used in hardware and software usability testing in order to define quantifiable and verifiable usability requirements. A usability test is a human-in-the-loop evaluation where a participant works through a realistic set of representative tasks using the hardware/software under investigation. The purpose of this research is to define metrics and methodologies for measuring and verifying usability in the aerospace domain in accordance with FY09 focus on errors, consistency, and mobility/maneuverability. Usability metrics must be predictive of success with the interfaces, must be easy to obtain and/or calculate, and must meet the intent of current Human Systems Integration Requirements (HSIR). Methodologies must work within the constraints of the aerospace domain, be cost and time efficient, and be able to be applied without extensive specialized training.

JPL's Real-Time Weather Processor project (RWP) metrics and observations at system completion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loesh, Robert E.; Conover, Robert A.; Malhotra, Shan

1990-01-01

As an integral part of the overall upgraded National Airspace System (NAS), the objective of the Real-Time Weather Processor (RWP) project is to improve the quality of weather information and the timeliness of its dissemination to system users. To accomplish this, an RWP will be installed in each of the Center Weather Service Units (CWSUs), located in 21 of the 23 Air Route Traffic Control Centers (ARTCCs). The RWP System is a prototype system. It is planned that the software will be GFE and that production hardware will be acquired via industry competitive procurement. The ARTCC is a facility established to provide air traffic control service to aircraft operating on Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) flight plans within controlled airspace, principally during the en route phase of the flight. Covered here are requirement metrics, Software Problem Failure Reports (SPFRs), and Ada portability metrics and observations.

Performance metrics for the assessment of satellite data products: an ocean color case study

EPA Science Inventory

Performance assessment of ocean color satellite data has generally relied on statistical metrics chosen for their common usage and the rationale for selecting certain metrics is infrequently explained. Commonly reported statistics based on mean squared errors, such as the coeffic...

Toward a standard for the evaluation of PET-Auto-Segmentation methods following the recommendations of AAPM task group No. 211: Requirements and implementation.

PubMed

Berthon, Beatrice; Spezi, Emiliano; Galavis, Paulina; Shepherd, Tony; Apte, Aditya; Hatt, Mathieu; Fayad, Hadi; De Bernardi, Elisabetta; Soffientini, Chiara D; Ross Schmidtlein, C; El Naqa, Issam; Jeraj, Robert; Lu, Wei; Das, Shiva; Zaidi, Habib; Mawlawi, Osama R; Visvikis, Dimitris; Lee, John A; Kirov, Assen S

2017-08-01

The aim of this paper is to define the requirements and describe the design and implementation of a standard benchmark tool for evaluation and validation of PET-auto-segmentation (PET-AS) algorithms. This work follows the recommendations of Task Group 211 (TG211) appointed by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM). The recommendations published in the AAPM TG211 report were used to derive a set of required features and to guide the design and structure of a benchmarking software tool. These items included the selection of appropriate representative data and reference contours obtained from established approaches and the description of available metrics. The benchmark was designed in a way that it could be extendable by inclusion of bespoke segmentation methods, while maintaining its main purpose of being a standard testing platform for newly developed PET-AS methods. An example of implementation of the proposed framework, named PETASset, was built. In this work, a selection of PET-AS methods representing common approaches to PET image segmentation was evaluated within PETASset for the purpose of testing and demonstrating the capabilities of the software as a benchmark platform. A selection of clinical, physical, and simulated phantom data, including "best estimates" reference contours from macroscopic specimens, simulation template, and CT scans was built into the PETASset application database. Specific metrics such as Dice Similarity Coefficient (DSC), Positive Predictive Value (PPV), and Sensitivity (S), were included to allow the user to compare the results of any given PET-AS algorithm to the reference contours. In addition, a tool to generate structured reports on the evaluation of the performance of PET-AS algorithms against the reference contours was built. The variation of the metric agreement values with the reference contours across the PET-AS methods evaluated for demonstration were between 0.51 and 0.83, 0.44 and 0.86, and 0.61 and 1.00 for DSC, PPV, and the S metric, respectively. Examples of agreement limits were provided to show how the software could be used to evaluate a new algorithm against the existing state-of-the art. PETASset provides a platform that allows standardizing the evaluation and comparison of different PET-AS methods on a wide range of PET datasets. The developed platform will be available to users willing to evaluate their PET-AS methods and contribute with more evaluation datasets. © 2017 The Authors. Medical Physics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Physicists in Medicine.

Choice of the Metric for Effect Size in Meta-analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGaw, Barry; Glass, Gene V.

1980-01-01

There are difficulties in expressing effect sizes on a common metric when some studies use transformed scales to express group differences, or use factorial designs or covariance adjustments to obtain a reduced error term. A common metric on which effect sizes may be standardized is described. (Author/RL)

Fitting the curve in Excel®: Systematic curve fitting of laboratory and remotely sensed planetary spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCraig, Michael A.; Osinski, Gordon R.; Cloutis, Edward A.; Flemming, Roberta L.; Izawa, Matthew R. M.; Reddy, Vishnu; Fieber-Beyer, Sherry K.; Pompilio, Loredana; van der Meer, Freek; Berger, Jeffrey A.; Bramble, Michael S.; Applin, Daniel M.

2017-03-01

Spectroscopy in planetary science often provides the only information regarding the compositional and mineralogical make up of planetary surfaces. The methods employed when curve fitting and modelling spectra can be confusing and difficult to visualize and comprehend. Researchers who are new to working with spectra may find inadequate help or documentation in the scientific literature or in the software packages available for curve fitting. This problem also extends to the parameterization of spectra and the dissemination of derived metrics. Often, when derived metrics are reported, such as band centres, the discussion of exactly how the metrics were derived, or if there was any systematic curve fitting performed, is not included. Herein we provide both recommendations and methods for curve fitting and explanations of the terms and methods used. Techniques to curve fit spectral data of various types are demonstrated using simple-to-understand mathematics and equations written to be used in Microsoft Excel® software, free of macros, in a cut-and-paste fashion that allows one to curve fit spectra in a reasonably user-friendly manner. The procedures use empirical curve fitting, include visualizations, and ameliorates many of the unknowns one may encounter when using black-box commercial software. The provided framework is a comprehensive record of the curve fitting parameters used, the derived metrics, and is intended to be an example of a format for dissemination when curve fitting data.

The SoRReL papers: Recent publications of the Software Reuse Repository Lab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eichmann, David A. (Editor)

1992-01-01

The entire publication is presented of some of the papers recently published by the SoRReL. Some typical titles are as follows: Design of a Lattice-Based Faceted Classification System; A Hybrid Approach to Software Reuse Repository Retrieval; Selecting Reusable Components Using Algebraic Specifications; Neural Network-Based Retrieval from Reuse Repositories; and A Neural Net-Based Approach to Software Metrics.

Self-Metric Software. Volume I. Summary of Technical Progress.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-04-01

Development: A CSDL Project History, RADC-TR-77-213, pp. 33-41. A-42186. [3] Goodenough, J. B. and Zara , R. V., "The Effect of Software Structure on Software...1979. **Visiting assistant professor. 99 MISION Of Rome Air Devlopmnt Centfr RWV pta"aa nd eXgdatAA ’~AW&W4 dwveput, ’t* &a -a # "*ate 4UZtLug ~W~A~n

Software Obfuscation With Symmetric Cryptography

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

of y = a * b + c Against Random Functions ...............84 Appendix C: Black-box Analysis of Fibonacci Against Random Functions...Metric ................... 67 Figure 19. Standard Deviations of All Fibonacci Output Bits by Metric ........................ 67 Figure 20...caveat to encryption strength is that what may be strong presently may not always be strong; the Data Encryption Standard ( DES ) was once considered

How Soon Will We Measure in Metric?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weaver, Kenneth F.

1977-01-01

A brief history of measurement systems beginning with the Egyptians and Babylonians is given, ending with a discussion of the metric system and its adoption by the United States. Tables of metric prefixes, metric units, and common metric conversions are included. (MN)

Software errors and complexity: An empirical investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.; Perricone, Berry T.

1983-01-01

The distributions and relationships derived from the change data collected during the development of a medium scale satellite software project show that meaningful results can be obtained which allow an insight into software traits and the environment in which it is developed. Modified and new modules were shown to behave similarly. An abstract classification scheme for errors which allows a better understanding of the overall traits of a software project is also shown. Finally, various size and complexity metrics are examined with respect to errors detected within the software yielding some interesting results.

Software errors and complexity: An empirical investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, V. R.; Perricone, B. T.

1982-01-01

The distributions and relationships derived from the change data collected during the development of a medium scale satellite software project show that meaningful results can be obtained which allow an insight into software traits and the environment in which it is developed. Modified and new modules were shown to behave similarly. An abstract classification scheme for errors which allows a better understanding of the overall traits of a software project is also shown. Finally, various size and complexity metrics are examined with respect to errors detected within the software yielding some interesting results.

The Software Maturity Matrix: A Software Performance Metric

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-28

are for Managing n Use Them! n Unused measurements have the same value as last night’s unused hotel room or an empty airline seat. n Be Prepared to...standard measurements are implicit n Organization standard verification is implicit n Organization standard SMM training can be the basis of an

Measures and metrics for software development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1984-01-01

The evaluations of and recommendations for the use of software development measures based on the practical and analytical experience of the Software Engineering Laboratory are discussed. The basic concepts of measurement and system of classification for measures are described. The principal classes of measures defined are explicit, analytic, and subjective. Some of the major software measurement schemes appearing in the literature are derived. The applications of specific measures in a production environment are explained. These applications include prediction and planning, review and assessment, and evaluation and selection.

Software quality for 1997 - what works and what doesn`t?

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

Jones, C.

1997-11-01

This presentation provides a view of software quality for 1997 - what works and what doesn`t. For many years, software quality assurance lagged behind hardware quality assurance in terms of methods, metrics, and successful results. New approaches such as Quality Function Development (WFD) the ISO 9000-9004 standards, the SEI maturity levels, and Total Quality Management (TQM) are starting to attract wide attention, and in some cases to bring software quality levels up to a parity with manufacturing quality levels.

Identifying Drug-Target Interactions with Decision Templates.

PubMed

Yan, Xiao-Ying; Zhang, Shao-Wu

2018-01-01

During the development process of new drugs, identification of the drug-target interactions wins primary concerns. However, the chemical or biological experiments bear the limitation in coverage as well as the huge cost of both time and money. Based on drug similarity and target similarity, chemogenomic methods can be able to predict potential drug-target interactions (DTIs) on a large scale and have no luxurious need about target structures or ligand entries. In order to reflect the cases that the drugs having variant structures interact with common targets and the targets having dissimilar sequences interact with same drugs. In addition, though several other similarity metrics have been developed to predict DTIs, the combination of multiple similarity metrics (especially heterogeneous similarities) is too naïve to sufficiently explore the multiple similarities. In this paper, based on Gene Ontology and pathway annotation, we introduce two novel target similarity metrics to address above issues. More importantly, we propose a more effective strategy via decision template to integrate multiple classifiers designed with multiple similarity metrics. In the scenarios that predict existing targets for new drugs and predict approved drugs for new protein targets, the results on the DTI benchmark datasets show that our target similarity metrics are able to enhance the predictive accuracies in two scenarios. And the elaborate fusion strategy of multiple classifiers has better predictive power than the naïve combination of multiple similarity metrics. Compared with other two state-of-the-art approaches on the four popular benchmark datasets of binary drug-target interactions, our method achieves the best results in terms of AUC and AUPR for predicting available targets for new drugs (S2), and predicting approved drugs for new protein targets (S3).These results demonstrate that our method can effectively predict the drug-target interactions. The software package can freely available at https://github.com/NwpuSY/DT_all.git for academic users. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

The Ozone Widget Framework: towards modularity of C2 human interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hellar, David Benjamin; Vega, Laurian C.

2012-05-01

The Ozone Widget Framework (OWF) is a common webtop environment for distribution across the enterprise. A key mission driver for OWF is to enable rapid capability delivery by lowering time-to-market with lightweight components. OWF has been released as Government Open Source Software and has been deployed in a variety of C2 net-centric contexts ranging from real-time analytics, cyber-situational awareness, to strategic and operational planning. This paper discusses the current and future evolution of OWF including the availability of the OZONE Marketplace (OMP), useractivity driven metrics, and architecture enhancements for accessibility. Together, OWF is moving towards the rapid delivery of modular human interfaces supporting modern and future command and control contexts.

An Experimental Investigation of Computer Program Development Approaches and Computer Programming Metrics.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-01

team progranming in reducing software dleveloup- ment costs relative to ad hoc approaches and improving software product quality relative to...are interpreted as demonstrating the advantages of disciplined team programming in reducing software development costs relative to ad hoc approaches...is due oartialty to the cost and imoracticality of a valiI experimental setup within a oroauct ion environment. Thus the question remains, are

Improving Software Quality and Management Through Use of Service Level Agreements

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-03-01

many who believe that the quality of the development process is the best predictor of software product quality. ( Fenton ) Repeatable software processes...reduced errors per KLOC for small projects ( Fenton ), and the quality management metric (QMM) (Machniak, Osmundson). There are also numerous IEEE 14...attention to cosmetic user interface issues and any problems that may arise with the prototype. (Sawyer) The validation process is also another check

Survivability as a Tool for Evaluating Open Source Software

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-06-01

the thesis limited the program development, so it is only able to process project issues (bugs or feature requests), which is an important metric for...Ideally, these insights may provide an analytic framework to generate guidance for decision makers that may support the inclusion of OSS to more...refine their efforts to build quality software and to strengthen their software development communities. 1.4 Research Questions This thesis addresses

Creating an automated tool for measuring software cohesion

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

Tutton, J.M.; Zucconi, L.

1994-05-06

Program modules with high complexity tend to be more error prone and more difficult to understand. These factors increase maintenance and enhancement costs. Hence, a tool that can help programmers determine a key factor in module complexity should be very useful. Our goal is to create a software tool that will automatically give a quantitative measure of the cohesiveness of a given module, and hence give us an estimate of the {open_quotes}maintainability{close_quotes} of that module. The Tool will use a metric developed by Professors Linda M. Ott and James M. Bieman. The Ott/Bieman metric gives quantitative measures that indicate themore » degree of functional cohesion using abstract data slices.« less

To Control False Positives in Gene-Gene Interaction Analysis: Two Novel Conditional Entropy-Based Approaches

PubMed Central

Lin, Meihua; Li, Haoli; Zhao, Xiaolei; Qin, Jiheng

2013-01-01

Genome-wide analysis of gene-gene interactions has been recognized as a powerful avenue to identify the missing genetic components that can not be detected by using current single-point association analysis. Recently, several model-free methods (e.g. the commonly used information based metrics and several logistic regression-based metrics) were developed for detecting non-linear dependence between genetic loci, but they are potentially at the risk of inflated false positive error, in particular when the main effects at one or both loci are salient. In this study, we proposed two conditional entropy-based metrics to challenge this limitation. Extensive simulations demonstrated that the two proposed metrics, provided the disease is rare, could maintain consistently correct false positive rate. In the scenarios for a common disease, our proposed metrics achieved better or comparable control of false positive error, compared to four previously proposed model-free metrics. In terms of power, our methods outperformed several competing metrics in a range of common disease models. Furthermore, in real data analyses, both metrics succeeded in detecting interactions and were competitive with the originally reported results or the logistic regression approaches. In conclusion, the proposed conditional entropy-based metrics are promising as alternatives to current model-based approaches for detecting genuine epistatic effects. PMID:24339984

Advanced Life Support Research and Technology Development Metric

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanford, A. J.

2004-01-01

The Metric is one of several measures employed by the NASA to assess the Agency s progress as mandated by the United States Congress and the Office of Management and Budget. Because any measure must have a reference point, whether explicitly defined or implied, the Metric is a comparison between a selected ALS Project life support system and an equivalently detailed life support system using technology from the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) for the International Space Station (ISS). This document provides the official calculation of the Advanced Life Support (ALS) Research and Technology Development Metric (the Metric) for Fiscal Year 2004. The values are primarily based on Systems Integration, Modeling, and Analysis (SIMA) Element approved software tools or reviewed and approved reference documents. For Fiscal Year 2004, the Advanced Life Support Research and Technology Development Metric value is 2.03 for an Orbiting Research Facility and 1.62 for an Independent Exploration Mission.

Landscape pattern metrics and regional assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

O'Neill, R. V.; Riitters, K.H.; Wickham, J.D.; Jones, K.B.

1999-01-01

The combination of remote imagery data, geographic information systems software, and landscape ecology theory provides a unique basis for monitoring and assessing large-scale ecological systems. The unique feature of the work has been the need to develop and interpret quantitative measures of spatial pattern-the landscape indices. This article reviews what is known about the statistical properties of these pattern metrics and suggests some additional metrics based on island biogeography, percolation theory, hierarchy theory, and economic geography. Assessment applications of this approach have required interpreting the pattern metrics in terms of specific environmental endpoints, such as wildlife and water quality, and research into how to represent synergystic effects of many overlapping sources of stress.

MFV-class: a multi-faceted visualization tool of object classes.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhi-meng; Pan, Yun-he; Zhuang, Yue-ting

2004-11-01

Classes are key software components in an object-oriented software system. In many industrial OO software systems, there are some classes that have complicated structure and relationships. So in the processes of software maintenance, testing, software reengineering, software reuse and software restructure, it is a challenge for software engineers to understand these classes thoroughly. This paper proposes a class comprehension model based on constructivist learning theory, and implements a software visualization tool (MFV-Class) to help in the comprehension of a class. The tool provides multiple views of class to uncover manifold facets of class contents. It enables visualizing three object-oriented metrics of classes to help users focus on the understanding process. A case study was conducted to evaluate our approach and the toolkit.

A Flexible and Non-instrusive Approach for Computing Complex Structural Coverage Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whalen, Michael W.; Person, Suzette J.; Rungta, Neha; Staats, Matt; Grijincu, Daniela

2015-01-01

Software analysis tools and techniques often leverage structural code coverage information to reason about the dynamic behavior of software. Existing techniques instrument the code with the required structural obligations and then monitor the execution of the compiled code to report coverage. Instrumentation based approaches often incur considerable runtime overhead for complex structural coverage metrics such as Modified Condition/Decision (MC/DC). Code instrumentation, in general, has to be approached with great care to ensure it does not modify the behavior of the original code. Furthermore, instrumented code cannot be used in conjunction with other analyses that reason about the structure and semantics of the code under test. In this work, we introduce a non-intrusive preprocessing approach for computing structural coverage information. It uses a static partial evaluation of the decisions in the source code and a source-to-bytecode mapping to generate the information necessary to efficiently track structural coverage metrics during execution. Our technique is flexible; the results of the preprocessing can be used by a variety of coverage-driven software analysis tasks, including automated analyses that are not possible for instrumented code. Experimental results in the context of symbolic execution show the efficiency and flexibility of our nonintrusive approach for computing code coverage information

Using Web Metric Software to Drive: Mobile Website Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tidal, Junior

2011-01-01

Many libraries have developed mobile versions of their websites. In order to understand their users, web developers have conducted both usability tests and focus groups, yet analytical software and web server logs can also be used to better understand users. Using data collected from these tools, the Ursula C. Schwerin Library has made informed…

CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering. Volume 18, Number 4

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-04-01

older automated cost- estimating tools are no longer being actively marketed but are still in use such as CheckPoint, COCOMO, ESTIMACS, REVIC, and SPQR ...estimation tools: SPQR /20, Checkpoint, and Knowl- edgePlan. These software estimation tools pioneered the use of function point metrics for sizing and

Ten Commonly Asked Questions by Teachers About Metric Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Thomas E.

1977-01-01

Lists and answers the ten questions most frequently asked by teachers in inservice programs on metric system education. Questions include ones about reasons for converting to metrics and successful methods, activities, and materials for teaching metrics. (CS)

Statistical strategies to quantify respiratory sinus arrhythmia: Are commonly used metrics equivalent?

PubMed Central

Lewis, Gregory F.; Furman, Senta A.; McCool, Martha F.; Porges, Stephen W.

2011-01-01

Three frequently used RSA metrics are investigated to document violations of assumptions for parametric analyses, moderation by respiration, influences of nonstationarity, and sensitivity to vagal blockade. Although all metrics are highly correlated, new findings illustrate that the metrics are noticeably different on the above dimensions. Only one method conforms to the assumptions for parametric analyses, is not moderated by respiration, is not influenced by nonstationarity, and reliably generates stronger effect sizes. Moreover, this method is also the most sensitive to vagal blockade. Specific features of this method may provide insights into improving the statistical characteristics of other commonly used RSA metrics. These data provide the evidence to question, based on statistical grounds, published reports using particular metrics of RSA. PMID:22138367

Maintenance Metrics for Jovial (J73) Software

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-12-01

pacing technology in advanced fighters, just as it has in most other weapon systems and information systems" ( Canan , 1986:49). Another reason for...the magnitude of the software inside an aircraft may represent only a fraction of that aircraft’s total software requirement." ( Canan , 1986:49) One more...art than a science" marks program development as a largely labor-intensive, human endeavor ( Canan , 1986:50). Individual effort and creativity therefore

Software Quality Metrics: A Software Management Monitoring Method for Air Force Logistics Command in Its Software Quality Assurance Program for the Quantitative Assessment of the System Development Life Cycle under Configuration Management.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-03-01

pilot systems. Magnitude of the mutant error is classified as: o Program does not compute. o Program computes but does not run test data. o Program...14 Test and Integration ... ............ .. 105 15 The Mapping of SQM to the SDLC ........ ... 108 16 ADS Development .... .............. . 224 17...and funds. While the test phase concludes the normal development cycle, one should realize that with software the development continues in the

Information risk and security modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zivic, Predrag

2005-03-01

This research paper presentation will feature current frameworks to addressing risk and security modeling and metrics. The paper will analyze technical level risk and security metrics of Common Criteria/ISO15408, Centre for Internet Security guidelines, NSA configuration guidelines and metrics used at this level. Information IT operational standards view on security metrics such as GMITS/ISO13335, ITIL/ITMS and architectural guidelines such as ISO7498-2 will be explained. Business process level standards such as ISO17799, COSO and CobiT will be presented with their control approach to security metrics. Top level, the maturity standards such as SSE-CMM/ISO21827, NSA Infosec Assessment and CobiT will be explored and reviewed. For each defined level of security metrics the research presentation will explore the appropriate usage of these standards. The paper will discuss standards approaches to conducting the risk and security metrics. The research findings will demonstrate the need for common baseline for both risk and security metrics. This paper will show the relation between the attribute based common baseline and corporate assets and controls for risk and security metrics. IT will be shown that such approach spans over all mentioned standards. The proposed approach 3D visual presentation and development of the Information Security Model will be analyzed and postulated. Presentation will clearly demonstrate the benefits of proposed attributes based approach and defined risk and security space for modeling and measuring.

Monitoring and Discovery for Self-Organized Network Management in Virtualized and Software Defined Networks

PubMed Central

Valdivieso Caraguay, Ángel Leonardo; García Villalba, Luis Javier

2017-01-01

This paper presents the Monitoring and Discovery Framework of the Self-Organized Network Management in Virtualized and Software Defined Networks SELFNET project. This design takes into account the scalability and flexibility requirements needed by 5G infrastructures. In this context, the present framework focuses on gathering and storing the information (low-level metrics) related to physical and virtual devices, cloud environments, flow metrics, SDN traffic and sensors. Similarly, it provides the monitoring data as a generic information source in order to allow the correlation and aggregation tasks. Our design enables the collection and storing of information provided by all the underlying SELFNET sublayers, including the dynamically onboarded and instantiated SDN/NFV Apps, also known as SELFNET sensors. PMID:28362346

Monitoring and Discovery for Self-Organized Network Management in Virtualized and Software Defined Networks.

PubMed

Caraguay, Ángel Leonardo Valdivieso; Villalba, Luis Javier García

2017-03-31

This paper presents the Monitoring and Discovery Framework of the Self-Organized Network Management in Virtualized and Software Defined Networks SELFNET project. This design takes into account the scalability and flexibility requirements needed by 5G infrastructures. In this context, the present framework focuses on gathering and storing the information (low-level metrics) related to physical and virtual devices, cloud environments, flow metrics, SDN traffic and sensors. Similarly, it provides the monitoring data as a generic information source in order to allow the correlation and aggregation tasks. Our design enables the collection and storing of information provided by all the underlying SELFNET sublayers, including the dynamically onboarded and instantiated SDN/NFV Apps, also known as SELFNET sensors.

Towards the XML schema measurement based on mapping between XML and OO domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rakić, Gordana; Budimac, Zoran; Heričko, Marjan; Pušnik, Maja

2017-07-01

Measuring quality of IT solutions is a priority in software engineering. Although numerous metrics for measuring object-oriented code already exist, measuring quality of UML models or XML Schemas is still developing. One of the research questions in the overall research leaded by ideas described in this paper is whether we can apply already defined object-oriented design metrics on XML schemas based on predefined mappings. In this paper, basic ideas for mentioned mapping are presented. This mapping is prerequisite for setting the future approach to XML schema quality measuring with object-oriented metrics.

An empirical comparison of a dynamic software testability metric to static cyclomatic complexity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

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

1993-01-01

This paper compares the dynamic testability prediction technique termed 'sensitivity analysis' to the static testability technique termed cyclomatic complexity. The application that we chose in this empirical study is a CASE generated version of a B-737 autoland system. For the B-737 system we analyzed, we isolated those functions that we predict are more prone to hide errors during system/reliability testing. We also analyzed the code with several other well-known static metrics. This paper compares and contrasts the results of sensitivity analysis to the results of the static metrics.

Design Aids for Real-Time Systems (DARTS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Szulewski, P. A.

1982-01-01

Design-Aids for Real-Time Systems (DARTS) is a tool that assists in defining embedded computer systems through tree structured graphics, military standard documentation support, and various analyses including automated Software Science parameter counting and metrics calculation. These analyses provide both static and dynamic design quality feedback which can potentially aid in producing efficient, high quality software systems.

The Effect of Software Reusability on Information Theory Based Software Metrics

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-01-01

of plans across programming languages and application areas, only a brief abstract treatment of non-contiguous "program parts" is mentioned in the...info->num = linenum; CA6 if(*info->text) W. if(find(linenum)) C.8 patchup(linenum, 1); /*fix up old line numbers*/ 107 C.9 if(*info->text) C-10 start

Proposal to Develop Enhancements and Extensions of Formal Models for Risk Assessment In Software Projects

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-09-01

seconds per minute that the runtime environment was up and running. Defect Categories. The labels of the 5 defect categories. 78 Cosmetic Defects...The name that corresponds to QSM’s cosmetic defects. Cosmetic defects can be described as deferred, such as errors in format of displays or...2002. [Fent00] Fenton , N. E. and Neil, M. Software Metrics: Roadmap. Proceedings of the Conference on the Future of Software Engineering, 2000, pp

Using metrics to describe the participative stances of members within discussion forums.

PubMed

Jones, Ray; Sharkey, Siobhan; Smithson, Janet; Ford, Tamsin; Emmens, Tobit; Hewis, Elaine; Sheaves, Bryony; Owens, Christabel

2011-01-10

Researchers using forums and online focus groups need to ensure they are safe and need tools to make best use of the data. We explored the use of metrics that would allow better forum management and more effective analysis of participant contributions. To report retrospectively calculated metrics from self-harm discussion forums and to assess whether metrics add to other methods such as discourse analysis. We asked (1) which metrics are most useful to compare and manage forums, and (2) how metrics can be used to identify the participative stances of members to help manage discussion forums. We studied the use of metrics in discussion forums on self-harm. SharpTalk comprised five discussion forums, all using the same software but with different forum compositions. SharpTalk forums were similar to most moderated forums but combined support and general social chat with online focus groups discussing issues on self-harm. Routinely recorded time-stamp data were used to derive metrics of episodes, time online, pages read, and postings. We compared metrics from the forums with views from discussion threads and from moderators. We identified patterns of participants' online behavior by plotting scattergrams and identifying outliers and clusters within different metrics. In comparing forums, important metrics seem to be number of participants, number of active participants, total time of all participants logged on in each 24 hours, and total number of postings by all participants in 24 hours. In examining participative stances, the important metrics were individuals' time logged per 24 hours, number of episodes, mean length of episodes, number of postings per 24 hours, and location within the forum of those postings. Metric scattergrams identified several participative stances: (1) the "caretaker," who was "always around," logged on for a much greater time than most other participants, posting but mainly in response to others and rarely initiating threads, (2) the "butterfly," who "flitted in and out," had a large number of short episodes, (3) two "discussants," who initiated many more discussion threads than anybody else and posted proportionately less in the support room, (4) "here for you," who posted frequently in the support room in response to other participants' threads, and (5) seven "people in distress," who posted many comments in the support room in comparison with their total postings and tended to post on their own threads. Real-time metrics may be useful: (1) by offering additional ways of comparing different discussion forums helping with their management, and (2) by identifying participative stances of individuals so allowing better moderation and support of forums, and more effective use of the data collected. For this to happen, researchers need to publish metrics for their discussion forums and software developers need to offer more real-time metrics facilities.

DSN Array Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tikidjian, Raffi; Mackey, Ryan

2008-01-01

The DSN Array Simulator (wherein 'DSN' signifies NASA's Deep Space Network) is an updated version of software previously denoted the DSN Receive Array Technology Assessment Simulation. This software (see figure) is used for computational modeling of a proposed DSN facility comprising user-defined arrays of antennas and transmitting and receiving equipment for microwave communication with spacecraft on interplanetary missions. The simulation includes variations in spacecraft tracked and communication demand changes for up to several decades of future operation. Such modeling is performed to estimate facility performance, evaluate requirements that govern facility design, and evaluate proposed improvements in hardware and/or software. The updated version of this software affords enhanced capability for characterizing facility performance against user-defined mission sets. The software includes a Monte Carlo simulation component that enables rapid generation of key mission-set metrics (e.g., numbers of links, data rates, and date volumes), and statistical distributions thereof as functions of time. The updated version also offers expanded capability for mixed-asset network modeling--for example, for running scenarios that involve user-definable mixtures of antennas having different diameters (in contradistinction to a fixed number of antennas having the same fixed diameter). The improved version also affords greater simulation fidelity, sufficient for validation by comparison with actual DSN operations and analytically predictable performance metrics.

Measuring the distance between multiple sequence alignments.

PubMed

Blackburne, Benjamin P; Whelan, Simon

2012-02-15

Multiple sequence alignment (MSA) is a core method in bioinformatics. The accuracy of such alignments may influence the success of downstream analyses such as phylogenetic inference, protein structure prediction, and functional prediction. The importance of MSA has lead to the proliferation of MSA methods, with different objective functions and heuristics to search for the optimal MSA. Different methods of inferring MSAs produce different results in all but the most trivial cases. By measuring the differences between inferred alignments, we may be able to develop an understanding of how these differences (i) relate to the objective functions and heuristics used in MSA methods, and (ii) affect downstream analyses. We introduce four metrics to compare MSAs, which include the position in a sequence where a gap occurs or the location on a phylogenetic tree where an insertion or deletion (indel) event occurs. We use both real and synthetic data to explore the information given by these metrics and demonstrate how the different metrics in combination can yield more information about MSA methods and the differences between them. MetAl is a free software implementation of these metrics in Haskell. Source and binaries for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X are available from http://kumiho.smith.man.ac.uk/whelan/software/metal/.

Introducing an R-package for calculating channel width and other basic metrics for irregular river polygons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golly, Antonius; Turowski, Jens

2017-04-01

The width of fluvial streams and channel beds is an important metric for a large number of hydraulic, geomorphic and ecologic applications. For example, for a given discharge the local channel width determines the water flow velocity and thus the sediment transport capacity of a reach. Since streams often have irregular shapes with uneven channel banks, the channel width strongly varies along the channel. Although, the geometry of streams or their beds can be measured easily in the field (e.g. with a Total Station or GPS) or from maps or aerial images in a GIS, the width of the stream cannot be identified objectively without further data processing, since the results are more or less irregular polygons with sometimes bended shapes. An objective quantification of the channel width and other metrics requires automated algorithms that are applicable over a range of channel shapes and spatial scales. Here, we present a lightweight software suite with a small number of functions that process 2D or 3D geometrical data of channels or channel beds. The software, written as an R-package, accepts various text data formats and can be configured through five parameters. It creates interactive overview plots (if desired) and produces three basic channel metrics: the centerline, the channel width along the centerline and the slope along the centerline. The centerline is an optimized line that minimizes the distances to both channel banks. This centerline gives also a measure for the real length and slope of the channel. From this centerline perpendicular transects are generated which allow for the calculation of the channel width where they intersect with the channel banks. Briefly, we present an example and demonstrate the importance of these metrics in a use case of a steep stream, the Erlenbach stream in Switzerland. We were motivated to develop and publish the algorithm in an open-source framework, since only proprietary solutions were available at that time. The software is developed in R and is published under GNU GPL meaning it is free to use, edit and copy. This makes the software available also to users who do not own a MATLAB or ARCMAP license for which similar products exist.

Software metrics: The quantitative impact of four factors on work rates experienced during software development. [reliability engineering

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gaffney, J. E., Jr.; Judge, R. W.

1981-01-01

A model of a software development process is described. The software development process is seen to consist of a sequence of activities, such as 'program design' and 'module development' (or coding). A manpower estimate is made by multiplying code size by the rates (man months per thousand lines of code) for each of the activities relevant to the particular case of interest and summing up the results. The effect of four objectively determinable factors (organization, software product type, computer type, and code type) on productivity values for each of nine principal software development activities was assessed. Four factors were identified which account for 39% of the observed productivity variation.

Environmental cost of using poor decision metrics to prioritize environmental projects.

PubMed

Pannell, David J; Gibson, Fiona L

2016-04-01

Conservation decision makers commonly use project-scoring metrics that are inconsistent with theory on optimal ranking of projects. As a result, there may often be a loss of environmental benefits. We estimated the magnitudes of these losses for various metrics that deviate from theory in ways that are common in practice. These metrics included cases where relevant variables were omitted from the benefits metric, project costs were omitted, and benefits were calculated using a faulty functional form. We estimated distributions of parameters from 129 environmental projects from Australia, New Zealand, and Italy for which detailed analyses had been completed previously. The cost of using poor prioritization metrics (in terms of lost environmental values) was often high--up to 80% in the scenarios we examined. The cost in percentage terms was greater when the budget was smaller. The most costly errors were omitting information about environmental values (up to 31% loss of environmental values), omitting project costs (up to 35% loss), omitting the effectiveness of management actions (up to 9% loss), and using a weighted-additive decision metric for variables that should be multiplied (up to 23% loss). The latter 3 are errors that occur commonly in real-world decision metrics, in combination often reducing potential benefits from conservation investments by 30-50%. Uncertainty about parameter values also reduced the benefits from investments in conservation projects but often not by as much as faulty prioritization metrics. © 2016 Society for Conservation Biology.

NASA education briefs for the classroom. Metrics in space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

The use of metric measurement in space is summarized for classroom use. Advantages of the metric system over the English measurement system are described. Some common metric units are defined, as are special units for astronomical study. International system unit prefixes and a conversion table of metric/English units are presented. Questions and activities for the classroom are recommended.

NASA education briefs for the classroom. Metrics in space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

The use of metric measurement in space is summarized for classroom use. Advantages of the metric system over the English measurement system are described. Some common metric units are defined, as are special units for astronomical study. International system unit prefixes and a conversion table of metric/English units are presented. Questions and activities for the classroom are recommended.

NeuronMetrics: software for semi-automated processing of cultured neuron images.

PubMed

Narro, Martha L; Yang, Fan; Kraft, Robert; Wenk, Carola; Efrat, Alon; Restifo, Linda L

2007-03-23

Using primary cell culture to screen for changes in neuronal morphology requires specialized analysis software. We developed NeuronMetrics for semi-automated, quantitative analysis of two-dimensional (2D) images of fluorescently labeled cultured neurons. It skeletonizes the neuron image using two complementary image-processing techniques, capturing fine terminal neurites with high fidelity. An algorithm was devised to span wide gaps in the skeleton. NeuronMetrics uses a novel strategy based on geometric features called faces to extract a branch number estimate from complex arbors with numerous neurite-to-neurite contacts, without creating a precise, contact-free representation of the neurite arbor. It estimates total neurite length, branch number, primary neurite number, territory (the area of the convex polygon bounding the skeleton and cell body), and Polarity Index (a measure of neuronal polarity). These parameters provide fundamental information about the size and shape of neurite arbors, which are critical factors for neuronal function. NeuronMetrics streamlines optional manual tasks such as removing noise, isolating the largest primary neurite, and correcting length for self-fasciculating neurites. Numeric data are output in a single text file, readily imported into other applications for further analysis. Written as modules for ImageJ, NeuronMetrics provides practical analysis tools that are easy to use and support batch processing. Depending on the need for manual intervention, processing time for a batch of approximately 60 2D images is 1.0-2.5 h, from a folder of images to a table of numeric data. NeuronMetrics' output accelerates the quantitative detection of mutations and chemical compounds that alter neurite morphology in vitro, and will contribute to the use of cultured neurons for drug discovery.

Metrics for Evaluation of Student Models

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelanek, Radek

2015-01-01

Researchers use many different metrics for evaluation of performance of student models. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of commonly used metrics, to discuss properties, advantages, and disadvantages of different metrics, to summarize current practice in educational data mining, and to provide guidance for evaluation of student…

Deriving principal channel metrics from bank and long-profile geometry with the R package cmgo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Golly, Antonius; Turowski, Jens M.

2017-09-01

Landscape patterns result from landscape forming processes. This link can be exploited in geomorphological research by reversely analyzing the geometrical content of landscapes to develop or confirm theories of the underlying processes. Since rivers represent a dominant control on landscape formation, there is a particular interest in examining channel metrics in a quantitative and objective manner. For example, river cross-section geometry is required to model local flow hydraulics, which in turn determine erosion and thus channel dynamics. Similarly, channel geometry is crucial for engineering purposes, water resource management, and ecological restoration efforts. These applications require a framework to capture and derive the data. In this paper we present an open-source software tool that performs the calculation of several channel metrics (length, slope, width, bank retreat, knickpoints, etc.) in an objective and reproducible way based on principal bank geometry that can be measured in the field or in a GIS. Furthermore, the software provides a framework to integrate spatial features, for example the abundance of species or the occurrence of knickpoints. The program is available at https://github.com/AntoniusGolly/cmgo and is free to use, modify, and redistribute under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 3 as published by the Free Software Foundation.

KCNSC Automated RAIL

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

Branson, Donald

The KCNSC Automated RAIL (Rolling Action Item List) system provides an electronic platform to manage and escalate rolling action items within an business and manufacturing environment at Honeywell. The software enables a tiered approach to issue management where issues are escalated up a management chain based on team input and compared to business metrics. The software manages action items at different levels of the organization and allows all users to discuss action items concurrently. In addition, the software drives accountability through timely emails and proper visibility during team meetings.

Computer-enhanced laparoscopic training system (CELTS): bridging the gap.

PubMed

Stylopoulos, N; Cotin, S; Maithel, S K; Ottensmeye, M; Jackson, P G; Bardsley, R S; Neumann, P F; Rattner, D W; Dawson, S L

2004-05-01

There is a large and growing gap between the need for better surgical training methodologies and the systems currently available for such training. In an effort to bridge this gap and overcome the disadvantages of the training simulators now in use, we developed the Computer-Enhanced Laparoscopic Training System (CELTS). CELTS is a computer-based system capable of tracking the motion of laparoscopic instruments and providing feedback about performance in real time. CELTS consists of a mechanical interface, a customizable set of tasks, and an Internet-based software interface. The special cognitive and psychomotor skills a laparoscopic surgeon should master were explicitly defined and transformed into quantitative metrics based on kinematics analysis theory. A single global standardized and task-independent scoring system utilizing a z-score statistic was developed. Validation exercises were performed. The scoring system clearly revealed a gap between experts and trainees, irrespective of the task performed; none of the trainees obtained a score above the threshold that distinguishes the two groups. Moreover, CELTS provided educational feedback by identifying the key factors that contributed to the overall score. Among the defined metrics, depth perception, smoothness of motion, instrument orientation, and the outcome of the task are major indicators of performance and key parameters that distinguish experts from trainees. Time and path length alone, which are the most commonly used metrics in currently available systems, are not considered good indicators of performance. CELTS is a novel and standardized skills trainer that combines the advantages of computer simulation with the features of the traditional and popular training boxes. CELTS can easily be used with a wide array of tasks and ensures comparability across different training conditions. This report further shows that a set of appropriate and clinically relevant performance metrics can be defined and a standardized scoring system can be designed.

A Validation of Object-Oriented Design Metrics as Quality Indicators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.; Briand, Lionel C.; Melo, Walcelio

1997-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study in which we empirically investigated the suits of object-oriented (00) design metrics introduced in another work. More specifically, our goal is to assess these metrics as predictors of fault-prone classes and, therefore, determine whether they can be used as early quality indicators. This study is complementary to the work described where the same suite of metrics had been used to assess frequencies of maintenance changes to classes. To perform our validation accurately, we collected data on the development of eight medium-sized information management systems based on identical requirements. All eight projects were developed using a sequential life cycle model, a well-known 00 analysis/design method and the C++ programming language. Based on empirical and quantitative analysis, the advantages and drawbacks of these 00 metrics are discussed. Several of Chidamber and Kamerer's 00 metrics appear to be useful to predict class fault-proneness during the early phases of the life-cycle. Also, on our data set, they are better predictors than 'traditional' code metrics, which can only be collected at a later phase of the software development processes.

Sound quality evaluation of air conditioning sound rating metric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hodgdon, Kathleen K.; Peters, Jonathan A.; Burkhardt, Russell C.; Atchley, Anthony A.; Blood, Ingrid M.

2003-10-01

A product's success can depend on its acoustic signature as much as on the product's performance. The consumer's perception can strongly influence their satisfaction with and confidence in the product. A metric that can rate the content of the spectrum, and predict its consumer preference, is a valuable tool for manufacturers. The current method of assessing acoustic signatures from residential air conditioning units is defined in the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute (ARI 270) 1995 Standard for Sound Rating of Outdoor Unitary Equipment. The ARI 270 metric, and modified versions of that metric, were implemented in software with the flexibility to modify the features applied. Numerous product signatures were analyzed to generate a set of synthesized spectra that targeted spectral configurations that challenged the metric's abilities. A subjective jury evaluation was conducted to establish the consumer preference for those spectra. Statistical correlations were conducted to assess the degree of relationship between the subjective preferences and the various metric calculations. Recommendations were made for modifications to improve the current metric's ability to predict subjective preference. [Research supported by the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Institute.

Implementing the Data Center Energy Productivity Metric in a High Performance Computing Data Center

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

Sego, Landon H.; Marquez, Andres; Rawson, Andrew

2013-06-30

As data centers proliferate in size and number, the improvement of their energy efficiency and productivity has become an economic and environmental imperative. Making these improvements requires metrics that are robust, interpretable, and practical. We discuss the properties of a number of the proposed metrics of energy efficiency and productivity. In particular, we focus on the Data Center Energy Productivity (DCeP) metric, which is the ratio of useful work produced by the data center to the energy consumed performing that work. We describe our approach for using DCeP as the principal outcome of a designed experiment using a highly instrumented,more » high-performance computing data center. We found that DCeP was successful in clearly distinguishing different operational states in the data center, thereby validating its utility as a metric for identifying configurations of hardware and software that would improve energy productivity. We also discuss some of the challenges and benefits associated with implementing the DCeP metric, and we examine the efficacy of the metric in making comparisons within a data center and between data centers.« less

A Validation of Object-Oriented Design Metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.; Briand, Lionel; Melo, Walcelio L.

1995-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study conducted at the University of Maryland in which we experimentally investigated the suite of Object-Oriented (00) design metrics introduced by [Chidamber and Kemerer, 1994]. In order to do this, we assessed these metrics as predictors of fault-prone classes. This study is complementary to [Lieand Henry, 1993] where the same suite of metrics had been used to assess frequencies of maintenance changes to classes. To perform our validation accurately, we collected data on the development of eight medium-sized information management systems based on identical requirements. All eight projects were developed using a sequential life cycle model, a well-known 00 analysis/design method and the C++ programming language. Based on experimental results, the advantages and drawbacks of these 00 metrics are discussed and suggestions for improvement are provided. Several of Chidamber and Kemerer's 00 metrics appear to be adequate to predict class fault-proneness during the early phases of the life-cycle. We also showed that they are, on our data set, better predictors than "traditional" code metrics, which can only be collected at a later phase of the software development processes.

A metric to search for relevant words

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Hongding; Slater, Gary W.

2003-11-01

We propose a new metric to evaluate and rank the relevance of words in a text. The method uses the density fluctuations of a word to compute an index that measures its degree of clustering. Highly significant words tend to form clusters, while common words are essentially uniformly spread in a text. If a word is not rare, the metric is stable when we move any individual occurrence of this word in the text. Furthermore, we prove that the metric always increases when words are moved to form larger clusters, or when several independent documents are merged. Using the Holy Bible as an example, we show that our approach reduces the significance of common words when compared to a recently proposed statistical metric.

A Software Application for Assessing Readability in the Japanese EFL Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozasa, Toshiaki; Weir, George R. S.; Fukui, Masayasu

2010-01-01

We have been engaged in developing a readability index and its application software attuned for Japanese EFL learners. The index program, Ozasa-Fukui Year Level Program, Ver. 1.0, was used in developing the readability metric Ozasa-Fukui Year Level Index but tended to assume a high level of computer knowledge in its users. As a result, the…

PuLP/XtraPuLP : Partitioning Tools for Extreme-Scale Graphs

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

Slota, George M; Rajamanickam, Sivasankaran; Madduri, Kamesh

2017-09-21

PuLP/XtraPulp is software for partitioning graphs from several real-world problems. Graphs occur in several places in real world from road networks, social networks and scientific simulations. For efficient parallel processing these graphs have to be partitioned (split) with respect to metrics such as computation and communication costs. Our software allows such partitioning for massive graphs.

Measuring the impact of pharmacoepidemiologic research using altmetrics: A case study of a CNODES drug-safety article.

PubMed

Gamble, J M; Traynor, Robyn L; Gruzd, Anatoliy; Mai, Philip; Dormuth, Colin R; Sketris, Ingrid S

2018-03-24

To provide an overview of altmetrics, including their potential benefits and limitations, how they may be obtained, and their role in assessing pharmacoepidemiologic research impact. Our review was informed by compiling relevant literature identified through searching multiple health research databases (PubMed, Embase, and CIHNAHL) and grey literature sources (websites, blogs, and reports). We demonstrate how pharmacoepidemiologists, in particular, may use altmetrics to understand scholarly impact and knowledge translation by providing a case study of a drug-safety study conducted by the Canadian Network of Observational Drug Effect Studies. A common approach to measuring research impact is the use of citation-based metrics, such as an article's citation count or a journal's impact factor. "Alternative" metrics, or altmetrics, are increasingly supported as a complementary measure of research uptake in the age of social media. Altmetrics are nontraditional indicators that capture a diverse set of traceable, online research-related artifacts including peer-reviewed publications and other research outputs (software, datasets, blogs, videos, posters, policy documents, presentations, social media posts, wiki entries, etc). Compared with traditional citation-based metrics, altmetrics take a more holistic view of research impact, attempting to capture the activity and engagement of both scholarly and nonscholarly communities. Despite the limited theoretical underpinnings, possible commercial influence, potential for gaming and manipulation, and numerous data quality-related issues, altmetrics are promising as a supplement to more traditional citation-based metrics because they can ingest and process a larger set of data points related to the flow and reach of scholarly communication from an expanded pool of stakeholders. Unlike citation-based metrics, altmetrics are not inherently rooted in the research publication process, which includes peer review; it is unclear to what extent they should be used for research evaluation. © 2018 The Authors. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Chicago Classification normative metrics in a healthy Indian cohort for a 16-channel water-perfused high-resolution esophageal manometry system.

PubMed

Srinivas, M; Jain, M; Bawane, P; Jayanthi, V

2018-06-01

High-resolution esophageal manometry (HREM) interpretation by the Chicago Classification (CC) derives its normal values from western volunteers using solid-state catheters. There is no normative data for the 16-channel water-perfused HREM system commonly used in India. To determine normal values for a 16-channel water-perfused HREM catheter in supine posture using healthy volunteers and substitute these normal values (if different from CC values) in the CC v3.0 algorithm. After ethics approval and informed consent, 53 volunteers (31 men) with no gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms or medications affecting GI motility underwent HREM by standard protocol. Age, gender, body mass index (BMI), and manometry parameters analyzed using Trace 1.3.3 software were collected. The median, range, and 5, 10, 75, and 95 percentiles (where applicable) were obtained for all HREM metrics. Normal value percentiles were defined as 95th (integrated relaxation pressure [IRP]), 10th-100th (distal contractile integral [DCI]), and minimum (distal latency [DL]). The mean age was 30 years and the BMI was 24.2 kg m -2 . Compared to CC, our normal metrics were lower for IRP (13 mm Hg) and DCI (350-4500 mm Hg s cm). DCI >4500 and <70 (<5th percentile) were defined as hypercontractile and failed contraction, respectively. Abnormal DL (<4.5 s) and peristaltic break size (>5 cm) were similar to CC metrics. Applying these metrics, CC diagnoses changed in 15% (8/53) with downgrading of ineffective motility to fragmented peristalsis or normal, due to lower DCI cutoff used. This is the first report of normative data for the 16-channel water-perfused system in supine posture. It revealed lower IRP and DCI, necessitating modification of CC cutoffs for this system. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Software engineering and Ada in design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oneill, Don

1986-01-01

Modern software engineering promises significant reductions in software costs and improvements in software quality. The Ada language is the focus for these software methodology and tool improvements. The IBM FSD approach, including the software engineering practices that guide the systematic design and development of software products and the management of the software process are examined. The revised Ada design language adaptation is revealed. This four level design methodology is detailed including the purpose of each level, the management strategy that integrates the software design activity with the program milestones, and the technical strategy that maps the Ada constructs to each level of design. A complete description of each design level is provided along with specific design language recording guidelines for each level. Finally, some testimony is offered on education, tools, architecture, and metrics resulting from project use of the four level Ada design language adaptation.

Proceedings of Interservice/Industry Training Systems and Education Conference (16th) Held on 28 November -1 December 1994.

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-12-01

be INTRODUCTION familiar: best value source selection, processes and metrics In simplified terms, acquisition and continuous improvement ; of a training ...pro- continuous improvement , MIL-STD- posed processes and metrics are 1379D, the systems approach to placed in the contract in a training , concurrent...identification and 5 Continuous Process Improvement correction of errors are critical to software product 6 Training correctness and quality. Correcting

miniTri Mantevo miniapp v. 1.0

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

Berry, Johathan; Stark, Dylan; Wolf, Michael

2016-02-02

miniTri is a miniapplication developed as part of the Mantevo project. Given a graph, miniTri enumerates all triangles in this graph and computes a metric for each triangle based on the triangle edge and vertex degree. The output of miniTri is a summary of this metric. miniTri mimics the computational requirements of an important set of data science applications. Several approaches to this problem are included in the miniTri software.

Data and software tools for gamma radiation spectral threat detection and nuclide identification algorithm development and evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Portnoy, David; Fisher, Brian; Phifer, Daniel

2015-06-01

The detection of radiological and nuclear threats is extremely important to national security. The federal government is spending significant resources developing new detection systems and attempting to increase the performance of existing ones. The detection of illicit radionuclides that may pose a radiological or nuclear threat is a challenging problem complicated by benign radiation sources (e.g., cat litter and medical treatments), shielding, and large variations in background radiation. Although there is a growing acceptance within the community that concentrating efforts on algorithm development (independent of the specifics of fully assembled systems) has the potential for significant overall system performance gains, there are two major hindrances to advancements in gamma spectral analysis algorithms under the current paradigm: access to data and common performance metrics along with baseline performance measures. Because many of the signatures collected during performance measurement campaigns are classified, dissemination to algorithm developers is extremely limited. This leaves developers no choice but to collect their own data if they are lucky enough to have access to material and sensors. This is often combined with their own definition of metrics for measuring performance. These two conditions make it all but impossible for developers and external reviewers to make meaningful comparisons between algorithms. Without meaningful comparisons, performance advancements become very hard to achieve and (more importantly) recognize. The objective of this work is to overcome these obstacles by developing and freely distributing real and synthetically generated gamma-spectra data sets as well as software tools for performance evaluation with associated performance baselines to national labs, academic institutions, government agencies, and industry. At present, datasets for two tracks, or application domains, have been developed: one that includes temporal spectral data at 1 s time intervals, which represents data collected by a mobile system operating in a dynamic radiation background environment; and one that represents static measurements with a foreground spectrum (background plus source) and a background spectrum. These data include controlled variations in both Source Related Factors (nuclide, nuclide combinations, activities, distances, collection times, shielding configurations, and background spectra) and Detector Related Factors (currently only gain shifts, but resolution changes and non-linear energy calibration errors will be added soon). The software tools will allow the developer to evaluate the performance impact of each of these factors. Although this first implementation is somewhat limited in scope, considering only NaI-based detection systems and two application domains, it is hoped that (with community feedback) a wider range of detector types and applications will be included in the future. This article describes the methods used for dataset creation, the software validation/performance measurement tools, the performance metrics used, and examples of baseline performance.

Metrics in method engineering

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinkkemper, S.; Rossi, M.

1994-12-01

As customizable computer aided software engineering (CASE) tools, or CASE shells, have been introduced in academia and industry, there has been a growing interest into the systematic construction of methods and their support environments, i.e. method engineering. To aid the method developers and method selectors in their tasks, we propose two sets of metrics, which measure the complexity of diagrammatic specification techniques on the one hand, and of complete systems development methods on the other hand. Proposed metrics provide a relatively fast and simple way to analyze the technique (or method) properties, and when accompanied with other selection criteria, can be used for estimating the cost of learning the technique and the relative complexity of a technique compared to others. To demonstrate the applicability of the proposed metrics, we have applied them to 34 techniques and 15 methods.

A Case Study of Measuring Process Risk for Early Insights into Software Safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Layman, Lucas; Basili, Victor; Zelkowitz, Marvin V.; Fisher, Karen L.

2011-01-01

In this case study, we examine software safety risk in three flight hardware systems in NASA's Constellation spaceflight program. We applied our Technical and Process Risk Measurement (TPRM) methodology to the Constellation hazard analysis process to quantify the technical and process risks involving software safety in the early design phase of these projects. We analyzed 154 hazard reports and collected metrics to measure the prevalence of software in hazards and the specificity of descriptions of software causes of hazardous conditions. We found that 49-70% of 154 hazardous conditions could be caused by software or software was involved in the prevention of the hazardous condition. We also found that 12-17% of the 2013 hazard causes involved software, and that 23-29% of all causes had a software control. The application of the TPRM methodology identified process risks in the application of the hazard analysis process itself that may lead to software safety risk.

BatMass: a Java Software Platform for LC-MS Data Visualization in Proteomics and Metabolomics.

PubMed

Avtonomov, Dmitry M; Raskind, Alexander; Nesvizhskii, Alexey I

2016-08-05

Mass spectrometry (MS) coupled to liquid chromatography (LC) is a commonly used technique in metabolomic and proteomic research. As the size and complexity of LC-MS-based experiments grow, it becomes increasingly more difficult to perform quality control of both raw data and processing results. In a practical setting, quality control steps for raw LC-MS data are often overlooked, and assessment of an experiment's success is based on some derived metrics such as "the number of identified compounds". The human brain interprets visual data much better than plain text, hence the saying "a picture is worth a thousand words". Here, we present the BatMass software package, which allows for performing quick quality control of raw LC-MS data through its fast visualization capabilities. It also serves as a testbed for developers of LC-MS data processing algorithms by providing a data access library for open mass spectrometry file formats and a means of visually mapping processing results back to the original data. We illustrate the utility of BatMass with several use cases of quality control and data exploration.

BatMass: a Java software platform for LC/MS data visualization in proteomics and metabolomics

PubMed Central

Avtonomov, Dmitry; Raskind, Alexander; Nesvizhskii, Alexey I.

2017-01-01

Mass spectrometry (MS) coupled to liquid chromatography (LC) is a commonly used technique in metabolomic and proteomic research. As the size and complexity of LC/MS based experiments grow, it becomes increasingly more difficult to perform quality control of both raw data and processing results. In a practical setting, quality control steps for raw LC/MS data are often overlooked and assessment of an experiment's success is based on some derived metrics such as “the number of identified compounds”. Human brain interprets visual data much better than plain text, hence the saying “a picture is worth a thousand words”. Here we present BatMass software package which allows to perform quick quality control of raw LC/MS data through its fast visualization capabilities. It also serves as a testbed for developers of LC/MS data processing algorithms by providing a data access library for open mass spectrometry file formats and a means of visually mapping processing results back to the original data. We illustrate the utility of BatMass with several use cases of quality control and data exploration. PMID:27306858

Critical Assessment of Metagenome Interpretation – a benchmark of computational metagenomics software

PubMed Central

Sczyrba, Alexander; Hofmann, Peter; Belmann, Peter; Koslicki, David; Janssen, Stefan; Dröge, Johannes; Gregor, Ivan; Majda, Stephan; Fiedler, Jessika; Dahms, Eik; Bremges, Andreas; Fritz, Adrian; Garrido-Oter, Ruben; Jørgensen, Tue Sparholt; Shapiro, Nicole; Blood, Philip D.; Gurevich, Alexey; Bai, Yang; Turaev, Dmitrij; DeMaere, Matthew Z.; Chikhi, Rayan; Nagarajan, Niranjan; Quince, Christopher; Meyer, Fernando; Balvočiūtė, Monika; Hansen, Lars Hestbjerg; Sørensen, Søren J.; Chia, Burton K. H.; Denis, Bertrand; Froula, Jeff L.; Wang, Zhong; Egan, Robert; Kang, Dongwan Don; Cook, Jeffrey J.; Deltel, Charles; Beckstette, Michael; Lemaitre, Claire; Peterlongo, Pierre; Rizk, Guillaume; Lavenier, Dominique; Wu, Yu-Wei; Singer, Steven W.; Jain, Chirag; Strous, Marc; Klingenberg, Heiner; Meinicke, Peter; Barton, Michael; Lingner, Thomas; Lin, Hsin-Hung; Liao, Yu-Chieh; Silva, Genivaldo Gueiros Z.; Cuevas, Daniel A.; Edwards, Robert A.; Saha, Surya; Piro, Vitor C.; Renard, Bernhard Y.; Pop, Mihai; Klenk, Hans-Peter; Göker, Markus; Kyrpides, Nikos C.; Woyke, Tanja; Vorholt, Julia A.; Schulze-Lefert, Paul; Rubin, Edward M.; Darling, Aaron E.; Rattei, Thomas; McHardy, Alice C.

2018-01-01

In metagenome analysis, computational methods for assembly, taxonomic profiling and binning are key components facilitating downstream biological data interpretation. However, a lack of consensus about benchmarking datasets and evaluation metrics complicates proper performance assessment. The Critical Assessment of Metagenome Interpretation (CAMI) challenge has engaged the global developer community to benchmark their programs on datasets of unprecedented complexity and realism. Benchmark metagenomes were generated from ~700 newly sequenced microorganisms and ~600 novel viruses and plasmids, including genomes with varying degrees of relatedness to each other and to publicly available ones and representing common experimental setups. Across all datasets, assembly and genome binning programs performed well for species represented by individual genomes, while performance was substantially affected by the presence of related strains. Taxonomic profiling and binning programs were proficient at high taxonomic ranks, with a notable performance decrease below the family level. Parameter settings substantially impacted performances, underscoring the importance of program reproducibility. While highlighting current challenges in computational metagenomics, the CAMI results provide a roadmap for software selection to answer specific research questions. PMID:28967888

Software quality in 1997

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

Jones, C.

1997-11-01

For many years, software quality assurance lagged behind hardware quality assurance in terms of methods, metrics, and successful results. New approaches such as Quality Function Deployment (QFD) the ISO 9000-9004 standards, the SEI maturity levels, and Total Quality Management (TQM) are starting to attract wide attention, and in some cases to bring software quality levels up to a parity with manufacturing quality levels. Since software is on the critical path for many engineered products, and for internal business systems as well, the new approaches are starting to affect global competition and attract widespread international interest. It can be hypothesized thatmore » success in mastering software quality will be a key strategy for dominating global software markets in the 21st century.« less

Toward Intelligent Software Defect Detection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Benson, Markland J.

2011-01-01

Source code level software defect detection has gone from state of the art to a software engineering best practice. Automated code analysis tools streamline many of the aspects of formal code inspections but have the drawback of being difficult to construct and either prone to false positives or severely limited in the set of defects that can be detected. Machine learning technology provides the promise of learning software defects by example, easing construction of detectors and broadening the range of defects that can be found. Pinpointing software defects with the same level of granularity as prominent source code analysis tools distinguishes this research from past efforts, which focused on analyzing software engineering metrics data with granularity limited to that of a particular function rather than a line of code.

A software platform for statistical evaluation of patient respiratory patterns in radiation therapy.

PubMed

Dunn, Leon; Kenny, John

2017-10-01

The aim of this work was to design and evaluate a software tool for analysis of a patient's respiration, with the goal of optimizing the effectiveness of motion management techniques during radiotherapy imaging and treatment. A software tool which analyses patient respiratory data files (.vxp files) created by the Varian Real-Time Position Management System (RPM) was developed to analyse patient respiratory data. The software, called RespAnalysis, was created in MATLAB and provides four modules, one each for determining respiration characteristics, providing breathing coaching (biofeedback training), comparing pre and post-training characteristics and performing a fraction-by-fraction assessment. The modules analyse respiratory traces to determine signal characteristics and specifically use a Sample Entropy algorithm as the key means to quantify breathing irregularity. Simulated respiratory signals, as well as 91 patient RPM traces were analysed with RespAnalysis to test the viability of using the Sample Entropy for predicting breathing regularity. Retrospective assessment of patient data demonstrated that the Sample Entropy metric was a predictor of periodic irregularity in respiration data, however, it was found to be insensitive to amplitude variation. Additional waveform statistics assessing the distribution of signal amplitudes over time coupled with Sample Entropy method were found to be useful in assessing breathing regularity. The RespAnalysis software tool presented in this work uses the Sample Entropy method to analyse patient respiratory data recorded for motion management purposes in radiation therapy. This is applicable during treatment simulation and during subsequent treatment fractions, providing a way to quantify breathing irregularity, as well as assess the need for breathing coaching. It was demonstrated that the Sample Entropy metric was correlated to the irregularity of the patient's respiratory motion in terms of periodicity, whilst other metrics, such as percentage deviation of inhale/exhale peak positions provided insight into respiratory amplitude regularity. Copyright © 2017 Associazione Italiana di Fisica Medica. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

User's Manual for the National Water-Quality Assessment Program Invertebrate Data Analysis System (IDAS) Software: Version 3

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cuffney, Thomas F.

2003-01-01

The Invertebrate Data Analysis System (IDAS) software provides an accurate, consistent, and efficient mechanism for analyzing invertebrate data collected as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program and stored in the Biological Transactional Database (Bio-TDB). The IDAS software is a stand-alone program for personal computers that run Microsoft (MS) Windows?. It allows users to read data downloaded from Bio-TDB and stored either as MS Excel? or MS Access? files. The program consists of five modules. The Edit Data module allows the user to subset, combine, delete, and summarize community data. The Data Preparation module allows the user to select the type(s) of sample(s) to process, calculate densities, delete taxa based on laboratory processing notes, combine lifestages or keep them separate, select a lowest taxonomic level for analysis, delete rare taxa, and resolve taxonomic ambiguities. The Calculate Community Metrics module allows the user to calculate over 130 community metrics, including metrics based on organism tolerances and functional feeding groups. The Calculate Diversities and Similarities module allows the user to calculate nine diversity and eight similarity indices. The Data export module allows the user to export data to other software packages and produce tables of community data that can be imported into spreadsheet and word-processing programs. Though the IDAS program was developed to process invertebrate data downloaded from USGS databases, it will work with other data sets that are converted to the USGS (Bio-TDB) format. Consequently, the data manipulation, analysis, and export procedures provided by the IDAS program can be used by anyone involved in using benthic macroinvertebrates in applied or basic research.

Nurturing reliable and robust open-source scientific software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uieda, L.; Wessel, P.

2017-12-01

Scientific results are increasingly the product of software. The reproducibility and validity of published results cannot be ensured without access to the source code of the software used to produce them. Therefore, the code itself is a fundamental part of the methodology and must be published along with the results. With such a reliance on software, it is troubling that most scientists do not receive formal training in software development. Tools such as version control, continuous integration, and automated testing are routinely used in industry to ensure the correctness and robustness of software. However, many scientist do not even know of their existence (although efforts like Software Carpentry are having an impact on this issue; software-carpentry.org). Publishing the source code is only the first step in creating an open-source project. For a project to grow it must provide documentation, participation guidelines, and a welcoming environment for new contributors. Expanding the project community is often more challenging than the technical aspects of software development. Maintainers must invest time to enforce the rules of the project and to onboard new members, which can be difficult to justify in the context of the "publish or perish" mentality. This problem will continue as long as software contributions are not recognized as valid scholarship by hiring and tenure committees. Furthermore, there are still unsolved problems in providing attribution for software contributions. Many journals and metrics of academic productivity do not recognize citations to sources other than traditional publications. Thus, some authors choose to publish an article about the software and use it as a citation marker. One issue with this approach is that updating the reference to include new contributors involves writing and publishing a new article. A better approach would be to cite a permanent archive of individual versions of the source code in services such as Zenodo (zenodo.org). However, citations to these sources are not always recognized when computing citation metrics. In summary, the widespread development of reliable and robust open-source software relies on the creation of formal training programs in software development best practices and the recognition of software as a valid form of scholarship.

Zone calculation as a tool for assessing performance outcome in laparoscopic suturing.

PubMed

Buckley, Christina E; Kavanagh, Dara O; Nugent, Emmeline; Ryan, Donncha; Traynor, Oscar J; Neary, Paul C

2015-06-01

Simulator performance is measured by metrics, which are valued as an objective way of assessing trainees. Certain procedures such as laparoscopic suturing, however, may not be suitable for assessment under traditionally formulated metrics. Our aim was to assess if our new metric is a valid method of assessing laparoscopic suturing. A software program was developed to order to create a new metric, which would calculate the percentage of time spent operating within pre-defined areas called "zones." Twenty-five candidates (medical students N = 10, surgical residents N = 10, and laparoscopic experts N = 5) performed the laparoscopic suturing task on the ProMIS III(®) simulator. New metrics of "in-zone" and "out-zone" scores as well as traditional metrics of time, path length, and smoothness were generated. Performance was also assessed by two blinded observers using the OSATS and FLS rating scales. This novel metric was evaluated by comparing it to both traditional metrics and subjective scores. There was a significant difference in the average in-zone and out-zone scores between all three experience groups (p < 0.05). The new zone metrics scores correlated significantly with the subjective-blinded observer scores of OSATS and FLS (p = 0.0001). The new zone metric scores also correlated significantly with the traditional metrics of path length, time, and smoothness (p < 0.05). The new metric is a valid tool for assessing laparoscopic suturing objectively. This could be incorporated into a competency-based curriculum to monitor resident progression in the simulated setting.

SU-E-T-76: A Software System to Monitor VMAT Plan Complexity in a Large Radiotherapy Centre

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

Arumugam, S; Xing, A; Ingham Institute, Sydney, NSW

2015-06-15

Purpose: To develop a system that analyses and reports the complexity of Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) plans to aid in the decision making for streamlining patient specific dosimetric quality assurance (QA) tests. Methods: A software system, Delcheck, was developed in-house to calculate VMAT plan and delivery complexity using the treatment delivery file. Delcheck has the functionality to calculate multiple plan complexity metrics including the Li-Xing Modulation Index (LI-MI), multiplicative combination of Leaf Travel and Modulation Complexity Score (LTMCSv), Monitor Units per prescribed dose (MU/D) and the delivery complexity index (MIt) that incorporates the modulation of dose rate, leaf speedmore » and gantry speed. Delcheck includes database functionality to store and compare plan metrics for a specified treatment site. The overall plan and delivery complexity is assessed based on the 95% conformance limit of the complexity metrics as Similar, More or Less complex. The functionality of the software was tested using 42 prostate conventional, 10 prostate SBRT and 15 prostate bed VMAT plans generated for an Elekta linear accelerator. Results: The mean(σ) of LI-MI for conventional, SBRT and prostate bed plans were 1690(486), 3215.4(1294) and 3258(982) respectively. The LTMCSv of the studied categories were 0.334(0.05), 0.325(0.07) and 0.3112(0.09). The MU/D of the studied categories were 2.4(0.4), 2.7(0.7) and 2.5(0.5). The MIt of the studied categories were 21.6(3.4), 18.2(3.0) and 35.9(6.6). The values of the complexity metrics show that LI-MI appeared to resolve the plan complexity better than LTMCSv and MU/D. The MIt value increased as the delivery complexity increased. Conclusion: The developed software was shown to be working as expected. In studied treatment categories Prostate bed plans are more complex in both plan and delivery and SBRT is more complex in plan and less complex in delivery as demonstrated by LI-MI and MIt. This project was funded through a Cancer Council NSW Project Grant (RG14-11)« less

JPL Facilities and Software for Collaborative Design: 1994 - Present

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeFlorio, Paul A.

2004-01-01

The viewgraph presentation provides an overview of the history of the JPL Project Design Center (PDC) and, since 2000, the Center for Space Mission Architecture and Design (CSMAD). The discussion includes PDC objectives and scope; mission design metrics; distributed design; a software architecture timeline; facility design principles; optimized design for group work; CSMAD plan view, facility design, and infrastructure; and distributed collaboration tools.

Generalized contractive mappings and weakly α-admissible pairs in G-metric spaces.

PubMed

Hussain, N; Parvaneh, V; Hoseini Ghoncheh, S J

2014-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present some coincidence and common fixed point results for generalized (ψ, φ)-contractive mappings using partially weakly G-α-admissibility in the setup of G-metric space. As an application of our results, periodic points of weakly contractive mappings are obtained. We also derive certain new coincidence point and common fixed point theorems in partially ordered G-metric spaces. Moreover, some examples are provided here to illustrate the usability of the obtained results.

Generalized Contractive Mappings and Weakly α-Admissible Pairs in G-Metric Spaces

PubMed Central

Hussain, N.; Parvaneh, V.; Hoseini Ghoncheh, S. J.

2014-01-01

The aim of this paper is to present some coincidence and common fixed point results for generalized (ψ, φ)-contractive mappings using partially weakly G-α-admissibility in the setup of G-metric space. As an application of our results, periodic points of weakly contractive mappings are obtained. We also derive certain new coincidence point and common fixed point theorems in partially ordered G-metric spaces. Moreover, some examples are provided here to illustrate the usability of the obtained results. PMID:25202742

RT-Syn: A real-time software system generator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Setliff, Dorothy E.

1992-01-01

This paper presents research into providing highly reusable and maintainable components by using automatic software synthesis techniques. This proposal uses domain knowledge combined with automatic software synthesis techniques to engineer large-scale mission-critical real-time software. The hypothesis centers on a software synthesis architecture that specifically incorporates application-specific (in this case real-time) knowledge. This architecture synthesizes complex system software to meet a behavioral specification and external interaction design constraints. Some examples of these external constraints are communication protocols, precisions, timing, and space limitations. The incorporation of application-specific knowledge facilitates the generation of mathematical software metrics which are used to narrow the design space, thereby making software synthesis tractable. Success has the potential to dramatically reduce mission-critical system life-cycle costs not only by reducing development time, but more importantly facilitating maintenance, modifications, and extensions of complex mission-critical software systems, which are currently dominating life cycle costs.

Quality measures and assurance for AI (Artificial Intelligence) software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rushby, John

1988-01-01

This report is concerned with the application of software quality and evaluation measures to AI software and, more broadly, with the question of quality assurance for AI software. Considered are not only the metrics that attempt to measure some aspect of software quality, but also the methodologies and techniques (such as systematic testing) that attempt to improve some dimension of quality, without necessarily quantifying the extent of the improvement. The report is divided into three parts Part 1 reviews existing software quality measures, i.e., those that have been developed for, and applied to, conventional software. Part 2 considers the characteristics of AI software, the applicability and potential utility of measures and techniques identified in the first part, and reviews those few methods developed specifically for AI software. Part 3 presents an assessment and recommendations for the further exploration of this important area.

Open Source Seismic Software in NOAA's Next Generation Tsunami Warning System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hellman, S. B.; Baker, B. I.; Hagerty, M. T.; Leifer, J. M.; Lisowski, S.; Thies, D. A.; Donnelly, B. K.; Griffith, F. P.

2014-12-01

The Tsunami Information technology Modernization (TIM) is a project spearheaded by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to update the United States' Tsunami Warning System software currently employed at the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (Eva Beach, Hawaii) and the National Tsunami Warning Center (Palmer, Alaska). This entirely open source software project will integrate various seismic processing utilities with the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office's core software, AWIPS2. For the real-time and near real-time seismic processing aspect of this project, NOAA has elected to integrate the open source portions of GFZ's SeisComP 3 (SC3) processing system into AWIPS2. To provide for better tsunami threat assessments we are developing open source tools for magnitude estimations (e.g., moment magnitude, energy magnitude, surface wave magnitude), detection of slow earthquakes with the Theta discriminant, moment tensor inversions (e.g. W-phase and teleseismic body waves), finite fault inversions, and array processing. With our reliance on common data formats such as QuakeML and seismic community standard messaging systems, all new facilities introduced into AWIPS2 and SC3 will be available as stand-alone tools or could be easily integrated into other real time seismic monitoring systems such as Earthworm, Antelope, etc. Additionally, we have developed a template based design paradigm so that the developer or scientist can efficiently create upgrades, replacements, and/or new metrics to the seismic data processing with only a cursory knowledge of the underlying SC3.

Telescience Resource Kit (TReK)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lippincott, Jeff

2015-01-01

Telescience Resource Kit (TReK) is one of the Huntsville Operations Support Center (HOSC) remote operations solutions. It can be used to monitor and control International Space Station (ISS) payloads from anywhere in the world. It is comprised of a suite of software applications and libraries that provide generic data system capabilities and access to HOSC services. The TReK Software has been operational since 2000. A new cross-platform version of TReK is under development. The new software is being released in phases during the 2014-2016 timeframe. The TReK Release 3.x series of software is the original TReK software that has been operational since 2000. This software runs on Windows. It contains capabilities to support traditional telemetry and commanding using CCSDS (Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems) packets. The TReK Release 4.x series of software is the new cross platform software. It runs on Windows and Linux. The new TReK software will support communication using standard IP protocols and traditional telemetry and commanding. All the software listed above is compatible and can be installed and run together on Windows. The new TReK software contains a suite of software that can be used by payload developers on the ground and onboard (TReK Toolkit). TReK Toolkit is a suite of lightweight libraries and utility applications for use onboard and on the ground. TReK Desktop is the full suite of TReK software -most useful on the ground. When TReK Desktop is released, the TReK installation program will provide the option to choose just the TReK Toolkit portion of the software or the full TReK Desktop suite. The ISS program is providing the TReK Toolkit software as a generic flight software capability offered as a standard service to payloads. TReK Software Verification was conducted during the April/May 2015 timeframe. Payload teams using the TReK software onboard can reference the TReK software verification. TReK will be demonstrated on-orbit running on an ISS provided T61p laptop. Target Timeframe: September 2015 -2016. The on-orbit demonstration will collect benchmark metrics, and will be used in the future to provide live demonstrations during ISS Payload Conferences. Benchmark metrics and demonstrations will address the protocols described in SSP 52050-0047 Ku Forward section 3.3.7. (Associated term: CCSDS File Delivery Protocol (CFDP)).

A new possibility in thoracoscopic virtual reality simulation training: development and testing of a novel virtual reality simulator for video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery lobectomy.

PubMed

Jensen, Katrine; Bjerrum, Flemming; Hansen, Henrik Jessen; Petersen, René Horsleben; Pedersen, Jesper Holst; Konge, Lars

2015-10-01

The aims of this study were to develop virtual reality simulation software for video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS) lobectomy, to explore the opinions of thoracic surgeons concerning the VATS lobectomy simulator and to test the validity of the simulator metrics. Experienced VATS surgeons worked with computer specialists to develop a VATS lobectomy software for a virtual reality simulator. Thoracic surgeons with different degrees of experience in VATS were enrolled at the 22nd meeting of the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) held in Copenhagen in June 2014. The surgeons were divided according to the number of performed VATS lobectomies: novices (0 VATS lobectomies), intermediates (1-49 VATS lobectomies) and experienced (>50 VATS lobectomies). The participants all performed a lobectomy of a right upper lobe on the simulator and answered a questionnaire regarding content validity. Metrics were compared between the three groups. We succeeded in developing the first version of a virtual reality VATS lobectomy simulator. A total of 103 thoracic surgeons completed the simulated lobectomy and were distributed as follows: novices n = 32, intermediates n = 45 and experienced n = 26. All groups rated the overall user realism of the VATS lobectomy scenario to a median of 5 on a scale 1-7, with 7 being the best score. The experienced surgeons found the graphics and movements realistic and rated the scenario high in terms of usefulness as a training tool for novice and intermediate experienced thoracic surgeons, but not very useful as a training tool for experienced surgeons. The metric scores were not statistically significant between groups. This is the first study to describe a commercially available virtual reality simulator for a VATS lobectomy. More than 100 thoracic surgeons found the simulator realistic, and hence it showed good content validity. However, none of the built-in simulator metrics could significantly distinguish between novice, intermediate experienced and experienced surgeons, and further development of the simulator software is necessary to develop valid metrics. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves: review of methods with applications in diagnostic medicine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Obuchowski, Nancy A.; Bullen, Jennifer A.

2018-04-01

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis is a tool used to describe the discrimination accuracy of a diagnostic test or prediction model. While sensitivity and specificity are the basic metrics of accuracy, they have many limitations when characterizing test accuracy, particularly when comparing the accuracies of competing tests. In this article we review the basic study design features of ROC studies, illustrate sample size calculations, present statistical methods for measuring and comparing accuracy, and highlight commonly used ROC software. We include descriptions of multi-reader ROC study design and analysis, address frequently seen problems of verification and location bias, discuss clustered data, and provide strategies for testing endpoints in ROC studies. The methods are illustrated with a study of transmission ultrasound for diagnosing breast lesions.

A controlled experiment on the impact of software structure on maintainability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rombach, Dieter H.

1987-01-01

The impact of software structure on maintainability aspects including comprehensibility, locality, modifiability, and reusability in a distributed system environment is studied in a controlled maintenance experiment involving six medium-size distributed software systems implemented in LADY (language for distributed systems) and six in an extended version of sequential PASCAL. For all maintenance aspects except reusability, the results were quantitatively given in terms of complexity metrics which could be automated. The results showed LADY to be better suited to the development of maintainable software than the extension of sequential PASCAL. The strong typing combined with high parametrization of units is suggested to improve the reusability of units in LADY.

Leveraging object-oriented development at Ames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wenneson, Greg; Connell, John

1994-01-01

This paper presents lessons learned by the Software Engineering Process Group (SEPG) from results of supporting two projects at NASA Ames using an Object Oriented Rapid Prototyping (OORP) approach supported by a full featured visual development environment. Supplemental lessons learned from a large project in progress and a requirements definition are also incorporated. The paper demonstrates how productivity gains can be made by leveraging the developer with a rich development environment, correct and early requirements definition using rapid prototyping, and earlier and better effort estimation and software sizing through object-oriented methods and metrics. Although the individual elements of OO methods, RP approach and OO metrics had been used on other separate projects, the reported projects were the first integrated usage supported by a rich development environment. Overall the approach used was twice as productive (measured by hours per OO Unit) as a C++ development.

Analytical Tools Interface for Landscape Assessments (ATtILA) for landscape metrics

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

ATtILA is easy to use ArcView extension that calculates many commonly used landscape metrics. By providing an intuitive interface, the extension provides the ability to generate landscape metrics to a wide audience regardless of their GIS knowledge level.

The MERMAID project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cowderoy, A. J. C.; Jenkins, John O.; Poulymenakou, A

1992-01-01

The tendency for software development projects to be completed over schedule and over budget was documented extensively. Additionally many projects are completed within budgetary and schedule target only as a result of the customer agreeing to accept reduced functionality. In his classic book, The Mythical Man Month, Fred Brooks exposes the fallacy that effort and schedule are freely interchangeable. All current cost models are produced on the assumption that there is very limited scope for schedule compression unless there is a corresponding reduction in delivered functionality. The Metrication and Resources Modeling Aid (MERMAID) project, partially financed by the Commission of the European Communities (CEC) as Project 2046 began in Oct. 1988 and its goal were as follows: (1) improvement of understanding of the relationships between software development productivity and product and process metrics; (2) to facilitate the widespread technology transfer from the Consortium to the European Software Industry; and (3) to facilitate the widespread uptake of cost estimation techniques by the provision of prototype cost estimation tools. MERMAID developed a family of methods for cost estimation, many of which have had tools implemented in prototypes. These prototypes are best considered as toolkits or workbenches.

User's manual for the National Water-Quality Assessment Program Invertebrate Data Analysis System (IDAS) software, version 5

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cuffney, Thomas F.; Brightbill, Robin A.

2011-01-01

The Invertebrate Data Analysis System (IDAS) software was developed to provide an accurate, consistent, and efficient mechanism for analyzing invertebrate data collected as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The IDAS software is a stand-alone program for personal computers that run Microsoft Windows(Registered). It allows users to read data downloaded from the NAWQA Program Biological Transactional Database (Bio-TDB) or to import data from other sources either as Microsoft Excel(Registered) or Microsoft Access(Registered) files. The program consists of five modules: Edit Data, Data Preparation, Calculate Community Metrics, Calculate Diversities and Similarities, and Data Export. The Edit Data module allows the user to subset data on the basis of taxonomy or sample type, extract a random subsample of data, combine or delete data, summarize distributions, resolve ambiguous taxa (see glossary) and conditional/provisional taxa, import non-NAWQA data, and maintain and create files of invertebrate attributes that are used in the calculation of invertebrate metrics. The Data Preparation module allows the user to select the type(s) of sample(s) to process, calculate densities, delete taxa on the basis of laboratory processing notes, delete pupae or terrestrial adults, combine lifestages or keep them separate, select a lowest taxonomic level for analysis, delete rare taxa on the basis of the number of sites where a taxon occurs and (or) the abundance of a taxon in a sample, and resolve taxonomic ambiguities by one of four methods. The Calculate Community Metrics module allows the user to calculate 184 community metrics, including metrics based on organism tolerances, functional feeding groups, and behavior. The Calculate Diversities and Similarities module allows the user to calculate nine diversity and eight similarity indices. The Data Export module allows the user to export data to other software packages (CANOCO, Primer, PC-ORD, MVSP) and produce tables of community data that can be imported into spreadsheet, database, graphics, statistics, and word-processing programs. The IDAS program facilitates the documentation of analyses by keeping a log of the data that are processed, the files that are generated, and the program settings used to process the data. Though the IDAS program was developed to process NAWQA Program invertebrate data downloaded from Bio-TDB, the Edit Data module includes tools that can be used to convert non-NAWQA data into Bio-TDB format. Consequently, the data manipulation, analysis, and export procedures provided by the IDAS program can be used to process data generated outside of the NAWQA Program.

Hearing a Melody in Different Ways: Multistability of Metrical Interpretation, Reflected in Rate Limits of Sensorimotor Synchronization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Repp, Bruno H.

2007-01-01

Music commonly induces the feeling of a regular beat (i.e., a metrical structure) in listeners. However, musicians can also intentionally impose a beat (i.e., a metrical interpretation) on a metrically ambiguous passage. The present study aimed to provide objective evidence for this little-studied mental ability. Participants were prompted with…

A factor analysis of landscape pattern and structure metrics

Treesearch

Kurt H. Riitters; R.V. O' Neill; C.T. Hunsaker; James D. Wickham; D.H. Yankee; S.P. Timmins; K.B. Jones; B.L. Jackson

1995-01-01

Fifty-five metrics of landscape pattern and structure were calculated for 85 maps of land use and land cover. A multivariate factor analysis was used to identify the common axes (or dimensions) of pattern and structure which were measured by a reduced set of 26 metrics. The first six factors explained about 87% of the variation in the 26 landscape metrics. These...

Evaluation and selection of open-source EMR software packages based on integrated AHP and TOPSIS.

PubMed

Zaidan, A A; Zaidan, B B; Al-Haiqi, Ahmed; Kiah, M L M; Hussain, Muzammil; Abdulnabi, Mohamed

2015-02-01

Evaluating and selecting software packages that meet the requirements of an organization are difficult aspects of software engineering process. Selecting the wrong open-source EMR software package can be costly and may adversely affect business processes and functioning of the organization. This study aims to evaluate and select open-source EMR software packages based on multi-criteria decision-making. A hands-on study was performed and a set of open-source EMR software packages were implemented locally on separate virtual machines to examine the systems more closely. Several measures as evaluation basis were specified, and the systems were selected based a set of metric outcomes using Integrated Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and TOPSIS. The experimental results showed that GNUmed and OpenEMR software can provide better basis on ranking score records than other open-source EMR software packages. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Applying the Goal-Question-Indicator-Metric (GQIM) Method to Perform Military Situational Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-05-11

www.sei.cmu.edu CMU/SEI-2016-TN-003 | SOFTWARE ENGINEERING INSTITUTE | CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY Distribution Statement A: Approved for Public Release...Distribution is Unlimited Copyright 2016 Carnegie Mellon University This material is based upon work funded and supported by the Department of...Defense under Contract No. FA8721-05-C-0003 with Carnegie Mellon University for the operation of the Software Engineering Institute, a federally

Enabling Software Acquisition Improvement: Government and Industry Software Development Team Acquisition Model

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-30

estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources , gathering and maintaining...previous and current complex SW development efforts, the program offices will have a source of objective lessons learned and metrics that can be applied...the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this

System Engineering Concept Demonstration, System Engineering Needs. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-12-01

changeability, and invisibility. "Software entities are perhaps more complex for their size than any other human construct..." In addition, software is... human actions and interactions that often fail or insufficient in large organizations. Specific needs in this area include the following: " Each...needed to accomplish incremental review and critique of information. * Automi ..-’ metrics support is needed for the measuring ikey quality aspects of

Sit Up Straight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

BioMetric Systems has an exclusive license to the Posture Video Analysis Tool (PVAT) developed at Johnson Space Center. PVAT uses videos from Space Shuttle flights to identify limiting posture and other human factors in the workplace that could be limiting. The software also provides data that recommends appropriate postures for certain tasks and safe duration for potentially harmful positions. BioMetric Systems has further developed PVAT for use by hospitals, physical rehabilitation facilities, insurance companies, sports medicine clinics, oil companies, manufacturers, and the military.

A Comparison of Linking and Concurrent Calibration under the Graded Response Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Seock-Ho; Cohen, Allan S.

Applications of item response theory to practical testing problems including equating, differential item functioning, and computerized adaptive testing, require that item parameter estimates be placed onto a common metric. In this study, two methods for developing a common metric for the graded response model under item response theory were…

EDENetworks: a user-friendly software to build and analyse networks in biogeography, ecology and population genetics.

PubMed

Kivelä, Mikko; Arnaud-Haond, Sophie; Saramäki, Jari

2015-01-01

The recent application of graph-based network theory analysis to biogeography, community ecology and population genetics has created a need for user-friendly software, which would allow a wider accessibility to and adaptation of these methods. EDENetworks aims to fill this void by providing an easy-to-use interface for the whole analysis pipeline of ecological and evolutionary networks starting from matrices of species distributions, genotypes, bacterial OTUs or populations characterized genetically. The user can choose between several different ecological distance metrics, such as Bray-Curtis or Sorensen distance, or population genetic metrics such as FST or Goldstein distances, to turn the raw data into a distance/dissimilarity matrix. This matrix is then transformed into a network by manual or automatic thresholding based on percolation theory or by building the minimum spanning tree. The networks can be visualized along with auxiliary data and analysed with various metrics such as degree, clustering coefficient, assortativity and betweenness centrality. The statistical significance of the results can be estimated either by resampling the original biological data or by null models based on permutations of the data. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Automation of image data processing. (Polish Title: Automatyzacja proces u przetwarzania danych obrazowych)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preuss, R.

2014-12-01

This article discusses the current capabilities of automate processing of the image data on the example of using PhotoScan software by Agisoft. At present, image data obtained by various registration systems (metric and non - metric cameras) placed on airplanes, satellites, or more often on UAVs is used to create photogrammetric products. Multiple registrations of object or land area (large groups of photos are captured) are usually performed in order to eliminate obscured area as well as to raise the final accuracy of the photogrammetric product. Because of such a situation t he geometry of the resulting image blocks is far from the typical configuration of images. For fast images georeferencing automatic image matching algorithms are currently applied. They can create a model of a block in the local coordinate system or using initial exterior orientation and measured control points can provide image georeference in an external reference frame. In the case of non - metric image application, it is also possible to carry out self - calibration process at this stage. Image matching algorithm is also used in generation of dense point clouds reconstructing spatial shape of the object (area). In subsequent processing steps it is possible to obtain typical photogrammetric products such as orthomosaic, DSM or DTM and a photorealistic solid model of an object . All aforementioned processing steps are implemented in a single program in contrary to standard commercial software dividing all steps into dedicated modules. Image processing leading to final geo referenced products can be fully automated including sequential implementation of the processing steps at predetermined control parameters. The paper presents the practical results of the application fully automatic generation of othomosaic for both images obtained by a metric Vexell camera and a block of images acquired by a non - metric UAV system

SU-E-T-776: Use of Quality Metrics for a New Hypo-Fractionated Pre-Surgical Mesothelioma Protocol

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

Richardson, S; Mehta, V

Purpose: The “SMART” (Surgery for Mesothelioma After Radiation Therapy) approach involves hypo-fractionated radiotherapy of the lung pleura to 25Gy over 5 days followed by surgical resection within 7. Early clinical results suggest that this approach is very promising, but also logistically challenging due to the multidisciplinary involvement. Due to the compressed schedule, high dose, and shortened planning time, the delivery of the planned doses were monitored for safety with quality metric software. Methods: Hypo-fractionated IMRT treatment plans were developed for all patients and exported to Quality Reports™ software. Plan quality metrics or PQMs™ were created to calculate an objective scoringmore » function for each plan. This allows for an objective assessment of the quality of the plan and a benchmark for plan improvement for subsequent patients. The priorities of various components were incorporated based on similar hypo-fractionated protocols such as lung SBRT treatments. Results: Five patients have been treated at our institution using this approach. The plans were developed, QA performed, and ready within 5 days of simulation. Plan Quality metrics utilized in scoring included doses to OAR and target coverage. All patients tolerated treatment well and proceeded to surgery as scheduled. Reported toxicity included grade 1 nausea (n=1), grade 1 esophagitis (n=1), grade 2 fatigue (n=3). One patient had recurrent fluid accumulation following surgery. No patients experienced any pulmonary toxicity prior to surgery. Conclusion: An accelerated course of pre-operative high dose radiation for mesothelioma is an innovative and promising new protocol. Without historical data, one must proceed cautiously and monitor the data carefully. The development of quality metrics and scoring functions for these treatments allows us to benchmark our plans and monitor improvement. If subsequent toxicities occur, these will be easy to investigate and incorporate into the metrics. This will improve the safe delivery of large doses for these patients.« less

Guidelines for evaluating performance of oyster habitat restoration

USGS Publications Warehouse

Baggett, Lesley P.; Powers, Sean P.; Brumbaugh, Robert D.; Coen, Loren D.; DeAngelis, Bryan M.; Greene, Jennifer K.; Hancock, Boze T.; Morlock, Summer M.; Allen, Brian L.; Breitburg, Denise L.; Bushek, David; Grabowski, Jonathan H.; Grizzle, Raymond E.; Grosholz, Edwin D.; LaPeyre, Megan K.; Luckenbach, Mark W.; McGraw, Kay A.; Piehler, Michael F.; Westby, Stephanie R.; zu Ermgassen, Philine S. E.

2015-01-01

Restoration of degraded ecosystems is an important societal goal, yet inadequate monitoring and the absence of clear performance metrics are common criticisms of many habitat restoration projects. Funding limitations can prevent adequate monitoring, but we suggest that the lack of accepted metrics to address the diversity of restoration objectives also presents a serious challenge to the monitoring of restoration projects. A working group with experience in designing and monitoring oyster reef projects was used to develop standardized monitoring metrics, units, and performance criteria that would allow for comparison among restoration sites and projects of various construction types. A set of four universal metrics (reef areal dimensions, reef height, oyster density, and oyster size–frequency distribution) and a set of three universal environmental variables (water temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen) are recommended to be monitored for all oyster habitat restoration projects regardless of their goal(s). In addition, restoration goal-based metrics specific to four commonly cited ecosystem service-based restoration goals are recommended, along with an optional set of seven supplemental ancillary metrics that could provide information useful to the interpretation of prerestoration and postrestoration monitoring data. Widespread adoption of a common set of metrics with standardized techniques and units to assess well-defined goals not only allows practitioners to gauge the performance of their own projects but also allows for comparison among projects, which is both essential to the advancement of the field of oyster restoration and can provide new knowledge about the structure and ecological function of oyster reef ecosystems.

Metric-driven harm: an exploration of unintended consequences of performance measurement.

PubMed

Rambur, Betty; Vallett, Carol; Cohen, Judith A; Tarule, Jill Mattuck

2013-11-01

Performance measurement is an increasingly common element of the US health care system. Typically a proxy for high quality outcomes, there has been little systematic investigation of the potential negative unintended consequences of performance metrics, including metric-driven harm. This case study details an incidence of post-surgical metric-driven harm and offers Smith's 1995 work and a patient centered, context sensitive metric model for potential adoption by nurse researchers and clinicians. Implications for further research are discussed. © 2013.

MO-PIS-Exhibit Hall-01: Tools for TG-142 Linac Imaging QA I

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

Clements, M; Wiesmeyer, M

2014-06-15

Partners in Solutions is an exciting new program in which AAPM partners with our vendors to present practical “hands-on” information about the equipment and software systems that we use in our clinics. The therapy topic this year is solutions for TG-142 recommendations for linear accelerator imaging QA. Note that the sessions are being held in a special purpose room built on the Exhibit Hall Floor, to encourage further interaction with the vendors. Automated Imaging QA for TG-142 with RIT Presentation Time: 2:45 – 3:15 PM This presentation will discuss software tools for automated imaging QA and phantom analysis for TG-142.more » All modalities used in radiation oncology will be discussed, including CBCT, planar kV imaging, planar MV imaging, and imaging and treatment coordinate coincidence. Vendor supplied phantoms as well as a variety of third-party phantoms will be shown, along with appropriate analyses, proper phantom setup procedures and scanning settings, and a discussion of image quality metrics. Tools for process automation will be discussed which include: RIT Cognition (machine learning for phantom image identification), RIT Cerberus (automated file system monitoring and searching), and RunQueueC (batch processing of multiple images). In addition to phantom analysis, tools for statistical tracking, trending, and reporting will be discussed. This discussion will include an introduction to statistical process control, a valuable tool in analyzing data and determining appropriate tolerances. An Introduction to TG-142 Imaging QA Using Standard Imaging Products Presentation Time: 3:15 – 3:45 PM Medical Physicists want to understand the logic behind TG-142 Imaging QA. What is often missing is a firm understanding of the connections between the EPID and OBI phantom imaging, the software “algorithms” that calculate the QA metrics, the establishment of baselines, and the analysis and interpretation of the results. The goal of our brief presentation will be to establish and solidify these connections. Our talk will be motivated by the Standard Imaging, Inc. phantom and software solutions. We will present and explain each of the image quality metrics in TG-142 in terms of the theory, mathematics, and algorithms used to implement them in the Standard Imaging PIPSpro software. In the process, we will identify the regions of phantom images that are analyzed by each algorithm. We then will discuss the process of the creation of baselines and typical ranges of acceptable values for each imaging quality metric.« less

Metrication study for large space telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Creswick, F. A.; Weller, A. E.

1973-01-01

Various approaches which could be taken in developing a metric-system design for the Large Space Telescope, considering potential penalties on development cost and time, commonality with other satellite programs, and contribution to national goals for conversion to the metric system of units were investigated. Information on the problems, potential approaches, and impacts of metrication was collected from published reports on previous aerospace-industry metrication-impact studies and through numerous telephone interviews. The recommended approach to LST metrication formulated in this study cells for new components and subsystems to be designed in metric-module dimensions, but U.S. customary practice is allowed where U.S. metric standards and metric components are not available or would be unsuitable. Electrical/electronic-system design, which is presently largely metric, is considered exempt from futher metrication. An important guideline is that metric design and fabrication should in no way compromise the effectiveness of the LST equipment.

Stability Metrics for Simulation and Flight-Software Assessment and Monitoring of Adaptive Control Assist Compensators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hodel, A. S.; Whorton, Mark; Zhu, J. Jim

2008-01-01

Due to a need for improved reliability and performance in aerospace systems, there is increased interest in the use of adaptive control or other nonlinear, time-varying control designs in aerospace vehicles. While such techniques are built on Lyapunov stability theory, they lack an accompanying set of metrics for the assessment of stability margins such as the classical gain and phase margins used in linear time-invariant systems. Such metrics must both be physically meaningful and permit the user to draw conclusions in a straightforward fashion. We present in this paper a roadmap to the development of metrics appropriate to nonlinear, time-varying systems. We also present two case studies in which frozen-time gain and phase margins incorrectly predict stability or instability. We then present a multi-resolution analysis approach that permits on-line real-time stability assessment of nonlinear systems.

Introduction to Metrics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edgecomb, Philip L.; Shapiro, Marion

Addressed to vocational, or academic middle or high school students, this book reviews mathematics fundamentals using metric units of measurement. It utilizes a common-sense approach to the degree of accuracy needed in solving actual trade and every-day problems. Stress is placed on reading off metric measurements from a ruler or tape, and on…

A cross-validation package driving Netica with python

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fienen, Michael N.; Plant, Nathaniel G.

2014-01-01

Bayesian networks (BNs) are powerful tools for probabilistically simulating natural systems and emulating process models. Cross validation is a technique to avoid overfitting resulting from overly complex BNs. Overfitting reduces predictive skill. Cross-validation for BNs is known but rarely implemented due partly to a lack of software tools designed to work with available BN packages. CVNetica is open-source, written in Python, and extends the Netica software package to perform cross-validation and read, rebuild, and learn BNs from data. Insights gained from cross-validation and implications on prediction versus description are illustrated with: a data-driven oceanographic application; and a model-emulation application. These examples show that overfitting occurs when BNs become more complex than allowed by supporting data and overfitting incurs computational costs as well as causing a reduction in prediction skill. CVNetica evaluates overfitting using several complexity metrics (we used level of discretization) and its impact on performance metrics (we used skill).

Department of Defense Software Factbook

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-07

parameters, these rules of thumb may not provide a lot of value to project managers estimating their software efforts. To get the information useful to them...organization determine the total cost of a particular project , but it is a useful metric to technical managers when they are required to submit an annual...outcome. It is most likely a combination of engineering, management , and funding factors. Although a project may resist planning a schedule slip, this

Metrics of Software Quality.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-11-01

Systems: A Raytheon Project History", RADC-TR-77-188, Final Technical Report, June 1977. 4. IBM Federal Systems Division, "Statistical Prediction of...147, June 1979. 4. W. D. Brooks, R. W. Motley, "Analysis of Discrete Software Reliability Models", IBM Corp., RADC-TR-80-84, RADC, New York, April 1980...J. C. King of IBM (Reference 9) and Lori A. Clark (Reference 10) of the University of Massachusetts. Programs, so exercised must be augmented so they

Extensibility Experiments with the Software Life-Cycle Support Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-11-01

APRICOT ) and Bit- Oriented Message Definer (BMD); and three from the Ada Software Repository (ASR) at White Sands-the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center...Graphical Kernel System (GKS). c. AMS - The Automated Measurement System tool supports the definition, collec- tion, and reporting of quality metric...Ada Primitive Order Compilation Order Tool ( APRICOT ) 2. Bit-Oriented Message Definer (BMD) 3. LGEN: A Language Generator Tool 4. I"ilc Chc-ker 5

The Warfighter Associate: Decision-Support and Metrics for Mission Command

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

complex situations can be captured it makes sense to use software to provide this important adjunct to complex human cognitive problems. As a software...tasks that could distract the user from the important events occurring. An Associate System also observes the actions undertaken by a human operator...the Commander’s Critical Information Requirements. ‡It is important to note that the Warfighter Associate maintains a human -in-the-loop for decision

Software reliability through fault-avoidance and fault-tolerance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vouk, Mladen A.; Mcallister, David F.

1993-01-01

Strategies and tools for the testing, risk assessment and risk control of dependable software-based systems were developed. Part of this project consists of studies to enable the transfer of technology to industry, for example the risk management techniques for safety-concious systems. Theoretical investigations of Boolean and Relational Operator (BRO) testing strategy were conducted for condition-based testing. The Basic Graph Generation and Analysis tool (BGG) was extended to fully incorporate several variants of the BRO metric. Single- and multi-phase risk, coverage and time-based models are being developed to provide additional theoretical and empirical basis for estimation of the reliability and availability of large, highly dependable software. A model for software process and risk management was developed. The use of cause-effect graphing for software specification and validation was investigated. Lastly, advanced software fault-tolerance models were studied to provide alternatives and improvements in situations where simple software fault-tolerance strategies break down.

A Metric Model for Intranet Portal Business Requirements

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-12-01

ROIMI) with a common unit of analysis for both aggregate and sub-corporate levels through forms of the Knowledge Value Added (KVA) and Activity Based...means in which to calculate return on intranet metrics investment (ROIMI) with a common unit of analysis for both aggregate and sub-corporate levels...IT ANALYSIS APPROACHES.....................................................13 1. Corporate Analysis

Texture metric that predicts target detection performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Culpepper, Joanne B.

2015-12-01

Two texture metrics based on gray level co-occurrence error (GLCE) are used to predict probability of detection and mean search time. The two texture metrics are local clutter metrics and are based on the statistics of GLCE probability distributions. The degree of correlation between various clutter metrics and the target detection performance of the nine military vehicles in complex natural scenes found in the Search_2 dataset are presented. Comparison is also made between four other common clutter metrics found in the literature: root sum of squares, Doyle, statistical variance, and target structure similarity. The experimental results show that the GLCE energy metric is a better predictor of target detection performance when searching for targets in natural scenes than the other clutter metrics studied.

Image analysis software as a strategy to improve the radiographic determination of fracture healing.

PubMed

Duryea, Jeffrey; Evans, Christopher; Glatt, Vaida

2018-05-28

To develop and validate an unbiased, accurate, convenient and inexpensive means of determining when an osseous defect has healed and recovered sufficient strength to allow weight-bearing. A novel image processing software algorithm was created to analyze the radiographic images and produce a metric designed to reflect the bone strength. We used a rat femoral segmental defect model that provides a range of healing responses from complete union to non-union. Femora were examined by X-ray, micro-computed tomography (µCT) and mechanical testing. Accurate simulated radiographic images at different incident X-ray beam angles were produced from the µCT data files. The software-generated metric (SC) showed high levels of correlation with both the mechanical strength (τMech) and the polar moment of inertia (pMOI), with the mechanical testing data having the highest association. The optimization analysis yielded optimal oblique angles θB of 125° for τMech and 50° for pMOI. The Pearson's R values for the optimized model were 0.71 and 0.64 for τMech and pMOI, respectively. Further validation using true radiographs also demonstrated that the metric was accurate, and that the simulations were realistic. The preliminary findings suggest a very promising methodology to assess bone fracture healing using conventional radiography. With radiographs acquired at appropriate incident angles, it proved possible to calculate accurately the degree of healing and the mechanical strength of the bone. Further research is necessary to refine this approach and determine whether it translates to the human clinical setting.

Accuracy of metric sex analysis of skeletal remains using Fordisc based on a recent skull collection.

PubMed

Ramsthaler, F; Kreutz, K; Verhoff, M A

2007-11-01

It has been generally accepted in skeletal sex determination that the use of metric methods is limited due to the population dependence of the multivariate algorithms. The aim of the study was to verify the applicability of software-based sex estimations outside the reference population group for which discriminant equations have been developed. We examined 98 skulls from recent forensic cases of known age, sex, and Caucasian ancestry from cranium collections in Frankfurt and Mainz (Germany) to determine the accuracy of sex determination using the statistical software solution Fordisc which derives its database and functions from the US American Forensic Database. In a comparison between metric analysis using Fordisc and morphological determination of sex, average accuracy for both sexes was 86 vs 94%, respectively, and males were identified more accurately than females. The ratio of the true test result rate to the false test result rate was not statistically different for the two methodological approaches at a significance level of 0.05 but was statistically different at a level of 0.10 (p=0.06). Possible explanations for this difference comprise different ancestry, age distribution, and socio-economic status compared to the Fordisc reference sample. It is likely that a discriminant function analysis on the basis of more similar European reference samples will lead to more valid and reliable sexing results. The use of Fordisc as a single method for the estimation of sex of recent skeletal remains in Europe cannot be recommended without additional morphological assessment and without a built-in software update based on modern European reference samples.

Metrics for the NASA Airspace Systems Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Jeremy C.; Neitzke, Kurt W.

2009-01-01

This document defines an initial set of metrics for use by the NASA Airspace Systems Program (ASP). ASP consists of the NextGen-Airspace Project and the NextGen-Airportal Project. The work in each project is organized along multiple, discipline-level Research Focus Areas (RFAs). Each RFA is developing future concept elements in support of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen), as defined by the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO). In addition, a single, system-level RFA is responsible for integrating concept elements across RFAs in both projects and for assessing system-wide benefits. The primary purpose of this document is to define a common set of metrics for measuring National Airspace System (NAS) performance before and after the introduction of ASP-developed concepts for NextGen as the system handles increasing traffic. The metrics are directly traceable to NextGen goals and objectives as defined by the JPDO and hence will be used to measure the progress of ASP research toward reaching those goals. The scope of this document is focused on defining a common set of metrics for measuring NAS capacity, efficiency, robustness, and safety at the system-level and at the RFA-level. Use of common metrics will focus ASP research toward achieving system-level performance goals and objectives and enable the discipline-level RFAs to evaluate the impact of their concepts at the system level.

Landscape metrics for three-dimension urban pattern recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, M.; Hu, Y.; Zhang, W.; Li, C.

2017-12-01

Understanding how landscape pattern determines population or ecosystem dynamics is crucial for managing our landscapes. Urban areas are becoming increasingly dominant social-ecological systems, so it is important to understand patterns of urbanization. Most studies of urban landscape pattern examine land-use maps in two dimensions because the acquisition of 3-dimensional information is difficult. We used Brista software based on Quickbird images and aerial photos to interpret the height of buildings, thus incorporating a 3-dimensional approach. We estimated the feasibility and accuracy of this approach. A total of 164,345 buildings in the Liaoning central urban agglomeration of China, which included seven cities, were measured. Twelve landscape metrics were proposed or chosen to describe the urban landscape patterns in 2- and 3-dimensional scales. The ecological and social meaning of landscape metrics were analyzed with multiple correlation analysis. The results showed that classification accuracy compared with field surveys was 87.6%, which means this method for interpreting building height was acceptable. The metrics effectively reflected the urban architecture in relation to number of buildings, area, height, 3-D shape and diversity aspects. We were able to describe the urban characteristics of each city with these metrics. The metrics also captured ecological and social meanings. The proposed landscape metrics provided a new method for urban landscape analysis in three dimensions.

Prospective motion correction with volumetric navigators (vNavs) reduces the bias and variance in brain morphometry induced by subject motion.

PubMed

Tisdall, M Dylan; Reuter, Martin; Qureshi, Abid; Buckner, Randy L; Fischl, Bruce; van der Kouwe, André J W

2016-02-15

Recent work has demonstrated that subject motion produces systematic biases in the metrics computed by widely used morphometry software packages, even when the motion is too small to produce noticeable image artifacts. In the common situation where the control population exhibits different behaviors in the scanner when compared to the experimental population, these systematic measurement biases may produce significant confounds for between-group analyses, leading to erroneous conclusions about group differences. While previous work has shown that prospective motion correction can improve perceived image quality, here we demonstrate that, in healthy subjects performing a variety of directed motions, the use of the volumetric navigator (vNav) prospective motion correction system significantly reduces the motion-induced bias and variance in morphometry. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Software interface verifier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Soderstrom, Tomas J.; Krall, Laura A.; Hope, Sharon A.; Zupke, Brian S.

1994-01-01

A Telos study of 40 recent subsystem deliveries into the DSN at JPL found software interface testing to be the single most expensive and error-prone activity, and the study team suggested creating an automated software interface test tool. The resulting Software Interface Verifier (SIV), which was funded by NASA/JPL and created by Telos, employed 92 percent software reuse to quickly create an initial version which incorporated early user feedback. SIV is now successfully used by developers for interface prototyping and unit testing, by test engineers for formal testing, and by end users for non-intrusive data flow tests in the operational environment. Metrics, including cost, are included. Lessons learned include the need for early user training. SIV is ported to many platforms and can be successfully used or tailored by other NASA groups.

Advanced Life Support Research and Technology Development Metric: Fiscal Year 2003

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hanford, A. J.

2004-01-01

This document provides the official calculation of the Advanced Life Support (ALS) Research and Technology Development Metric (the Metric) for Fiscal Year 2003. As such, the values herein are primarily based on Systems Integration, Modeling, and Analysis (SIMA) Element approved software tools or reviewed and approved reference documents. The Metric is one of several measures employed by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to assess the Agency s progress as mandated by the United States Congress and the Office of Management and Budget. Because any measure must have a reference point, whether explicitly defined or implied, the Metric is a comparison between a selected ALS Project life support system and an equivalently detailed life support system using technology from the Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) for the International Space Station (ISS). More specifically, the Metric is the ratio defined by the equivalent system mass (ESM) of a life support system for a specific mission using the ISS ECLSS technologies divided by the ESM for an equivalent life support system using the best ALS technologies. As defined, the Metric should increase in value as the ALS technologies become lighter, less power intensive, and require less volume. For Fiscal Year 2003, the Advanced Life Support Research and Technology Development Metric value is 1.47 for an Orbiting Research Facility and 1.36 for an Independent Exploration Mission.

Weighting and Bayes Nets for Rollup of Surveillance Metrics

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

Henson, Kriste; Sentz, Kari; Hamada, Michael

2012-04-30

The LANL IKE team proposes that the surveillance metrics for several data stream that are used to detect the same failure mode be weighted. Similarly, the failure mode metrics are weighted to obtain a subsystem metric. E.g., if there n data streams (nodes 1-n), the failure mode (node 0) metric is obtained as M{sub 0} = w{sub 1}M{sub 1} + {hor_ellipsis} + w{sub n}M{sub n}, where {Sigma}{sub i=1}{sup n} w{sub i} = 1. This proposal has been implemented with Bayes Nets using the Netica/IKE software by specifying an appropriate conditional probability table (CPT). This CPT is calculated using the samemore » form as (1), where the data stream metrics for the true (T) and false (F) states are replaced by 1 and 0, respectively. Then using this CPT, the failure mode metric calculated by Netica/IKE equals (1). This result has two nice features. First, the rollup Bayes nets is doing can be easily explained. Second, because Bayes Nets can implement this rollup using Netica/IKE, then data marshalling (allocating next year's budget) can be studied. A proof that the claim 'failure mode metric calculated by Netica/IKE equals (1)' for n = 2 and n = 3 follows as well as the sketch of a proof by induction for general n.« less

Appendix.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

NatureScope, 1988

1988-01-01

Provides a glossary and bibliography which includes a listing of the following: general reference books, field guides, children's books, films, filmstrips, slides, videos, coloring books, games, posters, software, activity sources, where to get more information, Ranger Rick Ocean Index, and a metric conversion chart. (RT)

Guidelines for Development and Use of Mobile Metric Education Laboratories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Edwin M.; And Others

Information is provided for projects on metric education involving the use of motor vehicles or vans as mobile laboratories or demonstration units. Included are various types and functions of mobile education facilities in common use in recent years in both mathematics and non-mathematics areas, with descriptions of several current metric mobile…

Energetically optimal travel across terrain: visualizations and a new metric of geographic distance with anthropological applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, Brian M.; Wood, Zoë J.

2006-01-01

We present a visualization and computation tool for modeling the caloric cost of pedestrian travel across three dimensional terrains. This tool is being used in ongoing archaeological research that analyzes how costs of locomotion affect the spatial distribution of trails and artifacts across archaeological landscapes. Throughout human history, traveling by foot has been the most common form of transportation, and therefore analyses of pedestrian travel costs are important for understanding prehistoric patterns of resource acquisition, migration, trade, and political interaction. Traditionally, archaeologists have measured geographic proximity based on "as the crow flies" distance. We propose new methods for terrain visualization and analysis based on measuring paths of least caloric expense, calculated using well established metabolic equations. Our approach provides a human centered metric of geographic closeness, and overcomes significant limitations of available Geographic Information System (GIS) software. We demonstrate such path computations and visualizations applied to archaeological research questions. Our system includes tools to visualize: energetic cost surfaces, comparisons of the elevation profiles of shortest paths versus least cost paths, and the display of paths of least caloric effort on Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). These analysis tools can be applied to calculate and visualize 1) likely locations of prehistoric trails and 2) expected ratios of raw material types to be recovered at archaeological sites.

Performance evaluation of PCA-based spike sorting algorithms.

PubMed

Adamos, Dimitrios A; Kosmidis, Efstratios K; Theophilidis, George

2008-09-01

Deciphering the electrical activity of individual neurons from multi-unit noisy recordings is critical for understanding complex neural systems. A widely used spike sorting algorithm is being evaluated for single-electrode nerve trunk recordings. The algorithm is based on principal component analysis (PCA) for spike feature extraction. In the neuroscience literature it is generally assumed that the use of the first two or most commonly three principal components is sufficient. We estimate the optimum PCA-based feature space by evaluating the algorithm's performance on simulated series of action potentials. A number of modifications are made to the open source nev2lkit software to enable systematic investigation of the parameter space. We introduce a new metric to define clustering error considering over-clustering more favorable than under-clustering as proposed by experimentalists for our data. Both the program patch and the metric are available online. Correlated and white Gaussian noise processes are superimposed to account for biological and artificial jitter in the recordings. We report that the employment of more than three principal components is in general beneficial for all noise cases considered. Finally, we apply our results to experimental data and verify that the sorting process with four principal components is in agreement with a panel of electrophysiology experts.

Validating the simulation of large-scale parallel applications using statistical characteristics

DOE PAGES

Zhang, Deli; Wilke, Jeremiah; Hendry, Gilbert; ...

2016-03-01

Simulation is a widely adopted method to analyze and predict the performance of large-scale parallel applications. Validating the hardware model is highly important for complex simulations with a large number of parameters. Common practice involves calculating the percent error between the projected and the real execution time of a benchmark program. However, in a high-dimensional parameter space, this coarse-grained approach often suffers from parameter insensitivity, which may not be known a priori. Moreover, the traditional approach cannot be applied to the validation of software models, such as application skeletons used in online simulations. In this work, we present a methodologymore » and a toolset for validating both hardware and software models by quantitatively comparing fine-grained statistical characteristics obtained from execution traces. Although statistical information has been used in tasks like performance optimization, this is the first attempt to apply it to simulation validation. Lastly, our experimental results show that the proposed evaluation approach offers significant improvement in fidelity when compared to evaluation using total execution time, and the proposed metrics serve as reliable criteria that progress toward automating the simulation tuning process.« less

Automated support for experience-based software management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Valett, Jon D.

1992-01-01

To effectively manage a software development project, the software manager must have access to key information concerning a project's status. This information includes not only data relating to the project of interest, but also, the experience of past development efforts within the environment. This paper describes the concepts and functionality of a software management tool designed to provide this information. This tool, called the Software Management Environment (SME), enables the software manager to compare an ongoing development effort with previous efforts and with models of the 'typical' project within the environment, to predict future project status, to analyze a project's strengths and weaknesses, and to assess the project's quality. In order to provide these functions the tool utilizes a vast corporate memory that includes a data base of software metrics, a set of models and relationships that describe the software development environment, and a set of rules that capture other knowledge and experience of software managers within the environment. Integrating these major concepts into one software management tool, the SME is a model of the type of management tool needed for all software development organizations.

Proteomics Quality Control: Quality Control Software for MaxQuant Results.

PubMed

Bielow, Chris; Mastrobuoni, Guido; Kempa, Stefan

2016-03-04

Mass spectrometry-based proteomics coupled to liquid chromatography has matured into an automatized, high-throughput technology, producing data on the scale of multiple gigabytes per instrument per day. Consequently, an automated quality control (QC) and quality analysis (QA) capable of detecting measurement bias, verifying consistency, and avoiding propagation of error is paramount for instrument operators and scientists in charge of downstream analysis. We have developed an R-based QC pipeline called Proteomics Quality Control (PTXQC) for bottom-up LC-MS data generated by the MaxQuant software pipeline. PTXQC creates a QC report containing a comprehensive and powerful set of QC metrics, augmented with automated scoring functions. The automated scores are collated to create an overview heatmap at the beginning of the report, giving valuable guidance also to nonspecialists. Our software supports a wide range of experimental designs, including stable isotope labeling by amino acids in cell culture (SILAC), tandem mass tags (TMT), and label-free data. Furthermore, we introduce new metrics to score MaxQuant's Match-between-runs (MBR) functionality by which peptide identifications can be transferred across Raw files based on accurate retention time and m/z. Last but not least, PTXQC is easy to install and use and represents the first QC software capable of processing MaxQuant result tables. PTXQC is freely available at https://github.com/cbielow/PTXQC .

SpotMetrics: An Open-Source Image-Analysis Software Plugin for Automatic Chromatophore Detection and Measurement.

PubMed

Hadjisolomou, Stavros P; El-Haddad, George

2017-01-01

Coleoid cephalopods (squid, octopus, and sepia) are renowned for their elaborate body patterning capabilities, which are employed for camouflage or communication. The specific chromatic appearance of a cephalopod, at any given moment, is a direct result of the combined action of their intradermal pigmented chromatophore organs and reflecting cells. Therefore, a lot can be learned about the cephalopod coloration system by video recording and analyzing the activation of individual chromatophores in time. The fact that adult cephalopods have small chromatophores, up to several hundred thousand in number, makes measurement and analysis over several seconds a difficult task. However, current advancements in videography enable high-resolution and high framerate recording, which can be used to record chromatophore activity in more detail and accuracy in both space and time domains. In turn, the additional pixel information and extra frames per video from such recordings result in large video files of several gigabytes, even when the recording spans only few minutes. We created a software plugin, "SpotMetrics," that can automatically analyze high resolution, high framerate video of chromatophore organ activation in time. This image analysis software can track hundreds of individual chromatophores over several hundred frames to provide measurements of size and color. This software may also be used to measure differences in chromatophore activation during different behaviors which will contribute to our understanding of the cephalopod sensorimotor integration system. In addition, this software can potentially be utilized to detect numbers of round objects and size changes in time, such as eye pupil size or number of bacteria in a sample. Thus, we are making this software plugin freely available as open-source because we believe it will be of benefit to other colleagues both in the cephalopod biology field and also within other disciplines.

New t-gap insertion-deletion-like metrics for DNA hybridization thermodynamic modeling.

PubMed

D'yachkov, Arkadii G; Macula, Anthony J; Pogozelski, Wendy K; Renz, Thomas E; Rykov, Vyacheslav V; Torney, David C

2006-05-01

We discuss the concept of t-gap block isomorphic subsequences and use it to describe new abstract string metrics that are similar to the Levenshtein insertion-deletion metric. Some of the metrics that we define can be used to model a thermodynamic distance function on single-stranded DNA sequences. Our model captures a key aspect of the nearest neighbor thermodynamic model for hybridized DNA duplexes. One version of our metric gives the maximum number of stacked pairs of hydrogen bonded nucleotide base pairs that can be present in any secondary structure in a hybridized DNA duplex without pseudoknots. Thermodynamic distance functions are important components in the construction of DNA codes, and DNA codes are important components in biomolecular computing, nanotechnology, and other biotechnical applications that employ DNA hybridization assays. We show how our new distances can be calculated by using a dynamic programming method, and we derive a Varshamov-Gilbert-like lower bound on the size of some of codes using these distance functions as constraints. We also discuss software implementation of our DNA code design methods.

Quantitative evaluation of software packages for single-molecule localization microscopy.

PubMed

Sage, Daniel; Kirshner, Hagai; Pengo, Thomas; Stuurman, Nico; Min, Junhong; Manley, Suliana; Unser, Michael

2015-08-01

The quality of super-resolution images obtained by single-molecule localization microscopy (SMLM) depends largely on the software used to detect and accurately localize point sources. In this work, we focus on the computational aspects of super-resolution microscopy and present a comprehensive evaluation of localization software packages. Our philosophy is to evaluate each package as a whole, thus maintaining the integrity of the software. We prepared synthetic data that represent three-dimensional structures modeled after biological components, taking excitation parameters, noise sources, point-spread functions and pixelation into account. We then asked developers to run their software on our data; most responded favorably, allowing us to present a broad picture of the methods available. We evaluated their results using quantitative and user-interpretable criteria: detection rate, accuracy, quality of image reconstruction, resolution, software usability and computational resources. These metrics reflect the various tradeoffs of SMLM software packages and help users to choose the software that fits their needs.

Software Project Management and Measurement on the World-Wide-Web (WWW)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callahan, John; Ramakrishnan, Sudhaka

1996-01-01

We briefly describe a system for forms-based, work-flow management that helps members of a software development team overcome geographical barriers to collaboration. Our system, called the Web Integrated Software Environment (WISE), is implemented as a World-Wide-Web service that allows for management and measurement of software development projects based on dynamic analysis of change activity in the workflow. WISE tracks issues in a software development process, provides informal communication between the users with different roles, supports to-do lists, and helps in software process improvement. WISE minimizes the time devoted to metrics collection and analysis by providing implicit delivery of messages between users based on the content of project documents. The use of a database in WISE is hidden from the users who view WISE as maintaining a personal 'to-do list' of tasks related to the many projects on which they may play different roles.

Information models of software productivity - Limits on productivity growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tausworthe, Robert C.

1992-01-01

Research into generalized information-metric models of software process productivity establishes quantifiable behavior and theoretical bounds. The models establish a fundamental mathematical relationship between software productivity and the human capacity for information traffic, the software product yield (system size), information efficiency, and tool and process efficiencies. An upper bound is derived that quantifies average software productivity and the maximum rate at which it may grow. This bound reveals that ultimately, when tools, methodologies, and automated assistants have reached their maximum effective state, further improvement in productivity can only be achieved through increasing software reuse. The reuse advantage is shown not to increase faster than logarithmically in the number of reusable features available. The reuse bound is further shown to be somewhat dependent on the reuse policy: a general 'reuse everything' policy can lead to a somewhat slower productivity growth than a specialized reuse policy.

Performance metrics for the assessment of satellite data products: an ocean color case study

PubMed Central

Seegers, Bridget N.; Stumpf, Richard P.; Schaeffer, Blake A.; Loftin, Keith A.; Werdell, P. Jeremy

2018-01-01

Performance assessment of ocean color satellite data has generally relied on statistical metrics chosen for their common usage and the rationale for selecting certain metrics is infrequently explained. Commonly reported statistics based on mean squared errors, such as the coefficient of determination (r2), root mean square error, and regression slopes, are most appropriate for Gaussian distributions without outliers and, therefore, are often not ideal for ocean color algorithm performance assessment, which is often limited by sample availability. In contrast, metrics based on simple deviations, such as bias and mean absolute error, as well as pair-wise comparisons, often provide more robust and straightforward quantities for evaluating ocean color algorithms with non-Gaussian distributions and outliers. This study uses a SeaWiFS chlorophyll-a validation data set to demonstrate a framework for satellite data product assessment and recommends a multi-metric and user-dependent approach that can be applied within science, modeling, and resource management communities. PMID:29609296

Software for roof defects recognition on aerial photographs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yudin, D.; Naumov, A.; Dolzhenko, A.; Patrakova, E.

2018-05-01

The article presents information on software for roof defects recognition on aerial photographs, made with air drones. An areal image segmentation mechanism is described. It allows detecting roof defects – unsmoothness that causes water stagnation after rain. It is shown that HSV-transformation approach allows quick detection of stagnation areas, their size and perimeters, but is sensitive to shadows and changes of the roofing-types. Deep Fully Convolutional Network software solution eliminates this drawback. The tested data set consists of the roofing photos with defects and binary masks for them. FCN approach gave acceptable results of image segmentation in Dice metric average value. This software can be used in inspection automation of roof conditions in the production sector and housing and utilities infrastructure.

ARROWSMITH-P: A prototype expert system for software engineering management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.; Ramsey, Connie Loggia

1985-01-01

Although the field of software engineering is relatively new, it can benefit from the use of expert systems. Two prototype expert systems were developed to aid in software engineering management. Given the values for certain metrics, these systems will provide interpretations which explain any abnormal patterns of these values during the development of a software project. The two systems, which solve the same problem, were built using different methods, rule-based deduction and frame-based abduction. A comparison was done to see which method was better suited to the needs of this field. It was found that both systems performed moderately well, but the rule-based deduction system using simple rules provided more complete solutions than did the frame-based abduction system.

Evaluation techniques and metrics for assessment of pan+MSI fusion (pansharpening)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercovich, Ryan A.

2015-05-01

Fusion of broadband panchromatic data with narrow band multispectral data - pansharpening - is a common and often studied problem in remote sensing. Many methods exist to produce data fusion results with the best possible spatial and spectral characteristics, and a number have been commercially implemented. This study examines the output products of 4 commercial implementations with regard to their relative strengths and weaknesses for a set of defined image characteristics and analyst use-cases. Image characteristics used are spatial detail, spatial quality, spectral integrity, and composite color quality (hue and saturation), and analyst use-cases included a variety of object detection and identification tasks. The imagery comes courtesy of the RIT SHARE 2012 collect. Two approaches are used to evaluate the pansharpening methods, analyst evaluation or qualitative measure and image quality metrics or quantitative measures. Visual analyst evaluation results are compared with metric results to determine which metrics best measure the defined image characteristics and product use-cases and to support future rigorous characterization the metrics' correlation with the analyst results. Because pansharpening represents a trade between adding spatial information from the panchromatic image, and retaining spectral information from the MSI channels, the metrics examined are grouped into spatial improvement metrics and spectral preservation metrics. A single metric to quantify the quality of a pansharpening method would necessarily be a combination of weighted spatial and spectral metrics based on the importance of various spatial and spectral characteristics for the primary task of interest. Appropriate metrics and weights for such a combined metric are proposed here, based on the conducted analyst evaluation. Additionally, during this work, a metric was developed specifically focused on assessment of spatial structure improvement relative to a reference image and independent of scene content. Using analysis of Fourier transform images, a measure of high-frequency content is computed in small sub-segments of the image. The average increase in high-frequency content across the image is used as the metric, where averaging across sub-segments combats the scene dependent nature of typical image sharpness techniques. This metric had an improved range of scores, better representing difference in the test set than other common spatial structure metrics.

A causal examination of the effects of confounding factors on multimetric indices

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schoolmaster, Donald R.; Grace, James B.; Schweiger, E. William; Mitchell, Brian R.; Guntenspergen, Glenn R.

2013-01-01

The development of multimetric indices (MMIs) as a means of providing integrative measures of ecosystem condition is becoming widespread. An increasingly recognized problem for the interpretability of MMIs is controlling for the potentially confounding influences of environmental covariates. Most common approaches to handling covariates are based on simple notions of statistical control, leaving the causal implications of covariates and their adjustment unstated. In this paper, we use graphical models to examine some of the potential impacts of environmental covariates on the observed signals between human disturbance and potential response metrics. Using simulations based on various causal networks, we show how environmental covariates can both obscure and exaggerate the effects of human disturbance on individual metrics. We then examine from a causal interpretation standpoint the common practice of adjusting ecological metrics for environmental influences using only the set of sites deemed to be in reference condition. We present and examine the performance of an alternative approach to metric adjustment that uses the whole set of sites and models both environmental and human disturbance effects simultaneously. The findings from our analyses indicate that failing to model and adjust metrics can result in a systematic bias towards those metrics in which environmental covariates function to artificially strengthen the metric–disturbance relationship resulting in MMIs that do not accurately measure impacts of human disturbance. We also find that a “whole-set modeling approach” requires fewer assumptions and is more efficient with the given information than the more commonly applied “reference-set” approach.

75 FR 16817 - Meeting for Software Developers on the Technical Specifications for Common Formats for Patient...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

... Software Developers on the Technical Specifications for Common Formats for Patient Safety Data Collection... software developers can provide input on these technical specifications for the Common Formats Version 1.1... specifications, which provide direction to software developers that plan to implement the Common Formats...

Requirements UML Tool (RUT) Expanded for Extreme Programming (CI02)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCoy, James R.

2003-01-01

A procedure for capturing and managing system requirements that incorporates XP user stories. Because costs associated with identifying problems in requirements increase dramatically over the lifecycle of a project, a method for identifying sources of software risks in user stories is urgently needed. This initiative aims to determine a set of guide-lines for user stories that will result in high-quality requirement. To further this initiative, a tool is needed to analyze user stories that can assess the quality of individual user stories, detect sources cf software risk's, produce software metrics, and identify areas in user stories that can be improved.

Component Provider’s and Tool Developer’s Handbook. Central Archive for Reusable Defense Software (CARDS)

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-03-25

metrics [DISA93b]. " The Software Engineering Institute (SET) has developed a domain analysis process (Feature-Oriented Domain Analysis - FODA ) and is...and expresses the range of variability of these decisions. 3.2.2.3 Feature Oriented Domain Analysis Feature Oriented Domain Analysis ( FODA ) is a domain...documents created in this phase. From a purely profit-oriented business point of view, a company may develop its own analysis of a government or commercial

Energy Information Systems

Science.gov Websites

Energy Analytics Campaign > 2014-2018 Assessment of Automated M&V Methods > 2012-2018 Better Assessment of automated measurement and verification methods. Granderson, J. et al. Lawrence Berkeley . PDF, 726 KB Performance Metrics and Objective Testing Methods for Energy Baseline Modeling Software

Technical Interchange Meeting Guidelines Breakout

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fong, Rob

2002-01-01

Along with concept developers, the Systems Evaluation and Assessment (SEA) sub-element of VAMS will develop those scenarios and metrics required for testing the new concepts that reside within the System-Level Integrated Concepts (SLIC) sub-element in the VAMS project. These concepts will come from the NRA process, space act agreements, a university group, and other NASA researchers. The emphasis of those concepts is to increase capacity while at least maintaining the current safety level. The concept providers will initially develop their own scenarios and metrics for self-evaluation. In about a year, the SEA sub-element will become responsible for conducting initial evaluations of the concepts using a common scenario and metric set. This set may derive many components from the scenarios and metrics used by the concept providers. Ultimately, the common scenario\\metric set will be used to help determine the most feasible and beneficial concepts. A set of 15 questions and issues, discussed below, pertaining to the scenario and metric set, and its use for assessing concepts, was submitted by the SEA sub-element for consideration during the breakout session. The questions were divided among the three breakout groups. Each breakout group deliberated on its set of questions and provided a report on its discussion.

The TAME Project: Towards improvement-oriented software environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.; Rombach, H. Dieter

1988-01-01

Experience from a dozen years of analyzing software engineering processes and products is summarized as a set of software engineering and measurement principles that argue for software engineering process models that integrate sound planning and analysis into the construction process. In the TAME (Tailoring A Measurement Environment) project at the University of Maryland, such an improvement-oriented software engineering process model was developed that uses the goal/question/metric paradigm to integrate the constructive and analytic aspects of software development. The model provides a mechanism for formalizing the characterization and planning tasks, controlling and improving projects based on quantitative analysis, learning in a deeper and more systematic way about the software process and product, and feeding the appropriate experience back into the current and future projects. The TAME system is an instantiation of the TAME software engineering process model as an ISEE (integrated software engineering environment). The first in a series of TAME system prototypes has been developed. An assessment of experience with this first limited prototype is presented including a reassessment of its initial architecture.

Common Metrics for Human-Robot Interaction

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-01

interaction spectrum. By doing so, we believe that: ( 1 ) our metrics are broadly applicable to a wide range of applications and ( 2 ) we can assess...currently valid OMB control number. 1 . REPORT DATE MAR 2006 2 . REPORT TYPE 3. DATES COVERED 00-00-2006 to 00-00-2006 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Common...disambiguate or increase confidence for perceptual inference [ 2 ]). 1 ) Passive Perception: Passive perception involves interpreting sensor data

Developing the Translational Research Workforce: A Pilot Study of Common Metrics for Evaluating the Clinical and Translational Award KL2 Program

PubMed Central

Guerrero, Lourdes; Jones, Lisa B.; Tong, Greg; Ireland, Christine; Dumbauld, Jill; Rainwater, Julie

2015-01-01

Abstract Purpose This pilot study describes the career development programs (i.e., NIH KL2 awards) across five Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) institutions within the University of California (UC) system, and examines the feasibility of a set of common metrics for evaluating early outcomes. Methods A survey of program administrators provided data related to the institutional environment within which each KL2 program was implemented. Application and progress report data yielded a combined data set that characterized KL2 awardees, their initial productivity, and early career outcomes. Results The pilot project demonstrated the feasibility of aggregating common metrics data across multiple institutions. The data indicated that KL2 awardees were an accomplished set of investigators, both before and after the award period, representing a wide variety of disciplines. Awardees that had completed their trainee period overwhelmingly remained active in translational research conducted within an academic setting. Early indications also suggest high rates of success with obtaining research funding subsequent to the KL2 award. Conclusion This project offers a model for how to collect and analyze common metrics related to the education and training function of the CTSA Consortium. Next steps call for expanding participation to other CTSA sites outside of the University of California system. PMID:26602332

A comprehensive quality control workflow for paired tumor-normal NGS experiments.

PubMed

Schroeder, Christopher M; Hilke, Franz J; Löffler, Markus W; Bitzer, Michael; Lenz, Florian; Sturm, Marc

2017-06-01

Quality control (QC) is an important part of all NGS data analysis stages. Many available tools calculate QC metrics from different analysis steps of single sample experiments (raw reads, mapped reads and variant lists). Multi-sample experiments, as sequencing of tumor-normal pairs, require additional QC metrics to ensure validity of results. These multi-sample QC metrics still lack standardization. We therefore suggest a new workflow for QC of DNA sequencing of tumor-normal pairs. With this workflow well-known single-sample QC metrics and additional metrics specific for tumor-normal pairs can be calculated. The segmentation into different tools offers a high flexibility and allows reuse for other purposes. All tools produce qcML, a generic XML format for QC of -omics experiments. qcML uses quality metrics defined in an ontology, which was adapted for NGS. All QC tools are implemented in C ++ and run both under Linux and Windows. Plotting requires python 2.7 and matplotlib. The software is available under the 'GNU General Public License version 2' as part of the ngs-bits project: https://github.com/imgag/ngs-bits. christopher.schroeder@med.uni-tuebingen.de. Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Let's Make Data Count

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budden, A. E.; Abrams, S.; Chodacki, J.; Cruse, P.; Fenner, M.; Jones, M. B.; Lowenberg, D.; Rueda, L.; Vieglais, D.

2017-12-01

The impact of research has traditionally been measured by citations to journal publications and used extensively for evaluation and assessment in academia, but this process misses the impact and reach of data and software as first-class scientific products. For traditional publications, Article-Level Metrics (ALM) capture the multitude of ways in which research is disseminated and used, such as references and citations within social media and other journal articles. Here we present on the extension of usage and citation metrics collection to include other artifacts of research, namely datasets. The Make Data Count (MDC) project will enable measuring the impact of research data in a manner similar to what is currently done with publications. Data-level metrics (DLM) are a multidimensional suite of indicators measuring the broad reach and use of data as legitimate research outputs. By making data metrics openly available for reuse in a number of different ways, the MDC project represents an important first step on the path towards the full integration of data metrics into the research data management ecosystem. By assuring researchers that their contributions to scholarly progress represented by data corpora are acknowledged, data level metrics provide a foundation for streamlining the advancement of knowledge by actively promoting desirable best practices regarding research data management, publication, and sharing.

Person re-identification over camera networks using multi-task distance metric learning.

PubMed

Ma, Lianyang; Yang, Xiaokang; Tao, Dacheng

2014-08-01

Person reidentification in a camera network is a valuable yet challenging problem to solve. Existing methods learn a common Mahalanobis distance metric by using the data collected from different cameras and then exploit the learned metric for identifying people in the images. However, the cameras in a camera network have different settings and the recorded images are seriously affected by variability in illumination conditions, camera viewing angles, and background clutter. Using a common metric to conduct person reidentification tasks on different camera pairs overlooks the differences in camera settings; however, it is very time-consuming to label people manually in images from surveillance videos. For example, in most existing person reidentification data sets, only one image of a person is collected from each of only two cameras; therefore, directly learning a unique Mahalanobis distance metric for each camera pair is susceptible to over-fitting by using insufficiently labeled data. In this paper, we reformulate person reidentification in a camera network as a multitask distance metric learning problem. The proposed method designs multiple Mahalanobis distance metrics to cope with the complicated conditions that exist in typical camera networks. We address the fact that these Mahalanobis distance metrics are different but related, and learned by adding joint regularization to alleviate over-fitting. Furthermore, by extending, we present a novel multitask maximally collapsing metric learning (MtMCML) model for person reidentification in a camera network. Experimental results demonstrate that formulating person reidentification over camera networks as multitask distance metric learning problem can improve performance, and our proposed MtMCML works substantially better than other current state-of-the-art person reidentification methods.

Metrics to assess injury prevention programs for young workers in high-risk occupations: a scoping review of the literature.

PubMed

Jennifer, Smith; Purewal, Birinder Praneet; Macpherson, Alison; Pike, Ian

2018-05-01

Despite legal protections for young workers in Canada, youth aged 15-24 are at high risk of traumatic occupational injury. While many injury prevention initiatives targeting young workers exist, the challenge faced by youth advocates and employers is deciding what aspect(s) of prevention will be the most effective focus for their efforts. A review of the academic and grey literatures was undertaken to compile the metrics-both the indicators being evaluated and the methods of measurement-commonly used to assess injury prevention programs for young workers. Metrics are standards of measurement through which efficiency, performance, progress, or quality of a plan, process, or product can be assessed. A PICO framework was used to develop search terms. Medline, PubMed, OVID, EMBASE, CCOHS, PsychINFO, CINAHL, NIOSHTIC, Google Scholar and the grey literature were searched for articles in English, published between 1975-2015. Two independent reviewers screened the resulting list and categorized the metrics in three domains of injury prevention: Education, Environment and Enforcement. Of 174 acquired articles meeting the inclusion criteria, 21 both described and assessed an intervention. Half were educational in nature (N=11). Commonly assessed metrics included: knowledge, perceptions, self-reported behaviours or intentions, hazardous exposures, injury claims, and injury counts. One study outlined a method for developing metrics to predict injury rates. Metrics specific to the evaluation of young worker injury prevention programs are needed, as current metrics are insufficient to predict reduced injuries following program implementation. One study, which the review brought to light, could be an appropriate model for future research to develop valid leading metrics specific to young workers, and then apply these metrics to injury prevention programs for youth.

Task 28: Web Accessible APIs in the Cloud Trade Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallagher, James; Habermann, Ted; Jelenak, Aleksandar; Lee, Joe; Potter, Nathan; Yang, Muqun

2017-01-01

This study explored three candidate architectures for serving NASA Earth Science Hierarchical Data Format Version 5 (HDF5) data via Hyrax running on Amazon Web Services (AWS). We studied the cost and performance for each architecture using several representative Use-Cases. The objectives of the project are: Conduct a trade study to identify one or more high performance integrated solutions for storing and retrieving NASA HDF5 and Network Common Data Format Version 4 (netCDF4) data in a cloud (web object store) environment. The target environment is Amazon Web Services (AWS) Simple Storage Service (S3).Conduct needed level of software development to properly evaluate solutions in the trade study and to obtain required benchmarking metrics for input into government decision of potential follow-on prototyping. Develop a cloud cost model for the preferred data storage solution (or solutions) that accounts for different granulation and aggregation schemes as well as cost and performance trades.

The role of metrics and measurements in a software intensive total quality management environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Daniels, Charles B.

1992-01-01

Paramax Space Systems began its mission as a member of the Rockwell Space Operations Company (RSOC) team which was the successful bidder on a massive operations consolidation contract for the Mission Operations Directorate (MOD) at JSC. The contract awarded to the team was the Space Transportation System Operations Contract (STSOC). Our initial challenge was to accept responsibility for a very large, highly complex and fragmented collection of software from eleven different contractors and transform it into a coherent, operational baseline. Concurrently, we had to integrate a diverse group of people from eleven different companies into a single, cohesive team. Paramax executives recognized the absolute necessity to develop a business culture based on the concept of employee involvement to execute and improve the complex process of our new environment. Our executives clearly understood that management needed to set the example and lead the way to quality improvement. The total quality management policy and the metrics used in this endeavor are presented.

Analyzing the test process using structural coverage

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramsey, James; Basili, Victor R.

1985-01-01

A large, commercially developed FORTRAN program was modified to produce structural coverage metrics. The modified program was executed on a set of functionally generated acceptance tests and a large sample of operational usage cases. The resulting structural coverage metrics are combined with fault and error data to evaluate structural coverage. It was shown that in the software environment the functionally generated tests seem to be a good approximation of operational use. The relative proportions of the exercised statement subclasses change as the structural coverage of the program increases. A method was also proposed for evaluating if two sets of input data exercise a program in a similar manner. Evidence was provided that implies that in this environment, faults revealed in a procedure are independent of the number of times the procedure is executed and that it may be reasonable to use procedure coverage in software models that use statement coverage. Finally, the evidence suggests that it may be possible to use structural coverage to aid in the management of the acceptance test processed.

Can Robots and Humans Get Along?

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

Scholtz, Jean

2007-06-01

Now that robots have moved into the mainstream—as vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, autonomous vehicles, tour guides, and even pets—it is important to consider how everyday people will interact with them. A robot is really just a computer, but many researchers are beginning to understand that human-robot interactions are much different than human-computer interactions. So while the metrics used to evaluate the human-computer interaction (usability of the software interface in terms of time, accuracy, and user satisfaction) may also be appropriate for human-robot interactions, we need to determine whether there are additional metrics that should be considered.

GreenIT Service Level Agreements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Laszewski, Gregor; Wang, Lizhe

In this paper we are introducing a framework towards the inclusion of Green IT metrics as part of service level agreements for future Grids and Clouds. As part of this effort we need to revisit Green IT metrics and proxies that we consider optimizing against in order to develop GreenIT as a Services (GaaS) that can be reused as part of a Software as a Service (SaaS) and Infrastructure Infrastructureas a service (IaaS) framework. We report on some of our ongoing efforts and demonstrate how we already achieve impact on the environment with our services.

Technical note: DIRART--A software suite for deformable image registration and adaptive radiotherapy research.

PubMed

Yang, Deshan; Brame, Scott; El Naqa, Issam; Aditya, Apte; Wu, Yu; Goddu, S Murty; Mutic, Sasa; Deasy, Joseph O; Low, Daniel A

2011-01-01

Recent years have witnessed tremendous progress in image guide radiotherapy technology and a growing interest in the possibilities for adapting treatment planning and delivery over the course of treatment. One obstacle faced by the research community has been the lack of a comprehensive open-source software toolkit dedicated for adaptive radiotherapy (ART). To address this need, the authors have developed a software suite called the Deformable Image Registration and Adaptive Radiotherapy Toolkit (DIRART). DIRART is an open-source toolkit developed in MATLAB. It is designed in an object-oriented style with focus on user-friendliness, features, and flexibility. It contains four classes of DIR algorithms, including the newer inverse consistency algorithms to provide consistent displacement vector field in both directions. It also contains common ART functions, an integrated graphical user interface, a variety of visualization and image-processing features, dose metric analysis functions, and interface routines. These interface routines make DIRART a powerful complement to the Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research (CERR) and popular image-processing toolkits such as ITK. DIRART provides a set of image processing/registration algorithms and postprocessing functions to facilitate the development and testing of DIR algorithms. It also offers a good amount of options for DIR results visualization, evaluation, and validation. By exchanging data with treatment planning systems via DICOM-RT files and CERR, and by bringing image registration algorithms closer to radiotherapy applications, DIRART is potentially a convenient and flexible platform that may facilitate ART and DIR research. 0 2011 Ameri-

Systematic study of source mask optimization and verification flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben, Yu; Latypov, Azat; Chua, Gek Soon; Zou, Yi

2012-06-01

Source mask optimization (SMO) emerged as powerful resolution enhancement technique (RET) for advanced technology nodes. However, there is a plethora of flow and verification metrics in the field, confounding the end user of the technique. Systemic study of different flows and the possible unification thereof is missing. This contribution is intended to reveal the pros and cons of different SMO approaches and verification metrics, understand the commonality and difference, and provide a generic guideline for RET selection via SMO. The paper discusses 3 different type of variations commonly arise in SMO, namely pattern preparation & selection, availability of relevant OPC recipe for freeform source and finally the metrics used in source verification. Several pattern selection algorithms are compared and advantages of systematic pattern selection algorithms are discussed. In the absence of a full resist model for SMO, alternative SMO flow without full resist model is reviewed. Preferred verification flow with quality metrics of DOF and MEEF is examined.

A process improvement model for software verification and validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callahan, John; Sabolish, George

1994-01-01

We describe ongoing work at the NASA Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility to establish a process improvement model for software verification and validation (V&V) organizations. This model, similar to those used by some software development organizations, uses measurement-based techniques to identify problem areas and introduce incremental improvements. We seek to replicate this model for organizations involved in V&V on large-scale software development projects such as EOS and space station. At the IV&V Facility, a university research group and V&V contractors are working together to collect metrics across projects in order to determine the effectiveness of V&V and improve its application. Since V&V processes are intimately tied to development processes, this paper also examines the repercussions for development organizations in large-scale efforts.

A process improvement model for software verification and validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Callahan, John; Sabolish, George

1994-01-01

We describe ongoing work at the NASA Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V) Facility to establish a process improvement model for software verification and validation (V&V) organizations. This model, similar to those used by some software development organizations, uses measurement-based techniques to identify problem areas and introduce incremental improvements. We seek to replicate this model for organizations involved in V&V on large-scale software development projects such as EOS and Space Station. At the IV&V Facility, a university research group and V&V contractors are working together to collect metrics across projects in order to determine the effectiveness of V&V and improve its application. Since V&V processes are intimately tied to development processes, this paper also examines the repercussions for development organizations in large-scale efforts.

SPICE Module for the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coggi, John; Carnright, Robert; Hildebrand, Claude

2008-01-01

A SPICE module for the Satellite Orbit Analysis Program (SOAP) precisely represents complex motion and maneuvers in an interactive, 3D animated environment with support for user-defined quantitative outputs. (SPICE stands for Spacecraft, Planet, Instrument, Camera-matrix, and Events). This module enables the SOAP software to exploit NASA mission ephemeris represented in the JPL Ancillary Information Facility (NAIF) SPICE formats. Ephemeris types supported include position, velocity, and orientation for spacecraft and planetary bodies including the Sun, planets, natural satellites, comets, and asteroids. Entire missions can now be imported into SOAP for 3D visualization, playback, and analysis. The SOAP analysis and display features can now leverage detailed mission files to offer the analyst both a numerically correct and aesthetically pleasing combination of results that can be varied to study many hypothetical scenarios. The software provides a modeling and simulation environment that can encompass a broad variety of problems using orbital prediction. For example, ground coverage analysis, communications analysis, power and thermal analysis, and 3D visualization that provide the user with insight into complex geometric relations are included. The SOAP SPICE module allows distributed science and engineering teams to share common mission models of known pedigree, which greatly reduces duplication of effort and the potential for error. The use of the software spans all phases of the space system lifecycle, from the study of future concepts to operations and anomaly analysis. It allows SOAP software to correctly position and orient all of the principal bodies of the Solar System within a single simulation session along with multiple spacecraft trajectories and the orientation of mission payloads. In addition to the 3D visualization, the user can define numeric variables and x-y plots to quantitatively assess metrics of interest.

Integrating remote sensing with species distribution models; Mapping tamarisk invasions using the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM)

USGS Publications Warehouse

West, Amanda M.; Evangelista, Paul H.; Jarnevich, Catherine S.; Young, Nicholas E.; Stohlgren, Thomas J.; Talbert, Colin; Talbert, Marian; Morisette, Jeffrey; Anderson, Ryan

2016-01-01

Early detection of invasive plant species is vital for the management of natural resources and protection of ecosystem processes. The use of satellite remote sensing for mapping the distribution of invasive plants is becoming more common, however conventional imaging software and classification methods have been shown to be unreliable. In this study, we test and evaluate the use of five species distribution model techniques fit with satellite remote sensing data to map invasive tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) along the Arkansas River in Southeastern Colorado. The models tested included boosted regression trees (BRT), Random Forest (RF), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), generalized linear model (GLM), and Maxent. These analyses were conducted using a newly developed software package called the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM). All models were trained with 499 presence points, 10,000 pseudo-absence points, and predictor variables acquired from the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) sensor over an eight-month period to distinguish tamarisk from native riparian vegetation using detection of phenological differences. From the Landsat scenes, we used individual bands and calculated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and tasseled capped transformations. All five models identified current tamarisk distribution on the landscape successfully based on threshold independent and threshold dependent evaluation metrics with independent location data. To account for model specific differences, we produced an ensemble of all five models with map output highlighting areas of agreement and areas of uncertainty. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of species distribution models in analyzing remotely sensed data and the utility of ensemble mapping, and showcase the capability of SAHM in pre-processing and executing multiple complex models.

Integrating Remote Sensing with Species Distribution Models; Mapping Tamarisk Invasions Using the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM).

PubMed

West, Amanda M; Evangelista, Paul H; Jarnevich, Catherine S; Young, Nicholas E; Stohlgren, Thomas J; Talbert, Colin; Talbert, Marian; Morisette, Jeffrey; Anderson, Ryan

2016-10-11

Early detection of invasive plant species is vital for the management of natural resources and protection of ecosystem processes. The use of satellite remote sensing for mapping the distribution of invasive plants is becoming more common, however conventional imaging software and classification methods have been shown to be unreliable. In this study, we test and evaluate the use of five species distribution model techniques fit with satellite remote sensing data to map invasive tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) along the Arkansas River in Southeastern Colorado. The models tested included boosted regression trees (BRT), Random Forest (RF), multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS), generalized linear model (GLM), and Maxent. These analyses were conducted using a newly developed software package called the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM). All models were trained with 499 presence points, 10,000 pseudo-absence points, and predictor variables acquired from the Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) sensor over an eight-month period to distinguish tamarisk from native riparian vegetation using detection of phenological differences. From the Landsat scenes, we used individual bands and calculated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Soil-Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), and tasseled capped transformations. All five models identified current tamarisk distribution on the landscape successfully based on threshold independent and threshold dependent evaluation metrics with independent location data. To account for model specific differences, we produced an ensemble of all five models with map output highlighting areas of agreement and areas of uncertainty. Our results demonstrate the usefulness of species distribution models in analyzing remotely sensed data and the utility of ensemble mapping, and showcase the capability of SAHM in pre-processing and executing multiple complex models.

Geospatial Data Stream Processing in Python Using FOSS4G Components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McFerren, G.; van Zyl, T.

2016-06-01

One viewpoint of current and future IT systems holds that there is an increase in the scale and velocity at which data are acquired and analysed from heterogeneous, dynamic sources. In the earth observation and geoinformatics domains, this process is driven by the increase in number and types of devices that report location and the proliferation of assorted sensors, from satellite constellations to oceanic buoy arrays. Much of these data will be encountered as self-contained messages on data streams - continuous, infinite flows of data. Spatial analytics over data streams concerns the search for spatial and spatio-temporal relationships within and amongst data "on the move". In spatial databases, queries can assess a store of data to unpack spatial relationships; this is not the case on streams, where spatial relationships need to be established with the incomplete data available. Methods for spatially-based indexing, filtering, joining and transforming of streaming data need to be established and implemented in software components. This article describes the usage patterns and performance metrics of a number of well known FOSS4G Python software libraries within the data stream processing paradigm. In particular, we consider the RTree library for spatial indexing, the Shapely library for geometric processing and transformation and the PyProj library for projection and geodesic calculations over streams of geospatial data. We introduce a message oriented Python-based geospatial data streaming framework called Swordfish, which provides data stream processing primitives, functions, transports and a common data model for describing messages, based on the Open Geospatial Consortium Observations and Measurements (O&M) and Unidata Common Data Model (CDM) standards. We illustrate how the geospatial software components are integrated with the Swordfish framework. Furthermore, we describe the tight temporal constraints under which geospatial functionality can be invoked when processing high velocity, potentially infinite geospatial data streams. The article discusses the performance of these libraries under simulated streaming loads (size, complexity and volume of messages) and how they can be deployed and utilised with Swordfish under real load scenarios, illustrated by a set of Vessel Automatic Identification System (AIS) use cases. We conclude that the described software libraries are able to perform adequately under geospatial data stream processing scenarios - many real application use cases will be handled sufficiently by the software.

Biotechnology software in the digital age: are you winning?

PubMed

Scheitz, Cornelia Johanna Franziska; Peck, Lawrence J; Groban, Eli S

2018-01-16

There is a digital revolution taking place and biotechnology companies are slow to adapt. Many pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and industrial bio-production companies believe that software must be developed and maintained in-house and that data are more secure on internal servers than on the cloud. In fact, most companies in this space continue to employ large IT and software teams and acquire computational infrastructure in the form of in-house servers. This is due to a fear of the cloud not sufficiently protecting in-house resources and the belief that their software is valuable IP. Over the next decade, the ability to quickly adapt to changing market conditions, with agile software teams, will quickly become a compelling competitive advantage. Biotechnology companies that do not adopt the new regime may lose on key business metrics such as return on invested capital, revenue, profitability, and eventually market share.

A Study of Clinically Related Open Source Software Projects

PubMed Central

Hogarth, Michael A.; Turner, Stuart

2005-01-01

Open source software development has recently gained significant interest due to several successful mainstream open source projects. This methodology has been proposed as being similarly viable and beneficial in the clinical application domain as well. However, the clinical software development venue differs significantly from the mainstream software venue. Existing clinical open source projects have not been well characterized nor formally studied so the ‘fit’ of open source in this domain is largely unknown. In order to better understand the open source movement in the clinical application domain, we undertook a study of existing open source clinical projects. In this study we sought to characterize and classify existing clinical open source projects and to determine metrics for their viability. This study revealed several findings which we believe could guide the healthcare community in its quest for successful open source clinical software projects. PMID:16779056

Learning from examples - Generation and evaluation of decision trees for software resource analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Selby, Richard W.; Porter, Adam A.

1988-01-01

A general solution method for the automatic generation of decision (or classification) trees is investigated. The approach is to provide insights through in-depth empirical characterization and evaluation of decision trees for software resource data analysis. The trees identify classes of objects (software modules) that had high development effort. Sixteen software systems ranging from 3,000 to 112,000 source lines were selected for analysis from a NASA production environment. The collection and analysis of 74 attributes (or metrics), for over 4,700 objects, captured information about the development effort, faults, changes, design style, and implementation style. A total of 9,600 decision trees were automatically generated and evaluated. The trees correctly identified 79.3 percent of the software modules that had high development effort or faults, and the trees generated from the best parameter combinations correctly identified 88.4 percent of the modules on the average.

Results of Software and Services Citations Review at ESIP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hausman, J.; Gallagher, J. H. R.; Stall, S.

2017-12-01

Citations for software and services/tools are important as they provide a way to improve reproducibility of science, better provenance and easier to attribute credit to the developers. Software citations are trickier than papers or data as software can be very dynamic so it is a bit of a moving target. It is even more difficult for services/tools as they usually have data as inputs so now a relation between the tool and data is needed. There are suggested citation formats, but they do not always contain enough information that can easily gleaned or obtained from a metrics crawler. At the Summer 2017 Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) meeting a workshop was held to evaluate the effectiveness of a citation. This presentation will summarize those results and put forth adjustments to the format. These adjustments will make it easier to verify that the citation is for a service or software and for information harvesting.

Artificial General Intelligence: Concept, State of the Art, and Future Prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goertzel, Ben

2014-12-01

In recent years broad community of researchers has emerged, focusing on the original ambitious goals of the AI field - the creation and study of software or hardware systems with general intelligence comparable to, and ultimately perhaps greater than, that of human beings. This paper surveys this diverse community and its progress. Approaches to defining the concept of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) are reviewed including mathematical formalisms, engineering, and biology inspired perspectives. The spectrum of designs for AGI systems includes systems with symbolic, emergentist, hybrid and universalist characteristics. Metrics for general intelligence are evaluated, with a conclusion that, although metrics for assessing the achievement of human-level AGI may be relatively straightforward (e.g. the Turing Test, or a robot that can graduate from elementary school or university), metrics for assessing partial progress remain more controversial and problematic.

NGSCheckMate: software for validating sample identity in next-generation sequencing studies within and across data types.

PubMed

Lee, Sejoon; Lee, Soohyun; Ouellette, Scott; Park, Woong-Yang; Lee, Eunjung A; Park, Peter J

2017-06-20

In many next-generation sequencing (NGS) studies, multiple samples or data types are profiled for each individual. An important quality control (QC) step in these studies is to ensure that datasets from the same subject are properly paired. Given the heterogeneity of data types, file types and sequencing depths in a multi-dimensional study, a robust program that provides a standardized metric for genotype comparisons would be useful. Here, we describe NGSCheckMate, a user-friendly software package for verifying sample identities from FASTQ, BAM or VCF files. This tool uses a model-based method to compare allele read fractions at known single-nucleotide polymorphisms, considering depth-dependent behavior of similarity metrics for identical and unrelated samples. Our evaluation shows that NGSCheckMate is effective for a variety of data types, including exome sequencing, whole-genome sequencing, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, targeted sequencing and single-cell whole-genome sequencing, with a minimal requirement for sequencing depth (>0.5X). An alignment-free module can be run directly on FASTQ files for a quick initial check. We recommend using this software as a QC step in NGS studies. https://github.com/parklab/NGSCheckMate. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Integrating structure-from-motion photogrammetry with geospatial software as a novel technique for quantifying 3D ecological characteristics of coral reefs

PubMed Central

Delparte, D; Gates, RD; Takabayashi, M

2015-01-01

The structural complexity of coral reefs plays a major role in the biodiversity, productivity, and overall functionality of reef ecosystems. Conventional metrics with 2-dimensional properties are inadequate for characterization of reef structural complexity. A 3-dimensional (3D) approach can better quantify topography, rugosity and other structural characteristics that play an important role in the ecology of coral reef communities. Structure-from-Motion (SfM) is an emerging low-cost photogrammetric method for high-resolution 3D topographic reconstruction. This study utilized SfM 3D reconstruction software tools to create textured mesh models of a reef at French Frigate Shoals, an atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. The reconstructed orthophoto and digital elevation model were then integrated with geospatial software in order to quantify metrics pertaining to 3D complexity. The resulting data provided high-resolution physical properties of coral colonies that were then combined with live cover to accurately characterize the reef as a living structure. The 3D reconstruction of reef structure and complexity can be integrated with other physiological and ecological parameters in future research to develop reliable ecosystem models and improve capacity to monitor changes in the health and function of coral reef ecosystems. PMID:26207190

Archive Inventory Management System (AIMS) — A Fast, Metrics Gathering Framework for Validating and Gaining Insight from Large File-Based Data Archives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verma, R. V.

2018-04-01

The Archive Inventory Management System (AIMS) is a software package for understanding the distribution, characteristics, integrity, and nuances of files and directories in large file-based data archives on a continuous basis.

Closing the Certification Gaps in Adaptive Flight Control Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacklin, Stephen A.

2008-01-01

Over the last five decades, extensive research has been performed to design and develop adaptive control systems for aerospace systems and other applications where the capability to change controller behavior at different operating conditions is highly desirable. Although adaptive flight control has been partially implemented through the use of gain-scheduled control, truly adaptive control systems using learning algorithms and on-line system identification methods have not seen commercial deployment. The reason is that the certification process for adaptive flight control software for use in national air space has not yet been decided. The purpose of this paper is to examine the gaps between the state-of-the-art methodologies used to certify conventional (i.e., non-adaptive) flight control system software and what will likely to be needed to satisfy FAA airworthiness requirements. These gaps include the lack of a certification plan or process guide, the need to develop verification and validation tools and methodologies to analyze adaptive controller stability and convergence, as well as the development of metrics to evaluate adaptive controller performance at off-nominal flight conditions. This paper presents the major certification gap areas, a description of the current state of the verification methodologies, and what further research efforts will likely be needed to close the gaps remaining in current certification practices. It is envisioned that closing the gap will require certain advances in simulation methods, comprehensive methods to determine learning algorithm stability and convergence rates, the development of performance metrics for adaptive controllers, the application of formal software assurance methods, the application of on-line software monitoring tools for adaptive controller health assessment, and the development of a certification case for adaptive system safety of flight.

Does cone beam CT actually ameliorate stab wound analysis in bone?

PubMed

Gaudio, D; Di Giancamillo, M; Gibelli, D; Galassi, A; Cerutti, E; Cattaneo, C

2014-01-01

This study aims at verifying the potential of a recent radiological technology, cone beam CT (CBCT), for the reproduction of digital 3D models which may allow the user to verify the inner morphology of sharp force wounds within the bone tissue. Several sharp force wounds were produced by both single and double cutting edge weapons on cancellous and cortical bone, and then acquired by cone beam CT scan. The lesions were analysed by different software (a DICOM file viewer and reverse engineering software). Results verified the limited performances of such technology for lesions made on cortical bone, whereas on cancellous bone reliable models were obtained, and the precise morphology within the bone tissues was visible. On the basis of such results, a method for differential diagnosis between cutmarks by sharp tools with a single and two cutting edges can be proposed. On the other hand, the metrical computerised analysis of lesions highlights a clear increase of error range for measurements under 3 mm. Metric data taken by different operators shows a strong dispersion (% relative standard deviation). This pilot study shows that the use of CBCT technology can improve the investigation of morphological stab wounds on cancellous bone. Conversely metric analysis of the lesions as well as morphological analysis of wound dimension under 3 mm do not seem to be reliable.

Veterinary software application for comparison of thermograms for pathology evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pant, Gita; Umbaugh, Scott E.; Dahal, Rohini; Lama, Norsang; Marino, Dominic J.; Sackman, Joseph

2017-09-01

The bilateral symmetry property in mammals allows for the detection of pathology by comparison of opposing sides. For any pathological disorder, thermal patterns differ compared to the normal body part. A software application for veterinary clinics has been under development to input two thermograms of body parts on both sides, one normal and the other unknown, and the application compares them based on extracted features and appropriate similarity and difference measures and outputs the likelihood of pathology. Here thermographic image data from 19° C to 40° C was linearly remapped to create images with 256 gray level values. Features were extracted from these images, including histogram, texture and spectral features. The comparison metrics used are the vector inner product, Tanimoto, Euclidean, city block, Minkowski and maximum value metric. Previous research with the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) pathology in dogs suggested any thermogram variation below a threshold of 40% of Euclidean distance is normal and above 40% is abnormal. Here the 40% threshold was applied to a new ACL image set and achieved a sensitivity of 75%, an improvement from the 55% sensitivity of the previous work. With the new data set it was determined that using a threshold of 20% provided a much improved 92% sensitivity metric. However, this will require further research to determine the corresponding specificity success rate. Additionally, it was found that the anterior view provided better results than the lateral view. It was also determined that better results were obtained with all three feature sets than with just the histogram and texture sets. Further experiments are ongoing with larger image datasets, and pathologies, new features and comparison metric evaluation for determination of more accurate threshold values to separate normal and abnormal images.

NeuronMetrics: Software for Semi-Automated Processing of Cultured-Neuron Images

PubMed Central

Narro, Martha L.; Yang, Fan; Kraft, Robert; Wenk, Carola; Efrat, Alon; Restifo, Linda L.

2007-01-01

Using primary cell culture to screen for changes in neuronal morphology requires specialized analysis software. We developed NeuronMetrics™ for semi-automated, quantitative analysis of two-dimensional (2D) images of fluorescently labeled cultured neurons. It skeletonizes the neuron image using two complementary image-processing techniques, capturing fine terminal neurites with high fidelity. An algorithm was devised to span wide gaps in the skeleton. NeuronMetrics uses a novel strategy based on geometric features called faces to extract a branch-number estimate from complex arbors with numerous neurite-to-neurite contacts, without creating a precise, contact-free representation of the neurite arbor. It estimates total neurite length, branch number, primary neurite number, territory (the area of the convex polygon bounding the skeleton and cell body), and Polarity Index (a measure of neuronal polarity). These parameters provide fundamental information about the size and shape of neurite arbors, which are critical factors for neuronal function. NeuronMetrics streamlines optional manual tasks such as removing noise, isolating the largest primary neurite, and correcting length for self-fasciculating neurites. Numeric data are output in a single text file, readily imported into other applications for further analysis. Written as modules for ImageJ, NeuronMetrics provides practical analysis tools that are easy to use and support batch processing. Depending on the need for manual intervention, processing time for a batch of ~60 2D images is 1.0–2.5 hours, from a folder of images to a table of numeric data. NeuronMetrics’ output accelerates the quantitative detection of mutations and chemical compounds that alter neurite morphology in vitro, and will contribute to the use of cultured neurons for drug discovery. PMID:17270152

Anatomical shape analysis of the mandible in Caucasian and Chinese for the production of preformed mandible reconstruction plates.

PubMed

Metzger, Marc C; Vogel, Mathias; Hohlweg-Majert, Bettina; Mast, Hansjörg; Fan, Xianqun; Rüdell, Alexandra; Schlager, Stefan

2011-09-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and analyze statistical shapes of the outer mandible contour of Caucasian and Chinese people, offering data for the production of preformed mandible reconstruction plates. A CT-database of 925 Caucasians (male: n=463, female: n=462) and 960 Chinese (male: n=469, female: n=491) including scans of unaffected mandibles were used and imported into the 3D modeling software Voxim (IVS-Solutions, Chemnitz, Germany). Anatomical landmarks (n=22 points for both sides) were set using the 3D view along the outer contour of the mandible at the area where reconstruction plates are commonly located. We used morphometric methods for statistical shape analysis. We found statistical relevant differences between populations including a distinct discrimination given by the landmarks at the mandible. After generating a metric model this shape information which separated the populations appeared to be of no clinical relevance. The metric size information given by ramus length however provided a profound base for the production of standard reconstruction plates. Clustering by ramus length into three sizes and calculating means of these size-clusters seem to be a good solution for constructing preformed reconstruction plates that will fit a vast majority. Copyright © 2010 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A multi-center study benchmarks software tools for label-free proteome quantification

PubMed Central

Gillet, Ludovic C; Bernhardt, Oliver M.; MacLean, Brendan; Röst, Hannes L.; Tate, Stephen A.; Tsou, Chih-Chiang; Reiter, Lukas; Distler, Ute; Rosenberger, George; Perez-Riverol, Yasset; Nesvizhskii, Alexey I.; Aebersold, Ruedi; Tenzer, Stefan

2016-01-01

The consistent and accurate quantification of proteins by mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics depends on the performance of instruments, acquisition methods and data analysis software. In collaboration with the software developers, we evaluated OpenSWATH, SWATH2.0, Skyline, Spectronaut and DIA-Umpire, five of the most widely used software methods for processing data from SWATH-MS (sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment ion spectra), a method that uses data-independent acquisition (DIA) for label-free protein quantification. We analyzed high-complexity test datasets from hybrid proteome samples of defined quantitative composition acquired on two different MS instruments using different SWATH isolation windows setups. For consistent evaluation we developed LFQbench, an R-package to calculate metrics of precision and accuracy in label-free quantitative MS, and report the identification performance, robustness and specificity of each software tool. Our reference datasets enabled developers to improve their software tools. After optimization, all tools provided highly convergent identification and reliable quantification performance, underscoring their robustness for label-free quantitative proteomics. PMID:27701404

A multicenter study benchmarks software tools for label-free proteome quantification.

PubMed

Navarro, Pedro; Kuharev, Jörg; Gillet, Ludovic C; Bernhardt, Oliver M; MacLean, Brendan; Röst, Hannes L; Tate, Stephen A; Tsou, Chih-Chiang; Reiter, Lukas; Distler, Ute; Rosenberger, George; Perez-Riverol, Yasset; Nesvizhskii, Alexey I; Aebersold, Ruedi; Tenzer, Stefan

2016-11-01

Consistent and accurate quantification of proteins by mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics depends on the performance of instruments, acquisition methods and data analysis software. In collaboration with the software developers, we evaluated OpenSWATH, SWATH 2.0, Skyline, Spectronaut and DIA-Umpire, five of the most widely used software methods for processing data from sequential window acquisition of all theoretical fragment-ion spectra (SWATH)-MS, which uses data-independent acquisition (DIA) for label-free protein quantification. We analyzed high-complexity test data sets from hybrid proteome samples of defined quantitative composition acquired on two different MS instruments using different SWATH isolation-window setups. For consistent evaluation, we developed LFQbench, an R package, to calculate metrics of precision and accuracy in label-free quantitative MS and report the identification performance, robustness and specificity of each software tool. Our reference data sets enabled developers to improve their software tools. After optimization, all tools provided highly convergent identification and reliable quantification performance, underscoring their robustness for label-free quantitative proteomics.

Single-Point Mutation with a Rotamer Library Toolkit: Toward Protein Engineering.

PubMed

Pottel, Joshua; Moitessier, Nicolas

2015-12-28

Protein engineers have long been hard at work to harness biocatalysts as a natural source of regio-, stereo-, and chemoselectivity in order to carry out chemistry (reactions and/or substrates) not previously achieved with these enzymes. The extreme labor demands and exponential number of mutation combinations have induced computational advances in this domain. The first step in our virtual approach is to predict the correct conformations upon mutation of residues (i.e., rebuilding side chains). For this purpose, we opted for a combination of molecular mechanics and statistical data. In this work, we have developed automated computational tools to extract protein structural information and created conformational libraries for each amino acid dependent on a variable number of parameters (e.g., resolution, flexibility, secondary structure). We have also developed the necessary tool to apply the mutation and optimize the conformation accordingly. For side-chain conformation prediction, we obtained overall average root-mean-square deviations (RMSDs) of 0.91 and 1.01 Å for the 18 flexible natural amino acids within two distinct sets of over 3000 and 1500 side-chain residues, respectively. The commonly used dihedral angle differences were also evaluated and performed worse than the state of the art. These two metrics are also compared. Furthermore, we generated a family-specific library for kinases that produced an average 2% lower RMSD upon side-chain reconstruction and a residue-specific library that yielded a 17% improvement. Ultimately, since our protein engineering outlook involves using our docking software, Fitted/Impacts, we applied our mutation protocol to a benchmarked data set for self- and cross-docking. Our side-chain reconstruction does not hinder our docking software, demonstrating differences in pose prediction accuracy of approximately 2% (RMSD cutoff metric) for a set of over 200 protein/ligand structures. Similarly, when docking to a set of over 100 kinases, side-chain reconstruction (using both general and biased conformation libraries) had minimal detriment to the docking accuracy.

Scale-dependent complementarity of climatic velocity and environmental diversity for identifying priority areas for conservation under climate change.

PubMed

Carroll, Carlos; Roberts, David R; Michalak, Julia L; Lawler, Joshua J; Nielsen, Scott E; Stralberg, Diana; Hamann, Andreas; Mcrae, Brad H; Wang, Tongli

2017-11-01

As most regions of the earth transition to altered climatic conditions, new methods are needed to identify refugia and other areas whose conservation would facilitate persistence of biodiversity under climate change. We compared several common approaches to conservation planning focused on climate resilience over a broad range of ecological settings across North America and evaluated how commonalities in the priority areas identified by different methods varied with regional context and spatial scale. Our results indicate that priority areas based on different environmental diversity metrics differed substantially from each other and from priorities based on spatiotemporal metrics such as climatic velocity. Refugia identified by diversity or velocity metrics were not strongly associated with the current protected area system, suggesting the need for additional conservation measures including protection of refugia. Despite the inherent uncertainties in predicting future climate, we found that variation among climatic velocities derived from different general circulation models and emissions pathways was less than the variation among the suite of environmental diversity metrics. To address uncertainty created by this variation, planners can combine priorities identified by alternative metrics at a single resolution and downweight areas of high variation between metrics. Alternately, coarse-resolution velocity metrics can be combined with fine-resolution diversity metrics in order to leverage the respective strengths of the two groups of metrics as tools for identification of potential macro- and microrefugia that in combination maximize both transient and long-term resilience to climate change. Planners should compare and integrate approaches that span a range of model complexity and spatial scale to match the range of ecological and physical processes influencing persistence of biodiversity and identify a conservation network resilient to threats operating at multiple scales. © 2017 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Developing a Common Metric for Evaluating Police Performance in Deadly Force Situations

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-27

2005).“Police Inservice Deadly Force Training and Requalification in Washington State.” Law Enforcement Executive Forum, 5(2):67-86. NIJ Metric...OF: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Background There is a critical lack of scientific evidence about whether deadly force management, accountability and training ...Army Research Office P.O. Box 12211 Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2211 15. SUBJECT TERMS training metrics develoment, deadly encounters

Multi-site Study of Diffusion Metric Variability: Characterizing the Effects of Site, Vendor, Field Strength, and Echo Time using the Histogram Distance.

PubMed

Helmer, K G; Chou, M-C; Preciado, R I; Gimi, B; Rollins, N K; Song, A; Turner, J; Mori, S

2016-02-27

MRI-based multi-site trials now routinely include some form of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in their protocol. These studies can include data originating from scanners built by different vendors, each with their own set of unique protocol restrictions, including restrictions on the number of available gradient directions, whether an externally-generated list of gradient directions can be used, and restrictions on the echo time (TE). One challenge of multi-site studies is to create a common imaging protocol that will result in a reliable and accurate set of diffusion metrics. The present study describes the effect of site, scanner vendor, field strength, and TE on two common metrics: the first moment of the diffusion tensor field (mean diffusivity, MD), and the fractional anisotropy (FA). We have shown in earlier work that ROI metrics and the mean of MD and FA histograms are not sufficiently sensitive for use in site characterization. Here we use the distance between whole brain histograms of FA and MD to investigate within- and between-site effects. We concluded that the variability of DTI metrics due to site, vendor, field strength, and echo time could influence the results in multi-center trials and that histogram distance is sensitive metrics for each of these variables.

Validation of neural spike sorting algorithms without ground-truth information.

PubMed

Barnett, Alex H; Magland, Jeremy F; Greengard, Leslie F

2016-05-01

The throughput of electrophysiological recording is growing rapidly, allowing thousands of simultaneous channels, and there is a growing variety of spike sorting algorithms designed to extract neural firing events from such data. This creates an urgent need for standardized, automatic evaluation of the quality of neural units output by such algorithms. We introduce a suite of validation metrics that assess the credibility of a given automatic spike sorting algorithm applied to a given dataset. By rerunning the spike sorter two or more times, the metrics measure stability under various perturbations consistent with variations in the data itself, making no assumptions about the internal workings of the algorithm, and minimal assumptions about the noise. We illustrate the new metrics on standard sorting algorithms applied to both in vivo and ex vivo recordings, including a time series with overlapping spikes. We compare the metrics to existing quality measures, and to ground-truth accuracy in simulated time series. We provide a software implementation. Metrics have until now relied on ground-truth, simulated data, internal algorithm variables (e.g. cluster separation), or refractory violations. By contrast, by standardizing the interface, our metrics assess the reliability of any automatic algorithm without reference to internal variables (e.g. feature space) or physiological criteria. Stability is a prerequisite for reproducibility of results. Such metrics could reduce the significant human labor currently spent on validation, and should form an essential part of large-scale automated spike sorting and systematic benchmarking of algorithms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Independent Verification and Validation (IV and V) Criteria

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGill, Kenneth

2000-01-01

The purpose of this appendix is to establish quantifiable criteria for determining whether IV&V should be applied to a given software development. Since IV&V should begin in the Formulation Subprocess of a project, the process here described is based on metrics which are available before project approval.

Benchmarking of HPCC: A novel 3D molecular representation combining shape and pharmacophoric descriptors for efficient molecular similarity assessments.

PubMed

Karaboga, Arnaud S; Petronin, Florent; Marchetti, Gino; Souchet, Michel; Maigret, Bernard

2013-04-01

Since 3D molecular shape is an important determinant of biological activity, designing accurate 3D molecular representations is still of high interest. Several chemoinformatic approaches have been developed to try to describe accurate molecular shapes. Here, we present a novel 3D molecular description, namely harmonic pharma chemistry coefficient (HPCC), combining a ligand-centric pharmacophoric description projected onto a spherical harmonic based shape of a ligand. The performance of HPCC was evaluated by comparison to the standard ROCS software in a ligand-based virtual screening (VS) approach using the publicly available directory of useful decoys (DUD) data set comprising over 100,000 compounds distributed across 40 protein targets. Our results were analyzed using commonly reported statistics such as the area under the curve (AUC) and normalized sum of logarithms of ranks (NSLR) metrics. Overall, our HPCC 3D method is globally as efficient as the state-of-the-art ROCS software in terms of enrichment and slightly better for more than half of the DUD targets. Since it is largely admitted that VS results depend strongly on the nature of the protein families, we believe that the present HPCC solution is of interest over the current ligand-based VS methods. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Glossary of Dimensions and Metrics Used in Google Analytics

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Dimensions are descriptive attributes, the items being measured, and metrics are the numerical values that provide data about those dimensions. See a list of all the definitions, and a shorter table of those you will most commonly use in GA reports.

SpotMetrics: An Open-Source Image-Analysis Software Plugin for Automatic Chromatophore Detection and Measurement

PubMed Central

Hadjisolomou, Stavros P.; El-Haddad, George

2017-01-01

Coleoid cephalopods (squid, octopus, and sepia) are renowned for their elaborate body patterning capabilities, which are employed for camouflage or communication. The specific chromatic appearance of a cephalopod, at any given moment, is a direct result of the combined action of their intradermal pigmented chromatophore organs and reflecting cells. Therefore, a lot can be learned about the cephalopod coloration system by video recording and analyzing the activation of individual chromatophores in time. The fact that adult cephalopods have small chromatophores, up to several hundred thousand in number, makes measurement and analysis over several seconds a difficult task. However, current advancements in videography enable high-resolution and high framerate recording, which can be used to record chromatophore activity in more detail and accuracy in both space and time domains. In turn, the additional pixel information and extra frames per video from such recordings result in large video files of several gigabytes, even when the recording spans only few minutes. We created a software plugin, “SpotMetrics,” that can automatically analyze high resolution, high framerate video of chromatophore organ activation in time. This image analysis software can track hundreds of individual chromatophores over several hundred frames to provide measurements of size and color. This software may also be used to measure differences in chromatophore activation during different behaviors which will contribute to our understanding of the cephalopod sensorimotor integration system. In addition, this software can potentially be utilized to detect numbers of round objects and size changes in time, such as eye pupil size or number of bacteria in a sample. Thus, we are making this software plugin freely available as open-source because we believe it will be of benefit to other colleagues both in the cephalopod biology field and also within other disciplines. PMID:28298896

Information-theoretic model comparison unifies saliency metrics

PubMed Central

Kümmerer, Matthias; Wallis, Thomas S. A.; Bethge, Matthias

2015-01-01

Learning the properties of an image associated with human gaze placement is important both for understanding how biological systems explore the environment and for computer vision applications. There is a large literature on quantitative eye movement models that seeks to predict fixations from images (sometimes termed “saliency” prediction). A major problem known to the field is that existing model comparison metrics give inconsistent results, causing confusion. We argue that the primary reason for these inconsistencies is because different metrics and models use different definitions of what a “saliency map” entails. For example, some metrics expect a model to account for image-independent central fixation bias whereas others will penalize a model that does. Here we bring saliency evaluation into the domain of information by framing fixation prediction models probabilistically and calculating information gain. We jointly optimize the scale, the center bias, and spatial blurring of all models within this framework. Evaluating existing metrics on these rephrased models produces almost perfect agreement in model rankings across the metrics. Model performance is separated from center bias and spatial blurring, avoiding the confounding of these factors in model comparison. We additionally provide a method to show where and how models fail to capture information in the fixations on the pixel level. These methods are readily extended to spatiotemporal models of fixation scanpaths, and we provide a software package to facilitate their use. PMID:26655340

Common pediatric cerebellar tumors: correlation between cell densities and apparent diffusion coefficient metrics.

PubMed

Koral, Korgün; Mathis, Derek; Gimi, Barjor; Gargan, Lynn; Weprin, Bradley; Bowers, Daniel C; Margraf, Linda

2013-08-01

To test whether there is correlation between cell densities and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) metrics of common pediatric cerebellar tumors. This study was reviewed for issues of patient safety and confidentiality and was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and was compliant with HIPAA. The need for informed consent was waived. Ninety-five patients who had preoperative magnetic resonance imaging and surgical pathologic findings available between January 2003 and June 2011 were included. There were 37 pilocytic astrocytomas, 34 medulloblastomas (23 classic, eight desmoplastic-nodular, two large cell, one anaplastic), 17 ependymomas (13 World Health Organization [WHO] grade II, four WHO grade III), and seven atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors. ADCs of solid tumor components and normal cerebellum were measured. Tumor-to-normal brain ADC ratios (hereafter, ADC ratio) were calculated. The medulloblastomas and ependymomas were subcategorized according to the latest WHO classification, and tumor cellularity was calculated. Correlation was sought between cell densities and mean tumor ADCs, minimum tumor ADCs, and ADC ratio. When all tumors were considered together, negative correlation was found between cellularity and mean tumor ADCs (ρ = -0.737, P < .05) and minimum tumor ADCs (ρ = -0.736, P < .05) of common pediatric cerebellar tumors. There was no correlation between cellularity and ADC ratio. Negative correlation was found between cellularity and minimum tumor ADC in atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors (ρ = -0.786, P < .05). In atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumors, no correlation was found between cellularity and mean tumor ADC and ADC ratio. There was no correlation between the ADC metrics and cellularity of the pilocytic astrocytomas, medulloblastomas, and ependymomas. Negative correlation was found between cellularity and ADC metrics of common pediatric cerebellar tumors. Although ADC metrics are useful in the preoperative diagnosis of common pediatric cerebellar tumors and this utility is generally attributed to differences in cellularity of tumors, tumor cellularity may not be the sole determinant of the differences in diffusivity.

46 CFR Appendix II to Part 153 - Metric Units Used in Part 153

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

.../cm2. ......do kPa 1×10 3 N/m 2. Temperature Degree Celsius °C 5/9 (°F-32). Viscosity milli-Pascal... 46 Shipping 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Metric Units Used in Part 153 II Appendix II to Part 153... common metric Force Newton N 0.225 lbs. Length Meter m 39.37 in. Centimeter cm .3937 in. Pressure Pascal...

46 CFR Appendix II to Part 153 - Metric Units Used in Part 153

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

.../cm2. ......do kPa 1×10 3 N/m 2. Temperature Degree Celsius °C 5/9 (°F-32). Viscosity milli-Pascal... 46 Shipping 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Metric Units Used in Part 153 II Appendix II to Part 153... common metric Force Newton N 0.225 lbs. Length Meter m 39.37 in. Centimeter cm .3937 in. Pressure Pascal...

46 CFR Appendix II to Part 153 - Metric Units Used in Part 153

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

.../cm2. ......do kPa 1×10 3 N/m 2. Temperature Degree Celsius °C 5/9 (°F-32). Viscosity milli-Pascal... 46 Shipping 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Metric Units Used in Part 153 II Appendix II to Part 153... common metric Force Newton N 0.225 lbs. Length Meter m 39.37 in. Centimeter cm .3937 in. Pressure Pascal...

Long Term Performance Metrics of the GD SDR on the SCaN Testbed: The First Year on the ISS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nappier, Jennifer; Wilson, Molly C.

2014-01-01

The General Dynamics (GD) S-Band software defined radio (SDR) in the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Testbed on the International Space Station (ISS) provides experimenters an opportunity to develop and demonstrate experimental waveforms in space. The SCaN Testbed was installed on the ISS in August of 2012. After installation, the initial checkout and commissioning phases were completed and experimental operations commenced. One goal of the SCaN Testbed is to collect long term performance metrics for SDRs operating in space in order to demonstrate long term reliability. These metrics include the time the SDR powered on, the time the power amplifier (PA) is powered on, temperature trends, error detection and correction (EDAC) behavior, and waveform operational usage time. This paper describes the performance of the GD SDR over the first year of operations on the ISS.

Machine learning of network metrics in ATLAS Distributed Data Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lassnig, Mario; Toler, Wesley; Vamosi, Ralf; Bogado, Joaquin; ATLAS Collaboration

2017-10-01

The increasing volume of physics data poses a critical challenge to the ATLAS experiment. In anticipation of high luminosity physics, automation of everyday data management tasks has become necessary. Previously many of these tasks required human decision-making and operation. Recent advances in hardware and software have made it possible to entrust more complicated duties to automated systems using models trained by machine learning algorithms. In this contribution we show results from one of our ongoing automation efforts that focuses on network metrics. First, we describe our machine learning framework built atop the ATLAS Analytics Platform. This framework can automatically extract and aggregate data, train models with various machine learning algorithms, and eventually score the resulting models and parameters. Second, we use these models to forecast metrics relevant for networkaware job scheduling and data brokering. We show the characteristics of the data and evaluate the forecasting accuracy of our models.

Index of cyber integrity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Gustave

2014-05-01

Unfortunately, there is no metric, nor set of metrics, that are both general enough to encompass all possible types of applications yet specific enough to capture the application and attack specific details. As a result we are left with ad-hoc methods for generating evaluations of the security of our systems. Current state of the art methods for evaluating the security of systems include penetration testing and cyber evaluation tests. For these evaluations, security professionals simulate an attack from malicious outsiders and malicious insiders. These evaluations are very productive and are able to discover potential vulnerabilities resulting from improper system configuration, hardware and software flaws, or operational weaknesses. We therefore propose the index of cyber integrity (ICI), which is modeled after the index of biological integrity (IBI) to provide a holistic measure of the health of a system under test in a cyber-environment. The ICI provides a broad base measure through a collection of application and system specific metrics. In this paper, following the example of the IBI, we demonstrate how a multi-metric index may be used as a holistic measure of the health of a system under test in a cyber-environment.

Alternatives to accuracy and bias metrics based on percentage errors for radiation belt modeling applications

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

Morley, Steven Karl

This report reviews existing literature describing forecast accuracy metrics, concentrating on those based on relative errors and percentage errors. We then review how the most common of these metrics, the mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), has been applied in recent radiation belt modeling literature. Finally, we describe metrics based on the ratios of predicted to observed values (the accuracy ratio) that address the drawbacks inherent in using MAPE. Specifically, we define and recommend the median log accuracy ratio as a measure of bias and the median symmetric accuracy as a measure of accuracy.

Real Time Metrics and Analysis of Integrated Arrival, Departure, and Surface Operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sharma, Shivanjli; Fergus, John

2017-01-01

A real time dashboard was developed in order to inform and present users notifications and integrated information regarding airport surface operations. The dashboard is a supplement to capabilities and tools that incorporate arrival, departure, and surface air-traffic operations concepts in a NextGen environment. As trajectory-based departure scheduling and collaborative decision making tools are introduced in order to reduce delays and uncertainties in taxi and climb operations across the National Airspace System, users across a number of roles benefit from a real time system that enables common situational awareness. In addition to shared situational awareness the dashboard offers the ability to compute real time metrics and analysis to inform users about capacity, predictability, and efficiency of the system as a whole. This paper describes the architecture of the real time dashboard as well as an initial set of metrics computed on operational data. The potential impact of the real time dashboard is studied at the site identified for initial deployment and demonstration in 2017; Charlotte-Douglas International Airport. Analysis and metrics computed in real time illustrate the opportunity to provide common situational awareness and inform users of metrics across delay, throughput, taxi time, and airport capacity. In addition, common awareness of delays and the impact of takeoff and departure restrictions stemming from traffic flow management initiatives are explored. The potential of the real time tool to inform the predictability and efficiency of using a trajectory-based departure scheduling system is also discussed.

NABS RESPONSE OF A MULTI-METRIC FISH BIOTIC INDEX TO SPECIES DECLINES

EPA Science Inventory

Multi-metric indices of biotic integrity (IBI) are commonly used to compare fish communities among streams, but ability to monitor trends within streams is largely unknown. We assessed the IBI trend detection ability using simulations which progressively degraded the fish assembl...

ANALYTICAL TOOLS INTERFACE FOR LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENTS (ATTILA) USER MANUAL

EPA Science Inventory

ATtlLA is an ArcView extension that allows users to easily calculate many common landscape metrics. GIS expertise is not required, but some experience with ArcView is recommended. Four metric groups are currently included in ATtILA: landscape characteristics, riparian characteris...

Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) Architecture Standard. Release 1.02.1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reinhart, Richard C.; Kacpura, Thomas J.; Handler, Louis M.; Hall, C. Steve; Mortensen, Dale J.; Johnson, Sandra K.; Briones, Janette C.; Nappier, Jennifer M.; Downey, Joseph A.; Lux, James P.

2012-01-01

This document contains the NASA architecture standard for software defined radios used in space- and ground-based platforms to enable commonality among radio developments to enhance capability and services while reducing mission and programmatic risk. Transceivers (or transponders) with functionality primarily defined in software (e.g., firmware) have the ability to change their functional behavior through software alone. This radio architecture standard offers value by employing common waveform software interfaces, method of instantiation, operation, and testing among different compliant hardware and software products. These common interfaces within the architecture abstract application software from the underlying hardware to enable technology insertion independently at either the software or hardware layer.

Uav Photogrammetry: Block Triangulation Comparisons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gini, R.; Pagliari, D.; Passoni, D.; Pinto, L.; Sona, G.; Dosso, P.

2013-08-01

UAVs systems represent a flexible technology able to collect a big amount of high resolution information, both for metric and interpretation uses. In the frame of experimental tests carried out at Dept. ICA of Politecnico di Milano to validate vector-sensor systems and to assess metric accuracies of images acquired by UAVs, a block of photos taken by a fixed wing system is triangulated with several software. The test field is a rural area included in an Italian Park ("Parco Adda Nord"), useful to study flight and imagery performances on buildings, roads, cultivated and uncultivated vegetation. The UAV SenseFly, equipped with a camera Canon Ixus 220HS, flew autonomously over the area at a height of 130 m yielding a block of 49 images divided in 5 strips. Sixteen pre-signalized Ground Control Points, surveyed in the area through GPS (NRTK survey), allowed the referencing of the block and accuracy analyses. Approximate values for exterior orientation parameters (positions and attitudes) were recorded by the flight control system. The block was processed with several software: Erdas-LPS, EyeDEA (Univ. of Parma), Agisoft Photoscan, Pix4UAV, in assisted or automatic way. Results comparisons are given in terms of differences among digital surface models, differences in orientation parameters and accuracies, when available. Moreover, image and ground point coordinates obtained by the various software were independently used as initial values in a comparative adjustment made by scientific in-house software, which can apply constraints to evaluate the effectiveness of different methods of point extraction and accuracies on ground check points.

A Bayesian modification to the Jelinski-Moranda software reliability growth model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Littlewood, B.; Sofer, A.

1983-01-01

The Jelinski-Moranda (JM) model for software reliability was examined. It is suggested that a major reason for the poor results given by this model is the poor performance of the maximum likelihood method (ML) of parameter estimation. A reparameterization and Bayesian analysis, involving a slight modelling change, are proposed. It is shown that this new Bayesian-Jelinski-Moranda model (BJM) is mathematically quite tractable, and several metrics of interest to practitioners are obtained. The BJM and JM models are compared by using several sets of real software failure data collected and in all cases the BJM model gives superior reliability predictions. A change in the assumption which underlay both models to present the debugging process more accurately is discussed.

Multi-objective optimization for generating a weighted multi-model ensemble

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, H.

2017-12-01

Many studies have demonstrated that multi-model ensembles generally show better skill than each ensemble member. When generating weighted multi-model ensembles, the first step is measuring the performance of individual model simulations using observations. There is a consensus on the assignment of weighting factors based on a single evaluation metric. When considering only one evaluation metric, the weighting factor for each model is proportional to a performance score or inversely proportional to an error for the model. While this conventional approach can provide appropriate combinations of multiple models, the approach confronts a big challenge when there are multiple metrics under consideration. When considering multiple evaluation metrics, it is obvious that a simple averaging of multiple performance scores or model ranks does not address the trade-off problem between conflicting metrics. So far, there seems to be no best method to generate weighted multi-model ensembles based on multiple performance metrics. The current study applies the multi-objective optimization, a mathematical process that provides a set of optimal trade-off solutions based on a range of evaluation metrics, to combining multiple performance metrics for the global climate models and their dynamically downscaled regional climate simulations over North America and generating a weighted multi-model ensemble. NASA satellite data and the Regional Climate Model Evaluation System (RCMES) software toolkit are used for assessment of the climate simulations. Overall, the performance of each model differs markedly with strong seasonal dependence. Because of the considerable variability across the climate simulations, it is important to evaluate models systematically and make future projections by assigning optimized weighting factors to the models with relatively good performance. Our results indicate that the optimally weighted multi-model ensemble always shows better performance than an arithmetic ensemble mean and may provide reliable future projections.

All You Need to Know About Metric

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Metric Journal, 1974

1974-01-01

Information found necessary for South Africa's citizens to learn during their recent conversion to the metric system is presented. Twelve terms and prefixes are suggested that satisfy practically all ordinary needs. Tables are given for the most commonly used measures, with relationships between different units indicated. (LS)

Security camera resolution measurements: Horizontal TV lines versus modulation transfer function measurements.

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

Birch, Gabriel Carisle; Griffin, John Clark

2015-01-01

The horizontal television lines (HTVL) metric has been the primary quantity used by division 6000 related to camera resolution for high consequence security systems. This document shows HTVL measurements are fundamen- tally insufficient as a metric to determine camera resolution, and propose a quantitative, standards based methodology by measuring the camera system modulation transfer function (MTF), the most common and accepted metric of res- olution in the optical science community. Because HTVL calculations are easily misinterpreted or poorly defined, we present several scenarios in which HTVL is frequently reported, and discuss their problems. The MTF metric is discussed, and scenariosmore » are presented with calculations showing the application of such a metric.« less

Multi-site Study of Diffusion Metric Variability: Characterizing the Effects of Site, Vendor, Field Strength, and Echo Time using the Histogram Distance

PubMed Central

Helmer, K. G.; Chou, M-C.; Preciado, R. I.; Gimi, B.; Rollins, N. K.; Song, A.; Turner, J.; Mori, S.

2016-01-01

MRI-based multi-site trials now routinely include some form of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in their protocol. These studies can include data originating from scanners built by different vendors, each with their own set of unique protocol restrictions, including restrictions on the number of available gradient directions, whether an externally-generated list of gradient directions can be used, and restrictions on the echo time (TE). One challenge of multi-site studies is to create a common imaging protocol that will result in a reliable and accurate set of diffusion metrics. The present study describes the effect of site, scanner vendor, field strength, and TE on two common metrics: the first moment of the diffusion tensor field (mean diffusivity, MD), and the fractional anisotropy (FA). We have shown in earlier work that ROI metrics and the mean of MD and FA histograms are not sufficiently sensitive for use in site characterization. Here we use the distance between whole brain histograms of FA and MD to investigate within- and between-site effects. We concluded that the variability of DTI metrics due to site, vendor, field strength, and echo time could influence the results in multi-center trials and that histogram distance is sensitive metrics for each of these variables. PMID:27350723

Future of the PCI Readmission Metric.

PubMed

Wasfy, Jason H; Yeh, Robert W

2016-03-01

Between 2013 and 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Cardiovascular Data Registry publically reported risk-adjusted 30-day readmission rates after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) as a pilot project. A key strength of this public reporting effort included risk adjustment with clinical rather than administrative data. Furthermore, because readmission after PCI is common, expensive, and preventable, this metric has substantial potential to improve quality and value in American cardiology care. Despite this, concerns about the metric exist. For example, few PCI readmissions are caused by procedural complications, limiting the extent to which improved procedural technique can reduce readmissions. Also, similar to other readmission measures, PCI readmission is associated with socioeconomic status and race. Accordingly, the metric may unfairly penalize hospitals that care for underserved patients. Perhaps in the context of these limitations, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has not yet included PCI readmission among metrics that determine Medicare financial penalties. Nevertheless, provider organizations may still wish to focus on this metric to improve value for cardiology patients. PCI readmission is associated with low-risk chest discomfort and patient anxiety. Therefore, patient education, improved triage mechanisms, and improved care coordination offer opportunities to minimize PCI readmissions. Because PCI readmission is common and costly, reducing PCI readmission offers provider organizations a compelling target to improve the quality of care, and also performance in contracts involve shared financial risk. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Landscape pattern metrics and regional assessment

Treesearch

Robert V. O' Neill; Kurt H. Riitters; J.D. Wickham; Bruce K. Jones

1999-01-01

The combination of remote imagery data, geographic information systems software, and landscape ecology theory provides a unique basis for monitoring and assessing large-scale ecological systems. The unique feature of the work has been the need to develop interpret quantitative measures of spatial patter-the landscape indices. This article reviews what is known about...

DEMO: Action Recommendation for Cyber Resilience

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

Rodriguez, Luke R.; Curtis, Darren S.; Choudhury, Sutanay

In this demonstration we show the usefulness of our unifying graph-based model for the representation of infrastructure, behavior, and missions of cyber enterprise in both a software simulation and on an Amazon Web Services (AWS) instance. We show the effectiveness of our recommendation algorithm for preserving various system health metrics in both cases.

RNA-SeQC: RNA-seq metrics for quality control and process optimization.

PubMed

DeLuca, David S; Levin, Joshua Z; Sivachenko, Andrey; Fennell, Timothy; Nazaire, Marc-Danie; Williams, Chris; Reich, Michael; Winckler, Wendy; Getz, Gad

2012-06-01

RNA-seq, the application of next-generation sequencing to RNA, provides transcriptome-wide characterization of cellular activity. Assessment of sequencing performance and library quality is critical to the interpretation of RNA-seq data, yet few tools exist to address this issue. We introduce RNA-SeQC, a program which provides key measures of data quality. These metrics include yield, alignment and duplication rates; GC bias, rRNA content, regions of alignment (exon, intron and intragenic), continuity of coverage, 3'/5' bias and count of detectable transcripts, among others. The software provides multi-sample evaluation of library construction protocols, input materials and other experimental parameters. The modularity of the software enables pipeline integration and the routine monitoring of key measures of data quality such as the number of alignable reads, duplication rates and rRNA contamination. RNA-SeQC allows investigators to make informed decisions about sample inclusion in downstream analysis. In summary, RNA-SeQC provides quality control measures critical to experiment design, process optimization and downstream computational analysis. See www.genepattern.org to run online, or www.broadinstitute.org/rna-seqc/ for a command line tool.

Using Dissimilarity Metrics to Identify Interesting Designs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feather, Martin; Kiper, James

2006-01-01

A computer program helps to blend the power of automated-search software, which is able to generate large numbers of design solutions, with the insight of expert designers, who are able to identify preferred designs but do not have time to examine all the solutions. From among the many automated solutions to a given design problem, the program selects a smaller number of solutions that are worthy of scrutiny by the experts in the sense that they are sufficiently dissimilar from each other. The program makes the selection in an interactive process that involves a sequence of data-mining steps interspersed with visual displays of results of these steps to the experts. At crucial points between steps, the experts provide directives to guide the process. The program uses heuristic search techniques to identify nearly optimal design solutions and uses dissimilarity metrics defined by the experts to characterize the degree to which solutions are interestingly different. The search, data-mining, and visualization features of the program were derived from previously developed risk-management software used to support a risk-centric design methodology

Experience with Data Science as an Intern with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whittell, J.; Mattmann, C. A.; Whitehall, K. D.; Ramirez, P.; Goodale, C. E.; Boustani, M.; Hart, A. F.; Kim, J.; Waliser, D. E.; Joyce, M. J.

2013-12-01

The Regional Climate Model Evaluation System (RCMES, http://rcmes.jpl.nasa.gov) at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory seeks to improve regional climate model output by comparing past model predictions with Earth-orbiting satellite data (Mattmann et al. 2013). RCMES ingests satellite and RCM data and processes these data into a common format; as needed, the software queries the RCMES database for these datasets, on which it runs a series of statistical metrics including model-satellite comparisons. The development of the RCMES software relies on collaboration between climatologists and computer scientists, as evinced by RCMES longstanding work with CORDEX (Kim et al. 2012). Over a total of 17 weeks in 2011, 2012, and 2013, I worked as an intern at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in a supportive capacity for RCMES. A high school student, I had no formal background in either Earth science or computer technology, but was immersed in both fields. In 2011, I researched three earth-science data management projects, producing a high-level explanation of these endeavors. The following year, I studied Python, contributing a command-line user interface to the RCMES project code. In 2013, I assisted with data acquisition, wrote a file header information plugin, and the visualization tool GrADS. The experience demonstrated the importance of an interdisciplinary approach to data processing: to streamline data ingestion and processing, scientists must understand, at least on a high-level, any programs they might utilize while to best serve the needs of earth scientists, software engineers must understand the science behind the data they handle.

Technical Note: DIRART – A software suite for deformable image registration and adaptive radiotherapy research

PubMed Central

Yang, Deshan; Brame, Scott; El Naqa, Issam; Aditya, Apte; Wu, Yu; Murty Goddu, S.; Mutic, Sasa; Deasy, Joseph O.; Low, Daniel A.

2011-01-01

Purpose: Recent years have witnessed tremendous progress in image guide radiotherapy technology and a growing interest in the possibilities for adapting treatment planning and delivery over the course of treatment. One obstacle faced by the research community has been the lack of a comprehensive open-source software toolkit dedicated for adaptive radiotherapy (ART). To address this need, the authors have developed a software suite called the Deformable Image Registration and Adaptive Radiotherapy Toolkit (DIRART). Methods:DIRART is an open-source toolkit developed in MATLAB. It is designed in an object-oriented style with focus on user-friendliness, features, and flexibility. It contains four classes of DIR algorithms, including the newer inverse consistency algorithms to provide consistent displacement vector field in both directions. It also contains common ART functions, an integrated graphical user interface, a variety of visualization and image-processing features, dose metric analysis functions, and interface routines. These interface routines make DIRART a powerful complement to the Computational Environment for Radiotherapy Research (CERR) and popular image-processing toolkits such as ITK. Results: DIRART provides a set of image processing∕registration algorithms and postprocessing functions to facilitate the development and testing of DIR algorithms. It also offers a good amount of options for DIR results visualization, evaluation, and validation. Conclusions: By exchanging data with treatment planning systems via DICOM-RT files and CERR, and by bringing image registration algorithms closer to radiotherapy applications, DIRART is potentially a convenient and flexible platform that may facilitate ART and DIR research. PMID:21361176

Prediction of Software Reliability using Bio Inspired Soft Computing Techniques.

PubMed

Diwaker, Chander; Tomar, Pradeep; Poonia, Ramesh C; Singh, Vijander

2018-04-10

A lot of models have been made for predicting software reliability. The reliability models are restricted to using particular types of methodologies and restricted number of parameters. There are a number of techniques and methodologies that may be used for reliability prediction. There is need to focus on parameters consideration while estimating reliability. The reliability of a system may increase or decreases depending on the selection of different parameters used. Thus there is need to identify factors that heavily affecting the reliability of the system. In present days, reusability is mostly used in the various area of research. Reusability is the basis of Component-Based System (CBS). The cost, time and human skill can be saved using Component-Based Software Engineering (CBSE) concepts. CBSE metrics may be used to assess those techniques which are more suitable for estimating system reliability. Soft computing is used for small as well as large-scale problems where it is difficult to find accurate results due to uncertainty or randomness. Several possibilities are available to apply soft computing techniques in medicine related problems. Clinical science of medicine using fuzzy-logic, neural network methodology significantly while basic science of medicine using neural-networks-genetic algorithm most frequently and preferably. There is unavoidable interest shown by medical scientists to use the various soft computing methodologies in genetics, physiology, radiology, cardiology and neurology discipline. CBSE boost users to reuse the past and existing software for making new products to provide quality with a saving of time, memory space, and money. This paper focused on assessment of commonly used soft computing technique like Genetic Algorithm (GA), Neural-Network (NN), Fuzzy Logic, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Ant Colony Optimization (ACO), Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), and Artificial Bee Colony (ABC). This paper presents working of soft computing techniques and assessment of soft computing techniques to predict reliability. The parameter considered while estimating and prediction of reliability are also discussed. This study can be used in estimation and prediction of the reliability of various instruments used in the medical system, software engineering, computer engineering and mechanical engineering also. These concepts can be applied to both software and hardware, to predict the reliability using CBSE.

Faecal corticosterone metabolite concentrations are not a good predictor of habitat suitability for common gartersnakes.

PubMed

Halliday, William D; Gilmour, Kathleen M; Blouin-Demers, Gabriel

2015-01-01

Measuring habitat suitability is important in conservation and in wildlife management. Measuring the abundance or presence-absence of a species in various habitats is not sufficient to measure habitat suitability because these metrics can be poor predictors of population success. Therefore, having some measure of population success is essential in assessing habitat suitability, but estimating population success is difficult. Identifying suitable proxies for population success could thus be beneficial. We examined whether faecal corticosterone metabolite (fCM) concentrations could be used as a proxy for habitat suitability in common gartersnakes (Thamnophis sirtalis). We conducted a validation study and confirmed that fCM concentrations indeed reflect circulating corticosterone concentrations. We estimated abundance, reproductive output and growth rate of gartersnakes in field and in forest habitat and we also measured fCM concentrations of gartersnakes from these same habitats. Common gartersnakes were more abundant and had higher reproductive outputs and higher growth rates in field habitat than in forest habitat, but fCM concentrations did not differ between the same two habitats. Our results suggest either that fCM concentrations are not a useful metric of habitat suitability in common gartersnakes or that the difference in suitability between the two habitats was too small to induce changes in fCM concentrations. Incorporating fitness metrics in estimates of habitat suitability is important, but these metrics of fitness have to be sensitive enough to vary between habitats.

Studying the laws of software evolution in a long-lived FLOSS project.

PubMed

Gonzalez-Barahona, Jesus M; Robles, Gregorio; Herraiz, Israel; Ortega, Felipe

2014-07-01

Some free, open-source software projects have been around for quite a long time, the longest living ones dating from the early 1980s. For some of them, detailed information about their evolution is available in source code management systems tracking all their code changes for periods of more than 15 years. This paper examines in detail the evolution of one of such projects, glibc, with the main aim of understanding how it evolved and how it matched Lehman's laws of software evolution. As a result, we have developed a methodology for studying the evolution of such long-lived projects based on the information in their source code management repository, described in detail several aspects of the history of glibc, including some activity and size metrics, and found how some of the laws of software evolution may not hold in this case. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Software: Evolution and Process published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Studying the laws of software evolution in a long-lived FLOSS project

PubMed Central

Gonzalez-Barahona, Jesus M; Robles, Gregorio; Herraiz, Israel; Ortega, Felipe

2014-01-01

Some free, open-source software projects have been around for quite a long time, the longest living ones dating from the early 1980s. For some of them, detailed information about their evolution is available in source code management systems tracking all their code changes for periods of more than 15 years. This paper examines in detail the evolution of one of such projects, glibc, with the main aim of understanding how it evolved and how it matched Lehman's laws of software evolution. As a result, we have developed a methodology for studying the evolution of such long-lived projects based on the information in their source code management repository, described in detail several aspects of the history of glibc, including some activity and size metrics, and found how some of the laws of software evolution may not hold in this case. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Software: Evolution and Process published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. PMID:25893093

A Matrix Approach to Software Process Definition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schultz, David; Bachman, Judith; Landis, Linda; Stark, Mike; Godfrey, Sally; Morisio, Maurizio; Powers, Edward I. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Software Engineering Laboratory (SEL) is currently engaged in a Methodology and Metrics program for the Information Systems Center (ISC) at Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). This paper addresses the Methodology portion of the program. The purpose of the Methodology effort is to assist a software team lead in selecting and tailoring a software development or maintenance process for a specific GSFC project. It is intended that this process will also be compliant with both ISO 9001 and the Software Engineering Institute's Capability Maturity Model (CMM). Under the Methodology program, we have defined four standard ISO-compliant software processes for the ISC, and three tailoring criteria that team leads can use to categorize their projects. The team lead would select a process and appropriate tailoring factors, from which a software process tailored to the specific project could be generated. Our objective in the Methodology program is to present software process information in a structured fashion, to make it easy for a team lead to characterize the type of software engineering to be performed, and to apply tailoring parameters to search for an appropriate software process description. This will enable the team lead to follow a proven, effective software process and also satisfy NASA's requirement for compliance with ISO 9001 and the anticipated requirement for CMM assessment. This work is also intended to support the deployment of sound software processes across the ISC.

Exploring metrics to express energy expenditure of physical activity in youth

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Several approaches have been used to express energy expenditure in youth, but no consensus exists as to which best normalizes data for the wide range of ages and body sizes across a range of physical activities. This study examined several common metrics for expressing energy expenditure to determin...

A conceptual model for megaprogramming

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tracz, Will

1990-01-01

Megaprogramming is component-based software engineering and life-cycle management. Magaprogramming and its relationship to other research initiatives (common prototyping system/common prototyping language, domain specific software architectures, and software understanding) are analyzed. The desirable attributes of megaprogramming software components are identified and a software development model and resulting prototype megaprogramming system (library interconnection language extended by annotated Ada) are described.

Open Architecture Standard for NASA's Software-Defined Space Telecommunications Radio Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reinhart, Richard C.; Johnson, Sandra K.; Kacpura, Thomas J.; Hall, Charles S.; Smith, Carl R.; Liebetreu, John

2008-01-01

NASA is developing an architecture standard for software-defined radios used in space- and ground-based platforms to enable commonality among radio developments to enhance capability and services while reducing mission and programmatic risk. Transceivers (or transponders) with functionality primarily defined in software (e.g., firmware) have the ability to change their functional behavior through software alone. This radio architecture standard offers value by employing common waveform software interfaces, method of instantiation, operation, and testing among different compliant hardware and software products. These common interfaces within the architecture abstract application software from the underlying hardware to enable technology insertion independently at either the software or hardware layer. This paper presents the initial Space Telecommunications Radio System (STRS) Architecture for NASA missions to provide the desired software abstraction and flexibility while minimizing the resources necessary to support the architecture.

Measuring and assessing maintainability at the end of high level design

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Briand, Lionel C.; Morasca, Sandro; Basili, Victor R.

1993-01-01

Software architecture appears to be one of the main factors affecting software maintainability. Therefore, in order to be able to predict and assess maintainability early in the development process we need to be able to measure the high-level design characteristics that affect the change process. To this end, we propose a measurement approach, which is based on precise assumptions derived from the change process, which is based on Object-Oriented Design principles and is partially language independent. We define metrics for cohesion, coupling, and visibility in order to capture the difficulty of isolating, understanding, designing and validating changes.

A study of fault prediction and reliability assessment in the SEL environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Basili, Victor R.; Patnaik, Debabrata

1986-01-01

An empirical study on estimation and prediction of faults, prediction of fault detection and correction effort, and reliability assessment in the Software Engineering Laboratory environment (SEL) is presented. Fault estimation using empirical relationships and fault prediction using curve fitting method are investigated. Relationships between debugging efforts (fault detection and correction effort) in different test phases are provided, in order to make an early estimate of future debugging effort. This study concludes with the fault analysis, application of a reliability model, and analysis of a normalized metric for reliability assessment and reliability monitoring during development of software.

WE-G-204-09: Medical Physics 2.0 in Practice: Automated QC Assessment of Clinical Chest Images

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

Willis, C; Willis, C; Nishino, T

2015-06-15

Purpose: To determine whether a proposed suite of objective image quality metrics for digital chest radiographs is useful for monitoring image quality in our clinical operation. Methods: Seventeen gridless AP Chest radiographs from a GE Optima portable digital radiography (DR) unit (Group 1), seventeen (routine) PA Chest radiographs from a GE Discovery DR unit (Group 2), and sixteen gridless (non-routine) PA Chest radiographs from the same Discovery DR unit (Group 3) were chosen for analysis. Groups were selected to represent “sub-standard” (Group 1), “standard-of-care” (Group 2), and images with a gross technical error (Group 3). Group 1 images were acquiredmore » with lower kVp (90 vs. 125), shorter source-to-image distance (127cm vs 183cm) and were expected to have lower quality than images in Group 2. Group 3 was expected to have degraded contrast versus Group 2.This evaluation was approved by the institutional Quality Improvement Assurance Board (QIAB). Images were anonymized and securely transferred to the Duke University Clinical Imaging Physics Group for analysis using software previously described{sup 1} and validated{sup 2}. Image quality for individual images was reported in terms of lung grey level(Lgl); lung noise(Ln); rib-lung contrast(RLc); rib sharpness(Rs); mediastinum detail(Md), noise(Mn), and alignment(Ma); subdiaphragm-lung contrast(SLc); and subdiaphragm area(Sa). Metrics were compared across groups. Results: Metrics agreed with published Quality Consistency Ranges with three exceptions: higher Lgl, lower RLc, and SDc. Higher bit depth (16 vs 12) accounted for higher Lgl values in our images. Values were most internally consistent for Group 2. The most sensitive metric for distinguishing between groups was Mn followed closely by Ln. The least sensitive metrics were Md and RLc. Conclusion: The software appears promising for objectively and automatically identifying substandard images in our operation. The results can be used to establish local quality consistency ranges and action limits per facility preferences.« less

Support for life-cycle product reuse in NASA's SSE

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shotton, Charles

1989-01-01

The Software Support Environment (SSE) is a software factory for the production of Space Station Freedom Program operational software. The SSE is to be centrally developed and maintained and used to configure software production facilities in the field. The PRC product TTCQF provides for an automated qualification process and analysis of existing code that can be used for software reuse. The interrogation subsystem permits user queries of the reusable data and components which have been identified by an analyzer and qualified with associated metrics. The concept includes reuse of non-code life-cycle components such as requirements and designs. Possible types of reusable life-cycle components include templates, generics, and as-is items. Qualification of reusable elements requires analysis (separation of candidate components into primitives), qualification (evaluation of primitives for reusability according to reusability criteria) and loading (placing qualified elements into appropriate libraries). There can be different qualifications for different installations, methodologies, applications and components. Identifying reusable software and related components is labor-intensive and is best carried out as an integrated function of an SSE.

Performance Metrics for Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry Systems in Proteomics Analyses*

PubMed Central

Rudnick, Paul A.; Clauser, Karl R.; Kilpatrick, Lisa E.; Tchekhovskoi, Dmitrii V.; Neta, Pedatsur; Blonder, Nikša; Billheimer, Dean D.; Blackman, Ronald K.; Bunk, David M.; Cardasis, Helene L.; Ham, Amy-Joan L.; Jaffe, Jacob D.; Kinsinger, Christopher R.; Mesri, Mehdi; Neubert, Thomas A.; Schilling, Birgit; Tabb, David L.; Tegeler, Tony J.; Vega-Montoto, Lorenzo; Variyath, Asokan Mulayath; Wang, Mu; Wang, Pei; Whiteaker, Jeffrey R.; Zimmerman, Lisa J.; Carr, Steven A.; Fisher, Susan J.; Gibson, Bradford W.; Paulovich, Amanda G.; Regnier, Fred E.; Rodriguez, Henry; Spiegelman, Cliff; Tempst, Paul; Liebler, Daniel C.; Stein, Stephen E.

2010-01-01

A major unmet need in LC-MS/MS-based proteomics analyses is a set of tools for quantitative assessment of system performance and evaluation of technical variability. Here we describe 46 system performance metrics for monitoring chromatographic performance, electrospray source stability, MS1 and MS2 signals, dynamic sampling of ions for MS/MS, and peptide identification. Applied to data sets from replicate LC-MS/MS analyses, these metrics displayed consistent, reasonable responses to controlled perturbations. The metrics typically displayed variations less than 10% and thus can reveal even subtle differences in performance of system components. Analyses of data from interlaboratory studies conducted under a common standard operating procedure identified outlier data and provided clues to specific causes. Moreover, interlaboratory variation reflected by the metrics indicates which system components vary the most between laboratories. Application of these metrics enables rational, quantitative quality assessment for proteomics and other LC-MS/MS analytical applications. PMID:19837981

Response Assessment and Prediction in Esophageal Cancer Patients via F-18 FDG PET/CT Scans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Higgins, Kyle J.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to utilize F-18 FDG PET/CT scans to determine an indicator for the response of esophageal cancer patients during radiation therapy. There is a need for such an indicator since local failures are quite common in esophageal cancer patients despite modern treatment techniques. If an indicator is found, a patient's treatment strategy may be altered to possibly improve the outcome. This is investigated with various standard uptake volume (SUV) metrics along with image texture features. The metrics and features showing the most promise and indicating response are used in logistic regression analysis to find an equation for the prediction of response. Materials and Methods: 28 patients underwent F-18 FDG PET/CT scans prior to the start of radiation therapy (RT). A second PET/CT scan was administered following the delivery of ~32 Gray (Gy) of dose. A physician contoured gross tumor volume (GTV) was used to delineate a PET based GTV (GTV-pre-PET) based on a threshold of >40% and >20% of the maximum SUV value in the GTV. Deformable registration was used in VelocityAI software to register the pre-treatment and intra-treatment CT scans so that the GTV-pre-PET contours could be transferred from the pre to intra scans (GTV-intra-PET). The fractional decrease in the maximum, mean, volume to the highest intensity 10%-90%, and combination SUV metrics of the significant previous SUV metrics were compared to post-treatment pathologic response for an indication of response. Next for the >40% threshold, texture features based on a neighborhood gray-tone dimension matrix (NGTDM) were analyzed. The fractional decrease in coarseness, contrast, busyness, complexity, and texture strength were compared to the pathologic response of the patients. From these previous two types of analysis, SUV and texture features, the two most significant results were used in logistic regression analysis to find an equation to predict the probability of a non-responder. These probability values were then used to compare against the pathological response to test for indication of response. Results: 20 of the 28 patients underwent post treatment surgery and their pathologic response was determined. 9 of the patients were classified as being responders (treatment effect grade ≤ 1) while 11 of the patients were classified as being non-responders (treatment effect grade > 1). The fractional difference in the different SUV metrics has shown that the most commonly used maximum SUV and mean SUV were not significant in determining response to the treatment. Other SUV metrics however did show promise as being indicators. For the >40% threshold SUV to the highest 10%, 20%, and 30% (SUV10%, SUV20%, SUV30%) were found to significantly distinguish between responders and non-responders (p=0.004) and had an area under the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.7778. Combining these significant metrics (SUV10% with SUV20% and SUV 20% with SUV30%) also was able to distinguish response (p=0.033, AUC=0.7879). Cross validation of these results shown that these metrics could be used to find the response on previously unseen data. The three individual SUV terms distinguished responders from non-responders with a sensitivity of 0.7143 and a specificity of 0.6400 from the cross validation. Cross validation yielded a sensitivity of 0.8333 and a specificity of 0.7727 for the combination of SUV10% and SUV20% and a sensitivity of 0.8333 and specificity of 0.7273 for the combination of SUV20% and SUV30%. For the >20% threshold two SUV metrics were found to be significant. These were the SUV to the highest 10% and 20% (p=0.0048). The AUC for the 10% metrics was 0.7677 and for the 20% metric it was 0.7374. Cross validation of these two metrics shown that the 10% metric was the better indicator with being able to distinguish response in unseen data with a sensitivity of 0.7778 and a specificity of 0.7727. The only texture feature that was able to determine response was complexity (p-0.04, AUC=0.7778). This metric was no more significant than the three individual SUV metrics but less significant than both of the combination metrics. As with the SUV metrics, cross validation was able to show the robustness of these results. Cross validation yielded a result that could accurately distinguish a response with a sensitivity of 0.8333 and a specificity of 0.7273. Logistic regression fit with features of the two most significant results (complexity and combination of SUV10% with SUV20%) yielded the most significant result (p=0.004. AUC=0.8889). Cross validation of this model resulted in a sensitivity of 0.7982 and a specificity 0.7940. This shows that the model would accurately predict the response to unseen data. Conclusions: This study revealed that previously used SUV metrics, maximum and mean SUV, may have to be rethought about being used to determine a response in esophageal cancer patients. The most promising SUV metric was a combination of the SUV10% and SUV20% metric for a GTV created from a threshold of >40% of the maximum SUV value, while the most significant texture feature was complexity. The overall best indicator was the logistic regression fit of the significant metrics of complexity and combination of SUV10% with SUV20%. This was able to distinguish responders from non-responders with a threshold of 0.3186 (sensitivity=0.9091, specificity=0.7778).

Cost-Sensitive Radial Basis Function Neural Network Classifier for Software Defect Prediction

PubMed Central

Venkatesan, R.

2016-01-01

Effective prediction of software modules, those that are prone to defects, will enable software developers to achieve efficient allocation of resources and to concentrate on quality assurance activities. The process of software development life cycle basically includes design, analysis, implementation, testing, and release phases. Generally, software testing is a critical task in the software development process wherein it is to save time and budget by detecting defects at the earliest and deliver a product without defects to the customers. This testing phase should be carefully operated in an effective manner to release a defect-free (bug-free) software product to the customers. In order to improve the software testing process, fault prediction methods identify the software parts that are more noted to be defect-prone. This paper proposes a prediction approach based on conventional radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) and the novel adaptive dimensional biogeography based optimization (ADBBO) model. The developed ADBBO based RBFNN model is tested with five publicly available datasets from the NASA data program repository. The computed results prove the effectiveness of the proposed ADBBO-RBFNN classifier approach with respect to the considered metrics in comparison with that of the early predictors available in the literature for the same datasets. PMID:27738649

Cost-Sensitive Radial Basis Function Neural Network Classifier for Software Defect Prediction.

PubMed

Kumudha, P; Venkatesan, R

Effective prediction of software modules, those that are prone to defects, will enable software developers to achieve efficient allocation of resources and to concentrate on quality assurance activities. The process of software development life cycle basically includes design, analysis, implementation, testing, and release phases. Generally, software testing is a critical task in the software development process wherein it is to save time and budget by detecting defects at the earliest and deliver a product without defects to the customers. This testing phase should be carefully operated in an effective manner to release a defect-free (bug-free) software product to the customers. In order to improve the software testing process, fault prediction methods identify the software parts that are more noted to be defect-prone. This paper proposes a prediction approach based on conventional radial basis function neural network (RBFNN) and the novel adaptive dimensional biogeography based optimization (ADBBO) model. The developed ADBBO based RBFNN model is tested with five publicly available datasets from the NASA data program repository. The computed results prove the effectiveness of the proposed ADBBO-RBFNN classifier approach with respect to the considered metrics in comparison with that of the early predictors available in the literature for the same datasets.

Parameters that affect parallel processing for computational electromagnetic simulation codes on high performance computing clusters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, Hongsik

What is the impact of multicore and associated advanced technologies on computational software for science? Most researchers and students have multicore laptops or desktops for their research and they need computing power to run computational software packages. Computing power was initially derived from Central Processing Unit (CPU) clock speed. That changed when increases in clock speed became constrained by power requirements. Chip manufacturers turned to multicore CPU architectures and associated technological advancements to create the CPUs for the future. Most software applications benefited by the increased computing power the same way that increases in clock speed helped applications run faster. However, for Computational ElectroMagnetics (CEM) software developers, this change was not an obvious benefit - it appeared to be a detriment. Developers were challenged to find a way to correctly utilize the advancements in hardware so that their codes could benefit. The solution was parallelization and this dissertation details the investigation to address these challenges. Prior to multicore CPUs, advanced computer technologies were compared with the performance using benchmark software and the metric was FLoting-point Operations Per Seconds (FLOPS) which indicates system performance for scientific applications that make heavy use of floating-point calculations. Is FLOPS an effective metric for parallelized CEM simulation tools on new multicore system? Parallel CEM software needs to be benchmarked not only by FLOPS but also by the performance of other parameters related to type and utilization of the hardware, such as CPU, Random Access Memory (RAM), hard disk, network, etc. The codes need to be optimized for more than just FLOPs and new parameters must be included in benchmarking. In this dissertation, the parallel CEM software named High Order Basis Based Integral Equation Solver (HOBBIES) is introduced. This code was developed to address the needs of the changing computer hardware platforms in order to provide fast, accurate and efficient solutions to large, complex electromagnetic problems. The research in this dissertation proves that the performance of parallel code is intimately related to the configuration of the computer hardware and can be maximized for different hardware platforms. To benchmark and optimize the performance of parallel CEM software, a variety of large, complex projects are created and executed on a variety of computer platforms. The computer platforms used in this research are detailed in this dissertation. The projects run as benchmarks are also described in detail and results are presented. The parameters that affect parallel CEM software on High Performance Computing Clusters (HPCC) are investigated. This research demonstrates methods to maximize the performance of parallel CEM software code.

Financial modeling in medicine: cash flow, basic metrics, the time value of money, discount rates, and internal rate of return.

PubMed

Lexa, Frank James; Berlin, Jonathan W

2005-03-01

In this article, the authors cover tools for financial modeling. Commonly used time lines and cash flow diagrams are discussed. Commonly used but limited terms such as payback and breakeven are introduced. The important topics of the time value of money and discount rates are introduced to lay the foundation for their use in modeling and in more advanced metrics such as the internal rate of return. Finally, the authors broach the more sophisticated topic of net present value.

Software Process Assessment (SPA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosenberg, Linda H.; Sheppard, Sylvia B.; Butler, Scott A.

1994-01-01

NASA's environment mirrors the changes taking place in the nation at large, i.e. workers are being asked to do more work with fewer resources. For software developers at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), the effects of this change are that we must continue to produce quality code that is maintainable and reusable, but we must learn to produce it more efficiently and less expensively. To accomplish this goal, the Data Systems Technology Division (DSTD) at GSFC is trying a variety of both proven and state-of-the-art techniques for software development (e.g., object-oriented design, prototyping, designing for reuse, etc.). In order to evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques, the Software Process Assessment (SPA) program was initiated. SPA was begun under the assumption that the effects of different software development processes, techniques, and tools, on the resulting product must be evaluated in an objective manner in order to assess any benefits that may have accrued. SPA involves the collection and analysis of software product and process data. These data include metrics such as effort, code changes, size, complexity, and code readability. This paper describes the SPA data collection and analysis methodology and presents examples of benefits realized thus far by DSTD's software developers and managers.

Day, night and all-weather security surveillance automation synergy from combining two powerful technologies

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

Morellas, Vassilios; Johnson, Andrew; Johnston, Chris

2006-07-01

Thermal imaging is rightfully a real-world technology proven to bring confidence to daytime, night-time and all weather security surveillance. Automatic image processing intrusion detection algorithms are also a real world technology proven to bring confidence to system surveillance security solutions. Together, day, night and all weather video imagery sensors and automated intrusion detection software systems create the real power to protect early against crime, providing real-time global homeland protection, rather than simply being able to monitor and record activities for post event analysis. These solutions, whether providing automatic security system surveillance at airports (to automatically detect unauthorized aircraft takeoff andmore » landing activities) or at high risk private, public or government facilities (to automatically detect unauthorized people or vehicle intrusion activities) are on the move to provide end users the power to protect people, capital equipment and intellectual property against acts of vandalism and terrorism. As with any technology, infrared sensors and automatic image intrusion detection systems for global homeland security protection have clear technological strengths and limitations compared to other more common day and night vision technologies or more traditional manual man-in-the-loop intrusion detection security systems. This paper addresses these strength and limitation capabilities. False Alarm (FAR) and False Positive Rate (FPR) is an example of some of the key customer system acceptability metrics and Noise Equivalent Temperature Difference (NETD) and Minimum Resolvable Temperature are examples of some of the sensor level performance acceptability metrics. (authors)« less

Utilization of eucalyptus for bioelectricity production in brazil via fast pyrolysis: a techno-economic analysis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In this study, a process model of a 2000 metric ton per day (MTPD) eucalyptus Tail Gas Reactive Pyrolysis (TGRP) and electricity generation plant was developed and simulated in SimSci Pro/II software for the purpose of evaluating its techno-economic viability in Brazil. Two scenarios were compared b...

Water Network Tool for Resilience v. 1.0

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

2015-12-09

WNTR is a python package designed to simulate and analyze resilience of water distribution networks. The software includes: - Pressure driven and demand driven hydraulic simulation - Water quality simulation to track concentration, trace, and water age - Conditional controls to simulate power outages - Models to simulate pipe breaks - A wide range of resilience metrics - Analysis and visualization tools

Organizational Analysis of the United States Army Evaluation Center

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

analysis of qualitative or quantitative data obtained from design reviews, hardware inspections, M&S, hardware and software testing , metrics review... Research Development Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) appropriation account. The Defense Acquisition Portal ACQuipedia website describes RDT&E as “ one of the... research , design , development, test and evaluation, production, installation, operation, and maintenance; data collection; processing and analysis

UrbanCrowns: an assessment and monitoring tool for urban trees

Treesearch

Matthew F. Winn; Philip A. Araman; Sang-Mook Lee

2011-01-01

UrbanCrowns is a Windows®-based computer program used to assess the crown characteristics of urban trees. The software analyzes side-view digital photographs of trees to compute several crown metrics, including crown height, crown diameter, live crown ratio, crown volume, crown density, and crown transparency. Potential uses of the UrbanCrowns program include...

Students' Calibration of Knowledge and Learning Processes: Implications for Designing Powerful Software Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winne, Philip H.

2004-01-01

Calibration concerns (a) the deviation of a person's judgment from fact, introducing notions of bias and accuracy; and metric issues regarding (b) the validity of cues' contributions to judgments and (c) the grain size of cues. Miscalibration hinders self-regulated learning (SRL). Considering calibration in the context of Winne and Hadwin's…

Automatic documentation system extension to multi-manufacturers' computers and to measure, improve, and predict software reliability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simmons, D. B.

1975-01-01

The DOMONIC system has been modified to run on the Univac 1108 and the CDC 6600 as well as the IBM 370 computer system. The DOMONIC monitor system has been implemented to gather data which can be used to optimize the DOMONIC system and to predict the reliability of software developed using DOMONIC. The areas of quality metrics, error characterization, program complexity, program testing, validation and verification are analyzed. A software reliability model for estimating program completion levels and one on which to base system acceptance have been developed. The DAVE system which performs flow analysis and error detection has been converted from the University of Colorado CDC 6400/6600 computer to the IBM 360/370 computer system for use with the DOMONIC system.

Use of multiple cluster analysis methods to explore the validity of a community outcomes concept map.

PubMed

Orsi, Rebecca

2017-02-01

Concept mapping is now a commonly-used technique for articulating and evaluating programmatic outcomes. However, research regarding validity of knowledge and outcomes produced with concept mapping is sparse. The current study describes quantitative validity analyses using a concept mapping dataset. We sought to increase the validity of concept mapping evaluation results by running multiple cluster analysis methods and then using several metrics to choose from among solutions. We present four different clustering methods based on analyses using the R statistical software package: partitioning around medoids (PAM), fuzzy analysis (FANNY), agglomerative nesting (AGNES) and divisive analysis (DIANA). We then used the Dunn and Davies-Bouldin indices to assist in choosing a valid cluster solution for a concept mapping outcomes evaluation. We conclude that the validity of the outcomes map is high, based on the analyses described. Finally, we discuss areas for further concept mapping methods research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Image Quality Ranking Method for Microscopy

PubMed Central

Koho, Sami; Fazeli, Elnaz; Eriksson, John E.; Hänninen, Pekka E.

2016-01-01

Automated analysis of microscope images is necessitated by the increased need for high-resolution follow up of events in time. Manually finding the right images to be analyzed, or eliminated from data analysis are common day-to-day problems in microscopy research today, and the constantly growing size of image datasets does not help the matter. We propose a simple method and a software tool for sorting images within a dataset, according to their relative quality. We demonstrate the applicability of our method in finding good quality images in a STED microscope sample preparation optimization image dataset. The results are validated by comparisons to subjective opinion scores, as well as five state-of-the-art blind image quality assessment methods. We also show how our method can be applied to eliminate useless out-of-focus images in a High-Content-Screening experiment. We further evaluate the ability of our image quality ranking method to detect out-of-focus images, by extensive simulations, and by comparing its performance against previously published, well-established microscopy autofocus metrics. PMID:27364703

Assessment of Suited Reach Envelope in an Underwater Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Han; Benson, Elizabeth; Bernal, Yaritza; Jarvis, Sarah; Meginnis, Ian; Rajulu, Sudhakar

2017-01-01

Predicting the performance of a crewmember in an extravehicular activity (EVA) space suit presents unique challenges. The kinematic patterns of suited motions are difficult to reproduce in gravity. Additionally, 3-D suited kinematics have been practically and technically difficult to quantify in an underwater environment, in which crewmembers are commonly trained and assessed for performance. The goal of this study is to develop a hardware and software system to predictively evaluate the kinematic mobility of suited crewmembers, by measuring the 3-D reach envelope of the suit in an underwater environment. This work is ultimately aimed at developing quantitative metrics to compare the mobility of the existing Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) to newly developed space suit, such as the Z-2. The EMU has been extensively used at NASA since 1981 for EVA outside the Space Shuttle and International Space Station. The Z-2 suit is NASA's newest prototype space suit. The suit is comprised of new upper torso and lower torso architectures, which were designed to improve test subject mobility.

The Completion Arch: Measuring Community College Student Success--2012

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horn, Laura; Radwin, David

2012-01-01

Essential to tracking student success at community colleges is the availability of solid data and commonly defined metrics that go beyond measuring the traditional (and limited) enrollment and graduation rates that these colleges report to the federal government. In particular, what is needed are metrics that illuminate what happens to students…

Multivariate matching pursuit in optimal Gabor dictionaries: theory and software with interface for EEG/MEG via Svarog

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Matching pursuit algorithm (MP), especially with recent multivariate extensions, offers unique advantages in analysis of EEG and MEG. Methods We propose a novel construction of an optimal Gabor dictionary, based upon the metrics introduced in this paper. We implement this construction in a freely available software for MP decomposition of multivariate time series, with a user friendly interface via the Svarog package (Signal Viewer, Analyzer and Recorder On GPL, http://braintech.pl/svarog), and provide a hands-on introduction to its application to EEG. Finally, we describe numerical and mathematical optimizations used in this implementation. Results Optimal Gabor dictionaries, based on the metric introduced in this paper, for the first time allowed for a priori assessment of maximum one-step error of the MP algorithm. Variants of multivariate MP, implemented in the accompanying software, are organized according to the mathematical properties of the algorithms, relevant in the light of EEG/MEG analysis. Some of these variants have been successfully applied to both multichannel and multitrial EEG and MEG in previous studies, improving preprocessing for EEG/MEG inverse solutions and parameterization of evoked potentials in single trials; we mention also ongoing work and possible novel applications. Conclusions Mathematical results presented in this paper improve our understanding of the basics of the MP algorithm. Simple introduction of its properties and advantages, together with the accompanying stable and user-friendly Open Source software package, pave the way for a widespread and reproducible analysis of multivariate EEG and MEG time series and novel applications, while retaining a high degree of compatibility with the traditional, visual analysis of EEG. PMID:24059247

Health impact metrics for air pollution management strategies

PubMed Central

Martenies, Sheena E.; Wilkins, Donele; Batterman, Stuart A.

2015-01-01

Health impact assessments (HIAs) inform policy and decision making by providing information regarding future health concerns, and quantitative HIAs now are being used for local and urban-scale projects. HIA results can be expressed using a variety of metrics that differ in meaningful ways, and guidance is lacking with respect to best practices for the development and use of HIA metrics. This study reviews HIA metrics pertaining to air quality management and presents evaluative criteria for their selection and use. These are illustrated in a case study where PM2.5 concentrations are lowered from 10 to 8 µg/m3 in an urban area of 1.8 million people. Health impact functions are used to estimate the number of premature deaths, unscheduled hospitalizations and other morbidity outcomes. The most common metric in recent quantitative HIAs has been the number of cases of adverse outcomes avoided. Other metrics include time-based measures, e.g., disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), monetized impacts, functional-unit based measures, e.g., benefits per ton of emissions reduced, and other economic indicators, e.g., cost-benefit ratios. These metrics are evaluated by considering their comprehensiveness, the spatial and temporal resolution of the analysis, how equity considerations are facilitated, and the analysis and presentation of uncertainty. In the case study, the greatest number of avoided cases occurs for low severity morbidity outcomes, e.g., asthma exacerbations (n=28,000) and minor-restricted activity days (n=37,000); while DALYs and monetized impacts are driven by the severity, duration and value assigned to a relatively low number of premature deaths (n=190 to 230 per year). The selection of appropriate metrics depends on the problem context and boundaries, the severity of impacts, and community values regarding health. The number of avoided cases provides an estimate of the number of people affected, and monetized impacts facilitate additional economic analyses useful to policy analysis. DALYs are commonly used as an aggregate measure of health impacts and can be used to compare impacts across studies. Benefits per ton metrics may be appropriate when changes in emissions rates can be estimated. To address community concerns and HIA objectives, a combination of metrics is suggested. PMID:26372694

SU-F-I-43: A Software-Based Statistical Method to Compute Low Contrast Detectability in Computed Tomography Images

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

Chacko, M; Aldoohan, S

Purpose: The low contrast detectability (LCD) of a CT scanner is its ability to detect and display faint lesions. The current approach to quantify LCD is achieved using vendor-specific methods and phantoms, typically by subjectively observing the smallest size object at a contrast level above phantom background. However, this approach does not yield clinically applicable values for LCD. The current study proposes a statistical LCD metric using software tools to not only to assess scanner performance, but also to quantify the key factors affecting LCD. This approach was developed using uniform QC phantoms, and its applicability was then extended undermore » simulated clinical conditions. Methods: MATLAB software was developed to compute LCD using a uniform image of a QC phantom. For a given virtual object size, the software randomly samples the image within a selected area, and uses statistical analysis based on Student’s t-distribution to compute the LCD as the minimal Hounsfield Unit’s that can be distinguished from the background at the 95% confidence level. Its validity was assessed by comparison with the behavior of a known QC phantom under various scan protocols and a tissue-mimicking phantom. The contributions of beam quality and scattered radiation upon the computed LCD were quantified by using various external beam-hardening filters and phantom lengths. Results: As expected, the LCD was inversely related to object size under all scan conditions. The type of image reconstruction kernel filter and tissue/organ type strongly influenced the background noise characteristics and therefore, the computed LCD for the associated image. Conclusion: The proposed metric and its associated software tools are vendor-independent and can be used to analyze any LCD scanner performance. Furthermore, the method employed can be used in conjunction with the relationships established in this study between LCD and tissue type to extend these concepts to patients’ clinical CT images.« less

What Not To Do: Anti-patterns for Developing Scientific Workflow Software Components

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Futrelle, J.; Maffei, A. R.; Sosik, H. M.; Gallager, S. M.; York, A.

2013-12-01

Scientific workflows promise to enable efficient scaling-up of researcher code to handle large datasets and workloads, as well as documentation of scientific processing via standardized provenance records, etc. Workflow systems and related frameworks for coordinating the execution of otherwise separate components are limited, however, in their ability to overcome software engineering design problems commonly encountered in pre-existing components, such as scripts developed externally by scientists in their laboratories. In practice, this often means that components must be rewritten or replaced in a time-consuming, expensive process. In the course of an extensive workflow development project involving large-scale oceanographic image processing, we have begun to identify and codify 'anti-patterns'--problematic design characteristics of software--that make components fit poorly into complex automated workflows. We have gone on to develop and document low-effort solutions and best practices that efficiently address the anti-patterns we have identified. The issues, solutions, and best practices can be used to evaluate and improve existing code, as well as guiding the development of new components. For example, we have identified a common anti-pattern we call 'batch-itis' in which a script fails and then cannot perform more work, even if that work is not precluded by the failure. The solution we have identified--removing unnecessary looping over independent units of work--is often easier to code than the anti-pattern, as it eliminates the need for complex control flow logic in the component. Other anti-patterns we have identified are similarly easy to identify and often easy to fix. We have drawn upon experience working with three science teams at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, each of which has designed novel imaging instruments and associated image analysis code. By developing use cases and prototypes within these teams, we have undertaken formal evaluations of software components developed by programmers with widely varying levels of expertise, and have been able to discover and characterize a number of anti-patterns. Our evaluation methodology and testbed have also enabled us to assess the efficacy of strategies to address these anti-patterns according to scientifically relevant metrics, such as ability of algorithms to perform faster than the rate of data acquisition and the accuracy of workflow component output relative to ground truth. The set of anti-patterns and solutions we have identified augments of the body of more well-known software engineering anti-patterns by addressing additional concerns that obtain when a software component has to function as part of a workflow assembled out of independently-developed codebases. Our experience shows that identifying and resolving these anti-patterns reduces development time and improves performance without reducing component reusability.

76 FR 16785 - Meeting for Software Developers on the Technical Specifications for Common Formats for Patient...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-25

... Software Developers on the Technical Specifications for Common Formats for Patient Safety Data Collection... designed as an interactive forum where PSOs and software developers can provide input on these technical... updated event descriptions, forms, and technical specifications for software developers. As an update to...

Quantifying full phenological event distributions reveals simultaneous advances, temporal stability and delays in spring and autumn migration timing in long-distance migratory birds.

PubMed

Miles, Will T S; Bolton, Mark; Davis, Peter; Dennis, Roy; Broad, Roger; Robertson, Iain; Riddiford, Nick J; Harvey, Paul V; Riddington, Roger; Shaw, Deryk N; Parnaby, David; Reid, Jane M

2017-04-01

Phenological changes in key seasonally expressed life-history traits occurring across periods of climatic and environmental change can cause temporal mismatches between interacting species, and thereby impact population and community dynamics. However, studies quantifying long-term phenological changes have commonly only measured variation occurring in spring, measured as the first or mean dates on which focal traits or events were observed. Few studies have considered seasonally paired events spanning spring and autumn or tested the key assumption that single convenient metrics accurately capture entire event distributions. We used 60 years (1955-2014) of daily bird migration census data from Fair Isle, Scotland, to comprehensively quantify the degree to which the full distributions of spring and autumn migration timing of 13 species of long-distance migratory bird changed across a period of substantial climatic and environmental change. In most species, mean spring and autumn migration dates changed little. However, the early migration phase (≤10th percentile date) commonly got earlier, while the late migration phase (≥90th percentile date) commonly got later. Consequently, species' total migration durations typically lengthened across years. Spring and autumn migration phenologies were not consistently correlated within or between years within species and hence were not tightly coupled. Furthermore, different metrics quantifying different aspects of migration phenology within seasons were not strongly cross-correlated, meaning that no single metric adequately described the full pattern of phenological change. These analyses therefore reveal complex patterns of simultaneous advancement, temporal stability and delay in spring and autumn migration phenologies, altering species' life-history structures. Additionally, they demonstrate that this complexity is only revealed if multiple metrics encompassing entire seasonal event distributions, rather than single metrics, are used to quantify phenological change. Existing evidence of long-term phenological changes detected using only one or two metrics should consequently be interpreted cautiously because divergent changes occurring simultaneously could potentially have remained undetected. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sensitivity of surface meteorological analyses to observation networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tyndall, Daniel Paul

A computationally efficient variational analysis system for two-dimensional meteorological fields is developed and described. This analysis approach is most efficient when the number of analysis grid points is much larger than the number of available observations, such as for large domain mesoscale analyses. The analysis system is developed using MATLAB software and can take advantage of multiple processors or processor cores. A version of the analysis system has been exported as a platform independent application (i.e., can be run on Windows, Linux, or Macintosh OS X desktop computers without a MATLAB license) with input/output operations handled by commonly available internet software combined with data archives at the University of Utah. The impact of observation networks on the meteorological analyses is assessed by utilizing a percentile ranking of individual observation sensitivity and impact, which is computed by using the adjoint of the variational surface assimilation system. This methodology is demonstrated using a case study of the analysis from 1400 UTC 27 October 2010 over the entire contiguous United States domain. The sensitivity of this approach to the dependence of the background error covariance on observation density is examined. Observation sensitivity and impact provide insight on the influence of observations from heterogeneous observing networks as well as serve as objective metrics for quality control procedures that may help to identify stations with significant siting, reporting, or representativeness issues.

Validation of sea ice models using an uncertainty-based distance metric for multiple model variables: NEW METRIC FOR SEA ICE MODEL VALIDATION

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

Urrego-Blanco, Jorge R.; Hunke, Elizabeth C.; Urban, Nathan M.

Here, we implement a variance-based distance metric (D n) to objectively assess skill of sea ice models when multiple output variables or uncertainties in both model predictions and observations need to be considered. The metric compares observations and model data pairs on common spatial and temporal grids improving upon highly aggregated metrics (e.g., total sea ice extent or volume) by capturing the spatial character of model skill. The D n metric is a gamma-distributed statistic that is more general than the χ 2 statistic commonly used to assess model fit, which requires the assumption that the model is unbiased andmore » can only incorporate observational error in the analysis. The D n statistic does not assume that the model is unbiased, and allows the incorporation of multiple observational data sets for the same variable and simultaneously for different variables, along with different types of variances that can characterize uncertainties in both observations and the model. This approach represents a step to establish a systematic framework for probabilistic validation of sea ice models. The methodology is also useful for model tuning by using the D n metric as a cost function and incorporating model parametric uncertainty as part of a scheme to optimize model functionality. We apply this approach to evaluate different configurations of the standalone Los Alamos sea ice model (CICE) encompassing the parametric uncertainty in the model, and to find new sets of model configurations that produce better agreement than previous configurations between model and observational estimates of sea ice concentration and thickness.« less

Validation of sea ice models using an uncertainty-based distance metric for multiple model variables: NEW METRIC FOR SEA ICE MODEL VALIDATION

DOE PAGES

Urrego-Blanco, Jorge R.; Hunke, Elizabeth C.; Urban, Nathan M.; ...

2017-04-01

Here, we implement a variance-based distance metric (D n) to objectively assess skill of sea ice models when multiple output variables or uncertainties in both model predictions and observations need to be considered. The metric compares observations and model data pairs on common spatial and temporal grids improving upon highly aggregated metrics (e.g., total sea ice extent or volume) by capturing the spatial character of model skill. The D n metric is a gamma-distributed statistic that is more general than the χ 2 statistic commonly used to assess model fit, which requires the assumption that the model is unbiased andmore » can only incorporate observational error in the analysis. The D n statistic does not assume that the model is unbiased, and allows the incorporation of multiple observational data sets for the same variable and simultaneously for different variables, along with different types of variances that can characterize uncertainties in both observations and the model. This approach represents a step to establish a systematic framework for probabilistic validation of sea ice models. The methodology is also useful for model tuning by using the D n metric as a cost function and incorporating model parametric uncertainty as part of a scheme to optimize model functionality. We apply this approach to evaluate different configurations of the standalone Los Alamos sea ice model (CICE) encompassing the parametric uncertainty in the model, and to find new sets of model configurations that produce better agreement than previous configurations between model and observational estimates of sea ice concentration and thickness.« less

lakemorpho: Calculating lake morphometry metrics in R.

PubMed

Hollister, Jeffrey; Stachelek, Joseph

2017-01-01

Metrics describing the shape and size of lakes, known as lake morphometry metrics, are important for any limnological study. In cases where a lake has long been the subject of study these data are often already collected and are openly available. Many other lakes have these data collected, but access is challenging as it is often stored on individual computers (or worse, in filing cabinets) and is available only to the primary investigators. The vast majority of lakes fall into a third category in which the data are not available. This makes broad scale modelling of lake ecology a challenge as some of the key information about in-lake processes are unavailable. While this valuable in situ information may be difficult to obtain, several national datasets exist that may be used to model and estimate lake morphometry. In particular, digital elevation models and hydrography have been shown to be predictive of several lake morphometry metrics. The R package lakemorpho has been developed to utilize these data and estimate the following morphometry metrics: surface area, shoreline length, major axis length, minor axis length, major and minor axis length ratio, shoreline development, maximum depth, mean depth, volume, maximum lake length, mean lake width, maximum lake width, and fetch. In this software tool article we describe the motivation behind developing lakemorpho , discuss the implementation in R, and describe the use of lakemorpho with an example of a typical use case.

Measuring the complexity of design in real-time imaging software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sangwan, Raghvinder S.; Vercellone-Smith, Pamela; Laplante, Phillip A.

2007-02-01

Due to the intricacies in the algorithms involved, the design of imaging software is considered to be more complex than non-image processing software (Sangwan et al, 2005). A recent investigation (Larsson and Laplante, 2006) examined the complexity of several image processing and non-image processing software packages along a wide variety of metrics, including those postulated by McCabe (1976), Chidamber and Kemerer (1994), and Martin (2003). This work found that it was not always possible to quantitatively compare the complexity between imaging applications and nonimage processing systems. Newer research and an accompanying tool (Structure 101, 2006), however, provides a greatly simplified approach to measuring software complexity. Therefore it may be possible to definitively quantify the complexity differences between imaging and non-imaging software, between imaging and real-time imaging software, and between software programs of the same application type. In this paper, we review prior results and describe the methodology for measuring complexity in imaging systems. We then apply a new complexity measurement methodology to several sets of imaging and non-imaging code in order to compare the complexity differences between the two types of applications. The benefit of such quantification is far reaching, for example, leading to more easily measured performance improvement and quality in real-time imaging code.

Maximum Entropy Discrimination Poisson Regression for Software Reliability Modeling.

PubMed

Chatzis, Sotirios P; Andreou, Andreas S

2015-11-01

Reliably predicting software defects is one of the most significant tasks in software engineering. Two of the major components of modern software reliability modeling approaches are: 1) extraction of salient features for software system representation, based on appropriately designed software metrics and 2) development of intricate regression models for count data, to allow effective software reliability data modeling and prediction. Surprisingly, research in the latter frontier of count data regression modeling has been rather limited. More specifically, a lack of simple and efficient algorithms for posterior computation has made the Bayesian approaches appear unattractive, and thus underdeveloped in the context of software reliability modeling. In this paper, we try to address these issues by introducing a novel Bayesian regression model for count data, based on the concept of max-margin data modeling, effected in the context of a fully Bayesian model treatment with simple and efficient posterior distribution updates. Our novel approach yields a more discriminative learning technique, making more effective use of our training data during model inference. In addition, it allows of better handling uncertainty in the modeled data, which can be a significant problem when the training data are limited. We derive elegant inference algorithms for our model under the mean-field paradigm and exhibit its effectiveness using the publicly available benchmark data sets.

Automated construction of node software using attributes in a ubiquitous sensor network environment.

PubMed

Lee, Woojin; Kim, Juil; Kang, JangMook

2010-01-01

In sensor networks, nodes must often operate in a demanding environment facing restrictions such as restricted computing resources, unreliable wireless communication and power shortages. Such factors make the development of ubiquitous sensor network (USN) applications challenging. To help developers construct a large amount of node software for sensor network applications easily and rapidly, this paper proposes an approach to the automated construction of node software for USN applications using attributes. In the proposed technique, application construction proceeds by first developing a model for the sensor network and then designing node software by setting the values of the predefined attributes. After that, the sensor network model and the design of node software are verified. The final source codes of the node software are automatically generated from the sensor network model. We illustrate the efficiency of the proposed technique by using a gas/light monitoring application through a case study of a Gas and Light Monitoring System based on the Nano-Qplus operating system. We evaluate the technique using a quantitative metric-the memory size of execution code for node software. Using the proposed approach, developers are able to easily construct sensor network applications and rapidly generate a large number of node softwares at a time in a ubiquitous sensor network environment.

Distributed Space Mission Design for Earth Observation Using Model-Based Performance Evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nag, Sreeja; LeMoigne-Stewart, Jacqueline; Cervantes, Ben; DeWeck, Oliver

2015-01-01

Distributed Space Missions (DSMs) are gaining momentum in their application to earth observation missions owing to their unique ability to increase observation sampling in multiple dimensions. DSM design is a complex problem with many design variables, multiple objectives determining performance and cost and emergent, often unexpected, behaviors. There are very few open-access tools available to explore the tradespace of variables, minimize cost and maximize performance for pre-defined science goals, and therefore select the most optimal design. This paper presents a software tool that can multiple DSM architectures based on pre-defined design variable ranges and size those architectures in terms of predefined science and cost metrics. The tool will help a user select Pareto optimal DSM designs based on design of experiments techniques. The tool will be applied to some earth observation examples to demonstrate its applicability in making some key decisions between different performance metrics and cost metrics early in the design lifecycle.

Equations for Scoring Rules When Data Are Missing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, Mark

2006-01-01

A document presents equations for scoring rules in a diagnostic and/or prognostic artificial-intelligence software system of the rule-based inference-engine type. The equations define a set of metrics that characterize the evaluation of a rule when data required for the antecedence clause(s) of the rule are missing. The metrics include a primary measure denoted the rule completeness metric (RCM) plus a number of subsidiary measures that contribute to the RCM. The RCM is derived from an analysis of a rule with respect to its truth and a measure of the completeness of its input data. The derivation is such that the truth value of an antecedent is independent of the measure of its completeness. The RCM can be used to compare the degree of completeness of two or more rules with respect to a given set of data. Hence, the RCM can be used as a guide to choosing among rules during the rule-selection phase of operation of the artificial-intelligence system..

Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs: Appropriate Measures and Metrics to Study their Impact.

PubMed

Morris, Andrew M

Antimicrobial stewardship is a new field that struggles to find the right balance between meaningful and useful metrics to study the impact of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). ASP metrics primarily measure antimicrobial use, although microbiological resistance and clinical outcomes are also important measures of the impact an ASP has on a hospital and its patient population. Antimicrobial measures looking at consumption are the most commonly used measures, and are focused on defined daily doses, days of therapy, and costs, usually standardized per 1,000 patient-days. Each measure provides slightly different information, with their own upsides and downfalls. Point prevalence measurement of antimicrobial use is an increasingly used approach to understanding consumption that does not entirely rely on sophisticated electronic information systems, and is also replicable. Appropriateness measures hold appeal and promise, but have not been developed to the degree that makes them useful and widely applicable. The primary reason why antimicrobial stewardship is necessary is the growth of antimicrobial resistance. Accordingly, antimicrobial resistance is an important metric of the impact of an ASP. The most common approach to measuring resistance for ASP purposes is to report rates of common or important community- or nosocomial-acquired antimicrobial-resistant organisms, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile. Such an approach is dependent on detection methods, community rates of resistance, and co-interventions, and therefore may not be the most accurate or reflective measure of antimicrobial stewardship interventions. Development of an index to reflect the net burden of resistance holds theoretical promise, but has yet to be realized. Finally, programs must consider patient outcome measures. Mortality is the most objective and reliable method, but has several drawbacks. Disease- or organism-specific mortality, or cure, are increasingly used metrics.

Dental fluorosis in populations from Chiang Mai, Thailand with different fluoride exposures - Paper 2: The ability of fluorescence imaging to detect differences in fluorosis prevalence and severity for different fluoride intakes from water

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background To assess the ability of fluorescence imaging to detect a dose response relationship between fluorosis severity and different levels of fluoride in water supplies compared to remote photographic scoring in selected populations participating in an observational, epidemiological survey in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Methods Subjects were male and female lifetime residents aged 8-13 years. For each child the fluoride content of cooking water samples (CWS) was assessed to create categorical intervals of water fluoride concentration. Fluorescence images were taken of the maxillary central incisors and analyzed for dental fluorosis using two different software techniques. Output metrics for the fluorescence imaging techniques were compared to TF scores from blinded photographic scores obtained from the survey. Results Data from 553 subjects were available. Both software analysis techniques demonstrated significant correlations with the photographic scores. The metrics for area effected by fluorosis and the overall fluorescence loss had the strongest association with the photographic TF score (Spearman’s rho 0.664 and 0.652 respectively). Both software techniques performed well for comparison of repeat fluorescence images with ICC values of 0.95 and 0.85 respectively. Conclusions This study supports the potential use of fluorescence imaging for the objective quantification of dental fluorosis. Fluorescence imaging was able to discriminate between populations with different fluoride exposures on a comparable level to remote photographic scoring with acceptable levels of repeatability. PMID:22908997

A cross-comparison of field, spectral, and lidar estimates of forest canopy cover

Treesearch

Alistair M. S. Smith; Michael J. Falkowski; Andrew T. Hudak; Jeffrey S. Evans; Andrew P. Robinson; Caiti M. Steele

2010-01-01

A common challenge when comparing forest canopy cover and similar metrics across different ecosystems is that there are many field- and landscape-level measurement methods. This research conducts a cross-comparison and evaluation of forest canopy cover metrics produced using unmixing of reflective spectral satellite data, light detection and ranging (lidar) data, and...

Metrics for linear kinematic features in sea ice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Levy, G.; Coon, M.; Sulsky, D.

2006-12-01

The treatment of leads as cracks or discontinuities (see Coon et al. presentation) requires some shift in the procedure of evaluation and comparison of lead-resolving models and their validation against observations. Common metrics used to evaluate ice model skills are by and large an adaptation of a least square "metric" adopted from operational numerical weather prediction data assimilation systems and are most appropriate for continuous fields and Eilerian systems where the observations and predictions are commensurate. However, this class of metrics suffers from some flaws in areas of sharp gradients and discontinuities (e.g., leads) and when Lagrangian treatments are more natural. After a brief review of these metrics and their performance in areas of sharp gradients, we present two new metrics specifically designed to measure model accuracy in representing linear features (e.g., leads). The indices developed circumvent the requirement that both the observations and model variables be commensurate (i.e., measured with the same units) by considering the frequencies of the features of interest/importance. We illustrate the metrics by scoring several hypothetical "simulated" discontinuity fields against the lead interpreted from RGPS observations.

Process maturity progress at Motorola Cellular Systems Division

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Borgstahl, Ron; Criscione, Mark; Dobson, Kim; Willey, Allan

1994-01-01

We believe that the key success elements are related to our recognition that Software Process Improvement (SPI) can and should be organized, planned, managed, and measured as if it were a project to develop a new process, analogous to a software product. We believe that our process improvements have come as the result of these key elements: use of a rigorous, detailed requirements set (Capability Maturity Model, CMM); use of a robust, yet flexible architecture (IEEE 1074); use of a SPI project, resourced and managed like other work, to produce the specifications and implement them; and development of both internal and external goals, with metrics to support them.

Viewpoint matters: objective performance metrics for surgeon endoscope control during robot-assisted surgery.

PubMed

Jarc, Anthony M; Curet, Myriam J

2017-03-01

Effective visualization of the operative field is vital to surgical safety and education. However, additional metrics for visualization are needed to complement other common measures of surgeon proficiency, such as time or errors. Unlike other surgical modalities, robot-assisted minimally invasive surgery (RAMIS) enables data-driven feedback to trainees through measurement of camera adjustments. The purpose of this study was to validate and quantify the importance of novel camera metrics during RAMIS. New (n = 18), intermediate (n = 8), and experienced (n = 13) surgeons completed 25 virtual reality simulation exercises on the da Vinci Surgical System. Three camera metrics were computed for all exercises and compared to conventional efficiency measures. Both camera metrics and efficiency metrics showed construct validity (p < 0.05) across most exercises (camera movement frequency 23/25, camera movement duration 22/25, camera movement interval 19/25, overall score 24/25, completion time 25/25). Camera metrics differentiated new and experienced surgeons across all tasks as well as efficiency metrics. Finally, camera metrics significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with completion time (camera movement frequency 21/25, camera movement duration 21/25, camera movement interval 20/25) and overall score (camera movement frequency 20/25, camera movement duration 19/25, camera movement interval 20/25) for most exercises. We demonstrate construct validity of novel camera metrics and correlation between camera metrics and efficiency metrics across many simulation exercises. We believe camera metrics could be used to improve RAMIS proficiency-based curricula.

Assessing the quality of restored images in optical long-baseline interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gomes, Nuno; Garcia, Paulo J. V.; Thiébaut, Éric

2017-03-01

Assessing the quality of aperture synthesis maps is relevant for benchmarking image reconstruction algorithms, for the scientific exploitation of data from optical long-baseline interferometers, and for the design/upgrade of new/existing interferometric imaging facilities. Although metrics have been proposed in these contexts, no systematic study has been conducted on the selection of a robust metric for quality assessment. This article addresses the question: what is the best metric to assess the quality of a reconstructed image? It starts by considering several metrics and selecting a few based on general properties. Then, a variety of image reconstruction cases are considered. The observational scenarios are phase closure and phase referencing at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI), for a combination of two, three, four and six telescopes. End-to-end image reconstruction is accomplished with the MIRA software, and several merit functions are put to test. It is found that convolution by an effective point spread function is required for proper image quality assessment. The effective angular resolution of the images is superior to naive expectation based on the maximum frequency sampled by the array. This is due to the prior information used in the aperture synthesis algorithm and to the nature of the objects considered. The ℓ1-norm is the most robust of all considered metrics, because being linear it is less sensitive to image smoothing by high regularization levels. For the cases considered, this metric allows the implementation of automatic quality assessment of reconstructed images, with a performance similar to human selection.

A methodology to compile food metrics related to diet sustainability into a single food database: Application to the French case.

PubMed

Gazan, Rozenn; Barré, Tangui; Perignon, Marlène; Maillot, Matthieu; Darmon, Nicole; Vieux, Florent

2018-01-01

The holistic approach required to assess diet sustainability is hindered by lack of comprehensive databases compiling relevant food metrics. Those metrics are generally scattered in different data sources with various levels of aggregation hampering their matching. The objective was to develop a general methodology to compile food metrics describing diet sustainability dimensions into a single database and to apply it to the French context. Each step of the methodology is detailed: indicators and food metrics identification and selection, food list definition, food matching and values assignment. For the French case, nutrient and contaminant content, bioavailability factors, distribution of dietary intakes, portion sizes, food prices, greenhouse gas emission, acidification and marine eutrophication estimates were allocated to 212 commonly consumed generic foods. This generic database compiling 279 metrics will allow the simultaneous evaluation of the four dimensions of diet sustainability, namely health, economic, social and environmental, dimensions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance Metrics, Error Modeling, and Uncertainty Quantification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tian, Yudong; Nearing, Grey S.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Harrison, Kenneth W.; Tang, Ling

2016-01-01

A common set of statistical metrics has been used to summarize the performance of models or measurements-­ the most widely used ones being bias, mean square error, and linear correlation coefficient. They assume linear, additive, Gaussian errors, and they are interdependent, incomplete, and incapable of directly quantifying un­certainty. The authors demonstrate that these metrics can be directly derived from the parameters of the simple linear error model. Since a correct error model captures the full error information, it is argued that the specification of a parametric error model should be an alternative to the metrics-based approach. The error-modeling meth­odology is applicable to both linear and nonlinear errors, while the metrics are only meaningful for linear errors. In addition, the error model expresses the error structure more naturally, and directly quantifies uncertainty. This argument is further explained by highlighting the intrinsic connections between the performance metrics, the error model, and the joint distribution between the data and the reference.

Individual Differences in Diabetes Risk: Role of Sleep Disturbances

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-08-01

Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM) software, a commercial version of the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research battery of...ghrelin levels, decreased levels of leptin and increased hunger and appetite. We also review cross-sectional epidemiologic studies associating...Leptin is a satiety factor: high leptin levels inhibit and low leptin levels stimulate hunger and food intake. The data shown in Figure 4

FQC Dashboard: integrates FastQC results into a web-based, interactive, and extensible FASTQ quality control tool

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

Brown, Joseph; Pirrung, Meg; McCue, Lee Ann

FQC is software that facilitates large-scale quality control of FASTQ files by carrying out a QC protocol, parsing results, and aggregating quality metrics within and across experiments into an interactive dashboard. The dashboard utilizes human-readable configuration files to manipulate the pages and tabs, and is extensible with CSV data.

Method for 3D noncontact measurements of cut trees package area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Knyaz, Vladimir A.; Vizilter, Yuri V.

2001-02-01

Progress in imaging sensors and computers create the background for numerous 3D imaging application for wide variety of manufacturing activity. Many demands for automated precise measurements are in wood branch of industry. One of them is the accurate volume definition for cut trees carried on the truck. The key point for volume estimation is determination of the front area of the cut tree package. To eliminate slow and inaccurate manual measurements being now in practice the experimental system for automated non-contact wood measurements is developed. The system includes two non-metric CCD video cameras, PC as central processing unit, frame grabbers and original software for image processing and 3D measurements. The proposed method of measurement is based on capturing the stereo pair of front of trees package and performing the image orthotranformation into the front plane. This technique allows to process transformed image for circle shapes recognition and calculating their area. The metric characteristics of the system are provided by special camera calibration procedure. The paper presents the developed method of 3D measurements, describes the hardware used for image acquisition and the software realized the developed algorithms, gives the productivity and precision characteristics of the system.

Comparing generalized ensemble methods for sampling of systems with many degrees of freedom

DOE PAGES

Lincoff, James; Sasmal, Sukanya; Head-Gordon, Teresa

2016-11-03

Here, we compare two standard replica exchange methods using temperature and dielectric constant as the scaling variables for independent replicas against two new corresponding enhanced sampling methods based on non-equilibrium statistical cooling (temperature) or descreening (dielectric). We test the four methods on a rough 1D potential as well as for alanine dipeptide in water, for which their relatively small phase space allows for the ability to define quantitative convergence metrics. We show that both dielectric methods are inferior to the temperature enhanced sampling methods, and in turn show that temperature cool walking (TCW) systematically outperforms the standard temperature replica exchangemore » (TREx) method. We extend our comparisons of the TCW and TREx methods to the 5 residue met-enkephalin peptide, in which we evaluate the Kullback-Leibler divergence metric to show that the rate of convergence between two independent trajectories is faster for TCW compared to TREx. Finally we apply the temperature methods to the 42 residue amyloid-β peptide in which we find non-negligible differences in the disordered ensemble using TCW compared to the standard TREx. All four methods have been made available as software through the OpenMM Omnia software consortium.« less

Towards a Framework for Evaluating and Comparing Diagnosis Algorithms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kurtoglu, Tolga; Narasimhan, Sriram; Poll, Scott; Garcia,David; Kuhn, Lukas; deKleer, Johan; vanGemund, Arjan; Feldman, Alexander

2009-01-01

Diagnostic inference involves the detection of anomalous system behavior and the identification of its cause, possibly down to a failed unit or to a parameter of a failed unit. Traditional approaches to solving this problem include expert/rule-based, model-based, and data-driven methods. Each approach (and various techniques within each approach) use different representations of the knowledge required to perform the diagnosis. The sensor data is expected to be combined with these internal representations to produce the diagnosis result. In spite of the availability of various diagnosis technologies, there have been only minimal efforts to develop a standardized software framework to run, evaluate, and compare different diagnosis technologies on the same system. This paper presents a framework that defines a standardized representation of the system knowledge, the sensor data, and the form of the diagnosis results and provides a run-time architecture that can execute diagnosis algorithms, send sensor data to the algorithms at appropriate time steps from a variety of sources (including the actual physical system), and collect resulting diagnoses. We also define a set of metrics that can be used to evaluate and compare the performance of the algorithms, and provide software to calculate the metrics.

ExaSAT: An exascale co-design tool for performance modeling

DOE PAGES

Unat, Didem; Chan, Cy; Zhang, Weiqun; ...

2015-02-09

One of the emerging challenges to designing HPC systems is understanding and projecting the requirements of exascale applications. In order to determine the performance consequences of different hardware designs, analytic models are essential because they can provide fast feedback to the co-design centers and chip designers without costly simulations. However, current attempts to analytically model program performance typically rely on the user manually specifying a performance model. Here we introduce the ExaSAT framework that automates the extraction of parameterized performance models directly from source code using compiler analysis. The parameterized analytic model enables quantitative evaluation of a broad range ofmore » hardware design trade-offs and software optimizations on a variety of different performance metrics, with a primary focus on data movement as a metric. Finally, we demonstrate the ExaSAT framework’s ability to perform deep code analysis of a proxy application from the Department of Energy Combustion Co-design Center to illustrate its value to the exascale co-design process. ExaSAT analysis provides insights into the hardware and software trade-offs and lays the groundwork for exploring a more targeted set of design points using cycle-accurate architectural simulators.« less

Comparing generalized ensemble methods for sampling of systems with many degrees of freedom.

PubMed

Lincoff, James; Sasmal, Sukanya; Head-Gordon, Teresa

2016-11-07

We compare two standard replica exchange methods using temperature and dielectric constant as the scaling variables for independent replicas against two new corresponding enhanced sampling methods based on non-equilibrium statistical cooling (temperature) or descreening (dielectric). We test the four methods on a rough 1D potential as well as for alanine dipeptide in water, for which their relatively small phase space allows for the ability to define quantitative convergence metrics. We show that both dielectric methods are inferior to the temperature enhanced sampling methods, and in turn show that temperature cool walking (TCW) systematically outperforms the standard temperature replica exchange (TREx) method. We extend our comparisons of the TCW and TREx methods to the 5 residue met-enkephalin peptide, in which we evaluate the Kullback-Leibler divergence metric to show that the rate of convergence between two independent trajectories is faster for TCW compared to TREx. Finally we apply the temperature methods to the 42 residue amyloid-β peptide in which we find non-negligible differences in the disordered ensemble using TCW compared to the standard TREx. All four methods have been made available as software through the OpenMM Omnia software consortium (http://www.omnia.md/).

Condition assessment of nonlinear processes

DOEpatents

Hively, Lee M.; Gailey, Paul C.; Protopopescu, Vladimir A.

2002-01-01

There is presented a reliable technique for measuring condition change in nonlinear data such as brain waves. The nonlinear data is filtered and discretized into windowed data sets. The system dynamics within each data set is represented by a sequence of connected phase-space points, and for each data set a distribution function is derived. New metrics are introduced that evaluate the distance between distribution functions. The metrics are properly renormalized to provide robust and sensitive relative measures of condition change. As an example, these measures can be used on EEG data, to provide timely discrimination between normal, preseizure, seizure, and post-seizure states in epileptic patients. Apparatus utilizing hardware or software to perform the method and provide an indicative output is also disclosed.

Modeling and analysis of selected space station communications and tracking subsystems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richmond, Elmer Raydean

1993-01-01

The Communications and Tracking System on board Space Station Freedom (SSF) provides space-to-ground, space-to-space, audio, and video communications, as well as tracking data reception and processing services. Each major category of service is provided by a communications subsystem which is controlled and monitored by software. Among these subsystems, the Assembly/Contingency Subsystem (ACS) and the Space-to-Ground Subsystem (SGS) provide communications with the ground via the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite (TDRS) System. The ACS is effectively SSF's command link, while the SGS is primarily intended as the data link for SSF payloads. The research activities of this project focused on the ACS and SGS antenna management algorithms identified in the Flight System Software Requirements (FSSR) documentation, including: (1) software modeling and evaluation of antenna management (positioning) algorithms; and (2) analysis and investigation of selected variables and parameters of these antenna management algorithms i.e., descriptions and definitions of ranges, scopes, and dimensions. In a related activity, to assist those responsible for monitoring the development of this flight system software, a brief summary of software metrics concepts, terms, measures, and uses was prepared.

Software for improving the quality of project management, a case study: international manufacture of electrical equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preradović, D. M.; Mićić, Lj S.; Barz, C.

2017-05-01

Production conditions in today’s world require software support at every stage of production and development of new products, for quality assurance and compliance with ISO standards. In addition to ISO standards such as usual metrics of quality, companies today are focused on other optional standards, such as CMMI (Capability Maturity Model Integrated) or prescribing they own standards. However, while there is intensive progress being made in the PM (project management), there is still a significant number of projects, at the global level, that are failures. These have failed to achieve their goals, within budget or timeframe. This paper focuses on checking the role of software tools through the rate of success in projects implemented in the case of internationally manufactured electrical equipment. The results of this research show the level of contribution of the project management software used to manage and develop new products to improve PM processes and PM functions, and how selection of the software tools affects the quality of PM processes and successfully completed projects.

Mesoscale spatial variability of selected aquatic invertebrate community metrics from a minimally impaired stream segment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gebler, J.B.

2004-01-01

The related topics of spatial variability of aquatic invertebrate community metrics, implications of spatial patterns of metric values to distributions of aquatic invertebrate communities, and ramifications of natural variability to the detection of human perturbations were investigated. Four metrics commonly used for stream assessment were computed for 9 stream reaches within a fairly homogeneous, minimally impaired stream segment of the San Pedro River, Arizona. Metric variability was assessed for differing sampling scenarios using simple permutation procedures. Spatial patterns of metric values suggest that aquatic invertebrate communities are patchily distributed on subsegment and segment scales, which causes metric variability. Wide ranges of metric values resulted in wide ranges of metric coefficients of variation (CVs) and minimum detectable differences (MDDs), and both CVs and MDDs often increased as sample size (number of reaches) increased, suggesting that any particular set of sampling reaches could yield misleading estimates of population parameters and effects that can be detected. Mean metric variabilities were substantial, with the result that only fairly large differences in metrics would be declared significant at ?? = 0.05 and ?? = 0.20. The number of reaches required to obtain MDDs of 10% and 20% varied with significance level and power, and differed for different metrics, but were generally large, ranging into tens and hundreds of reaches. Study results suggest that metric values from one or a small number of stream reach(es) may not be adequate to represent a stream segment, depending on effect sizes of interest, and that larger sample sizes are necessary to obtain reasonable estimates of metrics and sample statistics. For bioassessment to progress, spatial variability may need to be investigated in many systems and should be considered when designing studies and interpreting data.

Comparison of Automated Atlas-Based Segmentation Software for Postoperative Prostate Cancer Radiotherapy

PubMed Central

Delpon, Grégory; Escande, Alexandre; Ruef, Timothée; Darréon, Julien; Fontaine, Jimmy; Noblet, Caroline; Supiot, Stéphane; Lacornerie, Thomas; Pasquier, David

2016-01-01

Automated atlas-based segmentation (ABS) algorithms present the potential to reduce the variability in volume delineation. Several vendors offer software that are mainly used for cranial, head and neck, and prostate cases. The present study will compare the contours produced by a radiation oncologist to the contours computed by different automated ABS algorithms for prostate bed cases, including femoral heads, bladder, and rectum. Contour comparison was evaluated by different metrics such as volume ratio, Dice coefficient, and Hausdorff distance. Results depended on the volume of interest showed some discrepancies between the different software. Automatic contours could be a good starting point for the delineation of organs since efficient editing tools are provided by different vendors. It should become an important help in the next few years for organ at risk delineation. PMID:27536556

Insight from uncertainty: bootstrap-derived diffusion metrics differentially predict memory function among older adults.

PubMed

Vorburger, Robert S; Habeck, Christian G; Narkhede, Atul; Guzman, Vanessa A; Manly, Jennifer J; Brickman, Adam M

2016-01-01

Diffusion tensor imaging suffers from an intrinsic low signal-to-noise ratio. Bootstrap algorithms have been introduced to provide a non-parametric method to estimate the uncertainty of the measured diffusion parameters. To quantify the variability of the principal diffusion direction, bootstrap-derived metrics such as the cone of uncertainty have been proposed. However, bootstrap-derived metrics are not independent of the underlying diffusion profile. A higher mean diffusivity causes a smaller signal-to-noise ratio and, thus, increases the measurement uncertainty. Moreover, the goodness of the tensor model, which relies strongly on the complexity of the underlying diffusion profile, influences bootstrap-derived metrics as well. The presented simulations clearly depict the cone of uncertainty as a function of the underlying diffusion profile. Since the relationship of the cone of uncertainty and common diffusion parameters, such as the mean diffusivity and the fractional anisotropy, is not linear, the cone of uncertainty has a different sensitivity. In vivo analysis of the fornix reveals the cone of uncertainty to be a predictor of memory function among older adults. No significant correlation occurs with the common diffusion parameters. The present work not only demonstrates the cone of uncertainty as a function of the actual diffusion profile, but also discloses the cone of uncertainty as a sensitive predictor of memory function. Future studies should incorporate bootstrap-derived metrics to provide more comprehensive analysis.

Numerical distance effect size is a poor metric of approximate number system acuity.

PubMed

Chesney, Dana

2018-04-12

Individual differences in the ability to compare and evaluate nonsymbolic numerical magnitudes-approximate number system (ANS) acuity-are emerging as an important predictor in many research areas. Unfortunately, recent empirical studies have called into question whether a historically common ANS-acuity metric-the size of the numerical distance effect (NDE size)-is an effective measure of ANS acuity. NDE size has been shown to frequently yield divergent results from other ANS-acuity metrics. Given these concerns and the measure's past popularity, it behooves us to question whether the use of NDE size as an ANS-acuity metric is theoretically supported. This study seeks to address this gap in the literature by using modeling to test the basic assumption underpinning use of NDE size as an ANS-acuity metric: that larger NDE size indicates poorer ANS acuity. This assumption did not hold up under test. Results demonstrate that the theoretically ideal relationship between NDE size and ANS acuity is not linear, but rather resembles an inverted J-shaped distribution, with the inflection points varying based on precise NDE task methodology. Thus, depending on specific methodology and the distribution of ANS acuity in the tested population, positive, negative, or null correlations between NDE size and ANS acuity could be predicted. Moreover, peak NDE sizes would be found for near-average ANS acuities on common NDE tasks. This indicates that NDE size has limited and inconsistent utility as an ANS-acuity metric. Past results should be interpreted on a case-by-case basis, considering both specifics of the NDE task and expected ANS acuity of the sampled population.

Comparison and statistical analysis of four write stability metrics in bulk CMOS static random access memory cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiu, Hao; Mizutani, Tomoko; Saraya, Takuya; Hiramoto, Toshiro

2015-04-01

The commonly used four metrics for write stability were measured and compared based on the same set of 2048 (2k) six-transistor (6T) static random access memory (SRAM) cells by the 65 nm bulk technology. The preferred one should be effective for yield estimation and help predict edge of stability. Results have demonstrated that all metrics share the same worst SRAM cell. On the other hand, compared to butterfly curve with non-normality and write N-curve where no cell state flip happens, bit-line and word-line margins have good normality as well as almost perfect correlation. As a result, both bit line method and word line method prove themselves preferred write stability metrics.

Comparing Phylogenetic Trees by Matching Nodes Using the Transfer Distance Between Partitions

PubMed Central

Giaro, Krzysztof

2017-01-01

Abstract Ability to quantify dissimilarity of different phylogenetic trees describing the relationship between the same group of taxa is required in various types of phylogenetic studies. For example, such metrics are used to assess the quality of phylogeny construction methods, to define optimization criteria in supertree building algorithms, or to find horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events. Among the set of metrics described so far in the literature, the most commonly used seems to be the Robinson–Foulds distance. In this article, we define a new metric for rooted trees—the Matching Pair (MP) distance. The MP metric uses the concept of the minimum-weight perfect matching in a complete bipartite graph constructed from partitions of all pairs of leaves of the compared phylogenetic trees. We analyze the properties of the MP metric and present computational experiments showing its potential applicability in tasks related to finding the HGT events. PMID:28177699

Comparison of Employer Productivity Metrics to Lost Productivity Estimated by Commonly Used Questionnaires.

PubMed

Gardner, Bethany T; Dale, Ann Marie; Buckner-Petty, Skye; Van Dillen, Linda; Amick, Benjamin C; Evanoff, Bradley

2016-02-01

The aim of the study was to assess construct and discriminant validity of four health-related work productivity loss questionnaires in relation to employer productivity metrics, and to describe variation in economic estimates of productivity loss provided by the questionnaires in healthy workers. Fifty-eight billing office workers completed surveys including health information and four productivity loss questionnaires. Employer productivity metrics and work hours were also obtained. Productivity loss questionnaires were weakly to moderately correlated with employer productivity metrics. Workers with more health complaints reported greater health-related productivity loss than healthier workers, but showed no loss on employer productivity metrics. Economic estimates of productivity loss showed wide variation among questionnaires, yet no loss of actual productivity. Additional studies are needed comparing questionnaires with objective measures in larger samples and other industries, to improve measurement methods for health-related productivity loss.

Comparing Phylogenetic Trees by Matching Nodes Using the Transfer Distance Between Partitions.

PubMed

Bogdanowicz, Damian; Giaro, Krzysztof

2017-05-01

Ability to quantify dissimilarity of different phylogenetic trees describing the relationship between the same group of taxa is required in various types of phylogenetic studies. For example, such metrics are used to assess the quality of phylogeny construction methods, to define optimization criteria in supertree building algorithms, or to find horizontal gene transfer (HGT) events. Among the set of metrics described so far in the literature, the most commonly used seems to be the Robinson-Foulds distance. In this article, we define a new metric for rooted trees-the Matching Pair (MP) distance. The MP metric uses the concept of the minimum-weight perfect matching in a complete bipartite graph constructed from partitions of all pairs of leaves of the compared phylogenetic trees. We analyze the properties of the MP metric and present computational experiments showing its potential applicability in tasks related to finding the HGT events.

Comparison of employer productivity metrics to lost productivity estimated by commonly used questionnaires

PubMed Central

Gardner, Bethany T.; Dale, Ann Marie; Buckner-Petty, Skye; Van Dillen, Linda; Amick, Benjamin C.; Evanoff, Bradley

2016-01-01

Objective To assess construct and discriminant validity of four health-related work productivity loss questionnaires in relation to employer productivity metrics, and to describe variation in economic estimates of productivity loss provided by the questionnaires in healthy workers. Methods 58 billing office workers completed surveys including health information and four productivity loss questionnaires. Employer productivity metrics and work hours were also obtained. Results Productivity loss questionnaires were weakly to moderately correlated with employer productivity metrics. Workers with more health complaints reported greater health-related productivity loss than healthier workers, but showed no loss on employer productivity metrics. Economic estimates of productivity loss showed wide variation among questionnaires, yet no loss of actual productivity. Conclusions Additional studies are needed comparing questionnaires with objective measures in larger samples and other industries, to improve measurement methods for health-related productivity loss. PMID:26849261

Persuasive communication: A theoretical model for changing the attitude of preservice elementary teachers toward metric conversion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shrigley, Robert L.

This study was based on Hovland's four-part statement, Who says what to whom with what effect, the rationale for persuasive communication, a theoretical model for modifying attitudes. Part I was a survey of 139 perservice elementary teachers from which were generated the more credible characteristics of metric instructors, a central element in the who component of Hovland's model. They were: (1) background in mathematics and science, (2) fluency in metrics, (3) capability of thinking metrically, (4) a record of excellent teaching, (5) previous teaching of metric measurement to children, (6) responsibility for teaching metric content in methods courses and (7) an open enthusiasm for metric conversion. Part II was a survey of 45 mathematics educators where belief statements were synthesized for the what component of Hovland's model. It found that math educators support metric measurement because: (1) it is consistent with our monetary system; (2) the conversion of units is easier into metric than English; (3) it is easier to teach and easier to learn than English measurement; there is less need for common fractions; (4) most nations use metric measurement; scientists have used it for decades; (5) American industry has begun to use it; (6) metric measurement will facilitate world trade and communication; and (7) American children will need it as adults; educational agencies are mandating it. With the who and what of Hovland's four-part statement defined, educational researchers now have baseline data to use in testing experimentally the effect of persuasive communication on the attitude of preservice teachers toward metrication.

Brief Report: Can Metrics of Reporting Bias Enhance Early Autism Screening Measures?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Cora M.; Vehorn, Alison; Noble, Hylan; Weitlauf, Amy S.; Warren, Zachary E.

2014-01-01

The goal of the current study was to develop and pilot the utility of two simple internal response bias metrics, over-reporting and under-reporting, in terms of additive clinical value within common screening practices for early detection of autism spectrum disorder risk. Participants were caregivers and children under 36 months of age (n = 145)…

Comparison of normalized gain and Cohen's d for analyzing gains on concept inventories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nissen, Jayson M.; Talbot, Robert M.; Nasim Thompson, Amreen; Van Dusen, Ben

2018-06-01

Measuring student learning is a complicated but necessary task for understanding the effectiveness of instruction and issues of equity in college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses. Our investigation focused on the implications on claims about student learning that result from choosing between one of two commonly used metrics for analyzing shifts in concept inventories. The metrics are normalized gain (g ), which is the most common method used in physics education research and other discipline based education research fields, and Cohen's d , which is broadly used in education research and many other fields. Data for the analyses came from the Learning About STEM Student Outcomes (LASSO) database and included test scores from 4551 students on physics, chemistry, biology, and math concept inventories from 89 courses at 17 institutions from across the United States. We compared the two metrics across all the concept inventories. The results showed that the two metrics lead to different inferences about student learning and equity due to the finding that g is biased in favor of high pretest populations. We discuss recommendations for the analysis and reporting of findings on student learning data.

Software for improved field surveys of nesting marine turtles.

PubMed

Anastácio, R; Gonzalez, J M; Slater, K; Pereira, M J

2017-09-07

Field data are still recorded on paper in many worldwide beach surveys of nesting marine turtles. The data must be subsequently transferred into an electronic database, and this can introduce errors in the dataset. To minimize such errors, the "Turtles" software was developed and piloted to record field data by one software user accompanying one Tortuguero in Akumal beaches, Quintana Roo, Mexico, from June 1 st to July 31 st during the night patrols. Comparisons were made between exported data from the software with the paper forms entered into a database (henceforth traditional). Preliminary assessment indicated that the software user tended to record a greater amount of metrics (i.e., an average of 18.3 fields ± 5.4 sd vs. 8.6 fields ± 2.1 sd recorded by the traditional method). The traditional method introduce three types of "errors" into a dataset: missing values in relevant fields (40.1%), different answers for the same value (9.8%), and inconsistent data (0.9%). Only 5.8% of these (missing values) were found with the software methodology. Although only tested by a single user, the software may suggest increased efficacy and warrants further examination to accurately assess the merit of replacing traditional methods of data recording for beach monitoring programmes.

A guide to phylogenetic metrics for conservation, community ecology and macroecology.

PubMed

Tucker, Caroline M; Cadotte, Marc W; Carvalho, Silvia B; Davies, T Jonathan; Ferrier, Simon; Fritz, Susanne A; Grenyer, Rich; Helmus, Matthew R; Jin, Lanna S; Mooers, Arne O; Pavoine, Sandrine; Purschke, Oliver; Redding, David W; Rosauer, Dan F; Winter, Marten; Mazel, Florent

2017-05-01

The use of phylogenies in ecology is increasingly common and has broadened our understanding of biological diversity. Ecological sub-disciplines, particularly conservation, community ecology and macroecology, all recognize the value of evolutionary relationships but the resulting development of phylogenetic approaches has led to a proliferation of phylogenetic diversity metrics. The use of many metrics across the sub-disciplines hampers potential meta-analyses, syntheses, and generalizations of existing results. Further, there is no guide for selecting the appropriate metric for a given question, and different metrics are frequently used to address similar questions. To improve the choice, application, and interpretation of phylo-diversity metrics, we organize existing metrics by expanding on a unifying framework for phylogenetic information. Generally, questions about phylogenetic relationships within or between assemblages tend to ask three types of question: how much; how different; or how regular? We show that these questions reflect three dimensions of a phylogenetic tree: richness, divergence, and regularity. We classify 70 existing phylo-diversity metrics based on their mathematical form within these three dimensions and identify 'anchor' representatives: for α-diversity metrics these are PD (Faith's phylogenetic diversity), MPD (mean pairwise distance), and VPD (variation of pairwise distances). By analysing mathematical formulae and using simulations, we use this framework to identify metrics that mix dimensions, and we provide a guide to choosing and using the most appropriate metrics. We show that metric choice requires connecting the research question with the correct dimension of the framework and that there are logical approaches to selecting and interpreting metrics. The guide outlined herein will help researchers navigate the current jungle of indices. © 2016 The Authors. Biological Reviews published by John Wiley © Sons Ltd on behalf of Cambridge Philosophical Society.

A guide to phylogenetic metrics for conservation, community ecology and macroecology

PubMed Central

Cadotte, Marc W.; Carvalho, Silvia B.; Davies, T. Jonathan; Ferrier, Simon; Fritz, Susanne A.; Grenyer, Rich; Helmus, Matthew R.; Jin, Lanna S.; Mooers, Arne O.; Pavoine, Sandrine; Purschke, Oliver; Redding, David W.; Rosauer, Dan F.; Winter, Marten; Mazel, Florent

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT The use of phylogenies in ecology is increasingly common and has broadened our understanding of biological diversity. Ecological sub‐disciplines, particularly conservation, community ecology and macroecology, all recognize the value of evolutionary relationships but the resulting development of phylogenetic approaches has led to a proliferation of phylogenetic diversity metrics. The use of many metrics across the sub‐disciplines hampers potential meta‐analyses, syntheses, and generalizations of existing results. Further, there is no guide for selecting the appropriate metric for a given question, and different metrics are frequently used to address similar questions. To improve the choice, application, and interpretation of phylo‐diversity metrics, we organize existing metrics by expanding on a unifying framework for phylogenetic information. Generally, questions about phylogenetic relationships within or between assemblages tend to ask three types of question: how much; how different; or how regular? We show that these questions reflect three dimensions of a phylogenetic tree: richness, divergence, and regularity. We classify 70 existing phylo‐diversity metrics based on their mathematical form within these three dimensions and identify ‘anchor’ representatives: for α‐diversity metrics these are PD (Faith's phylogenetic diversity), MPD (mean pairwise distance), and VPD (variation of pairwise distances). By analysing mathematical formulae and using simulations, we use this framework to identify metrics that mix dimensions, and we provide a guide to choosing and using the most appropriate metrics. We show that metric choice requires connecting the research question with the correct dimension of the framework and that there are logical approaches to selecting and interpreting metrics. The guide outlined herein will help researchers navigate the current jungle of indices. PMID:26785932

Health impact metrics for air pollution management strategies.

PubMed

Martenies, Sheena E; Wilkins, Donele; Batterman, Stuart A

2015-12-01

Health impact assessments (HIAs) inform policy and decision making by providing information regarding future health concerns, and quantitative HIAs now are being used for local and urban-scale projects. HIA results can be expressed using a variety of metrics that differ in meaningful ways, and guidance is lacking with respect to best practices for the development and use of HIA metrics. This study reviews HIA metrics pertaining to air quality management and presents evaluative criteria for their selection and use. These are illustrated in a case study where PM2.5 concentrations are lowered from 10 to 8μg/m(3) in an urban area of 1.8 million people. Health impact functions are used to estimate the number of premature deaths, unscheduled hospitalizations and other morbidity outcomes. The most common metric in recent quantitative HIAs has been the number of cases of adverse outcomes avoided. Other metrics include time-based measures, e.g., disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), monetized impacts, functional-unit based measures, e.g., benefits per ton of emissions reduced, and other economic indicators, e.g., cost-benefit ratios. These metrics are evaluated by considering their comprehensiveness, the spatial and temporal resolution of the analysis, how equity considerations are facilitated, and the analysis and presentation of uncertainty. In the case study, the greatest number of avoided cases occurs for low severity morbidity outcomes, e.g., asthma exacerbations (n=28,000) and minor-restricted activity days (n=37,000); while DALYs and monetized impacts are driven by the severity, duration and value assigned to a relatively low number of premature deaths (n=190 to 230 per year). The selection of appropriate metrics depends on the problem context and boundaries, the severity of impacts, and community values regarding health. The number of avoided cases provides an estimate of the number of people affected, and monetized impacts facilitate additional economic analyses useful to policy analysis. DALYs are commonly used as an aggregate measure of health impacts and can be used to compare impacts across studies. Benefits per ton metrics may be appropriate when changes in emissions rates can be estimated. To address community concerns and HIA objectives, a combination of metrics is suggested. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementation of statistical process control for proteomic experiments via LC MS/MS.

PubMed

Bereman, Michael S; Johnson, Richard; Bollinger, James; Boss, Yuval; Shulman, Nick; MacLean, Brendan; Hoofnagle, Andrew N; MacCoss, Michael J

2014-04-01

Statistical process control (SPC) is a robust set of tools that aids in the visualization, detection, and identification of assignable causes of variation in any process that creates products, services, or information. A tool has been developed termed Statistical Process Control in Proteomics (SProCoP) which implements aspects of SPC (e.g., control charts and Pareto analysis) into the Skyline proteomics software. It monitors five quality control metrics in a shotgun or targeted proteomic workflow. None of these metrics require peptide identification. The source code, written in the R statistical language, runs directly from the Skyline interface, which supports the use of raw data files from several of the mass spectrometry vendors. It provides real time evaluation of the chromatographic performance (e.g., retention time reproducibility, peak asymmetry, and resolution), and mass spectrometric performance (targeted peptide ion intensity and mass measurement accuracy for high resolving power instruments) via control charts. Thresholds are experiment- and instrument-specific and are determined empirically from user-defined quality control standards that enable the separation of random noise and systematic error. Finally, Pareto analysis provides a summary of performance metrics and guides the user to metrics with high variance. The utility of these charts to evaluate proteomic experiments is illustrated in two case studies.

Algal Attributes: An Autecological Classification of Algal Taxa Collected by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Porter, Stephen D.

2008-01-01

Algae are excellent indicators of water-quality conditions, notably nutrient and organic enrichment, and also are indicators of major ion, dissolved oxygen, and pH concentrations and stream microhabitat conditions. The autecology, or physiological optima and tolerance, of algal species for various water-quality contaminants and conditions is relatively well understood for certain groups of freshwater algae, notably diatoms. However, applications of autecological information for water-quality assessments have been limited because of challenges associated with compiling autecological literature from disparate sources, tracking name changes for a large number of algal species, and creating an autecological data base from which algal-indicator metrics can be calculated. A comprehensive summary of algal autecological attributes for North American streams and rivers does not exist. This report describes a large, digital data file containing 28,182 records for 5,939 algal taxa, generally species or variety, collected by the U.S. Geological Survey?s National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. The data file includes 37 algal attributes classified by over 100 algal-indicator codes or metrics that can be calculated easily with readily available software. Algal attributes include qualitative classifications based on European and North American autecological literature, and semi-quantitative, weighted-average regression approaches for estimating optima using regional and national NAWQA data. Applications of algal metrics in water-quality assessments are discussed and national quartile distributions of metric scores are shown for selected indicator metrics.

The Complexity Analysis Tool

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-10-01

overview of the complexity analysis tool ( CAT ), an automated tool which will analyze mission critical computer resources (MCCR) software. CAT is based...84 MAR UNCLASSIFIED SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF THIS PAGE 19. ABSTRACT: (cont) CAT automates the metric for BASIC (HP-71), ATLAS (EQUATE), Ada (subset...UNIX 5.2). CAT analyzes source code and computes complexity on a module basis. CAT also generates graphic representations of the logic flow paths and

Gravitation, Symmetry and Undergraduates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jorgensen, Jamie

2001-04-01

This talk will discuss "Project Petrov" Which is designed to investigate gravitational fields with symmetry. Project Petrov represents a collaboration involving physicists, mathematicians as well as graduate and undergraduate math and physics students. An overview of Project Petrov will be given, with an emphasis on students' contributions, including software to classify and generate Lie algebras, to classify isometry groups, and to compute the isometry group of a given metric.

Security Vulnerability and Patch Management in Electric Utilities: A Data-Driven Analysis

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

Li, Qinghua; Zhang, Fengli

This paper explores a real security vulnerability and patch management dataset from an electric utility in order to shed light on characteristics of the vulnerabilities that electric utility assets have and how they are remediated in practice. Specifically, it first analyzes the distribution of vulnerabilities over software, assets, and other metric. Then it analyzes how vulnerability features affect remediate actions.

Geometry-Based Observability Metric

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eaton, Colin; Naasz, Bo

2012-01-01

The Satellite Servicing Capabilities Office (SSCO) is currently developing and testing Goddard s Natural Feature Image Recognition (GNFIR) software for autonomous rendezvous and docking missions. GNFIR has flight heritage and is still being developed and tailored for future missions with non-cooperative targets: (1) DEXTRE Pointing Package System on the International Space Station, (2) Relative Navigation System (RNS) on the Space Shuttle for the fourth Hubble Servicing Mission.

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft (F-35)

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-12-01

Critical Design Review; announcing the decision to terminate development of an alternate Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS); completing the 2nd F-35B...the 100th aircraft from the production facility at Fort Worth, Texas; and resolving lingering technical design shortfalls to include the F-35C...emphasis on: regular design reviews, systems engineering discipline, software development planning with baseline review boards, and focused metrics

Dig Hazard Assessment Using a Stereo Pair of Cameras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rankin, Arturo L.; Trebi-Ollennu, Ashitey

2012-01-01

This software evaluates the terrain within reach of a lander s robotic arm for dig hazards using a stereo pair of cameras that are part of the lander s sensor system. A relative level of risk is calculated for a set of dig sectors. There are two versions of this software; one is designed to run onboard a lander as part of the flight software, and the other runs on a PC under Linux as a ground tool that produces the same results generated on the lander, given stereo images acquired by the lander and downlinked to Earth. Onboard dig hazard assessment is accomplished by executing a workspace panorama command sequence. This sequence acquires a set of stereo pairs of images of the terrain the arm can reach, generates a set of candidate dig sectors, and assesses the dig hazard of each candidate dig sector. The 3D perimeter points of candidate dig sectors are generated using configurable parameters. A 3D reconstruction of the terrain in front of the lander is generated using a set of stereo images acquired from the mast cameras. The 3D reconstruction is used to evaluate the dig goodness of each candidate dig sector based on a set of eight metrics. The eight metrics are: 1. The maximum change in elevation in each sector, 2. The elevation standard deviation in each sector, 3. The forward tilt of each sector with respect to the payload frame, 4. The side tilt of each sector with respect to the payload frame, 5. The maximum size of missing data regions in each sector, 6. The percentage of a sector that has missing data, 7. The roughness of each sector, and 8. Monochrome intensity standard deviation of each sector. Each of the eight metrics forms a goodness image layer where the goodness value of each sector ranges from 0 to 1. Goodness values of 0 and 1 correspond to high and low risk, respectively. For each dig sector, the eight goodness values are merged by selecting the lowest one. Including the merged goodness image layer, there are nine goodness image layers for each stereo pair of mast images.

A data fusion approach to indications and warnings of terrorist attacks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDaniel, David; Schaefer, Gregory

2014-05-01

Indications and Warning (I&W) of terrorist attacks, particularly IED attacks, require detection of networks of agents and patterns of behavior. Social Network Analysis tries to detect a network; activity analysis tries to detect anomalous activities. This work builds on both to detect elements of an activity model of terrorist attack activity - the agents, resources, networks, and behaviors. The activity model is expressed as RDF triples statements where the tuple positions are elements or subsets of a formal ontology for activity models. The advantage of a model is that elements are interdependent and evidence for or against one will influence others so that there is a multiplier effect. The advantage of the formality is that detection could occur hierarchically, that is, at different levels of abstraction. The model matching is expressed as a likelihood ratio between input text and the model triples. The likelihood ratio is designed to be analogous to track correlation likelihood ratios common in JDL fusion level 1. This required development of a semantic distance metric for positive and null hypotheses as well as for complex objects. The metric uses the Web 1Terabype database of one to five gram frequencies for priors. This size requires the use of big data technologies so a Hadoop cluster is used in conjunction with OpenNLP natural language and Mahout clustering software. Distributed data fusion Map Reduce jobs distribute parts of the data fusion problem to the Hadoop nodes. For the purposes of this initial testing, open source models and text inputs of similar complexity to terrorist events were used as surrogates for the intended counter-terrorist application.

ESPC Common Model Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-30

1 DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. ESPC Common Model Architecture Earth System Modeling...Operational Prediction Capability (NUOPC) was established between NOAA and Navy to develop common software architecture for easy and efficient...development under a common model architecture and other software-related standards in this project. OBJECTIVES NUOPC proposes to accelerate

Sensitivity of selected landscape pattern metrics to land-cover misclassification and differences in land-cover composition

Treesearch

James D. Wickham; Robert V. O' Neill; Kurt H. Riitters; Timothy G. Wade; K. Bruce Jones

1997-01-01

Calculation of landscape metrics from land-cover data is becoming increasingly common. Some studies have shown that these measurements are sensitive to differences in land-cover composition, but none are known to have tested also their a sensitivity to land-cover misclassification. An error simulation model was written to test the sensitivity of selected land-scape...

Propulsion Diagnostic Method Evaluation Strategy (ProDiMES) User's Guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simon, Donald L.

2010-01-01

This report is a User's Guide for the Propulsion Diagnostic Method Evaluation Strategy (ProDiMES). ProDiMES is a standard benchmarking problem and a set of evaluation metrics to enable the comparison of candidate aircraft engine gas path diagnostic methods. This Matlab (The Mathworks, Inc.) based software tool enables users to independently develop and evaluate diagnostic methods. Additionally, a set of blind test case data is also distributed as part of the software. This will enable the side-by-side comparison of diagnostic approaches developed by multiple users. The Users Guide describes the various components of ProDiMES, and provides instructions for the installation and operation of the tool.

Neurite density index is sensitive to age related differences in the developing brain.

PubMed

Genc, Sila; Malpas, Charles B; Holland, Scott K; Beare, Richard; Silk, Timothy J

2017-03-01

White matter development during childhood and adolescence is characterised by increasing white matter coherence and organisation. Commonly used scalar metrics, such as fractional anisotropy (FA), are sensitive to multiple mechanisms of white matter change and therefore unable to distinguish between mechanisms that change during development. We investigate the relationship between age and neurite density index (NDI) from neurite orientation dispersion and density imaging (NODDI), and the age-classification accuracy of NDI compared with FA, in a developmental cohort. Diffusion-weighted imaging data from 72 children and adolescents between the ages of 4-19 was collected (M=10.42, SD=3.99, 36 male). We compared NODDI metrics against conventional DTI metrics (fractional anisotropy [FA], mean diffusivity [MD], axial diffusivity [AD] and radial diffusivity [RD]) in terms of their relationship to age. An ROC analysis was also performed to assess the ability of each metric to classify older and younger participants. NDI exhibited a stronger relationship with age (median R 2 =.60) compared with MD (median R 2 =.39), FA (median R 2 =.27), AD (median R 2 =.14), and RD (median R 2 =.35) in a high proportion of white matter tracts. When participants were divided into an older and younger group, NDI achieved the best classification (median area under the curve [AUC]=.89), followed by MD (median AUC=.81), FA (median AUC=.80), RD (median AUC=.81), and AD (median AUC=.64). Our results demonstrate the sensitivity of NDI to age-related differences in white matter microstructural organisation over development. Importantly, NDI is more sensitive to such developmental changes compared to commonly used DTI metrics. This knowledge provides justification for implementing NODDI metrics in developmental studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Categorization of hyperspectral information (HSI) based on the distribution of spectra in hyperspace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Resmini, Ronald G.

2003-09-01

Hyperspectral information (HSI) data are commonly categorized by a description of the dominant physical geographic background captured in the image cube. In other words, HSI categorization is commonly based on a cursory, visual assessment of whether the data are of desert, forest, urban, littoral, jungle, alpine, etc., terrains. Additionally, often the design of HSI collection experiments is based on the acquisition of data of the various backgrounds or of objects of interest within the various terrain types. These data are for assessing and quantifying algorithm performance as well as for algorithm development activities. Here, results of an investigation into the validity of the backgrounds-driven mode of characterizing the diversity of hyperspectral data are presented. HSI data are described quantitatively, in the space where most algorithms operate: n-dimensional (n-D) hyperspace, where n is the number of bands in an HSI data cube. Nineteen metrics designed to probe hyperspace are applied to 14 HYDICE HSI data cubes that represent nine different backgrounds. Each of the 14 sets (one for each HYDICE cube) of 19 metric values was analyzed for clustering. With the present set of data and metrics, there is no clear, unambiguous break-out of metrics based on the nine different geographic backgrounds. The break-outs clump seemingly unrelated data types together; e.g., littoral and urban/residential. Most metrics are normally distributed and indicate no clustering; one metric is one outlier away from normal (i.e., two clusters); and five are comprised of two distributions (i.e., two clusters). Overall, there are three different break-outs that do not correspond to conventional background categories. Implications of these preliminary results are discussed as are recommendations for future work.

Rule groupings: A software engineering approach towards verification of expert systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mehrotra, Mala

1991-01-01

Currently, most expert system shells do not address software engineering issues for developing or maintaining expert systems. As a result, large expert systems tend to be incomprehensible, difficult to debug or modify and almost impossible to verify or validate. Partitioning rule based systems into rule groups which reflect the underlying subdomains of the problem should enhance the comprehensibility, maintainability, and reliability of expert system software. Attempts were made to semiautomatically structure a CLIPS rule base into groups of related rules that carry the same type of information. Different distance metrics that capture relevant information from the rules for grouping are discussed. Two clustering algorithms that partition the rule base into groups of related rules are given. Two independent evaluation criteria are developed to measure the effectiveness of the grouping strategies. Results of the experiment with three sample rule bases are presented.

The Kinematic Analysis of Flat Leverage Mechanism of the Third Class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhauyt, A.; Mamatova, G.; Abdugaliyeva, G.; Alipov, K.; Sakenova, A.; Alimbetov, A.

2017-10-01

It is necessary to make link mechanisms calculation to the strength at designing of flat link mechanisms of high class after definition of block diagrams and link linear sizes i.e. it is rationally to choose their forms and to determine the section sizes. The algorithm of the definition of dimension of link mechanism lengths of high classes (MHC) and their metric parameters at successive approach is offered in this work. It this paper educational and research software named GIM is presented. This software has been developed with the aim of approaching the difficulties students usually encounter when facing up to kinematic analysis of mechanisms. A deep understanding of the kinematic analysis is necessary to go a step further into design and synthesis of mechanisms. In order to support and complement the theoretical lectures, GIM software is used during the practical exercises, serving as an educational complementary tool reinforcing the knowledge acquired by the students.

Development of a software for quantitative evaluation radiotherapy target and organ-at-risk segmentation comparison.

PubMed

Kalpathy-Cramer, Jayashree; Awan, Musaddiq; Bedrick, Steven; Rasch, Coen R N; Rosenthal, David I; Fuller, Clifton D

2014-02-01

Modern radiotherapy requires accurate region of interest (ROI) inputs for plan optimization and delivery. Target delineation, however, remains operator-dependent and potentially serves as a major source of treatment delivery error. In order to optimize this critical, yet observer-driven process, a flexible web-based platform for individual and cooperative target delineation analysis and instruction was developed in order to meet the following unmet needs: (1) an open-source/open-access platform for automated/semiautomated quantitative interobserver and intraobserver ROI analysis and comparison, (2) a real-time interface for radiation oncology trainee online self-education in ROI definition, and (3) a source for pilot data to develop and validate quality metrics for institutional and cooperative group quality assurance efforts. The resultant software, Target Contour Testing/Instructional Computer Software (TaCTICS), developed using Ruby on Rails, has since been implemented and proven flexible, feasible, and useful in several distinct analytical and research applications.

Generating Accurate 3d Models of Architectural Heritage Structures Using Low-Cost Camera and Open Source Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zacharek, M.; Delis, P.; Kedzierski, M.; Fryskowska, A.

2017-05-01

These studies have been conductedusing non-metric digital camera and dense image matching algorithms, as non-contact methods of creating monuments documentation.In order toprocess the imagery, few open-source software and algorithms of generating adense point cloud from images have been executed. In the research, the OSM Bundler, VisualSFM software, and web application ARC3D were used. Images obtained for each of the investigated objects were processed using those applications, and then dense point clouds and textured 3D models were created. As a result of post-processing, obtained models were filtered and scaled.The research showedthat even using the open-source software it is possible toobtain accurate 3D models of structures (with an accuracy of a few centimeters), but for the purpose of documentation and conservation of cultural and historical heritage, such accuracy can be insufficient.

Design Patterns Application in the ERP Systems Improvements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jovičić, Bojan; Vlajić, Siniša

Design patterns application have long been present in software engineering. The same is true for ERP systems in business software. Is it possible that ERP systems do not have a good maintenance score? We have found out that there is room for maintenance improvement and that it is possible to improve ERP systems using design patterns. We have conducted comparative analysis of ease of maintenance of the ERP systems. The results show that the average score for our questions is 64%, with most answers for ERP systems like SAP, Oracle EBS, Dynamics AX. We found that 59% of ERP system developer users are not familiar with design patterns. Based on this research, we have chosen Dynamics AX as the ERP system for examination of design patterns improvement possibilities. We used software metrics to measure improvement possibility. We found that we could increase the Conditional Complexity score 17-fold by introducing design patterns.

Physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling using microsoft excel and visual basic for applications.

PubMed

Marino, Dale J

2005-01-01

Abstract Physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models are mathematical descriptions depicting the relationship between external exposure and internal dose. These models have found great utility for interspecies extrapolation. However, specialized computer software packages, which are not widely distributed, have typically been used for model development and utilization. A few physiological models have been reported using more widely available software packages (e.g., Microsoft Excel), but these tend to include less complex processes and dose metrics. To ascertain the capability of Microsoft Excel and Visual Basis for Applications (VBA) for PBPK modeling, models for styrene, vinyl chloride, and methylene chloride were coded in Advanced Continuous Simulation Language (ACSL), Excel, and VBA, and simulation results were compared. For styrene, differences between ACSL and Excel or VBA compartment concentrations and rates of change were less than +/-7.5E-10 using the same numerical integration technique and time step. Differences using VBA fixed step or ACSL Gear's methods were generally <1.00E-03, although larger differences involving very small values were noted after exposure transitions. For vinyl chloride and methylene chloride, Excel and VBA PBPK model dose metrics differed by no more than -0.013% or -0.23%, respectively, from ACSL results. These differences are likely attributable to different step sizes rather than different numerical integration techniques. These results indicate that Microsoft Excel and VBA can be useful tools for utilizing PBPK models, and given the availability of these software programs, it is hoped that this effort will help facilitate the use and investigation of PBPK modeling.

Critical evaluation of reverse engineering tool Imagix 4D!

PubMed

Yadav, Rashmi; Patel, Ravindra; Kothari, Abhay

2016-01-01

The comprehension of legacy codes is difficult to understand. Various commercial reengineering tools are available that have unique working styles, and are equipped with their inherent capabilities and shortcomings. The focus of the available tools is in visualizing static behavior not the dynamic one. Therefore, it is difficult for people who work in software product maintenance, code understanding reengineering/reverse engineering. Consequently, the need for a comprehensive reengineering/reverse engineering tool arises. We found the usage of Imagix 4D to be good as it generates the maximum pictorial representations in the form of flow charts, flow graphs, class diagrams, metrics and, to a partial extent, dynamic visualizations. We evaluated Imagix 4D with the help of a case study involving a few samples of source code. The behavior of the tool was analyzed on multiple small codes and a large code gcc C parser. Large code evaluation was performed to uncover dead code, unstructured code, and the effect of not including required files at preprocessing level. The utility of Imagix 4D to prepare decision density and complexity metrics for a large code was found to be useful in getting to know how much reengineering is required. At the outset, Imagix 4D offered limitations in dynamic visualizations, flow chart separation (large code) and parsing loops. The outcome of evaluation will eventually help in upgrading Imagix 4D and posed a need of full featured tools in the area of software reengineering/reverse engineering. It will also help the research community, especially those who are interested in the realm of software reengineering tool building.

Achieving Better Buying Power for Mobile Open Architecture Software Systems Through Diverse Acquisition Scenarios

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-30

software (OSS) and proprietary (CSS) software elements or remote services (Scacchi, 2002, 2010), eventually including recent efforts to support Web ...specific platforms, including those operating on secured Web /mobile devices.  Common Development Technology provides AC development tools and common...transition to OA systems and OSS software elements, specifically for Web and Mobile devices within the realm of C3CB. OA, Open APIs, OSS, and CSS OA

An alternative mechanism for international health aid: evaluating a Global Social Protection Fund.

PubMed

Basu, Sanjay; Stuckler, David; McKee, Martin

2014-01-01

Several public health groups have called for the creation of a global fund for 'social protection'-a fund that produces the international equivalent of domestic tax collection and safety net systems to finance care for the ill and disabled and related health costs. All participating countries would pay into a global fund based on a metric of their ability to pay and withdraw from the common pool based on a metric of their need for funds. We assessed how alternative strategies and metrics by which to operate such a fund would affect its size and impact on health system financing. Using a mathematical model, we found that common targets for health funding in low-income countries require higher levels of aid expenditures than presently distributed. Some mechanisms exist that may incentivize reduction of domestic health inequalities, and direct most funds towards the poorest populations. Payments from high-income countries are also likely to decrease over time as middle-income countries' economies grow.

Assessing the learning curve for the acquisition of laparoscopic skills on a virtual reality simulator.

PubMed

Sherman, V; Feldman, L S; Stanbridge, D; Kazmi, R; Fried, G M

2005-05-01

The aim of this study was to develop summary metrics and assess the construct validity for a virtual reality laparoscopic simulator (LapSim) by comparing the learning curves of three groups with different levels of laparoscopic expertise. Three groups of subjects ('expert', 'junior', and 'naïve') underwent repeated trials on three LapSim tasks. Formulas were developed to calculate scores for efficiency ('time-error') and economy of 'motion' ('motion') using metrics generated by the software after each drill. Data (mean +/- SD) were evaluated by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Significance was set at p < 0.05. All three groups improved significantly from baseline to final for both 'time-error' and 'motion' scores. There were significant differences between groups in time error performances at baseline and final, due to higher scores in the 'expert' group. A significant difference in 'motion' scores was seen only at baseline. We have developed summary metrics for the LapSim that differentiate among levels of laparoscopic experience. This study also provides evidence of construct validity for the LapSim.

NASA Tech Briefs, January 2005

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2005-01-01

Topics covered include: Fiber-Optic Sensor Would Monitor Growth of Polymer Film; Sensors for Pointing Moving Instruments Toward Each Other; Pd/CeO2/SiC Chemical Sensors; Microparticle Flow Sensor; Scattering-Type Surface-Plasmon-Resonance Biosensors; Diode-Laser-Based Spectrometer for Sensing Gases; Improved Cathode Structure for a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell; X-Band, 17-Watt Solid-State Power Amplifier; Improved Anode for a Direct Methanol Fuel Cell; Tools for Designing and Analyzing Structures; Interactive Display of Scenes with Annotations; Solving Common Mathematical Problems; Tools for Basic Statistical Analysis; Program Calculates Forces in Bolted Structural Joints; Integrated Structural Analysis and Test Program; Molybdate Coatings for Protecting Aluminum Against Corrosion; Synthesizing Diamond from Liquid Feedstock; Modifying Silicates for Better Dispersion in Nanocomposites; Powder-Collection System for Ultrasonic/Sonic Drill/Corer; Semiautomated, Reproducible Batch Processing of Soy; Hydrogen Peroxide Enhances Removal of NOx from Flue Gases; Subsurface Ice Probe; Real-Time Simulation of Aeroheating of the Hyper-X Airplane; Using Laser-Induced Incandescence To Measure Soot in Exhaust; Method of Real-Time Principal-Component Analysis; Insect-Inspired Flight Control for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles; Domain Compilation for Embedded Real-Time Planning; Semantic Metrics for Analysis of Software; Simulation of Laser Cooling and Trapping in Engineering Applications; Large Fluvial Fans and Exploration for Hydrocarbons; Doping-Induced Interband Gain in InAs/AlSb Quantum Wells; Development of Software for a Lidar-Altimeter Processor; Upgrading the Space Shuttle Caution and Warning System; and Fractal Reference Signals in Pulse-Width Modulation.

Numerical model validation using experimental data: Application of the area metric on a Francis runner

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatenet, Q.; Tahan, A.; Gagnon, M.; Chamberland-Lauzon, J.

2016-11-01

Nowadays, engineers are able to solve complex equations thanks to the increase of computing capacity. Thus, finite elements software is widely used, especially in the field of mechanics to predict part behavior such as strain, stress and natural frequency. However, it can be difficult to determine how a model might be right or wrong, or whether a model is better than another one. Nevertheless, during the design phase, it is very important to estimate how the hydroelectric turbine blades will behave according to the stress to which it is subjected. Indeed, the static and dynamic stress levels will influence the blade's fatigue resistance and thus its lifetime, which is a significant feature. In the industry, engineers generally use either graphic representation, hypothesis tests such as the Student test, or linear regressions in order to compare experimental to estimated data from the numerical model. Due to the variability in personal interpretation (reproducibility), graphical validation is not considered objective. For an objective assessment, it is essential to use a robust validation metric to measure the conformity of predictions against data. We propose to use the area metric in the case of a turbine blade that meets the key points of the ASME Standards and produces a quantitative measure of agreement between simulations and empirical data. This validation metric excludes any belief and criterion of accepting a model which increases robustness. The present work is aimed at applying a validation method, according to ASME V&V 10 recommendations. Firstly, the area metric is applied on the case of a real Francis runner whose geometry and boundaries conditions are complex. Secondly, the area metric will be compared to classical regression methods to evaluate the performance of the method. Finally, we will discuss the use of the area metric as a tool to correct simulations.

Using a Foundational Ontology for Reengineering a Software Enterprise Ontology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perini Barcellos, Monalessa; de Almeida Falbo, Ricardo

The knowledge about software organizations is considerably relevant to software engineers. The use of a common vocabulary for representing the useful knowledge about software organizations involved in software projects is important for several reasons, such as to support knowledge reuse and to allow communication and interoperability between tools. Domain ontologies can be used to define a common vocabulary for sharing and reuse of knowledge about some domain. Foundational ontologies can be used for evaluating and re-designing domain ontologies, giving to these real-world semantics. This paper presents an evaluating of a Software Enterprise Ontology that was reengineered using the Unified Foundation Ontology (UFO) as basis.

Excavator Design Validation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pholsiri, Chalongrath; English, James; Seberino, Charles; Lim, Yi-Je

2010-01-01

The Excavator Design Validation tool verifies excavator designs by automatically generating control systems and modeling their performance in an accurate simulation of their expected environment. Part of this software design includes interfacing with human operations that can be included in simulation-based studies and validation. This is essential for assessing productivity, versatility, and reliability. This software combines automatic control system generation from CAD (computer-aided design) models, rapid validation of complex mechanism designs, and detailed models of the environment including soil, dust, temperature, remote supervision, and communication latency to create a system of high value. Unique algorithms have been created for controlling and simulating complex robotic mechanisms automatically from just a CAD description. These algorithms are implemented as a commercial cross-platform C++ software toolkit that is configurable using the Extensible Markup Language (XML). The algorithms work with virtually any mobile robotic mechanisms using module descriptions that adhere to the XML standard. In addition, high-fidelity, real-time physics-based simulation algorithms have also been developed that include models of internal forces and the forces produced when a mechanism interacts with the outside world. This capability is combined with an innovative organization for simulation algorithms, new regolith simulation methods, and a unique control and study architecture to make powerful tools with the potential to transform the way NASA verifies and compares excavator designs. Energid's Actin software has been leveraged for this design validation. The architecture includes parametric and Monte Carlo studies tailored for validation of excavator designs and their control by remote human operators. It also includes the ability to interface with third-party software and human-input devices. Two types of simulation models have been adapted: high-fidelity discrete element models and fast analytical models. By using the first to establish parameters for the second, a system has been created that can be executed in real time, or faster than real time, on a desktop PC. This allows Monte Carlo simulations to be performed on a computer platform available to all researchers, and it allows human interaction to be included in a real-time simulation process. Metrics on excavator performance are established that work with the simulation architecture. Both static and dynamic metrics are included.

Post-processing open-source software for the CBCT monitoring of periapical lesions healing following endodontic treatment: technical report of two cases.

PubMed

Villoria, Eduardo M; Lenzi, Antônio R; Soares, Rodrigo V; Souki, Bernardo Q; Sigurdsson, Asgeir; Marques, Alexandre P; Fidel, Sandra R

2017-01-01

To describe the use of open-source software for the post-processing of CBCT imaging for the assessment of periapical lesions development after endodontic treatment. CBCT scans were retrieved from endodontic records of two patients. Three-dimensional virtual models, voxel counting, volumetric measurement (mm 3 ) and mean intensity of the periapical lesion were performed with ITK-SNAP v. 3.0 software. Three-dimensional models of the lesions were aligned and overlapped through the MeshLab software, which performed an automatic recording of the anatomical structures, based on the best fit. Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the changes in lesions size after treatment were performed with the 3DMeshMetric software. The ITK-SNAP v. 3.0 showed the smaller value corresponding to the voxel count and the volume of the lesion segmented in yellow, indicating reduction in volume of the lesion after the treatment. A higher value of the mean intensity of the segmented image in yellow was also observed, which suggested new bone formation. Colour mapping and "point value" tool allowed the visualization of the reduction of periapical lesions in several regions. Researchers and clinicians in the monitoring of endodontic periapical lesions have the opportunity to use open-source software.

The field-space metric in spiral inflation and related models

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

Erlich, Joshua; Olsen, Jackson; Wang, Zhen

2016-09-22

Multi-field inflation models include a variety of scenarios for how inflation proceeds and ends. Models with the same potential but different kinetic terms are common in the literature. We compare spiral inflation and Dante’s inferno-type models, which differ only in their field-space metric. We justify a single-field effective description in these models and relate the single-field description to a mass-matrix formalism. We note the effects of the nontrivial field-space metric on inflationary observables, and consequently on the viability of these models. We also note a duality between spiral inflation and Dante’s inferno models with different potentials.

Integrating patient reported outcome measures and computerized adaptive test estimates on the same common metrics: an example from the assessment of activities in rheumatoid arthritis.

PubMed

Doğanay Erdoğan, Beyza; Elhan, Atilla Halİl; Kaskatı, Osman Tolga; Öztuna, Derya; Küçükdeveci, Ayşe Adile; Kutlay, Şehim; Tennant, Alan

2017-10-01

This study aimed to explore the potential of an inclusive and fully integrated measurement system for the Activities component of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), incorporating four classical scales, including the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and a Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT). Three hundred patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) answered relevant questions from four questionnaires. Rasch analysis was performed to create an item bank using this item pool. A further 100 RA patients were recruited for a CAT application. Both real and simulated CATs were applied and the agreement between these CAT-based scores and 'paper-pencil' scores was evaluated with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Anchoring strategies were used to obtain a direct translation from the item bank common metric to the HAQ score. Mean age of 300 patients was 52.3 ± 11.7 years; disease duration was 11.3 ± 8.0 years; 74.7% were women. After testing for the assumptions of Rasch analysis, a 28-item Activities item bank was created. The agreement between CAT-based scores and paper-pencil scores were high (ICC = 0.993). Using those HAQ items in the item bank as anchoring items, another Rasch analysis was performed with HAQ-8 scores as separate items together with anchoring items. Finally a conversion table of the item bank common metric to the HAQ scores was created. A fully integrated and inclusive health assessment system, illustrating the Activities component of the ICF, was built to assess RA patients. Raw score to metric conversions and vice versa were available, giving access to the metric by a simple look-up table. © 2015 Asia Pacific League of Associations for Rheumatology and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

A framework for assessing the adequacy and effectiveness of software development methodologies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arthur, James D.; Nance, Richard E.

1990-01-01

Tools, techniques, environments, and methodologies dominate the software engineering literature, but relatively little research in the evaluation of methodologies is evident. This work reports an initial attempt to develop a procedural approach to evaluating software development methodologies. Prominent in this approach are: (1) an explication of the role of a methodology in the software development process; (2) the development of a procedure based on linkages among objectives, principles, and attributes; and (3) the establishment of a basis for reduction of the subjective nature of the evaluation through the introduction of properties. An application of the evaluation procedure to two Navy methodologies has provided consistent results that demonstrate the utility and versatility of the evaluation procedure. Current research efforts focus on the continued refinement of the evaluation procedure through the identification and integration of product quality indicators reflective of attribute presence, and the validation of metrics supporting the measure of those indicators. The consequent refinement of the evaluation procedure offers promise of a flexible approach that admits to change as the field of knowledge matures. In conclusion, the procedural approach presented in this paper represents a promising path toward the end goal of objectively evaluating software engineering methodologies.

Diversity of the Marine Cyanobacterium Trichodesmium: Characterization of the Woods Hole Culture Collection and Quantification of Field Populations

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

using her beadbeater, Sonya Dyhrman for being my initial biology advisor, Heidi Sosik for her advice on image processing , the residents of Watson...64 2-17 Phycobiliprotein absorption spectra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 3-1 Image processing for automated cell counts...digital camera and Axiovision 4.6.3 software. Images were measured, and cell metrics were determined using the MATLAB image processing toolbox

Modeling, Materials, and Metrics: The Three-m Approach to FCS Signature Solutions

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-05-07

calculations. These multiple levels will be incorporated into the MuSES software. The four levels are described as follows: "* Radiosity - Deterministic...view-factor-based, all-diffuse solution. Very fast. Independent of user position. "* Directional Reflectivity - Radiosity with directional incident...target and environment facets (view factor with BRDF). Last ray cast bounce = radiosity solution. "* Multi-bounce path trace - Rays traced from observer

Seeking Balance in Cyber Education

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-01

properties that can be applied to computer systems, networks, and software. For example, in our Introduction to Cyber Security Course, given to...Below is the submittal schedule for the areas of emphasis we are looking for: Data Mining in Metrics? Jul/ JAug 2015 Issue Submission Deadline: Feb...Phone Arena. PhoneArena.com, 12 Nov. 2013. Web. 08 Aug. 2014. 8. Various. “SI110: Introduction to Cyber Security, Technical Foundations.” SI110

Information Sharing for Computing Trust Metrics on COTS Electronic Components

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-09-01

8 a. Standard SDLCs ...........................8 b. The Waterfall Model ......................9 c. V -shaped Model ...development of a system. There are many well-known SDLC models , the most popular of which are: • Waterfall • V -shaped • Spiral • Agile a. Standard...the SDLC or applied to software and hardware distribution chain. A. JØSANG’S MODEL DEFINED Jøsang expresses "opinions" mathematically as: 1

The microcomputer scientific software series 9: user's guide to Geo-CLM: geostatistical interpolation of the historical climatic record in the Lake States.

Treesearch

Margaret R. Holdaway

1994-01-01

Describes Geo-CLM, a computer application (for Mac or DOS) whose primary aim is to perform multiple kriging runs to interpolate the historic climatic record at research plots in the Lake States. It is an exploration and analysis tool. Addition capabilities include climatic databases, a flexible test mode, cross validation, lat/long conversion, English/metric units,...

A Metric-Based Validation Process to Assess the Realism of Synthetic Power Grids

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

Birchfield, Adam; Schweitzer, Eran; Athari, Mir

Public power system test cases that are of high quality benefit the power systems research community with expanded resources for testing, demonstrating, and cross-validating new innovations. Building synthetic grid models for this purpose is a relatively new problem, for which a challenge is to show that created cases are sufficiently realistic. This paper puts forth a validation process based on a set of metrics observed from actual power system cases. These metrics follow the structure, proportions, and parameters of key power system elements, which can be used in assessing and validating the quality of synthetic power grids. Though wide diversitymore » exists in the characteristics of power systems, the paper focuses on an initial set of common quantitative metrics to capture the distribution of typical values from real power systems. The process is applied to two new public test cases, which are shown to meet the criteria specified in the metrics of this paper.« less

Determining optimal parameters of the self-referent encoding task: A large-scale examination of self-referent cognition and depression.

PubMed

Dainer-Best, Justin; Lee, Hae Yeon; Shumake, Jason D; Yeager, David S; Beevers, Christopher G

2018-06-07

Although the self-referent encoding task (SRET) is commonly used to measure self-referent cognition in depression, many different SRET metrics can be obtained. The current study used best subsets regression with cross-validation and independent test samples to identify the SRET metrics most reliably associated with depression symptoms in three large samples: a college student sample (n = 572), a sample of adults from Amazon Mechanical Turk (n = 293), and an adolescent sample from a school field study (n = 408). Across all 3 samples, SRET metrics associated most strongly with depression severity included number of words endorsed as self-descriptive and rate of accumulation of information required to decide whether adjectives were self-descriptive (i.e., drift rate). These metrics had strong intratask and split-half reliability and high test-retest reliability across a 1-week period. Recall of SRET stimuli and traditional reaction time (RT) metrics were not robustly associated with depression severity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Orbit design and optimization based on global telecommunication performance metrics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Seungwon; Lee, Charles H.; Kerridge, Stuart; Cheung, Kar-Ming; Edwards, Charles D.

2006-01-01

The orbit selection of telecommunications orbiters is one of the critical design processes and should be guided by global telecom performance metrics and mission-specific constraints. In order to aid the orbit selection, we have coupled the Telecom Orbit Analysis and Simulation Tool (TOAST) with genetic optimization algorithms. As a demonstration, we have applied the developed tool to select an optimal orbit for general Mars telecommunications orbiters with the constraint of being a frozen orbit. While a typical optimization goal is to minimize tele-communications down time, several relevant performance metrics are examined: 1) area-weighted average gap time, 2) global maximum of local maximum gap time, 3) global maximum of local minimum gap time. Optimal solutions are found with each of the metrics. Common and different features among the optimal solutions as well as the advantage and disadvantage of each metric are presented. The optimal solutions are compared with several candidate orbits that were considered during the development of Mars Telecommunications Orbiter.

A Metric-Based Validation Process to Assess the Realism of Synthetic Power Grids

DOE PAGES

Birchfield, Adam; Schweitzer, Eran; Athari, Mir; ...

2017-08-19

Public power system test cases that are of high quality benefit the power systems research community with expanded resources for testing, demonstrating, and cross-validating new innovations. Building synthetic grid models for this purpose is a relatively new problem, for which a challenge is to show that created cases are sufficiently realistic. This paper puts forth a validation process based on a set of metrics observed from actual power system cases. These metrics follow the structure, proportions, and parameters of key power system elements, which can be used in assessing and validating the quality of synthetic power grids. Though wide diversitymore » exists in the characteristics of power systems, the paper focuses on an initial set of common quantitative metrics to capture the distribution of typical values from real power systems. The process is applied to two new public test cases, which are shown to meet the criteria specified in the metrics of this paper.« less

Emergency Department Visit Forecasting and Dynamic Nursing Staff Allocation Using Machine Learning Techniques With Readily Available Open-Source Software.

PubMed

Zlotnik, Alexander; Gallardo-Antolín, Ascensión; Cuchí Alfaro, Miguel; Pérez Pérez, María Carmen; Montero Martínez, Juan Manuel

2015-08-01

Although emergency department visit forecasting can be of use for nurse staff planning, previous research has focused on models that lacked sufficient resolution and realistic error metrics for these predictions to be applied in practice. Using data from a 1100-bed specialized care hospital with 553,000 patients assigned to its healthcare area, forecasts with different prediction horizons, from 2 to 24 weeks ahead, with an 8-hour granularity, using support vector regression, M5P, and stratified average time-series models were generated with an open-source software package. As overstaffing and understaffing errors have different implications, error metrics and potential personnel monetary savings were calculated with a custom validation scheme, which simulated subsequent generation of predictions during a 4-year period. Results were then compared with a generalized estimating equation regression. Support vector regression and M5P models were found to be superior to the stratified average model with a 95% confidence interval. Our findings suggest that medium and severe understaffing situations could be reduced in more than an order of magnitude and average yearly savings of up to €683,500 could be achieved if dynamic nursing staff allocation was performed with support vector regression instead of the static staffing levels currently in use.

New Decentralized Algorithms for Spacecraft Formation Control Based on a Cyclic Approach

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

space framework. As metric of performance, a common quadratic norm that weights the performance error and the control effort is traded with the cost...R = DTD, then the metric of interest is (’J)",,, the square of the 2-norm from input w to output z. Given a system G with state space description A ... spaced logarithmic spiral formation. These results are derived for

PARADISE 24: A Measure to Assess the Impact of Brain Disorders on People’s Lives

PubMed Central

Cieza, Alarcos; Sabariego, Carla; Anczewska, Marta; Ballert, Carolina; Bickenbach, Jerome; Cabello, Maria; Giovannetti, Ambra; Kaskela, Teemu; Mellor, Blanca; Pitkänen, Tuuli; Quintas, Rui; Raggi, Alberto; Świtaj, Piotr; Chatterji, Somnath

2015-01-01

Objective To construct a metric of the impact of brain disorders on people’s lives, based on the psychosocial difficulties (PSDs) that are experienced in common across brain disorders. Study Design Psychometric study using data from a cross-sectional study with a convenience sample of 722 persons with 9 different brain disorders interviewed in four European countries: Italy, Poland, Spain and Finland. Questions addressing 64 PSDs were first reduced based on statistical considerations, patient’s perspective and clinical expertise. Rasch analyses for polytomous data were also applied. Setting In and outpatient settings. Results A valid and reliable metric with 24 items was created. The infit of all questions ranged between 0.7 and 1.3. There were no disordered thresholds. The targeting between item thresholds and persons’ abilities was good and the person-separation index was 0.92. Persons’ abilities were linearly transformed into a more intuitive scale ranging from zero (no PSDs) to 100 (extreme PSDs). Conclusion The metric, called PARADISE 24, is based on the hypothesis of horizontal epidemiology, which affirms that people with brain disorders commonly experience PSDs. This metric is a useful tool to carry out cardinal comparisons over time of the magnitude of the psychosocial impact of brain disorders and between persons and groups in clinical practice and research. PMID:26147343

Effects of b-value and number of gradient directions on diffusion MRI measures obtained with Q-ball imaging

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schilling, Kurt G.; Nath, Vishwesh; Blaber, Justin; Harrigan, Robert L.; Ding, Zhaohua; Anderson, Adam W.; Landman, Bennett A.

2017-02-01

High-angular-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging (HARDI) MRI acquisitions have become common for use with higher order models of diffusion. Despite successes in resolving complex fiber configurations and probing microstructural properties of brain tissue, there is no common consensus on the optimal b-value and number of diffusion directions to use for these HARDI methods. While this question has been addressed by analysis of the diffusion-weighted signal directly, it is unclear how this translates to the information and metrics derived from the HARDI models themselves. Using a high angular resolution data set acquired at a range of b-values, and repeated 11 times on a single subject, we study how the b-value and number of diffusion directions impacts the reproducibility and precision of metrics derived from Q-ball imaging, a popular HARDI technique. We find that Q-ball metrics associated with tissue microstructure and white matter fiber orientation are sensitive to both the number of diffusion directions and the spherical harmonic representation of the Q-ball, and often are biased when under sampled. These results can advise researchers on appropriate acquisition and processing schemes, particularly when it comes to optimizing the number of diffusion directions needed for metrics derived from Q-ball imaging.

Common Misconceptions About Service-Oriented Architecture

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-11-01

addition, the architect(s) must make decisions on how services are implemented. Service implementations may involve developing new software , wrapping a...legacy software system, incor- porating services provided by third par- ties, or a combination of these options. Information about the quality attrib...temperature. However, there 28 CROSSTALK The Journal of Defense Software Engineering November 2007 Common Misconceptions About Service -Oriented

TREHS: An open-access software tool for investigating and evaluating temporary river regimes as a first step for their ecological status assessment.

PubMed

Gallart, Francesc; Cid, Núria; Latron, Jérôme; Llorens, Pilar; Bonada, Núria; Jeuffroy, Justin; Jiménez-Argudo, Sara-María; Vega, Rosa-María; Solà, Carolina; Soria, Maria; Bardina, Mònica; Hernández-Casahuga, Antoni-Josep; Fidalgo, Aránzazu; Estrela, Teodoro; Munné, Antoni; Prat, Narcís

2017-12-31

When the regime of a river is not perennial, there are four main difficulties with the use of hydrographs for assessing hydrological alteration: i) the main hydrological features relevant for biological communities are not quantitative (discharges) but qualitative (phases such as flowing water, stagnant pools or lack of surface water), ii) stream flow records do not inform on the temporal occurrence of stagnant pools, iii) as most of the temporary streams are ungauged, their regime has to be evaluated by alternative methods such as remote sensing or citizen science, and iv) the biological quality assessment of the ecological status of a temporary stream must follow a sampling schedule and references adapted to the flow- pool-dry regime. To overcome these challenges within an operational approach, the freely available software tool TREHS has been developed within the EU LIFE TRIVERS project. This software permits the input of information from flow simulations obtained with any rainfall-runoff model (to set an unimpacted reference stream regime) and compares this with the information obtained from flow gauging records (if available) and interviews with local people, as well as instantaneous observations by individuals and interpretation of ground-level or aerial photographs. Up to six metrics defining the permanence of water flow, the presence of stagnant pools and their temporal patterns of occurrence are used to determine natural and observed river regimes and to assess the degree of hydrological alteration. A new regime classification specifically designed for temporary rivers was developed using the metrics that measure the relative permanence of the three main phases: flow, disconnected pools and dry stream bed. Finally, the software characterizes the differences between the natural and actual regimes, diagnoses the hydrological status (degree of hydrological alteration), assesses the significance and robustness of the diagnosis and recommends the best periods for biological quality samplings. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A novel breast software phantom for biomechanical modeling of elastography.

PubMed

Bhatti, Syeda Naema; Sridhar-Keralapura, Mallika

2012-04-01

In developing breast imaging technologies, testing is done with phantoms. Physical phantoms are normally used but their size, shape, composition, and detail cannot be modified readily. These difficulties can be avoided by creating a software breast phantom. Researchers have created software breast phantoms using geometric and/or mathematical methods for applications like image fusion. The authors report a 3D software breast phantom that was built using a mechanical design tool, to investigate the biomechanics of elastography using finite element modeling (FEM). The authors propose this phantom as an intermediate assessment tool for elastography simulation; for use after testing with commonly used phantoms and before clinical testing. The authors design the phantom to be flexible in both, the breast geometry and biomechanical parameters, to make it a useful tool for elastography simulation. The authors develop the 3D software phantom using a mechanical design tool based on illustrations of normal breast anatomy. The software phantom does not use geometric primitives or imaging data. The authors discuss how to create this phantom and how to modify it. The authors demonstrate a typical elastography experiment of applying a static stress to the top surface of the breast just above a simulated tumor and calculate normal strains in 3D and in 2D with plane strain approximations with linear solvers. In particular, they investigate contrast transfer efficiency (CTE) by designing a parametric study based on location, shape, and stiffness of simulated tumors. The authors also compare their findings to a commonly used elastography phantom. The 3D breast software phantom is flexible in shape, size, and location of tumors, glandular to fatty content, and the ductal structure. Residual modulus, maps, and profiles, served as a guide to optimize meshing of this geometrically nonlinear phantom for biomechanical modeling of elastography. At best, low residues (around 1-5 KPa) were found within the phantom while errors were elevated (around 10-30 KPa) at tumor and lobule boundaries. From our FEM analysis, the breast phantom generated a superior CTE in both 2D and in 3D over the block phantom. It also showed differences in CTE values and strain contrast for deep and shallow tumors and showed significant change in CTE when 3D modeling was used. These changes were not significant in the block phantom. Both phantoms, however, showed worsened CTE values for increased input tumor-background modulus contrast. Block phantoms serve as a starting tool but a next level phantom, like the proposed breast phantom, will serve as a valuable intermediate for elastography simulation before clinical testing. Further, given the CTE metrics for the breast phantom are superior to the block phantom, and vary for tumor shape, location, and stiffness, these phantoms would enhance the study of elastography contrast. Further, the use of 2D phantoms with plane strain approximations overestimates the CTE value when compared to the true CTE achieved with 3D models. Thus, the use of 3D phantoms, like the breast phantom, with no approximations, will assist in more accurate estimation of modulus, especially valuable for 3D elastography systems.

Quantifying seascape structure: Extending terrestrial spatial pattern metrics to the marine realm

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wedding, L.M.; Christopher, L.A.; Pittman, S.J.; Friedlander, A.M.; Jorgensen, S.

2011-01-01

Spatial pattern metrics have routinely been applied to characterize and quantify structural features of terrestrial landscapes and have demonstrated great utility in landscape ecology and conservation planning. The important role of spatial structure in ecology and management is now commonly recognized, and recent advances in marine remote sensing technology have facilitated the application of spatial pattern metrics to the marine environment. However, it is not yet clear whether concepts, metrics, and statistical techniques developed for terrestrial ecosystems are relevant for marine species and seascapes. To address this gap in our knowledge, we reviewed, synthesized, and evaluated the utility and application of spatial pattern metrics in the marine science literature over the past 30 yr (1980 to 2010). In total, 23 studies characterized seascape structure, of which 17 quantified spatial patterns using a 2-dimensional patch-mosaic model and 5 used a continuously varying 3-dimensional surface model. Most seascape studies followed terrestrial-based studies in their search for ecological patterns and applied or modified existing metrics. Only 1 truly unique metric was found (hydrodynamic aperture applied to Pacific atolls). While there are still relatively few studies using spatial pattern metrics in the marine environment, they have suffered from similar misuse as reported for terrestrial studies, such as the lack of a priori considerations or the problem of collinearity between metrics. Spatial pattern metrics offer great potential for ecological research and environmental management in marine systems, and future studies should focus on (1) the dynamic boundary between the land and sea; (2) quantifying 3-dimensional spatial patterns; and (3) assessing and monitoring seascape change. ?? Inter-Research 2011.

Corral framework: Trustworthy and fully functional data intensive parallel astronomical pipelines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabral, J. B.; Sánchez, B.; Beroiz, M.; Domínguez, M.; Lares, M.; Gurovich, S.; Granitto, P.

2017-07-01

Data processing pipelines represent an important slice of the astronomical software library that include chains of processes that transform raw data into valuable information via data reduction and analysis. In this work we present Corral, a Python framework for astronomical pipeline generation. Corral features a Model-View-Controller design pattern on top of an SQL Relational Database capable of handling: custom data models; processing stages; and communication alerts, and also provides automatic quality and structural metrics based on unit testing. The Model-View-Controller provides concept separation between the user logic and the data models, delivering at the same time multi-processing and distributed computing capabilities. Corral represents an improvement over commonly found data processing pipelines in astronomysince the design pattern eases the programmer from dealing with processing flow and parallelization issues, allowing them to focus on the specific algorithms needed for the successive data transformations and at the same time provides a broad measure of quality over the created pipeline. Corral and working examples of pipelines that use it are available to the community at https://github.com/toros-astro.

Image Correlation Pattern Optimization for Micro-Scale In-Situ Strain Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bomarito, G. F.; Hochhalter, J. D.; Cannon, A. H.

2016-01-01

The accuracy and precision of digital image correlation (DIC) is a function of three primary ingredients: image acquisition, image analysis, and the subject of the image. Development of the first two (i.e. image acquisition techniques and image correlation algorithms) has led to widespread use of DIC; however, fewer developments have been focused on the third ingredient. Typically, subjects of DIC images are mechanical specimens with either a natural surface pattern or a pattern applied to the surface. Research in the area of DIC patterns has primarily been aimed at identifying which surface patterns are best suited for DIC, by comparing patterns to each other. Because the easiest and most widespread methods of applying patterns have a high degree of randomness associated with them (e.g., airbrush, spray paint, particle decoration, etc.), less effort has been spent on exact construction of ideal patterns. With the development of patterning techniques such as microstamping and lithography, patterns can be applied to a specimen pixel by pixel from a patterned image. In these cases, especially because the patterns are reused many times, an optimal pattern is sought such that error introduced into DIC from the pattern is minimized. DIC consists of tracking the motion of an array of nodes from a reference image to a deformed image. Every pixel in the images has an associated intensity (grayscale) value, with discretization depending on the bit depth of the image. Because individual pixel matching by intensity value yields a non-unique scale-dependent problem, subsets around each node are used for identification. A correlation criteria is used to find the best match of a particular subset of a reference image within a deformed image. The reader is referred to references for enumerations of typical correlation criteria. As illustrated by Schreier and Sutton and Lu and Cary systematic errors can be introduced by representing the underlying deformation with under-matched shape functions. An important implication, as discussed by Sutton et al., is that in the presence of highly localized deformations (e.g., crack fronts), error can be reduced by minimizing the subset size. In other words, smaller subsets allow the more accurate resolution of localized deformations. Contrarily, the choice of optimal subset size has been widely studied and a general consensus is that larger subsets with more information content are less prone to random error. Thus, an optimal subset size balances the systematic error from under matched deformations with random error from measurement noise. The alternative approach pursued in the current work is to choose a small subset size and optimize the information content within (i.e., optimizing an applied DIC pattern), rather than finding an optimal subset size. In the literature, many pattern quality metrics have been proposed, e.g., sum of square intensity gradient (SSSIG), mean subset fluctuation, gray level co-occurrence, autocorrelation-based metrics, and speckle-based metrics. The majority of these metrics were developed to quantify the quality of common pseudo-random patterns after they have been applied, and were not created with the intent of pattern generation. As such, it is found that none of the metrics examined in this study are fit to be the objective function of a pattern generation optimization. In some cases, such as with speckle-based metrics, application to pixel by pixel patterns is ill-conditioned and requires somewhat arbitrary extensions. In other cases, such as with the SSSIG, it is shown that trivial solutions exist for the optimum of the metric which are ill-suited for DIC (such as a checkerboard pattern). In the current work, a multi-metric optimization method is proposed whereby quality is viewed as a combination of individual quality metrics. Specifically, SSSIG and two auto-correlation metrics are used which have generally competitive objectives. Thus, each metric could be viewed as a constraint imposed upon the others, thereby precluding the achievement of their trivial solutions. In this way, optimization produces a pattern which balances the benefits of multiple quality metrics. The resulting pattern, along with randomly generated patterns, is subjected to numerical deformations and analyzed with DIC software. The optimal pattern is shown to outperform randomly generated patterns.

Resilience Design Patterns - A Structured Approach to Resilience at Extreme Scale (version 1.0)

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

Hukerikar, Saurabh; Engelmann, Christian

Reliability is a serious concern for future extreme-scale high-performance computing (HPC) systems. Projections based on the current generation of HPC systems and technology roadmaps suggest that very high fault rates in future systems. The errors resulting from these faults will propagate and generate various kinds of failures, which may result in outcomes ranging from result corruptions to catastrophic application crashes. Practical limits on power consumption in HPC systems will require future systems to embrace innovative architectures, increasing the levels of hardware and software complexities. The resilience challenge for extreme-scale HPC systems requires management of various hardware and software technologies thatmore » are capable of handling a broad set of fault models at accelerated fault rates. These techniques must seek to improve resilience at reasonable overheads to power consumption and performance. While the HPC community has developed various solutions, application-level as well as system-based solutions, the solution space of HPC resilience techniques remains fragmented. There are no formal methods and metrics to investigate and evaluate resilience holistically in HPC systems that consider impact scope, handling coverage, and performance & power eciency across the system stack. Additionally, few of the current approaches are portable to newer architectures and software ecosystems, which are expected to be deployed on future systems. In this document, we develop a structured approach to the management of HPC resilience based on the concept of resilience-based design patterns. A design pattern is a general repeatable solution to a commonly occurring problem. We identify the commonly occurring problems and solutions used to deal with faults, errors and failures in HPC systems. The catalog of resilience design patterns provides designers with reusable design elements. We define a design framework that enhances our understanding of the important constraints and opportunities for solutions deployed at various layers of the system stack. The framework may be used to establish mechanisms and interfaces to coordinate flexible fault management across hardware and software components. The framework also enables optimization of the cost-benefit trade-os among performance, resilience, and power consumption. The overall goal of this work is to enable a systematic methodology for the design and evaluation of resilience technologies in extreme-scale HPC systems that keep scientific applications running to a correct solution in a timely and cost-ecient manner in spite of frequent faults, errors, and failures of various types.« less

Analysis of Network Clustering Algorithms and Cluster Quality Metrics at Scale

PubMed Central

Kobourov, Stephen; Gallant, Mike; Börner, Katy

2016-01-01

Overview Notions of community quality underlie the clustering of networks. While studies surrounding network clustering are increasingly common, a precise understanding of the realtionship between different cluster quality metrics is unknown. In this paper, we examine the relationship between stand-alone cluster quality metrics and information recovery metrics through a rigorous analysis of four widely-used network clustering algorithms—Louvain, Infomap, label propagation, and smart local moving. We consider the stand-alone quality metrics of modularity, conductance, and coverage, and we consider the information recovery metrics of adjusted Rand score, normalized mutual information, and a variant of normalized mutual information used in previous work. Our study includes both synthetic graphs and empirical data sets of sizes varying from 1,000 to 1,000,000 nodes. Cluster Quality Metrics We find significant differences among the results of the different cluster quality metrics. For example, clustering algorithms can return a value of 0.4 out of 1 on modularity but score 0 out of 1 on information recovery. We find conductance, though imperfect, to be the stand-alone quality metric that best indicates performance on the information recovery metrics. Additionally, our study shows that the variant of normalized mutual information used in previous work cannot be assumed to differ only slightly from traditional normalized mutual information. Network Clustering Algorithms Smart local moving is the overall best performing algorithm in our study, but discrepancies between cluster evaluation metrics prevent us from declaring it an absolutely superior algorithm. Interestingly, Louvain performed better than Infomap in nearly all the tests in our study, contradicting the results of previous work in which Infomap was superior to Louvain. We find that although label propagation performs poorly when clusters are less clearly defined, it scales efficiently and accurately to large graphs with well-defined clusters. PMID:27391786

Impact of greenhouse gas metrics on the quantification of agricultural emissions and farm-scale mitigation strategies: a New Zealand case study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reisinger, Andy; Ledgard, Stewart

2013-06-01

Agriculture emits a range of greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gas metrics allow emissions of different gases to be reported in a common unit called CO2-equivalent. This enables comparisons of the efficiency of different farms and production systems and of alternative mitigation strategies across all gases. The standard metric is the 100 year global warming potential (GWP), but alternative metrics have been proposed and could result in very different CO2-equivalent emissions, particularly for CH4. While significant effort has been made to reduce uncertainties in emissions estimates of individual gases, little effort has been spent on evaluating the implications of alternative metrics on overall agricultural emissions profiles and mitigation strategies. Here we assess, for a selection of New Zealand dairy farms, the effect of two alternative metrics (100 yr GWP and global temperature change potentials, GTP) on farm-scale emissions and apparent efficiency and cost effectiveness of alternative mitigation strategies. We find that alternative metrics significantly change the balance between CH4 and N2O; in some cases, alternative metrics even determine whether a specific management option would reduce or increase net farm-level emissions or emissions intensity. However, the relative ranking of different farms by profitability or emissions intensity, and the ranking of the most cost-effective mitigation options for each farm, are relatively unaffected by the metric. We conclude that alternative metrics would change the perceived significance of individual gases from agriculture and the overall cost to farmers if a price were applied to agricultural emissions, but the economically most effective response strategies are unaffected by the choice of metric.

Algal bioassessment metrics for wadeable streams and rivers of Maine, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Danielson, Thomas J.; Loftin, Cynthia S.; Tsomides, Leonidas; DiFranco, Jeanne L.; Connors, Beth

2011-01-01

Many state water-quality agencies use biological assessment methods based on lotic fish and macroinvertebrate communities, but relatively few states have incorporated algal multimetric indices into monitoring programs. Algae are good indicators for monitoring water quality because they are sensitive to many environmental stressors. We evaluated benthic algal community attributes along a landuse gradient affecting wadeable streams and rivers in Maine, USA, to identify potential bioassessment metrics. We collected epilithic algal samples from 193 locations across the state. We computed weighted-average optima for common taxa for total P, total N, specific conductance, % impervious cover, and % developed watershed, which included all land use that is no longer forest or wetland. We assigned Maine stream tolerance values and categories (sensitive, intermediate, tolerant) to taxa based on their optima and responses to watershed disturbance. We evaluated performance of algal community metrics used in multimetric indices from other regions and novel metrics based on Maine data. Metrics specific to Maine data, such as the relative richness of species characterized as being sensitive in Maine, were more correlated with % developed watershed than most metrics used in other regions. Few community-structure attributes (e.g., species richness) were useful metrics in Maine. Performance of algal bioassessment models would be improved if metrics were evaluated with attributes of local data before inclusion in multimetric indices or statistical models. ?? 2011 by The North American Benthological Society.

Using community-level metrics to monitor the effects of marine protected areas on biodiversity.

PubMed

Soykan, Candan U; Lewison, Rebecca L

2015-06-01

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are used to protect species, communities, and their associated habitats, among other goals. Measuring MPA efficacy can be challenging, however, particularly when considering responses at the community level. We gathered 36 abundance and 14 biomass data sets on fish assemblages and used meta-analysis to evaluate the ability of 22 distinct community diversity metrics to detect differences in community structure between MPAs and nearby control sites. We also considered the effects of 6 covariates-MPA size and age, MPA size and age interaction, latitude, total species richness, and level of protection-on each metric. Some common metrics, such as species richness and Shannon diversity, did not differ consistently between MPA and control sites, whereas other metrics, such as total abundance and biomass, were consistently different across studies. Metric responses derived from the biomass data sets were more consistent than those based on the abundance data sets, suggesting that community-level biomass differs more predictably than abundance between MPA and control sites. Covariate analyses indicated that level of protection, latitude, MPA size, and the interaction between MPA size and age affect metric performance. These results highlight a handful of metrics, several of which are little known, that could be used to meet the increasing demand for community-level indicators of MPA effectiveness. © 2015 Society for Conservation Biology.

Quality evaluation of motion-compensated edge artifacts in compressed video.

PubMed

Leontaris, Athanasios; Cosman, Pamela C; Reibman, Amy R

2007-04-01

Little attention has been paid to an impairment common in motion-compensated video compression: the addition of high-frequency (HF) energy as motion compensation displaces blocking artifacts off block boundaries. In this paper, we employ an energy-based approach to measure this motion-compensated edge artifact, using both compressed bitstream information and decoded pixels. We evaluate the performance of our proposed metric, along with several blocking and blurring metrics, on compressed video in two ways. First, ordinal scales are evaluated through a series of expectations that a good quality metric should satisfy: the objective evaluation. Then, the best performing metrics are subjectively evaluated. The same subjective data set is finally used to obtain interval scales to gain more insight. Experimental results show that we accurately estimate the percentage of the added HF energy in compressed video.

Expert system development for commonality analysis in space programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeager, Dorian P.

1987-01-01

This report is a combination of foundational mathematics and software design. A mathematical model of the Commonality Analysis problem was developed and some important properties discovered. The complexity of the problem is described herein and techniques, both deterministic and heuristic, for reducing that complexity are presented. Weaknesses are pointed out in the existing software (System Commonality Analysis Tool) and several improvements are recommended. It is recommended that: (1) an expert system for guiding the design of new databases be developed; (2) a distributed knowledge base be created and maintained for the purpose of encoding the commonality relationships between design items in commonality databases; (3) a software module be produced which automatically generates commonality alternative sets from commonality databases using the knowledge associated with those databases; and (4) a more complete commonality analysis module be written which is capable of generating any type of feasible solution.

Using principal component analysis for selecting network behavioral anomaly metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gregorio-de Souza, Ian; Berk, Vincent; Barsamian, Alex

2010-04-01

This work addresses new approaches to behavioral analysis of networks and hosts for the purposes of security monitoring and anomaly detection. Most commonly used approaches simply implement anomaly detectors for one, or a few, simple metrics and those metrics can exhibit unacceptable false alarm rates. For instance, the anomaly score of network communication is defined as the reciprocal of the likelihood that a given host uses a particular protocol (or destination);this definition may result in an unrealistically high threshold for alerting to avoid being flooded by false positives. We demonstrate that selecting and adapting the metrics and thresholds, on a host-by-host or protocol-by-protocol basis can be done by established multivariate analyses such as PCA. We will show how to determine one or more metrics, for each network host, that records the highest available amount of information regarding the baseline behavior, and shows relevant deviances reliably. We describe the methodology used to pick from a large selection of available metrics, and illustrate a method for comparing the resulting classifiers. Using our approach we are able to reduce the resources required to properly identify misbehaving hosts, protocols, or networks, by dedicating system resources to only those metrics that actually matter in detecting network deviations.

Computer programming for generating visual stimuli.

PubMed

Bukhari, Farhan; Kurylo, Daniel D

2008-02-01

Critical to vision research is the generation of visual displays with precise control over stimulus metrics. Generating stimuli often requires adapting commercial software or developing specialized software for specific research applications. In order to facilitate this process, we give here an overview that allows nonexpert users to generate and customize stimuli for vision research. We first give a review of relevant hardware and software considerations, to allow the selection of display hardware, operating system, programming language, and graphics packages most appropriate for specific research applications. We then describe the framework of a generic computer program that can be adapted for use with a broad range of experimental applications. Stimuli are generated in the context of trial events, allowing the display of text messages, the monitoring of subject responses and reaction times, and the inclusion of contingency algorithms. This approach allows direct control and management of computer-generated visual stimuli while utilizing the full capabilities of modern hardware and software systems. The flowchart and source code for the stimulus-generating program may be downloaded from www.psychonomic.org/archive.

Software system safety

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uber, James G.

1988-01-01

Software itself is not hazardous, but since software and hardware share common interfaces there is an opportunity for software to create hazards. Further, these software systems are complex, and proven methods for the design, analysis, and measurement of software safety are not yet available. Some past software failures, future NASA software trends, software engineering methods, and tools and techniques for various software safety analyses are reviewed. Recommendations to NASA are made based on this review.

Common Data Acquisition Systems (DAS) Software Development for Rocket Propulsion Test (RPT) Test Facilities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hebert, Phillip W., Sr.; Davis, Dawn M.; Turowski, Mark P.; Holladay, Wendy T.; Hughes, Mark S.

2012-01-01

The advent of the commercial space launch industry and NASA's more recent resumption of operation of Stennis Space Center's large test facilities after thirty years of contractor control resulted in a need for a non-proprietary data acquisition systems (DAS) software to support government and commercial testing. The software is designed for modularity and adaptability to minimize the software development effort for current and future data systems. An additional benefit of the software's architecture is its ability to easily migrate to other testing facilities thus providing future commonality across Stennis. Adapting the software to other Rocket Propulsion Test (RPT) Centers such as MSFC, White Sands, and Plumbrook Station would provide additional commonality and help reduce testing costs for NASA. Ultimately, the software provides the government with unlimited rights and guarantees privacy of data to commercial entities. The project engaged all RPT Centers and NASA's Independent Verification & Validation facility to enhance product quality. The design consists of a translation layer which provides the transparency of the software application layers to underlying hardware regardless of test facility location and a flexible and easily accessible database. This presentation addresses system technical design, issues encountered, and the status of Stennis development and deployment.

An Instrumented Glove to Assess Manual Dexterity in Simulation-Based Neurosurgical Education

PubMed Central

Lemos, Juan Diego; Hernandez, Alher Mauricio; Soto-Romero, Georges

2017-01-01

The traditional neurosurgical apprenticeship scheme includes the assessment of trainee’s manual skills carried out by experienced surgeons. However, the introduction of surgical simulation technology presents a new paradigm where residents can refine surgical techniques on a simulator before putting them into practice in real patients. Unfortunately, in this new scheme, an experienced surgeon will not always be available to evaluate trainee’s performance. For this reason, it is necessary to develop automatic mechanisms to estimate metrics for assessing manual dexterity in a quantitative way. Authors have proposed some hardware-software approaches to evaluate manual dexterity on surgical simulators. This paper presents IGlove, a wearable device that uses inertial sensors embedded on an elastic glove to capture hand movements. Metrics to assess manual dexterity are estimated from sensors signals using data processing and information analysis algorithms. It has been designed to be used with a neurosurgical simulator called Daubara NS Trainer, but can be easily adapted to another benchtop- and manikin-based medical simulators. The system was tested with a sample of 14 volunteers who performed a test that was designed to simultaneously evaluate their fine motor skills and the IGlove’s functionalities. Metrics obtained by each of the participants are presented as results in this work; it is also shown how these metrics are used to automatically evaluate the level of manual dexterity of each volunteer. PMID:28468268

Authorship attribution of source code by using back propagation neural network based on particle swarm optimization

PubMed Central

Xu, Guoai; Li, Qi; Guo, Yanhui; Zhang, Miao

2017-01-01

Authorship attribution is to identify the most likely author of a given sample among a set of candidate known authors. It can be not only applied to discover the original author of plain text, such as novels, blogs, emails, posts etc., but also used to identify source code programmers. Authorship attribution of source code is required in diverse applications, ranging from malicious code tracking to solving authorship dispute or software plagiarism detection. This paper aims to propose a new method to identify the programmer of Java source code samples with a higher accuracy. To this end, it first introduces back propagation (BP) neural network based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) into authorship attribution of source code. It begins by computing a set of defined feature metrics, including lexical and layout metrics, structure and syntax metrics, totally 19 dimensions. Then these metrics are input to neural network for supervised learning, the weights of which are output by PSO and BP hybrid algorithm. The effectiveness of the proposed method is evaluated on a collected dataset with 3,022 Java files belong to 40 authors. Experiment results show that the proposed method achieves 91.060% accuracy. And a comparison with previous work on authorship attribution of source code for Java language illustrates that this proposed method outperforms others overall, also with an acceptable overhead. PMID:29095934