Sample records for include performance standards

  1. 34 CFR 685.402 - Criteria for schools to originate loans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... severe performance deficiencies for any of the programs under title IV of the Act, including deficiencies... performance standards established by the Secretary, including but not limited to— (A) Eligibility under... fails to meet the criteria and performance standards established by the Secretary, including but not...

  2. 21 CFR 861.7 - Contents of standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... DEVICES PROCEDURES FOR PERFORMANCE STANDARDS DEVELOPMENT General § 861.7 Contents of standards. Any performance standard established under this part will include such provisions as the Food and Drug... address (but need not be limited to): (a) Performance characteristics of the device; (b) The design...

  3. Business Education. Vocational Education Program Courses Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Div. of Vocational, Adult, and Community Education.

    This document contains vocational education program courses standards (curriculum frameworks and student performance standards) for business technology education programs in Florida. Each program courses standard is composed of two parts: a curriculum framework and student performance standards. The curriculum framework includes four major…

  4. Student Performance Standards for Senior High Language Arts.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brevard County School Board, Cocoa, FL.

    Developed by a team of 13 teachers, this guide presents student performance standards for 36 high school language arts courses. For each course described, performance standards and intended outcomes are preceded by a curriculum framework that includes a statement of major concepts and content, laboratory activities, special notes, and intended…

  5. 20 CFR 404.1643 - Performance accuracy standard.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Determinations of Disability Performance Standards § 404.1643 Performance... have been in the file but was not included, even though its inclusion does not change the result in the...

  6. 20 CFR 416.1041 - Standards of performance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... performance. (a) General. The performance standards include both a target level of performance and a threshold level of performance for the State agency. The target level represents a level of performance that we... performance levels to the target levels. (b) The target level. The target level is the optimum level of...

  7. 20 CFR 416.1043 - Performance accuracy standard.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... AGED, BLIND, AND DISABLED Determinations of Disability Performance Standards § 416.1043 Performance... have been in the file but was not included, even though its inclusion does not change the result in the...

  8. State Standards and State Assessment Systems: A Guide to Alignment. Series on Standards and Assessments.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    La Marca, Paul M.; Redfield, Doris; Winter, Phoebe C.

    Alignment of content standards, performance standards, and assessments is crucial. This guide contains information to assist states and districts in aligning their assessment systems to their content and performance standards. It includes a review of current literature, both published and fugitive. The research is woven together with a few basic…

  9. 20 CFR 416.1041 - Standards of performance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... performance. (a) General. The performance standards include both a target level of performance and a threshold level of performance for the State agency. The target level represents a level of performance that we and the States will work to attain in the future. The threshold level is the minimum acceptable level...

  10. 20 CFR 404.1641 - Standards of performance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    .... (a) General. The performance standards include both a target level of performance and a threshold level of performance for the State agency. The target level represents a level of performance that we... performance levels to the target levels. (b) The target level. The target level is the optimum level of...

  11. Raising the Bar on Faculty Productivity: Realigning Performance Standards to Enhance Quality Trajectories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hardré, Patricia L.

    2014-01-01

    Many universities have observed needs and shared goals that include increasing faculty members' research productivity (in quantity or quality). Strategies for raising faculty performance include revising standards and supporting valued outcomes with rewards and incentives. One college at a research-extensive university received institutional…

  12. 20 CFR 404.1641 - Standards of performance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    .... (a) General. The performance standards include both a target level of performance and a threshold level of performance for the State agency. The target level represents a level of performance that we and the States will work to attain in the future. The threshold level is the minimum acceptable level...

  13. Investigation of a 0.6 hub-tip radius-ratio transonic turbine designed for secondary-flow study I : design and experimental performance of standard turbine

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rohlik, Harold E; Wintucky, William T; Scibbe, Herbert W

    1957-01-01

    Detailed design information including overall performance parameters, velocity diagrams, and blade surface velocities is presented. Experimental performance includes maps based on rating as well as total-pressure ratios showing the effect of exit whirl. Also included are results of surveys at the stator exit and downstream of the rotor at design speed and specific work. This information will be used as a standard for comparison with subsequent secondary-flow work.

  14. International Standards for Properties and Performance of Advanced Ceramics - 30 years of Excellence

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jenkins, Michael G.; Salem, Jonathan A.; Helfinstine, John; Quinn, George D.; Gonczy, Stephen T.

    2016-01-01

    Mechanical and physical properties/performance of brittle bodies (e.g., advanced ceramics and glasses) can be difficult to measure correctly unless the proper techniques are used. For three decades, ASTM Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics, has developed numerous full-consensus standards (e.g., test methods, practices, guides, terminology) to measure various properties and performance of a monolithic and composite ceramics and coatings that, in some cases, may be applicable to glasses. These standards give the "what, how, how not, why, why not, etc." for many mechanical, physical, thermal, properties and performance of advanced ceramics. Use of these standards provides accurate, reliable, repeatable and complete data. Involvement in ASTM Committee C28 has included users, producers, researchers, designers, academicians, etc. who write, continually update, and validate through round robin test programmes, more than 45 standards in the 30 years since the Committee's inception in 1986. Included in this poster is a pictogram of the ASTM Committee C28 standards and how to obtain them either as i) individual copies with full details or ii) a complete collection in one volume. A listing of other ASTM committees of interest is included. In addition, some examples of the tangible benefits of standards for advanced ceramics are employed to demonstrate their practical application.

  15. Effect of Directed Study of Mathematics Vocabulary on Standardized Mathematics Assessment Questions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Waite, Adel Marlane

    2017-01-01

    The problems under investigation included (a) Did a directed study of mathematics vocabulary significantly affect student performance levels on standardized mathematical questions? and (b) Did the strategies used in this study significantly affect student performance levels on standardized mathematical questions? The population consisted of…

  16. Standards and Students with Disabilities: Reality or Virtual Reality? Brief Report 8.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Saint Cloud State Univ., MN.

    This Brief Report highlights current activities focused on setting standards in education, and examines whether students with disabilities are considered when standards are set. Types of standards are distinguished, including performance standards, delivery standards, and content standards. Information on organizations developing standards in…

  17. 34 CFR 403.202 - What must each State's system of core standards and measures of performance include?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What must each State's system of core standards and measures of performance include? 403.202 Section 403.202 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF VOCATIONAL AND ADULT EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATE...

  18. 34 CFR 403.202 - What must each State's system of core standards and measures of performance include?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false What must each State's system of core standards and measures of performance include? 403.202 Section 403.202 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF VOCATIONAL AND ADULT EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATE...

  19. 34 CFR 403.202 - What must each State's system of core standards and measures of performance include?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false What must each State's system of core standards and measures of performance include? 403.202 Section 403.202 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF VOCATIONAL AND ADULT EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATE...

  20. 34 CFR 403.202 - What must each State's system of core standards and measures of performance include?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What must each State's system of core standards and measures of performance include? 403.202 Section 403.202 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF VOCATIONAL AND ADULT EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATE...

  1. Mobile Robot and Mobile Manipulator Research Towards ASTM Standards Development.

    PubMed

    Bostelman, Roger; Hong, Tsai; Legowik, Steven

    2016-01-01

    Performance standards for industrial mobile robots and mobile manipulators (robot arms onboard mobile robots) have only recently begun development. Low cost and standardized measurement techniques are needed to characterize system performance, compare different systems, and to determine if recalibration is required. This paper discusses work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and within the ASTM Committee F45 on Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles. This includes standards for both terminology, F45.91, and for navigation performance test methods, F45.02. The paper defines terms that are being considered. Additionally, the paper describes navigation test methods that are near ballot and docking test methods being designed for consideration within F45.02. This includes the use of low cost artifacts that can provide alternatives to using relatively expensive measurement systems.

  2. Mobile Robot and Mobile Manipulator Research Towards ASTM Standards Development

    PubMed Central

    Bostelman, Roger; Hong, Tsai; Legowik, Steven

    2017-01-01

    Performance standards for industrial mobile robots and mobile manipulators (robot arms onboard mobile robots) have only recently begun development. Low cost and standardized measurement techniques are needed to characterize system performance, compare different systems, and to determine if recalibration is required. This paper discusses work at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and within the ASTM Committee F45 on Driverless Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles. This includes standards for both terminology, F45.91, and for navigation performance test methods, F45.02. The paper defines terms that are being considered. Additionally, the paper describes navigation test methods that are near ballot and docking test methods being designed for consideration within F45.02. This includes the use of low cost artifacts that can provide alternatives to using relatively expensive measurement systems. PMID:28690359

  3. Evaluation of the 235 U resonance parameters to fit the standard recommended values

    DOE PAGES

    Leal, Luiz; Noguere, Gilles; Paradela, Carlos; ...

    2017-09-13

    A great deal of effort has been dedicated to the revision of the standard values in connection with the neutron interaction for some actinides. While standard data compilation are available for decades nuclear data evaluations included in existing nuclear data libraries (ENDF, JEFF, JENDL, etc.) do not follow the standard recommended values. Indeed, the majority of evaluations for major actinides do not conform to the standards whatsoever. In particular, for the n + 235U interaction the only value in agreement with the standard is the thermal fission cross section. We performed a resonance re-evaluation of the n + 235U interactionmore » in order to address the issues regarding standard values in the energy range from 10-5 eV to 2250 eV. Recently, 235U fission cross-section measurements have been performed at the CERN Neutron Time-o-Flight facility (TOF), known as n_TOF, in the energy range from 0.7 eV to 10 keV. The data were normalized according to the recommended standard of the fission integral in the energy range 7.8 eV to 11 eV. As a result, the n_TOF averaged fission cross sections above 100 eV are in good agreement with the standard recommended values. The n_TOF data were included in the 235U resonance analysis that was performed with the code SAMMY. In addition to the average standard values related to the fission cross section, standard thermal values for fission, capture, and elastic cross sections were also included in the evaluation. Our paper presents the procedure used for re-evaluating the 235U resonance parameters including the recommended standard values as well as new cross section measurements.« less

  4. Evaluation of the 235 U resonance parameters to fit the standard recommended values

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

    Leal, Luiz; Noguere, Gilles; Paradela, Carlos

    A great deal of effort has been dedicated to the revision of the standard values in connection with the neutron interaction for some actinides. While standard data compilation are available for decades nuclear data evaluations included in existing nuclear data libraries (ENDF, JEFF, JENDL, etc.) do not follow the standard recommended values. Indeed, the majority of evaluations for major actinides do not conform to the standards whatsoever. In particular, for the n + 235U interaction the only value in agreement with the standard is the thermal fission cross section. We performed a resonance re-evaluation of the n + 235U interactionmore » in order to address the issues regarding standard values in the energy range from 10-5 eV to 2250 eV. Recently, 235U fission cross-section measurements have been performed at the CERN Neutron Time-o-Flight facility (TOF), known as n_TOF, in the energy range from 0.7 eV to 10 keV. The data were normalized according to the recommended standard of the fission integral in the energy range 7.8 eV to 11 eV. As a result, the n_TOF averaged fission cross sections above 100 eV are in good agreement with the standard recommended values. The n_TOF data were included in the 235U resonance analysis that was performed with the code SAMMY. In addition to the average standard values related to the fission cross section, standard thermal values for fission, capture, and elastic cross sections were also included in the evaluation. Our paper presents the procedure used for re-evaluating the 235U resonance parameters including the recommended standard values as well as new cross section measurements.« less

  5. Evaluation of the 235U resonance parameters to fit the standard recommended values

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Leal, Luiz; Noguere, Gilles; Paradela, Carlos; Durán, Ignacio; Tassan-Got, Laurent; Danon, Yaron; Jandel, Marian

    2017-09-01

    A great deal of effort has been dedicated to the revision of the standard values in connection with the neutron interaction for some actinides. While standard data compilation are available for decades nuclear data evaluations included in existing nuclear data libraries (ENDF, JEFF, JENDL, etc.) do not follow the standard recommended values. Indeed, the majority of evaluations for major actinides do not conform to the standards whatsoever. In particular, for the n + 235U interaction the only value in agreement with the standard is the thermal fission cross section. A resonance re-evaluation of the n + 235U interaction has been performed to address the issues regarding standard values in the energy range from 10-5 eV to 2250 eV. Recently, 235U fission cross-section measurements have been performed at the CERN Neutron Time-of-Flight facility (TOF), known as n_TOF, in the energy range from 0.7 eV to 10 keV. The data were normalized according to the recommended standard of the fission integral in the energy range 7.8 eV to 11 eV. As a result, the n_TOF averaged fission cross sections above 100 eV are in good agreement with the standard recommended values. The n_TOF data were included in the 235U resonance analysis that was performed with the code SAMMY. In addition to the average standard values related to the fission cross section, standard thermal values for fission, capture, and elastic cross sections were also included in the evaluation. This paper presents the procedure used for re-evaluating the 235U resonance parameters including the recommended standard values as well as new cross section measurements.

  6. 76 FR 23768 - National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants From Coal- and Oil-Fired Electric...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-04-28

    ...-Fired Electric Utility Steam Generating Units and Standards of Performance for Fossil-Fuel-Fired... Units and Standards of Performance for Fossil-Fuel-Fired Electric Utility, Industrial-Commercial... copy form. The hearing schedules, including lists of speakers, will be posted on EPA's Web Sites http...

  7. 78 FR 22025 - Eighteenth Meeting: RTCA Special Committee 214, Standards for Air Traffic Data Communication...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-12

    ... add to the SC deliverables Change 1 to DO-224C ``Singal-in-Space Minimum Aviation System Performance Standards (MASPS) for Advanced VHF Digital Data Communications Including Compatibility with Digital Voice... Performance Standards (MOPS) for Aircraft VDL Mode 2 Physical Link and Network Layer'' Other Business Adjourn...

  8. 77 FR 49489 - Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-16

    ...This action finalizes the review of new source performance standards for the listed oil and natural gas source category. In this action the EPA revised the new source performance standards for volatile organic compounds from leaking components at onshore natural gas processing plants and new source performance standards for sulfur dioxide emissions from natural gas processing plants. The EPA also established standards for certain oil and gas operations not covered by the existing standards. In addition to the operations covered by the existing standards, the newly established standards will regulate volatile organic compound emissions from gas wells, centrifugal compressors, reciprocating compressors, pneumatic controllers and storage vessels. This action also finalizes the residual risk and technology review for the Oil and Natural Gas Production source category and the Natural Gas Transmission and Storage source category. This action includes revisions to the existing leak detection and repair requirements. In addition, the EPA has established in this action emission limits reflecting maximum achievable control technology for certain currently uncontrolled emission sources in these source categories. This action also includes modification and addition of testing and monitoring and related notification, recordkeeping and reporting requirements, as well as other minor technical revisions to the national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants. This action finalizes revisions to the regulatory provisions related to emissions during periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction.

  9. 29 CFR 405.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... to Labor OFFICE OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS... part. (b) Corresponding principal officers shall include any person or persons performing or authorized to perform principal executive functions corresponding to those of president and treasurer, of any...

  10. 29 CFR 408.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... to Labor OFFICE OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS LABOR ORGANIZATION TRUSTEESHIP REPORTS § 408.1 Definitions. (a) Corresponding principal officers shall include any person or persons performing or authorized to perform principal executive functions corresponding to...

  11. Photovoltaic Performance and Reliability Workshop summary

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kroposki, Benjamin

    1997-02-01

    The objective of the Photovoltaic Performance and Reliability Workshop was to provide a forum where the entire photovoltaic (PV) community (manufacturers, researchers, system designers, and customers) could get together and discuss technical issues relating to PV. The workshop included presentations from twenty-five speakers and had more than one hundred attendees. This workshop also included several open sessions in which the audience and speakers could discuss technical subjects in depth. Several major topics were discussed including: PV characterization and measurements, service lifetimes for PV devices, degradation and failure mechanisms for PV devices, standardization of testing procedures, AC module performance and reliability testing, inverter performance and reliability testing, standardization of utility interconnect requirements, experience from field deployed systems, and system certification.

  12. A Catalog of Performance Objectives and Performance Guides for Laser Systems Technician for the Job Titles of Laser Technician D.O.T. 019.181-010, Laser Systems Technician D.O.T.-N/A.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg. Bureau of Vocational and Technical Education.

    This catalog lists and describes the tasks performed by a laser technician and standards for their performance. Each duty contains performance objectives for related tasks. Included in the objectives are standards that must be met and conditions for performance of the tasks. Performance guides provided for each objective identify the conditions…

  13. The Role of the Library Media Specialist in Standards-Based Learning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corey, Linda

    2002-01-01

    Discusses the role of the school library media specialist in standards-based learning. Topics include standards-based assessment; information literacy standards; collaboration with classroom teachers; benchmarks and indicators for student performance; leadership in a standards-based climate; and the use of technology to support curriculum and…

  14. Energy savings and cost-benefit analysis of the new commercial building standard in China

    DOE PAGES

    Zhao, Shanguo; Feng, Wei; Zhang, Shicong; ...

    2015-10-07

    In this study, a comprehensive comparison of the commercial building energy efficiency standard between the previous 2005 version and the new proposed version is conducted, including the energy efficiency analysis and cost-benefit analysis. To better understand the tech-economic performance of the new Chinese standard, energy models were set up based on a typical commercial office building in Chinese climate zones. The building energy standard in 2005 is used as the baseline for this analysis. Key building technologies measures are analyzed individually, including roof, wall, window, lighting and chiller and so on and finally whole building cost-benefit analysis was conducted. Resultsmore » show that the new commercial building energy standard demonstrates good cost-effective performance, with whole building payback period around 4 years.« less

  15. Energy savings and cost-benefit analysis of the new commercial building standard in China

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

    Zhao, Shanguo; Feng, Wei; Zhang, Shicong

    In this study, a comprehensive comparison of the commercial building energy efficiency standard between the previous 2005 version and the new proposed version is conducted, including the energy efficiency analysis and cost-benefit analysis. To better understand the tech-economic performance of the new Chinese standard, energy models were set up based on a typical commercial office building in Chinese climate zones. The building energy standard in 2005 is used as the baseline for this analysis. Key building technologies measures are analyzed individually, including roof, wall, window, lighting and chiller and so on and finally whole building cost-benefit analysis was conducted. Resultsmore » show that the new commercial building energy standard demonstrates good cost-effective performance, with whole building payback period around 4 years.« less

  16. 76 FR 52737 - Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-23

    ...This action announces how the EPA proposes to address the reviews of the new source performance standards for volatile organic compound and sulfur dioxide emissions from natural gas processing plants. We are proposing to add to the source category list any oil and gas operation not covered by the current listing. This action also includes proposed amendments to the existing new source performance standards for volatile organic compounds from natural gas processing plants and proposed standards for operations that are not covered by the existing new source performance standards. In addition, this action proposes how the EPA will address the residual risk and technology review conducted for the oil and natural gas production and natural gas transmission and storage national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants. This action further proposes standards for emission sources within these two source categories that are not currently addressed, as well as amendments to improve aspects of these national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants related to applicability and implementation. Finally, this action addresses provisions in these new source performance standards and national emission standards for hazardous air pollutants related to emissions during periods of startup, shutdown and malfunction.

  17. 40 CFR 60.2770 - What information must I include in my annual report?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model Rule... calibration drift specification in the applicable performance specification or in the relevant standard. (2...

  18. 40 CFR 60.2770 - What information must I include in my annual report?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model Rule... calibration drift specification in the applicable performance specification or in the relevant standard. (2...

  19. Sewage Treatment Plants: Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources 1989 Final Rule (54 FR 6660)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document includes a copy of the Federal Register publication of the February 14, 1989 Final Rule for the Standards of Performance of New Stationary Sources for Sewage Treatment Plants. This document is provided courtesy of HeinOnline.

  20. 37 CFR 251.38 - Billing and commitment to standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... standards. 251.38 Section 251.38 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights COPYRIGHT OFFICE, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS... performed during each hour or day charged. (d) Except for support services provided by the Library of Congress, arbitrators shall perform their own work, including research, analysis of the record, and...

  1. 37 CFR 251.38 - Billing and commitment to standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... standards. 251.38 Section 251.38 Patents, Trademarks, and Copyrights COPYRIGHT OFFICE, LIBRARY OF CONGRESS... performed during each hour or day charged. (d) Except for support services provided by the Library of Congress, arbitrators shall perform their own work, including research, analysis of the record, and...

  2. 30 CFR 250.110 - What must I include in my welding plan?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false What must I include in my welding plan? 250.110... Performance Standards § 250.110 What must I include in my welding plan? You must include all of the following in the Welding Plan that you prepare under § 250.109: (a) Standards or requirements for welders; (b...

  3. Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Nursing Cluster.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

    These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following…

  4. Health Occupations Education. Vocational Education Program Courses Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Div. of Vocational, Adult, and Community Education.

    This document contains vocational education program courses standards for exploratory courses, practical arts courses, and job preparatory programs offered at the secondary or postsecondary level. Each program standard is composed of two parts: a curriculum framework and student performance standards. The curriculum framework includes four major…

  5. 48 CFR 3452.224-70 - Release of information under the Freedom of Information Act.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ...: (1) Unit prices, including labor rates; (2) Statements of Work/Performance Work Statements generated by the contractor; (3) Performance requirements, including incentives, performance standards, quality levels, and service level agreements; (4) Reports, deliverables, and work products delivered in...

  6. 48 CFR 3452.224-70 - Release of information under the Freedom of Information Act.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ...: (1) Unit prices, including labor rates; (2) Statements of Work/Performance Work Statements generated by the contractor; (3) Performance requirements, including incentives, performance standards, quality levels, and service level agreements; (4) Reports, deliverables, and work products delivered in...

  7. 48 CFR 3452.224-70 - Release of information under the Freedom of Information Act.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ...: (1) Unit prices, including labor rates; (2) Statements of Work/Performance Work Statements generated by the contractor; (3) Performance requirements, including incentives, performance standards, quality levels, and service level agreements; (4) Reports, deliverables, and work products delivered in...

  8. 42 CFR 495.352 - Reporting requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... (CONTINUED) STANDARDS AND CERTIFICATION STANDARDS FOR THE ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORD TECHNOLOGY INCENTIVE... activities performed during the quarter, including progress in implementing the State's approved Medicaid HIT...

  9. To recognize the use of international standards for making harmonized regulation of medical devices in Asia-pacific.

    PubMed

    Anand, K; Saini, Ks; Chopra, Y; Binod, Sk

    2010-07-01

    'Medical Devices' include everything from highly sophisticated, computerized, medical equipment, right down to simple wooden tongue depressors. Regulations embody the public expectations for how buildings and facilities are expected to perform and as such represent public policy. Regulators, who develop and enforce regulations, are empowered to act in the public's interest to set this policy and are ultimately responsible to the public in this regard. Standardization contributes to the basic infrastructure that underpins society including health and environment, while promoting sustainability and good regulatory practice. The international organizations that produce International Standards are the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). With the increasing globalization of markets, International Standards (as opposed to regional or national standards) have become critical to the trading process, ensuring a level playing field for exports, and ensuring that imports meet the internationally recognized levels of performance and safety. The development of standards is done in response to sectors and stakeholders that express a clearly established need for them. An industry sector or other stakeholder group typically communicates its requirement for standards to one of the national members. To be accepted for development, a proposed work item must receive a majority support of the participating members, who verify the global relevance of the proposed item. The regulatory authority (RA) should provide a method for the recognition of international voluntary standards and for public notification of such recognition. The process of recognition may vary from country to country. Recognition may occur by periodic publication of lists of standards that a regulatory authority has found will meet the Essential Principles. In conclusion, International standards, such as, basic standards, group standards, and product standards, are a tool for harmonizing regulatory processes, to assure the safety, quality, and performance of medical devices. Standards represent the opinion of experts from all interested parties, including industry, regulators, users, and others.

  10. Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units (CISWI): New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) and Emission Guidelines (EG) for Existing Sources

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Learn about the New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) for commercial and industrial solid waste incineration (CISWI) units including emission guidelines and compliance times for the rule. Read the rule history and summary, and find supporting documents

  11. Analysis of Eighth Graders' Performance On Standardized Mathematics Tests.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meyinsse, Joseph; Tashakkori, Abbas

    The main objective of this study was to show whether eighth graders' performance on standardized mathematics tests could be predicted from a variety of variables. These predictors included the students' race/ethnicity, gender, attitudes toward mathematics, students' time spent on homework, whether parents helped with homework assignments,…

  12. Sewage Treatment Plants: Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources 1977 Final Rule (42 FR 58520)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document includes a copy of the Federal Register publication of the November 10, 1977 Final Rule for the Standards of Performance of New Stationary Sources for 40 CFR 60 Subparts O. This document is provided curtesy of HeinOnline.

  13. 29 CFR 29.6 - Program performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... apprenticeship programs. (1) The tools and factors to be used must include, but are not limited to: (i) Quality assurance assessments; (ii) Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Compliance Reviews; and (iii) Completion... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Program performance standards. 29.6 Section 29.6 Labor...

  14. Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Physical Therapist Assistant Cluster.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

    These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following…

  15. Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Medical Office Cluster.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

    These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following…

  16. Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Press Operations Cluster.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

    These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following…

  17. Illinois Occupational Skill Standards: Retail Garden Center Cluster.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Illinois Occupational Skill Standards and Credentialing Council, Carbondale.

    These skill standards, developed through a consortium of educational and industry partners in Illinois, serve as guides to workforce preparation program providers to define content for their programs and to employers to establish the skills and standards necessary for job acquisition and performance. The skill standards include the following…

  18. Solar industrial process heat systems: An assessment of standards for materials and components

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rossiter, W. J.; Shipp, W. E.

    1981-09-01

    A study was conducted to obtain information on the performance of materials and components in operational solar industrial process heat (PH) systems, and to provide recommendations for the development of standards including evaluative test procedures for materials and components. An assessment of the needs for standards for evaluating the long-term performance of materials and components of IPH systems was made. The assessment was based on the availability of existing standards, and information obtained from a field survey of operational systems, the literature, and discussions with individuals in the industry. Field inspections of 10 operational IPH systems were performed.

  19. Developing a holistic accreditation system for medical universities of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

    PubMed

    Yousefy, A; Changiz, T; Yamani, N; Zahrai, R H; Ehsanpour, S

    2009-01-01

    This report describes the steps in the development of an accreditation system for medical universities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. The national accreditation project, supported by the government, was performed from 2001 to 2005. The project was carried out in 3 main phases, each phase including a number of tasks. After a review of the international literature on accreditation and through national consensus, a set of national institutional accreditation standards was developed, including 95 standards and 504 indicators in 10 areas. By complying with accepted national standards, Iranian medical universities will play an important role in promoting health system performance.

  20. 29 CFR 409.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... to Labor OFFICE OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR LABOR-MANAGEMENT STANDARDS REPORTS... the reporting year shall be effected only upon prior approval by the Office of Labor-Management Standards. (b) Corresponding principal officers shall include any person or persons performing or authorized...

  1. A Standard Psychophysiological Preparation for Evaluating the Effects of Environmental Vibration Stress. Phase I. Development.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    A Standard Psychophysiological Preparation (SPP) for the evaluation of the physiological and biomechanical mechanisms responsible for performance...consumption, biomechanical parameters and performance level. The results of pilot tests (including 6-hours exposure to vibration while performing a...tracking task) verify the applicability and utility of the SPP and demonstrate that high quality, quantitative physiological and biomechanical data can

  2. ASTM Committee C28: International Standards for Properties and Performance of Advanced Ceramics, Three Decades of High-quality, Technically-rigorous Normalization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jenkins, Michael G.; Salem, Jonathan A.

    2016-01-01

    Physical and mechanical properties and performance of advanced ceramics and glasses are difficult to measure correctly without the proper techniques. For over three decades, ASTM Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics, has developed high quality, rigorous, full-consensus standards (e.g., test methods, practices, guides, terminology) to measure properties and performance of monolithic and composite ceramics that may be applied to glasses in some cases. These standards testing particulars for many mechanical, physical, thermal, properties and performance of these materials. As a result these standards provide accurate, reliable, repeatable and complete data. Within Committee C28 users, producers, researchers, designers, academicians, etc. have written, continually updated, and validated through round-robin test programs, nearly 50 standards since the Committees founding in 1986. This paper provides a retrospective review of the 30 years of ASTM Committee C28 including a graphical pictogram listing of C28 standards along with examples of the tangible benefits of advanced ceramics standards to demonstrate their practical applications.

  3. 34 CFR 602.17 - Application of standards in reaching an accrediting decision.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... program to prepare, following guidance provided by the agency, an in-depth self-study that includes the... on-site review; (e) Conducts its own analysis of the self-study and supporting documentation... standards, including areas needing improvement; and (2) The institution's or program's performance with...

  4. 34 CFR 602.17 - Application of standards in reaching an accrediting decision.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... program to prepare, following guidance provided by the agency, an in-depth self-study that includes the... on-site review; (e) Conducts its own analysis of the self-study and supporting documentation... standards, including areas needing improvement; and (2) The institution's or program's performance with...

  5. 34 CFR 602.17 - Application of standards in reaching an accrediting decision.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... program to prepare, following guidance provided by the agency, an in-depth self-study that includes the... on-site review; (e) Conducts its own analysis of the self-study and supporting documentation... standards, including areas needing improvement; and (2) The institution's or program's performance with...

  6. 34 CFR 602.17 - Application of standards in reaching an accrediting decision.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... program to prepare, following guidance provided by the agency, an in-depth self-study that includes the... on-site review; (e) Conducts its own analysis of the self-study and supporting documentation... standards, including areas needing improvement; and (2) The institution's or program's performance with...

  7. 14 CFR Appendix B to Part 60 - Qualification Performance Standards for Airplane Flight Training Devices

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Qualification Performance Standards for Airplane Flight Training Devices B Appendix B to Part 60 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION... encourages the use of electronic media for all communication, including any record, report, request, test, or...

  8. 14 CFR Appendix B to Part 60 - Qualification Performance Standards for Airplane Flight Training Devices

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Qualification Performance Standards for Airplane Flight Training Devices B Appendix B to Part 60 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION... encourages the use of electronic media for all communication, including any record, report, request, test, or...

  9. 14 CFR Appendix B to Part 60 - Qualification Performance Standards for Airplane Flight Training Devices

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Qualification Performance Standards for Airplane Flight Training Devices B Appendix B to Part 60 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION... encourages the use of electronic media for all communication, including any record, report, request, test, or...

  10. 14 CFR Appendix B to Part 60 - Qualification Performance Standards for Airplane Flight Training Devices

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Qualification Performance Standards for Airplane Flight Training Devices B Appendix B to Part 60 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION... encourages the use of electronic media for all communication, including any record, report, request, test, or...

  11. 14 CFR Appendix B to Part 60 - Qualification Performance Standards for Airplane Flight Training Devices

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Qualification Performance Standards for Airplane Flight Training Devices B Appendix B to Part 60 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION... encourages the use of electronic media for all communication, including any record, report, request, test, or...

  12. Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources (40 CFR 60 Subparts A, D, E, F, G and H): 1971 Final Rules (36 FR 24876)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    This document includes a copy of the Federal Register publication of the December 23, 1971 Final Rule for the Standards of Performance of New Stationary Sources for 40 CFR 60 subparts Subparts A, D, E, F, G, and H.

  13. 40 CFR 63.9804 - What are my monitoring system installation, operation, and maintenance requirements?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... accuracy that is traceable to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. (ii) The... section. (i) Perform a single-point calibration using an NIST-certified buffer solution that is accurate... include a redundant pH sensor, perform a single point calibration using an NIST-certified buffer solution...

  14. 40 CFR 63.9804 - What are my monitoring system installation, operation, and maintenance requirements?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... accuracy that is traceable to National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standards. (ii) The... section. (i) Perform a single-point calibration using an NIST-certified buffer solution that is accurate... include a redundant pH sensor, perform a single point calibration using an NIST-certified buffer solution...

  15. 40 CFR 408.175 - Standards of performance for new sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Mechanized Salmon Processing Subcategory § 408.175 Standards of performance for new sources. (a) The...: (1) Any mechanized salmon processing facility located in population or processing centers including... grease 28 10 pH (1) (1) 1 Within the range 6.0 to 9.0. (2) Any mechanized salmon processing facility not...

  16. 40 CFR 408.175 - Standards of performance for new sources.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Mechanized Salmon Processing Subcategory § 408.175 Standards of performance for new sources. (a) The...: (1) Any mechanized salmon processing facility located in population or processing centers including... grease 28 10 pH (1) (1) 1 Within the range 6.0 to 9.0. (2) Any mechanized salmon processing facility not...

  17. Synthetic Fiber Production Facilities: New Source Performance Standards (NSPS)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    These standards limits emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from new and reconstructed synthetic fiber production facilities that use solvent-spinning processes. Includes rule history and summary.

  18. A review of the latest guidelines for NIBP device validation.

    PubMed

    Alpert, Bruce S; Quinn, David E; Friedman, Bruce A

    2013-12-01

    The current ISO Standard is accepted as the National Standard in almost every industrialized nation. An overview of the most recently adopted standards is provided. Standards writing groups including the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation Sphygmomanometer Committee and ISO JWG7 are working to expand standardized evaluation methods to include the evaluation of devices intended for use in environments where motion artifact is common. An Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation task group on noninvasive blood pressure measurement in the presence of motion artifact has published a technical information report containing research and standardized methods for the evaluation of blood pressure device performance in the presence of motion artifact.

  19. Academy of nutrition and dietetics: revised 2014 standards of practice and standards of professional performance for registered dietitian nutritionists (competent, proficient, and expert) in sports nutrition and dietetics.

    PubMed

    Steinmuller, Patricia L; Kruskall, Laura J; Karpinski, Christine A; Manore, Melinda M; Macedonio, Michele A; Meyer, Nanna L

    2014-04-01

    Sports nutrition and dietetics addresses relationships of nutrition with physical activity, including weight management, exercise, and physical performance. Nutrition plays a key role in the prevention and treatment of obesity and chronic disease and for maintenance of health, and the ability to engage in physical activity, sports, and other aspects of physical performance. Thus, the Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, with guidance from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Management Committee, has developed the Revised 2014 Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance as a resource for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists working in sports nutrition and dietetics to assess their current skill levels and to identify areas for further professional development in this emerging practice area. The revised document reflects advances in sports nutrition and dietetics practice since the original standards were published in 2009 and replaces those standards. The Standards of Practice represents the four steps in the Nutrition Care Process as applied to the care of patients/clients. The Standards of Professional Performance covers six standards of professional performance: quality in practice, competence and accountability, provision of services, application of research, communication and application of knowledge, and utilization and management of resources. Within each standard, specific indicators provide measurable action statements that illustrate how the standards can be applied to practice. The indicators describe three skill levels (competent, proficient, and expert) for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists working in sports nutrition and dietetics. The Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance are complementary resources for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists in sports nutrition and dietetics practice. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Development of job standards for clinical nutrition therapy for dyslipidemia patients.

    PubMed

    Kang, Min-Jae; Seo, Jung-Sook; Kim, Eun-Mi; Park, Mi-Sun; Woo, Mi-Hye; Ju, Dal-Lae; Wie, Gyung-Ah; Lee, Song-Mi; Cha, Jin-A; Sohn, Cheong-Min

    2015-04-01

    Dyslipidemia has significantly contributed to the increase of death and morbidity rates related to cardiovascular diseases. Clinical nutrition service provided by dietitians has been reported to have a positive effect on relief of medical symptoms or reducing the further medical costs. However, there is a lack of researches to identify key competencies and job standard for clinical dietitians to care patients with dyslipidemia. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to analyze the job components of clinical dietitian and develop the standard for professional practice to provide effective nutrition management for dyslipidemia patients. The current status of clinical nutrition therapy for dyslipidemia patients in hospitals with 300 or more beds was studied. After duty tasks and task elements of nutrition care process for dyslipidemia clinical dietitians were developed by developing a curriculum (DACUM) analysis method. The developed job standards were pretested in order to evaluate job performance, difficulty, and job standards. As a result, the job standard included four jobs, 18 tasks, and 53 task elements, and specific job description includes 73 basic services and 26 recommended services. When clinical dietitians managing dyslipidemia patients performed their practice according to this job standard for 30 patients the job performance rate was 68.3%. Therefore, the job standards of clinical dietitians for clinical nutrition service for dyslipidemia patients proposed in this study can be effectively used by hospitals.

  1. International Comparison Test in Asia-Pacific Region for Impulse Voltage Measurements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wakimoto, Takayuki; Ishii, Masaru; Goshima, Hisashi; Hino, Etsuhiro; Shimizu, Hiroyuki; Li, Yi; Ik-Soo, Kim

    The national standard class divider for the lightning impulse voltage measurements in Japan was developed in 1998. After three years, the standard impulse voltage calibrator was manufactured, too. These standard equipment are used as an industrial standard, and the performance had been evaluated annually supported by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). The standard impulse measuring system including the standard divider participated in the worldwide comparison test and its good performance was confirmed in 1999. Another international comparison test was carried out among three countries in the Asia-Pacific region in 2004 again and the standard measuring system participated in the test. In this paper, the details and the results of the international comparison tests in 2004 are described.

  2. 14 CFR Appendix A to Part 60 - Qualification Performance Standards for Airplane Full Flight Simulators

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    .... Qualification Performance Standards (§ 60.4). 5. Quality Management System (§ 60.5). 6. Sponsor Qualification... inquiries on system compatibility, and minimum system requirements are also included on the NSP Web site. d... Flight Guidance Systems. (15) AC 120-57, as amended, Surface Movement Guidance and Control System (SMGCS...

  3. Toward the establishment of standardized in vitro tests for lipid-based formulations, part 4: proposing a new lipid formulation performance classification system.

    PubMed

    Williams, Hywel D; Sassene, Philip; Kleberg, Karen; Calderone, Marilyn; Igonin, Annabel; Jule, Eduardo; Vertommen, Jan; Blundell, Ross; Benameur, Hassan; Müllertz, Anette; Porter, Christopher J H; Pouton, Colin W

    2014-08-01

    The Lipid Formulation Classification System Consortium looks to develop standardized in vitro tests and to generate much-needed performance criteria for lipid-based formulations (LBFs). This article highlights the value of performing a second, more stressful digestion test to identify LBFs near a performance threshold and to facilitate lead formulation selection in instances where several LBF prototypes perform adequately under standard digestion conditions (but where further discrimination is necessary). Stressed digestion tests can be designed based on an understanding of the factors that affect LBF performance, including the degree of supersaturation generated on dispersion/digestion. Stresses evaluated included decreasing LBF concentration (↓LBF), increasing bile salt, and decreasing pH. Their capacity to stress LBFs was dependent on LBF composition and drug type: ↓LBF was a stressor to medium-chain glyceride-rich LBFs, but not more hydrophilic surfactant-rich LBFs, whereas decreasing pH stressed tolfenamic acid LBFs, but not fenofibrate LBFs. Lastly, a new Performance Classification System, that is, LBF composition independent, is proposed to promote standardized LBF comparisons, encourage robust LBF development, and facilitate dialogue with the regulatory authorities. This classification system is based on the concept that performance evaluations across three in vitro tests, designed to subject a LBF to progressively more challenging conditions, will enable effective LBF discrimination and performance grading. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

  4. Performance measures for rural transportation systems : guidebook.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2006-06-01

    This Performance Measures for Rural Transportation Systems Guidebook provides a : standardized and supportable performance measurement process that can be applied to : transportation systems in rural areas. The guidance included in this guidebook was...

  5. Marine Sanitation Devices (MSDs)

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Marine sanitation devices treat or retain sewage from vessels, and have performance standards set by the EPA. This page provides information on MSDs, including who must use an MSD, states' roles, types of MSDs and standards.

  6. Probability of Failure Analysis Standards and Guidelines for Expendable Launch Vehicles

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wilde, Paul D.; Morse, Elisabeth L.; Rosati, Paul; Cather, Corey

    2013-09-01

    Recognizing the central importance of probability of failure estimates to ensuring public safety for launches, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and U.S. Air Force (USAF), through the Common Standards Working Group (CSWG), developed a guide for conducting valid probability of failure (POF) analyses for expendable launch vehicles (ELV), with an emphasis on POF analysis for new ELVs. A probability of failure analysis for an ELV produces estimates of the likelihood of occurrence of potentially hazardous events, which are critical inputs to launch risk analysis of debris, toxic, or explosive hazards. This guide is intended to document a framework for POF analyses commonly accepted in the US, and should be useful to anyone who performs or evaluates launch risk analyses for new ELVs. The CSWG guidelines provide performance standards and definitions of key terms, and are being revised to address allocation to flight times and vehicle response modes. The POF performance standard allows a launch operator to employ alternative, potentially innovative methodologies so long as the results satisfy the performance standard. Current POF analysis practice at US ranges includes multiple methodologies described in the guidelines as accepted methods, but not necessarily the only methods available to demonstrate compliance with the performance standard. The guidelines include illustrative examples for each POF analysis method, which are intended to illustrate an acceptable level of fidelity for ELV POF analyses used to ensure public safety. The focus is on providing guiding principles rather than "recipe lists." Independent reviews of these guidelines were performed to assess their logic, completeness, accuracy, self- consistency, consistency with risk analysis practices, use of available information, and ease of applicability. The independent reviews confirmed the general validity of the performance standard approach and suggested potential updates to improve the accuracy each of the example methods, especially to address reliability growth.

  7. 20 CFR 638.302 - Performance measurement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Performance measurement. 638.302 Section 638... § 638.302 Performance measurement. The Job Corps Director shall establish a national performance measurement system for centers and other program components which shall include annual performance standards...

  8. 20 CFR 638.302 - Performance measurement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Performance measurement. 638.302 Section 638... § 638.302 Performance measurement. The Job Corps Director shall establish a national performance measurement system for centers and other program components which shall include annual performance standards...

  9. A Stable Whole Building Performance Method for Standard 90.1-Part II

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

    Rosenberg, Michael I.; Eley, Charles

    2016-06-01

    In May of 2013 we introduced a new approach for compliance with Standard 90.1 that was under development based on the Performance Rating Method of Appendix G to Standard 90.11. Since then, the approach has been finalized through Addendum BM to Standard 90.1-2013 and will be published in the 2016 edition of the Standard. In the meantime, ASHRAE has published an advanced copy of Appendix G including Addendum BM and several other addenda so that software developers and energy program administrators can get a preview of what is coming in the 2016 edition of the Standard2. This article is anmore » update on Addendum BM, summarizes changes made to the original concept as introduced in May of 2013, and provides an approach for developing performance targets for code compliance and beyond code programs.« less

  10. ASTM Committee C28: International Standards for Properties and Performance of Advanced Ceramics-Three Decades of High-Quality, Technically-Rigorous Normalization

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jenkins, Michael G.; Salem, Jonathan A.

    2016-01-01

    Physical and mechanical properties and performance of advanced ceramics and glasses are difficult to measure correctly without the proper techniques. For over three decades, ASTM Committee C28 on Advanced Ceramics, has developed high-quality, technically-rigorous, full-consensus standards (e.g., test methods, practices, guides, terminology) to measure properties and performance of monolithic and composite ceramics that may be applied to glasses in some cases. These standards contain testing particulars for many mechanical, physical, thermal, properties and performance of these materials. As a result these standards are used to generate accurate, reliable, repeatable and complete data. Within Committee C28, users, producers, researchers, designers, academicians, etc. have written, continually updated, and validated through round-robin test programs, 50 standards since the Committee's founding in 1986. This paper provides a detailed retrospective of the 30 years of ASTM Committee C28 including a graphical pictogram listing of C28 standards along with examples of the tangible benefits of standards for advanced ceramics to demonstrate their practical applications.

  11. 21 CFR 861.7 - Contents of standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Contents of standards. 861.7 Section 861.7 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL... performance standard established under this part will include such provisions as the Food and Drug...

  12. 20 CFR 669.500 - What performance measures and standards apply to the NFJP?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... must be included in the approved plan. (b) We may develop additional performance indicators with... service area economy and local demographics of eligible MSFW's. The levels of performance for these...

  13. Accessible Electronic and Information Technology: Standards, Procedures, and Guidance

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Defines electronic and information technology (EIT), and the technical and functional performance criteria for EIT to comply with Section 508 accessibility standards. Includes EPA procedures for EIT approval, 508 complaints, and undue burden justification.

  14. 12 CFR 1808.500 - Evaluation of Qualified Issuer Applications.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... evaluation process will be based on established standard operating procedures, which may include interviews... Qualified Issuer over the life of the Bond to ensure it meets the performance standards over the life of the...

  15. Operating and environmental characteristics of Sigma Tau hydrogen masers used in the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tucker, T. K.

    1989-01-01

    Presented here are the results obtained from performance evaluation of a pair of Sigma Tau Standards Corporation Model VLBA-112 active hydrogen maser frequency standards. These masers were manufactured for the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) for use on the Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) project and were furnished to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) for the purpose of these tests. Tests on the two masers were performed in the JPL Frequency Standards Laboratory (FSL) and included the characterization of output frequency stability versus environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, magnetic field, and barometric pressure. The performance tests also included the determination of phase noise and Allan variance using both FSL and Sigma Tau masers as references. All tests were conducted under controlled laboratory conditions, with only the desired environmental and operational parameters varied to determine sensitivity to external environment.

  16. Participation and Performance Reporting for the Alternate Assessment Based on Modified Achievement Standards (AA-MAS). Technical Report 58

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Albus, Deb; Thurlow, Martha L.; Lazarus, Sheryl S.

    2011-01-01

    This report examines publicly reported participation and performance data for the alternate assessment based on modified achievement standards (AA-MAS). The authors' analysis of these data included all states publicly reporting AA-MAS data, regardless of whether they had received approval to use the results for Title I accountability calculations.…

  17. Seven Performance Drivers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ross, Linda

    2003-01-01

    Recent work with automotive e-commerce clients led to the development of a performance analysis methodology called the Seven Performance Drivers, including: standards, incentives, capacity, knowledge and skill, measurement, feedback, and analysis. This methodology has been highly effective in introducing and implementing performance improvement.…

  18. Developing product quality standards for wheelchairs used in less-resourced environments

    PubMed Central

    McCambridge, Matt; Reese, Norman; Schoendorfer, Don; Wunderlich, Eric; Rushman, Chris; Mahilo, Dave

    2017-01-01

    Background Premature failures of wheelchairs in less-resourced environments (LREs) may be because of shortcomings in product regulation and quality standards. The standards published by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) specify wheelchair tests for durability, safety and performance, but their applicability to products used in the rugged conditions of LREs is unclear. Because of this, wheelchair-related guidelines published by the World Health Organization recommended developing more rigorous durability tests for wheelchairs. Objectives This study was performed to identify the additional tests needed for LREs. Methods First, a literature review of the development of ISO test standards, wheelchair standards testing studies and wheelchair evaluations in LREs was performed. Second, expert advice from members of the Standards Working Group of the International Society of Wheelchair Professionals (ISWP) was compiled and reviewed. Results A total of 35 articles were included in the literature review. Participation from LREs was not observed in the ISO standards development. As per wheelchair testing study evidence, wheelchair models delivered in LREs did not meet the minimum standards requirement. Multiple part failures and repairs were observed with reviewed field evaluation studies. ISWP experts noted that several testing factors responsible for premature failures with wheelchair parts are not included in the standards and accordingly provided advice for additional test development. Conclusion The study findings indicate the need to develop a wide range of tests, with specific tests for measuring corrosion resistance of the entire wheelchair, rolling resistance of castors and rear wheels, and durability of whole wheelchair and castor assemblies. PMID:28936410

  19. THE ROLE OF OBSERVATION AND FEEDBACK IN ENHANCING PERFORMANCE WITH MEDICATION ADMINISTRATION.

    PubMed

    Davies, Karen; Mitchell, Charles; Coombes, Ian

    2015-12-01

    Legislation in Queensland such as the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation 1996, the national registration competency standards set by the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, and the Continuing Professional Development Registration Standards made pursuant to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law define expected standards of practice for nurses. The Framework for Assessing Standards for Practice for Registered Nurses, Enrolled Nurses and Midwives, released in July 2015, includes the principles for assessing standards but not the methods. Local policies and procedures offer specific requirements founded on evidence-based practice. Observation of clinical practice with the provision of immediate descriptive feedback to individual practitioners has been associated with improved performance. This column describes the role of regular observation and individual feedback on medication administration as a strategy to enhance performance and patient care.

  20. Limits to Open Class Performance?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bowers, Albion H.

    2007-01-01

    This viewgraph presentation describes the limits to open class performance. The contents include: 1) Standard Class; 2) 15m/Racing Class; 3) Open Class; and 4) Design Solutions associated with assumptions, limiting parameters, airfoil performance, current trends, and analysis.

  1. 76 FR 15703 - Standards of Performance for New Stationary Sources and Emission Guidelines for Existing Sources...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-21

    ...This action promulgates EPA's final response to the 2001 voluntary remand of the December 1, 2000, new source performance standards and emission guidelines for commercial and industrial solid waste incineration units and the vacatur and remand of several definitions by the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals in 2007. In addition, this action includes the 5-year technology review of the new source performance standards and emission guidelines required under section 129 of the Clean Air Act. This action also promulgates other amendments that EPA believes are necessary to address air emissions from commercial and industrial solid waste incineration units.

  2. Evaluating Public Libraries Using Standard Scores: The Library Quotient.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Connor, Daniel O.

    1982-01-01

    Describes a method for assessing the performance of public libraries using a standardized scoring system and provides an analysis of public library data from New Jersey as an example. Library standards and the derivation of measurement ratios are also discussed. A 33-item bibliography and three data tables are included. (JL)

  3. 77 FR 25143 - Announcement of Meeting on “Developing Standard Requirements for Fatigue Performance of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-27

    ... meeting. SUMMARY: The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) invites interested parties to..., [email protected]nist.gov . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The goal of the consortium will include determining... planning and standard development would be conducted by NIST staff along with at least one technical...

  4. Classification and designation systems for materials: A report on the present situation, an inventory of the systems in use, and comments on the future possibilities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reynard, Keith W.

    1996-01-01

    The different systems that are in use for the major classes of engineering materials are summarized. The work was carried out within the scope of the Versailles project on advanced materials and standards (VAMAS). An inventory of national and international standards that give specifications for the materials and international standards are included. Comments on the increasing knowledge of, and the increasing demand for, data concerning the materials performance are included. Recommendations for future activities in the standardization of classification and designation systems are given.

  5. The Effects of a Combined Task Clarification, Goal Setting, Feedback, and Performance Contingent Consequence Intervention Package on Telephone Customer Service in a Medical Clinic Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Slowiak, Julie M.; Madden, Gregory J.; Mathews, Ramona

    2006-01-01

    Appointment coordinators at a mid-western medical clinic were to provide exceptional telephone customer service. This included using a standard greeting, speaking in an appropriate tone of voice during the conversation, and using a standard closing to end the call. An analysis suggested performance deficiencies resulted from weak antecedents, poor…

  6. Relationships Between the Performance of Time/Frequency Standards and Navigation/Communication Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hellwig, H.; Stein, S. R.; Walls, F. L.; Kahan, A.

    1978-01-01

    The relationship between system performance and clock or oscillator performance is discussed. Tradeoffs discussed include: short term stability versus bandwidth requirements; frequency accuracy versus signal acquisition time; flicker of frequency and drift versus resynchronization time; frequency precision versus communications traffic volume; spectral purity versus bit error rate, and frequency standard stability versus frequency selection and adjustability. The benefits and tradeoffs of using precise frequency and time signals are various levels of precision and accuracy are emphasized.

  7. Do Clinical Standards for Diabetes Care Address Excess Risk for Hypoglycemia in Vulnerable Patients? A Systematic Review

    PubMed Central

    Berkowitz, Seth A; Aragon, Katherine; Hines, Jonas; Seligman, Hilary; Lee, Sei; Sarkar, Urmimala

    2013-01-01

    Objective To determine whether diabetes clinical standards consider increased hypoglycemia risk in vulnerable patients. Data Sources MEDLINE, the National Guidelines Clearinghouse, the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse, and supplemental sources. Study Design Systematic review of clinical standards (guidelines, quality metrics, or pay-for-performance programs) for glycemic control in adult diabetes patients. The primary outcome was discussion of increased risk for hypoglycemia in vulnerable populations. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Manuscripts identified were abstracted by two independent reviewers using prespecified inclusion/exclusion criteria and a standardized abstraction form. Principal Findings We screened 1,166 titles, and reviewed 220 manuscripts in full text. Forty-four guidelines, 17 quality metrics, and 8 pay-for-performance programs were included. Five (11 percent) guidelines and no quality metrics or pay-for-performance programs met the primary outcome. Conclusions Clinical standards do not substantively incorporate evidence about increased risk for hypoglycemia in vulnerable populations. PMID:23445498

  8. Do clinical standards for diabetes care address excess risk for hypoglycemia in vulnerable patients? A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Berkowitz, Seth A; Aragon, Katherine; Hines, Jonas; Seligman, Hilary; Lee, Sei; Sarkar, Urmimala

    2013-08-01

    To determine whether diabetes clinical standards consider increased hypoglycemia risk in vulnerable patients. MEDLINE, the National Guidelines Clearinghouse, the National Quality Measures Clearinghouse, and supplemental sources. Systematic review of clinical standards (guidelines, quality metrics, or pay-for-performance programs) for glycemic control in adult diabetes patients. The primary outcome was discussion of increased risk for hypoglycemia in vulnerable populations. Manuscripts identified were abstracted by two independent reviewers using prespecified inclusion/exclusion criteria and a standardized abstraction form. We screened 1,166 titles, and reviewed 220 manuscripts in full text. Forty-four guidelines, 17 quality metrics, and 8 pay-for-performance programs were included. Five (11 percent) guidelines and no quality metrics or pay-for-performance programs met the primary outcome. Clinical standards do not substantively incorporate evidence about increased risk for hypoglycemia in vulnerable populations. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  9. 30 CFR 824.11 - Mountaintop removal: Performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... highwalls remaining; (3) An industrial, commercial, agricultural, residential, or public facility (including... engineering data substantiates, and the regulatory authority finds, in writing, and includes in the permit...

  10. 30 CFR 824.11 - Mountaintop removal: Performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... highwalls remaining; (3) An industrial, commercial, agricultural, residential, or public facility (including... engineering data substantiates, and the regulatory authority finds, in writing, and includes in the permit...

  11. 30 CFR 824.11 - Mountaintop removal: Performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... highwalls remaining; (3) An industrial, commercial, agricultural, residential, or public facility (including... engineering data substantiates, and the regulatory authority finds, in writing, and includes in the permit...

  12. 30 CFR 824.11 - Mountaintop removal: Performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... highwalls remaining; (3) An industrial, commercial, agricultural, residential, or public facility (including... engineering data substantiates, and the regulatory authority finds, in writing, and includes in the permit...

  13. 30 CFR 824.11 - Mountaintop removal: Performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... highwalls remaining; (3) An industrial, commercial, agricultural, residential, or public facility (including... engineering data substantiates, and the regulatory authority finds, in writing, and includes in the permit...

  14. Alternative Formats to Achieve More Efficient Energy Codes for Commercial Buildings

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

    Conover, David R.; Rosenberg, Michael I.; Halverson, Mark A.

    2013-01-26

    This paper identifies and examines several formats or structures that could be used to create the next generation of more efficient energy codes and standards for commercial buildings. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Building Energy Codes Program (BECP) to provide technical support to the development of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1. While the majority of PNNL’s ASHRAE Standard 90.1 support focuses on developing and evaluating new requirements, a portion of its work involves consideration of the format of energy standards. In its current working plan, the ASHRAE 90.1 committee has approved an energy goalmore » of 50% improvement in Standard 90.1-2013 relative to Standard 90.1-2004, and will likely be considering higher improvement targets for future versions of the standard. To cost-effectively achieve the 50% goal in manner that can gain stakeholder consensus, formats other than prescriptive must be considered. Alternative formats that include reducing the reliance on prescriptive requirements may make it easier to achieve these aggressive efficiency levels in new codes and standards. The focus on energy code and standard formats is meant to explore approaches to presenting the criteria that will foster compliance, enhance verification, and stimulate innovation while saving energy in buildings. New formats may also make it easier for building designers and owners to design and build the levels of efficiency called for in the new codes and standards. This paper examines a number of potential formats and structures, including prescriptive, performance-based (with sub-formats of performance equivalency and performance targets), capacity constraint-based, and outcome-based. The paper also discusses the pros and cons of each format from the viewpoint of code users and of code enforcers.« less

  15. Development of a standardized battery of performance tests for the assessment of noise stress effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Theologus, G. C.; Wheaton, G. R.; Mirabella, A.; Brahlek, R. E.

    1973-01-01

    A set of 36 relatively independent categories of human performance were identified. These categories encompass human performance in the cognitive, perceptual, and psychomotor areas, and include diagnostic measures and sensitive performance metrics. Then a prototype standardized test battery was constructed, and research was conducted to obtain information on the sensitivity of the tests to stress, the sensitivity of selected categories of performance degradation, the time course of stress effects on each of the selected tests, and the learning curves associated with each test. A research project utilizing a three factor partially repeated analysis of covariance design was conducted in which 60 male subjects were exposed to variations in noise level and quality during performance testing. Effects of randomly intermittent noise on performance of the reaction time tests were observed, but most of the other performance tests showed consistent stability. The results of 14 analyses of covariance of the data taken from the performance of the 60 subjects on the prototype standardized test battery provided information which will enable the final development and test of a standardized test battery and the associated development of differential sensitivity metrics and diagnostic classificatory system.

  16. 7 CFR 3401.3 - Eligibility requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... standards as they relate to a particular project: (1) Have adequate financial resources for performance, the necessary experience, organizational and technical qualifications, and facilities, or a firm commitment..., judgment, and performance, including, in particular, any prior performance under grants and contracts from...

  17. Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Burden Is Associated with Motor Performance of Lower and Upper Extremities in Community-Dwelling Populations

    PubMed Central

    Su, Ning; Zhai, Fei-Fei; Zhou, Li-Xin; Ni, Jun; Yao, Ming; Li, Ming-Li; Jin, Zheng-Yu; Gong, Gao-Lang; Zhang, Shu-Yang; Cui, Li-Ying; Tian, Feng; Zhu, Yi-Cheng

    2017-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the correlation between cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) burden and motor performance of lower and upper extremities in community-dwelling populations. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis on 770 participants enrolled in the Shunyi study, which is a population-based cohort study. CSVD burden, including white matter hyperintensities (WMH), lacunes, cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), perivascular spaces (PVS), and brain atrophy were measured using 3T magnetic resonance imaging. All participants underwent quantitative motor assessment of lower and upper extremities, which included 3-m walking speed, 5-repeat chair-stand time, 10-repeat pronation–supination time, and 10-repeat finger-tapping time. Data on demographic characteristics, vascular risk factors, and cognitive functions were collected. General linear model analysis was performed to identify potential correlations between motor performance measures and imaging markers of CSVD after controlling for confounding factors. Results: For motor performance of the lower extremities, WMH was negatively associated with gait speed (standardized β = -0.092, p = 0.022) and positively associated with chair-stand time (standardized β = 0.153, p < 0.0001, surviving FDR correction). For motor performance of the upper extremities, pronation–supination time was positively associated with WMH (standardized β = 0.155, p < 0.0001, surviving FDR correction) and negatively with brain parenchymal fraction (BPF; standardized β = -0.125, p = 0.011, surviving FDR correction). Only BPF was found to be negatively associated with finger-tapping time (standardized β = -0.123, p = 0.012). However, lacunes, CMBs, or PVS were not found to be associated with motor performance of lower or upper extremities in multivariable analysis. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that cerebral microstructural changes related to CSVD may affect motor performance of both lower and upper extremities. WMH and brain atrophy are most strongly associated with motor function deterioration in community-dwelling populations. PMID:29021757

  18. Cerebral Small Vessel Disease Burden Is Associated with Motor Performance of Lower and Upper Extremities in Community-Dwelling Populations.

    PubMed

    Su, Ning; Zhai, Fei-Fei; Zhou, Li-Xin; Ni, Jun; Yao, Ming; Li, Ming-Li; Jin, Zheng-Yu; Gong, Gao-Lang; Zhang, Shu-Yang; Cui, Li-Ying; Tian, Feng; Zhu, Yi-Cheng

    2017-01-01

    Objective: To investigate the correlation between cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) burden and motor performance of lower and upper extremities in community-dwelling populations. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis on 770 participants enrolled in the Shunyi study, which is a population-based cohort study. CSVD burden, including white matter hyperintensities (WMH), lacunes, cerebral microbleeds (CMBs), perivascular spaces (PVS), and brain atrophy were measured using 3T magnetic resonance imaging. All participants underwent quantitative motor assessment of lower and upper extremities, which included 3-m walking speed, 5-repeat chair-stand time, 10-repeat pronation-supination time, and 10-repeat finger-tapping time. Data on demographic characteristics, vascular risk factors, and cognitive functions were collected. General linear model analysis was performed to identify potential correlations between motor performance measures and imaging markers of CSVD after controlling for confounding factors. Results: For motor performance of the lower extremities, WMH was negatively associated with gait speed (standardized β = -0.092, p = 0.022) and positively associated with chair-stand time (standardized β = 0.153, p < 0.0001, surviving FDR correction). For motor performance of the upper extremities, pronation-supination time was positively associated with WMH (standardized β = 0.155, p < 0.0001, surviving FDR correction) and negatively with brain parenchymal fraction (BPF; standardized β = -0.125, p = 0.011, surviving FDR correction). Only BPF was found to be negatively associated with finger-tapping time (standardized β = -0.123, p = 0.012). However, lacunes, CMBs, or PVS were not found to be associated with motor performance of lower or upper extremities in multivariable analysis. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that cerebral microstructural changes related to CSVD may affect motor performance of both lower and upper extremities. WMH and brain atrophy are most strongly associated with motor function deterioration in community-dwelling populations.

  19. Cement waste-form development for ion-exchange resins at the Rocky Flats Plant

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

    Veazey, G.W.; Ames, R.L.

    1997-03-01

    This report describes the development of a cement waste form to stabilize ion-exchange resins at Rocky Flats Environmental Technology Site (RFETS). These resins have an elevated potential for ignition due to inadequate wetness and contact with nitrates. The work focused on the preparation and performance evaluation of several Portland cement/resin formulations. The performance standards were chosen to address Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and Environmental Protection Agency Resource Conservation and Recovery Act requirements, compatibility with Rocky Flats equipment, and throughput efficiency. The work was performed with surrogate gel-type Dowex cation- and anion-exchange resins chosen to be representative of the resin inventorymore » at RFETS. Work was initiated with nonactinide resins to establish formulation ranges that would meet performance standards. Results were then verified and refined with actinide-containing resins. The final recommended formulation that passed all performance standards was determined to be a cement/water/resin (C/W/R) wt % ratio of 63/27/10 at a pH of 9 to 12. The recommendations include the acceptable compositional ranges for each component of the C/W/R ratio. Also included in this report are a recommended procedure, an equipment list, and observations/suggestions for implementation at RFETS. In addition, information is included that explains why denitration of the resin is unnecessary for stabilizing its ignitability potential.« less

  20. Low aerobic fitness and obesity are associated with lower standardized test scores in children.

    PubMed

    Roberts, Christian K; Freed, Benjamin; McCarthy, William J

    2010-05-01

    To investigate whether aerobic fitness and obesity in school children are associated with standardized test performance. Ethnically diverse (n = 1989) 5th, 7th, and 9th graders attending California schools comprised the sample. Aerobic fitness was determined by a 1-mile run/walk test; body mass index (BMI) was obtained from state-mandated measurements. California standardized test scores were obtained from the school district. Students whose mile run/walk times exceeded California Fitnessgram standards or whose BMI exceeded Centers for Disease Control sex- and age-specific body weight standards scored lower on California standardized math, reading, and language tests than students with desirable BMI status or fitness level, even after controlling for parent education among other covariates. Ethnic differences in standardized test scores were consistent with ethnic differences in obesity status and aerobic fitness. BMI-for-age was no longer a significant multivariate predictor when covariates included fitness level. Low aerobic fitness is common among youth and varies among ethnic groups, and aerobic fitness level predicts performance on standardized tests across ethnic groups. More research is needed to uncover the physiological mechanisms by which aerobic fitness may contribute to performance on standardized academic tests.

  1. Head-To-Head Comparison Between High- and Standard-b-Value DWI for Detecting Prostate Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

    PubMed

    Woo, Sungmin; Suh, Chong Hyun; Kim, Sang Youn; Cho, Jeong Yeon; Kim, Seung Hyup

    2018-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to perform a head-to-head comparison between high-b-value (> 1000 s/mm 2 ) and standard-b-value (800-1000 s/mm 2 ) DWI regarding diagnostic performance in the detection of prostate cancer. The MEDLINE and EMBASE databases were searched up to April 1, 2017. The analysis included diagnostic accuracy studies in which high- and standard-b-value DWI were used for prostate cancer detection with histopathologic examination as the reference standard. Methodologic quality was assessed with the revised Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. Sensitivity and specificity of all studies were calculated and were pooled and plotted in a hierarchic summary ROC plot. Meta-regression and multiple-subgroup analyses were performed to compare the diagnostic performances of high- and standard-b-value DWI. Eleven studies (789 patients) were included. High-b-value DWI had greater pooled sensitivity (0.80 [95% CI, 0.70-0.87]) (p = 0.03) and specificity (0.92 [95% CI, 0.87-0.95]) (p = 0.01) than standard-b-value DWI (sensitivity, 0.78 [95% CI, 0.66-0.86]); specificity, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.77-0.93] (p < 0.01). Multiple-subgroup analyses showed that specificity was consistently higher for high- than for standard-b-value DWI (p ≤ 0.05). Sensitivity was significantly higher for high- than for standard-b-value DWI only in the following subgroups: peripheral zone only, transition zone only, multiparametric protocol (DWI and T2-weighted imaging), visual assessment of DW images, and per-lesion analysis (p ≤ 0.04). In a head-to-head comparison, high-b-value DWI had significantly better sensitivity and specificity for detection of prostate cancer than did standard-b-value DWI. Multiple-subgroup analyses showed that specificity was consistently superior for high-b-value DWI.

  2. Absolute Frequency Measurements with a Set of Transportable HE-NE/CH4 Optical Frequency Standards and Prospects for Future Design and Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gubin, M.; Kovalchuk, E.; Petrukhin, E.; Shelkovnikov, A.; Tyurikov, D.; Gamidov, R.; Erdogan, C.; Sahin, E.; Felder, R.; Gill, P.; Lea, S. N.; Kramer, G.; Lipphardt, B.

    2002-04-01

    The accumulated results of absolute frequency measurements (AFM) carried out in 1997-2000 with transportable double-mode He-Ne/CH4 optical frequency standards (λ = 3 .39μm) in a collaboration of several laboratories are presented. The performance of this secondary optical frequency standard is estimated on the level of 10-13 (in repeatability), and 1 × 10-14/s (in stability). The next steps towards He-Ne/CH4 standards with one order of magnitude better performance, including devices based on monolithic zerodur resonators, are discussed. Important applications of transportable He-Ne/CH4 optical frequency standards have appeared now due to dramatic progress in the field of optical frequency measurements. Used to stabilize the repetition rate of a Ti:Sa fs laser, these compact secondary standards can transfer their performance into the whole optical range covered by a fs comb. Thus they can play the role of a narrow spectrum interrogative oscillator for super-accurate optical or microwave frequency standards substituting in some tasks a H-maser or oscillators based on cryogenic sapphire resonators.

  3. 25 CFR 36.42 - Standard XV-Counseling services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... objective assessment of student academic performance. Required formal tests shall be administered annually... standards, schools may use the state mandated academic achievement tests and accompanying requirements. These formal tests and their subtest contents, as well as the test-related procedures, shall include...

  4. 25 CFR 36.42 - Standard XV-Counseling services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... objective assessment of student academic performance. Required formal tests shall be administered annually... standards, schools may use the state mandated academic achievement tests and accompanying requirements. These formal tests and their subtest contents, as well as the test-related procedures, shall include...

  5. 25 CFR 36.42 - Standard XV-Counseling services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... objective assessment of student academic performance. Required formal tests shall be administered annually... standards, schools may use the state mandated academic achievement tests and accompanying requirements. These formal tests and their subtest contents, as well as the test-related procedures, shall include...

  6. 42 CFR 493.825 - Standard; Mycobacteriology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Mycobacteriology. 493.825 Section 493.825 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  7. 42 CFR 493.845 - Standard; Toxicology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; Toxicology. 493.845 Section 493.845 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  8. 42 CFR 493.823 - Standard; Bacteriology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; Bacteriology. 493.823 Section 493.823 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  9. 42 CFR 493.845 - Standard; Toxicology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Toxicology. 493.845 Section 493.845 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  10. 42 CFR 493.825 - Standard; Mycobacteriology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; Mycobacteriology. 493.825 Section 493.825 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  11. 42 CFR 493.851 - Standard; Hematology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; Hematology. 493.851 Section 493.851 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  12. 42 CFR 493.865 - Standard; Antibody identification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; Antibody identification. 493.865 Section 493.865 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... for Laboratories Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity...

  13. 42 CFR 493.829 - Standard; Parasitology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Parasitology. 493.829 Section 493.829 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  14. 42 CFR 493.863 - Standard; Compatibility testing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Compatibility testing. 493.863 Section 493.863 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... for Laboratories Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity...

  15. 42 CFR 493.863 - Standard; Compatibility testing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; Compatibility testing. 493.863 Section 493.863 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... for Laboratories Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity...

  16. 42 CFR 493.843 - Standard; Endocrinology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; Endocrinology. 493.843 Section 493.843 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  17. 42 CFR 493.823 - Standard; Bacteriology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Bacteriology. 493.823 Section 493.823 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  18. 42 CFR 493.851 - Standard; Hematology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Hematology. 493.851 Section 493.851 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  19. 42 CFR 493.865 - Standard; Antibody identification.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Antibody identification. 493.865 Section 493.865 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... for Laboratories Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity...

  20. 42 CFR 493.829 - Standard; Parasitology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; Parasitology. 493.829 Section 493.829 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  1. 25 CFR 36.42 - Standard XV-Counseling services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... objective assessment of student academic performance. Required formal tests shall be administered annually... standards, schools may use the state mandated academic achievement tests and accompanying requirements. These formal tests and their subtest contents, as well as the test-related procedures, shall include...

  2. 25 CFR 36.42 - Standard XV-Counseling services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... objective assessment of student academic performance. Required formal tests shall be administered annually... standards, schools may use the state mandated academic achievement tests and accompanying requirements. These formal tests and their subtest contents, as well as the test-related procedures, shall include...

  3. Radiosonde pressure sensor performance - Evaluation using tracking radars

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Parsons, C. L.; Norcross, G. A.; Brooks, R. L.

    1984-01-01

    The standard balloon-borne radiosonde employed for synoptic meteorology provides vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and humidity as a function of elapsed time. These parameters are used in the hypsometric equation to calculate the geopotential altitude at each sampling point during the balloon's flight. It is important that the vertical location information be accurate. The present investigation was conducted with the objective to evaluate the altitude determination accuracy of the standard radiosonde throughout the entire balloon profile. The tests included two other commercially available pressure sensors to see if they could provide improved accuracy in the stratosphere. The pressure-measuring performance of standard baroswitches, premium baroswitches, and hypsometers in balloon-borne sondes was correlated with tracking radars. It was found that the standard and premium baroswitches perform well up to about 25 km altitude, while hypsometers provide more reliable data above 25 km.

  4. Modified Drop Tower Impact Tests for American Football Helmets.

    PubMed

    Rush, G Alston; Prabhu, R; Rush, Gus A; Williams, Lakiesha N; Horstemeyer, M F

    2017-02-19

    A modified National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE) test method for American football helmet drop impact test standards is presented that would provide better assessment of a helmet's on-field impact performance by including a faceguard on the helmet. In this study, a merger of faceguard and helmet test standards is proposed. The need for a more robust systematic approach to football helmet testing procedures is emphasized by comparing representative results of the Head Injury Criterion (HIC), Severity Index (SI), and peak acceleration values for different helmets at different helmet locations under modified NOCSAE standard drop tower tests. Essentially, these comparative drop test results revealed that the faceguard adds a stiffening kinematic constraint to the shell that lessens total energy absorption. The current NOCSAE standard test methods can be improved to represent on-field helmet hits by attaching the faceguards to helmets and by including two new helmet impact locations (Front Top and Front Top Boss). The reported football helmet test method gives a more accurate representation of a helmet's performance and its ability to mitigate on-field impacts while promoting safer football helmets.

  5. Masonry building envelope analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McMullan, Phillip C.

    1993-04-01

    Over the past five years, infrared thermography has proven an effective tool to assist in required inspections on new masonry construction. However, with more thermographers providing this inspection service, establishing a standard for conducting these inspections is imperative. To attempt to standardize these inspections, it is important to understand the nature of the inspection as well as the context in which the inspection is typically conducted. The inspection focuses on evaluating masonry construction for compliance with the design specifications with regard to structural components and thermal performance of the building envelope. The thermal performance of the building includes both the thermal resistance of the material as well as infiltration/exfiltration characteristics. Given that the inspections occur in the 'field' rather than the controlled environment of a laboratory, there are numerous variables to be considered when undertaking this type of inspection. Both weather and site conditions at the time of the inspection can vary greatly. In this paper we will look at the variables encountered during recent inspections. Additionally, the author will present the standard which was employed in collecting this field data. This method is being incorporated into a new standard to be included in the revised version of 'Guidelines for Specifying and Performing Infrared Inspections' developed by the Infraspection Institute.

  6. Analyzing AQP Data to Improve Electronic Flight Bag (EFB) Operations and Training

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Seamster, Thomas L.; Kanki, Barbara

    2010-01-01

    Key points include: Initiate data collection and analysis early in the implementation process. Use data to identify procedural and training refinements. Use a de-identified system to analyze longitudinal data. Use longitudinal I/E data to improve their standardization. Identify above average pilots and crews and use their performance to specify best practices. Analyze below average crew performance data to isolate problems with the training, evaluator standardization and pilot proficiency.

  7. 42 CFR 493.835 - Standard; Syphilis serology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Syphilis serology. 493.835 Section 493.835 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  8. 42 CFR 493.861 - Standard; Unexpected antibody detection.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; Unexpected antibody detection. 493.861 Section 493.861 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... for Laboratories Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity...

  9. 42 CFR 493.861 - Standard; Unexpected antibody detection.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; Unexpected antibody detection. 493.861 Section 493.861 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... for Laboratories Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity...

  10. 42 CFR 493.837 - Standard; General immunology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; General immunology. 493.837 Section 493.837 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  11. 42 CFR 493.837 - Standard; General immunology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Standard; General immunology. 493.837 Section 493.837 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  12. 42 CFR 493.835 - Standard; Syphilis serology.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; Syphilis serology. 493.835 Section 493.835 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES... Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity, Or Any Combination of...

  13. The DACUM Job Analysis Process.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dofasco, Inc., Hamilton (Ontario).

    This document explains the DACUM (Developing A Curriculum) process for analyzing task-based jobs to: identify where standard operating procedures are required; identify duplicated low value added tasks; develop performance standards; create job descriptions; and identify the elements that must be included in job-specific training programs. The…

  14. 49 CFR 238.503 - Inspection, testing, and maintenance requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... inspection, testing, or maintenance task under this part. (i) Standard procedures. The program under paragraph (a) of this section shall include the railroad's written standard procedures for performing all... this section shall contain the railroad's written procedures to ensure that all systems and components...

  15. Analysis of household refrigerators for different testing standards

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

    Bansal, P.K.; McGill, I.

    This study highlights the salient differences among various testing standards for household refrigerator-freezers and proposes a methodology for predicting the performance of a single evaporator-based vapor-compression refrigeration system (either refrigerator or freezer) from one test standard (where the test data are available-the reference case) to another (the alternative case). The standards studied during this investigation include the Australian-New Zealand Standard (ANZS), the International Standard (ISO), the American National Standard (ANSI), the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS), and the Chinese National Standard (CNS). A simple analysis in conjunction with the BICYCLE model (Bansal and Rice 1993) is used to calculate the energymore » consumption of two refrigerator cabinets from the reference case to the alternative cases. The proposed analysis includes the effect of door openings (as required by the JIS) as well as defrost heaters. The analytical results are found to agree reasonably well with the experimental observations for translating energy consumption information from one standard to another.« less

  16. EFF/NRS Data Collection Project, 2000-2001: An Interim Report on the Development of the EFF Assessment Framework.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    SRI International, Arlington, VA.

    The Equipped for the Future (EFF) framework describes adult performance along these four dimensions: structure of the knowledge-base; fluency of performance; independence of performance; and range of conditions for performance. When completed it will include a developmental sequence of descriptions of learner performance for each EFF standard;…

  17. Chapter 8. Medical procedures. Recommendations and standard operating procedures for intensive care unit and hospital preparations for an influenza epidemic or mass disaster.

    PubMed

    Zimmerman, Janice L; Sprung, Charles L

    2010-04-01

    To provide recommendations and standard operating procedures for intensive care unit and hospital preparations for an influenza pandemic or mass disaster with a specific focus on ensuring that adequate resources are available and appropriate protocols are developed to safely perform procedures in patients with and without influenza illness. Based on a literature review and expert opinion, a Delphi process was used to define the essential topics including performing medical procedures. Key recommendations include: (1) specify high-risk procedures (aerosol generating-procedures); (2) determine if certain procedures will not be performed during a pandemic; (3) develop protocols for safe performance of high-risk procedures that include appropriateness, qualifications of personnel, site, personal protection equipment, safe technique and equipment needs; (4) ensure adequate training of personnel in high-risk procedures; (5) procedures should be performed at the bedside whenever possible; (6) ensure safe respiratory therapy practices to avoid aerosols; (7) provide safe respiratory equipment; and (8) determine criteria for cancelling and/or altering elective procedures. Judicious planning and adoption of protocols for safe performance of medical procedures are necessary to optimize outcomes during a pandemic.

  18. Exploring Pre-Service Training and School Counselor Interns Use of the ASCA Model Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oberman, Aaron; Studer, Jeannine

    2016-01-01

    Activities performed by school counselor interns perform that are related to the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model and Performance Standards were explored in this study. Interns were more likely to perform tasks that included individual and small group counseling, monitoring student progress, and conducting individual…

  19. 48 CFR 1852.216-80 - Task ordering procedure.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... specified in the schedule. The Contractor may incur costs under this contract in performance of task orders... contemplated task order. (2) Proposed performance standards to be used as criteria for determining whether the... the task order, including special instructions or other information necessary for performance of the...

  20. 42 CFR 493.1777 - Standard: Inspection of laboratories that have requested or have been issued a certificate of...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... inspections on the laboratory's compliance history. (c) Provider-performed microscopy procedures. The inspection sample for review may include testing in the subcategory of provider-performed microscopy...

  1. 42 CFR 493.1777 - Standard: Inspection of laboratories that have requested or have been issued a certificate of...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... inspections on the laboratory's compliance history. (c) Provider-performed microscopy procedures. The inspection sample for review may include testing in the subcategory of provider-performed microscopy...

  2. 42 CFR 493.1777 - Standard: Inspection of laboratories that have requested or have been issued a certificate of...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... inspections on the laboratory's compliance history. (c) Provider-performed microscopy procedures. The inspection sample for review may include testing in the subcategory of provider-performed microscopy...

  3. 42 CFR 493.1777 - Standard: Inspection of laboratories that have requested or have been issued a certificate of...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... inspections on the laboratory's compliance history. (c) Provider-performed microscopy procedures. The inspection sample for review may include testing in the subcategory of provider-performed microscopy...

  4. 42 CFR 493.1777 - Standard: Inspection of laboratories that have requested or have been issued a certificate of...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... inspections on the laboratory's compliance history. (c) Provider-performed microscopy procedures. The inspection sample for review may include testing in the subcategory of provider-performed microscopy...

  5. Parasitology: United Kingdom National Quality Assessment Scheme.

    PubMed Central

    Hawthorne, M.; Chiodini, P. L.; Snell, J. J.; Moody, A. H.; Ramsay, A.

    1992-01-01

    AIMS: To assess the results from parasitology laboratories taking part in a quality assessment scheme between 1986 and 1991; and to compare performance with repeat specimens. METHODS: Quality assessment of blood parasitology, including tissue parasites (n = 444; 358 UK, 86 overseas), and faecal parasitology, including extra-intestinal parasites (n = 205; 141 UK, 64 overseas), was performed. RESULTS: Overall, the standard of performance was poor. A questionnaire distributed to participants showed that a wide range of methods was used, some of which were considered inadequate to achieve reliable results. Teaching material was distributed to participants from time to time in an attempt to improve standards. CONCLUSIONS: Since the closure of the IMLS fellowship course in 1972, fewer opportunities for specialised training in parasitology are available: more training is needed. Poor performance in the detection of malarial parasites is mainly attributable to incorrect speciation, misidentification, and lack of equipment such as an eyepiece graticule. PMID:1452791

  6. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Revised 2017 Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance for Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (Competent, Proficient, and Expert) in Oncology Nutrition.

    PubMed

    Charuhas Macris, Paula; Schilling, Karen; Palko, Raymond

    2018-04-01

    Oncology nutrition encompasses nutrition care for individuals along the cancer care continuum. Nutrition is a vital component of prevention, treatment, and healthy survivorship. The practice of an oncology registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) reflects the setting and population served with diverse cancer diagnoses, including expanded roles and responsibilities reflecting the RDN's interests and organization's activities. Provision of nutrition services in oncology requires that RDNs have advanced knowledge in the focus area of oncology nutrition. Thus, the Oncology Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group, with guidance from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Quality Management Committee, has developed Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance as tools for RDNs currently in practice or interested in working in oncology nutrition, to address their current skill level and to identify areas for additional professional development in this practice area. The Standards of Practice address and apply the Nutrition Care Process and workflow elements, which are screening, assessment, diagnosis, intervention, evaluation/monitoring, and discharge planning and transitions of care. The Standards of Professional Performance consist of the following six domains of professionalism including: Quality in Practice, Competence and Accountability, Provision of Services, Application of Research, Communication and Application of Knowledge, and Utilization and Management of Resources. Within each standard, specific indicators provide measurable action statements and describe three skill levels (competent, proficient, and expert) for RDNs working in oncology nutrition. Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Developing physician pay arrangements: the cash and care equation.

    PubMed

    Levitch, J H

    1998-11-01

    Developing physician compensation packages that help a healthcare organization meet its business objectives while satisfying physician pay expectations requires new ways of linking pay to physician performance. Such compensation arrangements specifically should include pay tied to defined performance standards, compensation linked to group performance, performance incentives based on realistic, achievable goals, work performance measured by common criteria, and similar pay ensured for similar work. Final pay arrangements also should include items that are sometimes overlooked, such as fully delineated job responsibilities, performance measures aligned correctly with performance areas, and the value of benefits considered in the cash compensation levels.

  8. CERT Resilience Management Model (CERT-RMM) V1.1: NIST Special Publication Crosswalk Version 1

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-11-01

    Organization for Standards ( ISO ) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 27000 series, COBIT, the British Standards Institution’s BS 25999...and ISO 24762 • includes quantitative process measurements that can be used to ensure operational resilience processes are performing as intended

  9. Titration Calorimetry Standards and the Precision of Isothermal Titration Calorimetry Data

    PubMed Central

    Baranauskienė, Lina; Petrikaitė, Vilma; Matulienė, Jurgita; Matulis, Daumantas

    2009-01-01

    Current Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) data in the literature have relatively high errors in the measured enthalpies of protein-ligand binding reactions. There is a need for universal validation standards for titration calorimeters. Several inorganic salt co-precipitation and buffer protonation reactions have been suggested as possible enthalpy standards. The performances of several commercial calorimeters, including the VP-ITC, ITC200, and Nano ITC-III, were validated using these suggested standard reactions. PMID:19582227

  10. Advanced Ceramics Property and Performance Measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jenkins, Michael; Salem, Jonathan; Helfinstine, John; Quinn, George; Gonczy, Stephen

    2015-01-01

    Mechanical and physical properties of ceramic bodies can be difficult to measure correctly unless the proper techniques are used. The Advanced Ceramics Committee of ASTM, C-28, has developed dozens of consensus test standards and practices to measure various properties of a ceramic monolith, composite, or coating. The standards give the what, how, how not, and why for measurement of many mechanical, physical, thermal, and performance properties. Using these standards will provide accurate, reliable, and complete data for rigorous comparisons with other test results from your test lab, or another. The C-28 Committee has involved academics, producers, and users of ceramics to write and continually update more than 45 standards since the committees inception in 1986. Included in this poster is a pictogram of the C-28 standards and information on how to obtain individual copies with full details or the complete collection of all of the standards in one volume.

  11. The effect of basic life support education on laypersons' willingness in performing bystander hands only cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

    PubMed

    Cho, Gyu Chong; Sohn, You Dong; Kang, Ku Hyun; Lee, Won Woong; Lim, Kyung Soo; Kim, Won; Oh, Bum Jin; Choi, Dai Hai; Yeom, Seok Ran; Lim, Hoon

    2010-06-01

    Recently, hands only CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) has been proposed as an alternative to standard CPR for bystanders. The present study was performed to identify the effect of basic life support (BLS) training on laypersons' willingness in performing standard CPR and hands only CPR. The participants for this study were non-medical personnel who applied for BLS training program that took place in 7 university hospitals in and around Korea for 6 months. Before and after BLS training, all the participants were given questionnaires for bystander CPR, and 890 respondents were included in the final analyses. Self-assessed confidence score for bystander CPR, using a visual analogue scale from 0 to 100, increased from 51.5+/-30.0 before BLS training to 87.0+/-13.7 after the training with statistical significance (p 0.001). Before the training, 19% of respondents reported willingness to perform standard CPR on a stranger, and 30.1% to perform hands only CPR. After the training, this increased to 56.7% of respondents reporting willingness to perform standard CPR, and 71.9%, hands only CPR, on strangers. Before and after BLS training, the odds ratio of willingness to perform hands only CPR versus standard CPR were 1.8 (95% CI 1.5-2.3) and 2.0 (95% CI 1.7-2.6) for a stranger, respectively. Most of the respondents, who reported they would decline to perform standard CPR, stated that fear of liability and fear of disease transmission were deciding factors after the BLS training. The BLS training increases laypersons' confidence and willingness to perform bystander CPR on a stranger. However, laypersons are more willing to perform hands only CPR rather than to perform standard CPR on a stranger regardless of the BLS training. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. 78 FR 22125 - Oil and Natural Gas Sector: Reconsideration of Certain Provisions of New Source Performance...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-12

    ...On August 16, 2012, the EPA published final new source performance standards for the oil and natural gas sector. The Administrator received petitions for reconsideration of certain aspects of the standards. In this notice, the EPA is announcing proposed amendments as a result of reconsideration of certain issues related to implementation of storage vessel provisions. The proposed amendments also correct technical errors that were inadvertently included in the final rule.

  13. Analytical and Experimental Performance Evaluation of BLE Neighbor Discovery Process Including Non-Idealities of Real Chipsets

    PubMed Central

    Perez-Diaz de Cerio, David; Hernández, Ángela; Valenzuela, Jose Luis; Valdovinos, Antonio

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to evaluate from a real perspective the performance of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as a technology that enables fast and reliable discovery of a large number of users/devices in a short period of time. The BLE standard specifies a wide range of configurable parameter values that determine the discovery process and need to be set according to the particular application requirements. Many previous works have been addressed to investigate the discovery process through analytical and simulation models, according to the ideal specification of the standard. However, measurements show that additional scanning gaps appear in the scanning process, which reduce the discovery capabilities. These gaps have been identified in all of the analyzed devices and respond to both regular patterns and variable events associated with the decoding process. We have demonstrated that these non-idealities, which are not taken into account in other studies, have a severe impact on the discovery process performance. Extensive performance evaluation for a varying number of devices and feasible parameter combinations has been done by comparing simulations and experimental measurements. This work also includes a simple mathematical model that closely matches both the standard implementation and the different chipset peculiarities for any possible parameter value specified in the standard and for any number of simultaneous advertising devices under scanner coverage. PMID:28273801

  14. Analytical and Experimental Performance Evaluation of BLE Neighbor Discovery Process Including Non-Idealities of Real Chipsets.

    PubMed

    Perez-Diaz de Cerio, David; Hernández, Ángela; Valenzuela, Jose Luis; Valdovinos, Antonio

    2017-03-03

    The purpose of this paper is to evaluate from a real perspective the performance of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) as a technology that enables fast and reliable discovery of a large number of users/devices in a short period of time. The BLE standard specifies a wide range of configurable parameter values that determine the discovery process and need to be set according to the particular application requirements. Many previous works have been addressed to investigate the discovery process through analytical and simulation models, according to the ideal specification of the standard. However, measurements show that additional scanning gaps appear in the scanning process, which reduce the discovery capabilities. These gaps have been identified in all of the analyzed devices and respond to both regular patterns and variable events associated with the decoding process. We have demonstrated that these non-idealities, which are not taken into account in other studies, have a severe impact on the discovery process performance. Extensive performance evaluation for a varying number of devices and feasible parameter combinations has been done by comparing simulations and experimental measurements. This work also includes a simple mathematical model that closely matches both the standard implementation and the different chipset peculiarities for any possible parameter value specified in the standard and for any number of simultaneous advertising devices under scanner coverage.

  15. Work Ethic and Academic Performance: Predicting Citizenship and Counterproductive Behavior

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meriac, John P.

    2012-01-01

    In this study, work ethic was examined as a predictor of academic performance, compared with standardized test scores and high school grade point average (GPA). Academic performance was expanded to include student organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) and student counterproductive behavior, comprised of cheating and disengagement, in addition…

  16. The Concept of Performance Levels in Criterion-Referenced Assessment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hewitson, Mal

    The concept of performance levels in criterion-referenced assessment is explored by applying the idea to different types of tests commonly used in schools, mastery tests (including diagnostic tests) and achievement tests. In mastery tests, a threshold performance standard must be established for each criterion. Attainment of this threshold…

  17. 78 FR 46779 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Federal Acquisition Circular 2005-69; Introduction

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-01

    ... Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012 (Pub. L. 112-81). Expanding the definition to include responding to a...) This rule amends FAR part 42 to provide Governmentwide standardized past performance evaluation factors and performance ratings, and to require all past performance information be entered into the...

  18. 42 CFR 416.43 - Conditions for coverage-Quality assessment and performance improvement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... outcomes, patient safety, and quality of care. (2) Performance improvement activities must track adverse... patient safety by using quality indicators or performance measures associated with improved health... that includes care and services furnished in the ASC. (b) Standard: Program data. (1) The program must...

  19. Predictive Accuracy of Sweep Frequency Impedance Technology in Identifying Conductive Conditions in Newborns.

    PubMed

    Aithal, Venkatesh; Kei, Joseph; Driscoll, Carlie; Murakoshi, Michio; Wada, Hiroshi

    2018-02-01

    Diagnosing conductive conditions in newborns is challenging for both audiologists and otolaryngologists. Although high-frequency tympanometry (HFT), acoustic stapedial reflex tests, and wideband absorbance measures are useful diagnostic tools, there is performance measure variability in their detection of middle ear conditions. Additional diagnostic sensitivity and specificity measures gained through new technology such as sweep frequency impedance (SFI) measures may assist in the diagnosis of middle ear dysfunction in newborns. The purpose of this study was to determine the test performance of SFI to predict the status of the outer and middle ear in newborns against commonly used reference standards. Automated auditory brainstem response (AABR), HFT (1000 Hz), transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE), distortion product otoacoustic emission (DPOAE), and SFI tests were administered to the study sample. A total of 188 neonates (98 males and 90 females) with a mean gestational age of 39.4 weeks were included in the sample. Mean age at the time of testing was 44.4 hr. Diagnostic accuracy of SFI was assessed in terms of its ability to identify conductive conditions in neonates when compared with nine different reference standards (including four single tests [AABR, HFT, TEOAE, and DPOAE] and five test batteries [HFT + DPOAE, HFT + TEOAE, DPOAE + TEOAE, DPOAE + AABR, and TEOAE + AABR]), using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and traditional test performance measures such as sensitivity and specificity. The test performance of SFI against the test battery reference standard of HFT + DPOAE and single reference standard of HFT was high with an area under the ROC curve (AROC) of 0.87 and 0.82, respectively. Although the HFT + DPOAE test battery reference standard performed better than the HFT reference standard in predicting middle ear conductive conditions in neonates, the difference in AROC was not significant. Further analysis revealed that the highest sensitivity and specificity for SFI (86% and 88%, respectively) was obtained when compared with the reference standard of HFT + DPOAE. Among the four single reference standards, SFI had the highest sensitivity and specificity (76% and 88%, respectively) when compared against the HFT reference standard. The high test performance of SFI against the HFT and HFT + DPOAE reference standards indicates that the SFI measure has appropriate diagnostic accuracy in detection of conductive conditions in newborns. Hence, the SFI test could be used as adjunct tool to identify conductive conditions in universal newborn hearing screening programs, and can also be used in diagnostic follow-up assessments. American Academy of Audiology

  20. Procedures for Constructing and Using Criterion-Referenced Performance Tests.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Campbell, Clifton P.; Allender, Bill R.

    1988-01-01

    Criterion-referenced performance tests (CRPT) provide a realistic method for objectively measuring task proficiency against predetermined attainment standards. This article explains the procedures of constructing, validating, and scoring CRPTs and includes a checklist for a welding test. (JOW)

  1. 42 CFR 493.859 - Standard; ABO group and D (Rho) typing.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Standard; ABO group and D (Rho) typing. 493.859 Section 493.859 Public Health CENTERS FOR MEDICARE & MEDICAID SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN... for Laboratories Performing Tests of Moderate Complexity (including the Subcategory), High Complexity...

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

    Hart, Darren M.

    Sandia National Laboratories has tested and evaluated Geotech Smart24 data acquisition system with active Fortezza crypto card data signing and authentication. The test results included in this report were in response to static and tonal-dynamic input signals. Most test methodologies used were based on IEEE Standards 1057 for Digitizing Waveform Recorders and 1241 for Analog to Digital Converters; others were designed by Sandia specifically for infrasound application evaluation and for supplementary criteria not addressed in the IEEE standards. The objective of this work was to evaluate the overall technical performance of the Geotech Smart24 digitizer with a Fortezza PCMCIA cryptomore » card actively implementing the signing of data packets. The results of this evaluation were compared to relevant specifications provided within manufacturer's documentation notes. The tests performed were chosen to demonstrate different performance aspects of the digitizer under test. The performance aspects tested include determining noise floor, least significant bit (LSB), dynamic range, cross-talk, relative channel-to-channel timing, time-tag accuracy, analog bandwidth and calibrator performance.« less

  3. Performance of normal females and carriers of color-vision deficiencies on standard color-vision tests.

    PubMed

    Dees, Elise W; Baraas, Rigmor C

    2014-04-01

    Carriers of red-green color-vision deficiencies are generally thought to behave like normal trichromats, although it is known that they may make errors on Ishihara plates. The aim here was to compare the performance of carriers with that of normal females on seven standard color-vision tests, including Ishihara plates. One hundred and twenty-six normal females, 14 protan carriers, and 29 deutan carriers aged 9-66 years were included in the study. Generally, deutan carriers performed worse than protan carriers and normal females on six out of the seven tests. The difference in performance between carriers and normal females was independent of age, but the proportion of carriers that made errors on pseudo-isochromatic tests increased with age. It was the youngest carriers, however, who made the most errors. There was considerable variation in performance among individuals in each group of females. The results are discussed in relation to variability in the number of different L-cone pigments.

  4. Performance standards for urban search and rescue robots

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Messina, Elena; Jacoff, Adam

    2006-05-01

    In this paper, we describe work in performance standards for urban search and rescue (USAR) robots begun in 2004 by the Department of Homeland Security. This program is being coordinated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology and will result in consensus standards developed through ASTM International, under the Operational Equipment Subcommittee of their Homeland Security Committee. The first phase of the program involved definition of requirements by subject matter experts. Responders participated in a series of workshops to identify deployment categories for robots, performance categories, and ranges of acceptable or target performance in the various categories. Over one hundred individual requirements were identified, within main categories such as Human-System Interaction, Logistics, Operating Environment, and System (which includes Chassis, Communications, Mobility, Payload, Power, and Sensing). To ensure that the robot developers and eventual end users work closely together, "responders meet robots" events at situationally relevant sites are being held to refine and extend the performance requirements and develop standard test methods. The results of these standard performance tests will be captured in a compendium of existing and developmental robots with classifications and descriptors to differentiate particular robotic capabilities. This, along with ongoing efforts to categorize situational USAR constraints such as building collapse types or the presence of hazardous materials, will help responders match particular robotic capabilities to response needs. In general, these efforts will enable responders to effectively use robotic tools to enhance their effectiveness while reducing risk to personnel during disasters.

  5. On the Performance Evaluation of 3D Reconstruction Techniques from a Sequence of Images

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Eid, Ahmed; Farag, Aly

    2005-12-01

    The performance evaluation of 3D reconstruction techniques is not a simple problem to solve. This is not only due to the increased dimensionality of the problem but also due to the lack of standardized and widely accepted testing methodologies. This paper presents a unified framework for the performance evaluation of different 3D reconstruction techniques. This framework includes a general problem formalization, different measuring criteria, and a classification method as a first step in standardizing the evaluation process. Performance characterization of two standard 3D reconstruction techniques, stereo and space carving, is also presented. The evaluation is performed on the same data set using an image reprojection testing methodology to reduce the dimensionality of the evaluation domain. Also, different measuring strategies are presented and applied to the stereo and space carving techniques. These measuring strategies have shown consistent results in quantifying the performance of these techniques. Additional experiments are performed on the space carving technique to study the effect of the number of input images and the camera pose on its performance.

  6. Overall ED efficiency is associated with decreased time to percutaneous coronary intervention for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

    PubMed

    Jones, Christopher W; Sonnad, Seema S; Augustine, James J; Reese, Charles L

    2014-10-01

    Performance of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) within 90 minutes of hospital arrival for ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction patients is a commonly cited clinical quality measure. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services use this measure to adjust hospital reimbursement via the Value-Based Purchasing Program. This study investigated the relationship between hospital performance on this quality measure and emergency department (ED) operational efficiency. Hospital-level data from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on PCI quality measure performance was linked to information on operational performance from 272 US EDs obtained from the Emergency Department Benchmarking Alliance annual operations survey. Standard metrics of ED size, acuity, and efficiency were compared across hospitals grouped by performance on the door-to-balloon time quality measure. Mean hospital performance on the 90-minute arrival to PCI measure was 94.0% (range, 42-100). Among hospitals failing to achieve the door-to-balloon time performance standard, median ED length of stay was 209 minutes, compared with 173 minutes among those hospitals meeting the benchmark standard (P < .001). Similarly, median time from ED patient arrival to physician evaluation was 39 minutes for hospitals below the performance standard and 23 minutes for hospitals at the benchmark standard (P < .001). Markers of ED size and acuity, including annual patient volume, admission rate, and the percentage of patients arriving via ambulance did not vary with door-to-balloon time. Better performance on measures associated with ED efficiency is associated with more timely PCI performance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Effects of handcuffs on neuropsychological testing: Implications for criminal forensic evaluations.

    PubMed

    Biddle, Christine M; Fazio, Rachel L; Dyshniku, Fiona; Denney, Robert L

    2018-01-01

    Neuropsychological evaluations are increasingly performed in forensic contexts, including in criminal settings where security sometimes cannot be compromised to facilitate evaluation according to standardized procedures. Interpretation of nonstandardized assessment results poses significant challenges for the neuropsychologist. Research is limited in regard to the validation of neuropsychological test accommodation and modification practices that deviate from standard test administration; there is no published research regarding the effects of hand restraints upon neuropsychological evaluation results. This study provides preliminary results regarding the impact of restraints on motor functioning and common neuropsychological tests with a motor component. When restrained, performance on nearly all tests utilized was significantly impacted, including Trail Making Test A/B, a coding test, and several tests of motor functioning. Significant performance decline was observed in both raw scores and normative scores. Regression models are also provided in order to help forensic neuropsychologists adjust for the effect of hand restraints on raw scores of these tests, as the hand restraints also resulted in significant differences in normative scores; in the most striking case there was nearly a full standard deviation of discrepancy.

  8. Declining Undergraduate Student Performance in Higher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spinelli, Teri

    Factors contributing to declining academic performance of college students are considered, including: increased government intervention in education, declining faculty expectations and lowered standards, administrative policies, and changing student attitudes and expectations. One view is that government is largely responsible for the…

  9. Preliminary evaluation of advanced air bag field performance using event data recorders

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2008-08-31

    This report describes a preliminary evaluation of the field performance of occupant restraint systems designed with advanced air bag features including those specified in the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 208 for advanced air bags, throug...

  10. Photovoltaic performance and reliability workshop

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

    Kroposki, B

    1996-10-01

    This proceedings is the compilation of papers presented at the ninth PV Performance and Reliability Workshop held at the Sheraton Denver West Hotel on September 4--6, 1996. This years workshop included presentations from 25 speakers and had over 100 attendees. All of the presentations that were given are included in this proceedings. Topics of the papers included: defining service lifetime and developing models for PV module lifetime; examining and determining failure and degradation mechanisms in PV modules; combining IEEE/IEC/UL testing procedures; AC module performance and reliability testing; inverter reliability/qualification testing; standardization of utility interconnect requirements for PV systems; need activitiesmore » to separate variables by testing individual components of PV systems (e.g. cells, modules, batteries, inverters,charge controllers) for individual reliability and then test them in actual system configurations; more results reported from field experience on modules, inverters, batteries, and charge controllers from field deployed PV systems; and system certification and standardized testing for stand-alone and grid-tied systems.« less

  11. 40 CFR 60.2585 - What must I include in the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... Units Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.2585 What must I include in the notifications of...

  12. 40 CFR 60.2585 - What must I include in the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... Units Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.2585 What must I include in the notifications of...

  13. 40 CFR 60.2585 - What must I include in the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... Units Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.2585 What must I include in the notifications of...

  14. 40 CFR 60.2825 - What must I include in the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... Units Model Rule-Air Curtain Incinerators § 60.2825 What must I include in the notifications of...

  15. 40 CFR 412.46 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Plant Air Water (SPAW) Hydrology Tool. The evaluation must include all inputs to SPAW including but not...) Provisions for upset/bypass, as provided in 40 CFR 122.41(m)-(n), apply to a new source subject to this...

  16. 21 CFR 900.12 - Quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... to mammography. The training shall include instruction in radiation physics, including radiation physics specific to mammography, radiation effects, and radiation protection. The mammographic... ensure that medical physicists certified by the body are competent to perform physics survey; and (B)(1...

  17. 21 CFR 900.12 - Quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... to mammography. The training shall include instruction in radiation physics, including radiation physics specific to mammography, radiation effects, and radiation protection. The mammographic... ensure that medical physicists certified by the body are competent to perform physics survey; and (B)(1...

  18. 21 CFR 900.12 - Quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... to mammography. The training shall include instruction in radiation physics, including radiation physics specific to mammography, radiation effects, and radiation protection. The mammographic... ensure that medical physicists certified by the body are competent to perform physics survey; and (B)(1...

  19. 21 CFR 900.12 - Quality standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... to mammography. The training shall include instruction in radiation physics, including radiation physics specific to mammography, radiation effects, and radiation protection. The mammographic... ensure that medical physicists certified by the body are competent to perform physics survey; and (B)(1...

  20. 5 CFR 551.424 - Time spent adjusting grievances or performing representational functions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... hours of work. This includes time spent by an employee performing such functions during regular working... MANAGEMENT CIVIL SERVICE REGULATIONS PAY ADMINISTRATION UNDER THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT Hours of Work... shall be considered hours of work. (b) “Official time” granted an employee by an agency to perform...

  1. Perkins Core Performance Measures Results and Targets, 2000-2001.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McHewitt, Earl R.; Taylor, Garry

    This is a report on 2000-2001 Perkins III core performance standards and measures for the Virginia Community College System (VCCS). Perkins performance measure definitions for the system were finalized with the Virginia and federal departments of education in fall 2000. Core indicators include: (1) student attainment, which measures academic and…

  2. A systems-level performance history of get away specials after 25 space shuttle missions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ridenoure, Rex W.

    1987-01-01

    Summarized are the results of a thorough performance study of Get Away Special (GAS) payloads conducted in 1986. During the study, a complete list of standard and non-standard GAS payloads vs. Shuttle mission was constructed, including specific titles for the experiments in each canister. A broad data base for each canister and each experiment was then compiled. Performance results were then obtained for all but a few experiments. The canisters and experiments were subsequently categorized according to the degree of experiment success. For those experiments experiencing failures or anomalies, several correlations and generalizations were extracted from individual subsystem performance data. Recommendations are made which may enhance the success and performance of future GAS payloads.

  3. MiBLSi Program Evaluation of Participatory Elementary Schools from 2003-2009

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibbs, Marvin

    2012-01-01

    This dissertation details the use of the Program Evaluations Metaevaluation Checklist (PEMC), Stufflebeam, 1999, which is for performing final, summative metaevaluations. It is organized according to the Joint Committee Program Evaluation Standards. For each of the 30 standards the checklist includes 6 checkpoints drawn from the substance of the…

  4. Determining a Model to Predict Hispanic Preservice Teachers' Success on the Texas Examination of Educator Standards

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zhang, Zhidong; Telese, James

    2012-01-01

    In this article, we report the regression relations between preservice teachers' academic characteristics and their performance on the Texas Examination of Educator Standards. These academic characteristics include grade point average, reading ability, and critical thinking. The studies indicate that the critical thinking was the best predictor…

  5. 17 CFR 240.13b2-2 - Representations and conduct in connection with the preparation of required reports and documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... misleading” include, but are not limited to, actions taken at any time with respect to the professional... material violations of generally accepted accounting principles, generally accepted auditing standards, or other professional or regulatory standards); (ii) Not to perform audit, review or other procedures...

  6. 17 CFR 240.13b2-2 - Representations and conduct in connection with the preparation of required reports and documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... misleading” include, but are not limited to, actions taken at any time with respect to the professional... material violations of generally accepted accounting principles, generally accepted auditing standards, or other professional or regulatory standards); (ii) Not to perform audit, review or other procedures...

  7. 17 CFR 240.13b2-2 - Representations and conduct in connection with the preparation of required reports and documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... misleading” include, but are not limited to, actions taken at any time with respect to the professional... material violations of generally accepted accounting principles, generally accepted auditing standards, or other professional or regulatory standards); (ii) Not to perform audit, review or other procedures...

  8. 17 CFR 240.13b2-2 - Representations and conduct in connection with the preparation of required reports and documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... misleading” include, but are not limited to, actions taken at any time with respect to the professional... material violations of generally accepted accounting principles, generally accepted auditing standards, or other professional or regulatory standards); (ii) Not to perform audit, review or other procedures...

  9. 17 CFR 240.13b2-2 - Representations and conduct in connection with the preparation of required reports and documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... misleading” include, but are not limited to, actions taken at any time with respect to the professional... material violations of generally accepted accounting principles, generally accepted auditing standards, or other professional or regulatory standards); (ii) Not to perform audit, review or other procedures...

  10. 76 FR 75735 - Certification of Part 23 Turbofan- and Turbojet-Powered Airplanes and Miscellaneous Amendments

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-12-02

    ... airplanes in air commerce by prescribing minimum standards required in the interest of safety for the design... prescribes new safety standards for the design of normal, utility, acrobatic, and commuter category airplanes... Category To Include Turbojets C. Performance, Flight Characteristics, and Other Design Considerations D...

  11. 77 FR 48433 - New Source Performance Standards Review for Nitric Acid Plants

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-14

    ...) for nitric acid plants. Nitric acid plants include one or more nitric acid production units (NAPUs... requirements for new nitric acid production units? IV. Summary of Significant Changes Since Proposal A. How is..., Energy, and Economic Impacts of These Standards A. What are the impacts for Nitric Acid Production Units...

  12. Florida Course Descriptions: Exceptional Student Education, Grades 9-12, 1999 Revisions. Suggested Course Performance Objectives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Florida State Dept. of Education, Tallahassee. Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services.

    This document presents the full revised course descriptions for Florida exceptional student education in grades 9-12. Courses incorporate the Florida standards for a special diploma. Requirements include a list of related benchmarks from the state standards for each level of functioning: independent, supported, and participatory. Introductory…

  13. Readability Level of Standardized Test Items and Student Performance: The Forgotten Validity Variable

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hewitt, Margaret A.; Homan, Susan P.

    2004-01-01

    Test validity issues considered by test developers and school districts rarely include individual item readability levels. In this study, items from a major standardized test were examined for individual item readability level and item difficulty. The Homan-Hewitt Readability Formula was applied to items across three grade levels. Results of…

  14. Standardized Tests of Handwriting Readiness: A Systematic Review of the Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    van Hartingsveldt, Margo J.; de Groot, Imelda J. M.; Aarts, Pauline B. M.; Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W. G.

    2011-01-01

    Aim: To establish if there are psychometrically sound standardized tests or test items to assess handwriting readiness in 5- and 6-year-old children on the levels of occupations activities/tasks and performance. Method: Electronic databases were searched to identify measurement instruments. Tests were included in a systematic review if: (1)…

  15. Computational assessment of several hydrogen-free high energy compounds.

    PubMed

    Tan, Bisheng; Huang, Ming; Long, Xinping; Li, Jinshan; Fan, Guijuan

    2016-01-01

    Tetrazino-tetrazine-tetraoxide (TTTO) is an attractive high energy compound, but unfortunately, it is not yet experimentally synthesized so far. Isomerization of TTTO leads to its five isomers, bond-separation energies were empolyed to compare the global stability of six compounds, it is found that isomer 1 has the highest bond-separation energy (1204.6kJ/mol), compared with TTTO (1151.2kJ/mol); thermodynamic properties of six compounds were theoretically calculated, including standard formation enthalpies (solid and gaseous), standard fusion enthalpies, standard vaporation enthalpies, standard sublimation enthalpies, lattice energies and normal melting points, normal boiling points; their detonation performances were also computed, including detonation heat (Q, cal/g), detonation velocity (D, km/s), detonation pressure (P, GPa) and impact sensitivity (h50, cm), compared with TTTO (Q=1311.01J/g, D=9.228km/s, P=40.556GPa, h50=12.7cm), isomer 5 exhibites better detonation performances (Q=1523.74J/g, D=9.389km/s, P=41.329GPa, h50= 28.4cm). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Computerized Maze Navigation and On-Road Performance by Drivers With Dementia

    PubMed Central

    Ott, Brian R.; Festa, Elena K.; Amick, Melissa M.; Grace, Janet; Davis, Jennifer D.; Heindel, William C.

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the ability of computerized maze test performance to predict the road test performance of cognitively impaired and normal older drivers. The authors examined 133 older drivers, including 65 with probable Alzheimer disease, 23 with possible Alzheimer disease, and 45 control subjects without cognitive impairment. Subjects completed 5 computerized maze tasks employing a touch screen and pointer as well as a battery of standard neuropsychological tests. Parameters measured for mazes included errors, planning time, drawing time, and total time. Within 2 weeks, subjects were examined by a professional driving instructor on a standardized road test modeled after the Washington University Road Test. Road test total score was significantly correlated with total time across the 5 mazes. This maze score was significant for both Alzheimer disease subjects and control subjects. One maze in particular, requiring less than 2 minutes to complete, was highly correlated with driving performance. For the standard neuropsychological tests, highest correlations were seen with Trail Making A (TrailsA) and the Hopkins Verbal Learning Tests Trial 1 (HVLT1). Multiple regression models for road test score using stepwise subtraction of maze and neuropsychological test variables revealed significant independent contributions for total maze time, HVLT1, and TrailsA for the entire group; total maze time and HVLT1 for Alzheimer disease subjects; and TrailsA for normal subjects. As a visual analog of driving, a brief computerized test of maze navigation time compares well to standard neuropsychological tests of psychomotor speed, scanning, attention, and working memory as a predictor of driving performance by persons with early Alzheimer disease and normal elders. Measurement of maze task performance appears to be useful in the assessment of older drivers at risk for hazardous driving. PMID:18287166

  17. Welding, V-TECS Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moore, Charles G.; And Others

    This guide provides job-related tasks, performance objectives, performance guides, resources, teaching activities, evaluation standards, and criterion-referenced measures in three units of a welding course. Through the curriculum content of the welding course, the guide helps teachers lead students through the learning process, including the…

  18. Teaching science through literature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barth, Daniel

    2007-12-01

    The hypothesis of this study was that a multidisciplinary, activity rich science curriculum based around science fiction literature, rather than a conventional text book would increase student engagement with the curriculum and improve student performance on standards-based test instruments. Science fiction literature was chosen upon the basis of previous educational research which indicated that science fiction literature was able to stimulate and maintain interest in science. The study was conducted on a middle school campus during the regular summer school session. Students were self-selected from the school's 6 th, 7th, and 8th grade populations. The students used the science fiction novel Maurice on the Moon as their only text. Lessons and activities closely followed the adventures of the characters in the book. The student's initial level of knowledge in Earth and space science was assessed by a pre test. After the four week program was concluded, the students took a post test made up of an identical set of questions. The test included 40 standards-based questions that were based upon concepts covered in the text of the novel and in the classroom lessons and activities. The test also included 10 general knowledge questions that were based upon Earth and space science standards that were not covered in the novel or the classroom lessons or activities. Student performance on the standards-based question set increased an average of 35% for all students in the study group. Every subgroup disaggregated by gender and ethnicity improved from 28-47%. There was no statistically significant change in the performance on the general knowledge question set for any subgroup. Student engagement with the material was assessed by three independent methods, including student self-reports, percentage of classroom work completed, and academic evaluation of student work by the instructor. These assessments of student engagement were correlated with changes in student performance on the standards-based assessment tests. A moderate correlation was found to exist between the level of student engagement with the material and improvement in performance from pre to post test.

  19. Hypothesis Testing Using Factor Score Regression

    PubMed Central

    Devlieger, Ines; Mayer, Axel; Rosseel, Yves

    2015-01-01

    In this article, an overview is given of four methods to perform factor score regression (FSR), namely regression FSR, Bartlett FSR, the bias avoiding method of Skrondal and Laake, and the bias correcting method of Croon. The bias correcting method is extended to include a reliable standard error. The four methods are compared with each other and with structural equation modeling (SEM) by using analytic calculations and two Monte Carlo simulation studies to examine their finite sample characteristics. Several performance criteria are used, such as the bias using the unstandardized and standardized parameterization, efficiency, mean square error, standard error bias, type I error rate, and power. The results show that the bias correcting method, with the newly developed standard error, is the only suitable alternative for SEM. While it has a higher standard error bias than SEM, it has a comparable bias, efficiency, mean square error, power, and type I error rate. PMID:29795886

  20. Nutra-ergonomics: influence of nutrition on physical employment standards and the health of workers.

    PubMed

    Shearer, Jane; Graham, Terry E; Skinner, Tina L

    2016-06-01

    The importance of ergonomics across several scientific domains, including biomechanics, psychology, sociology, and physiology, have been extensively explored. However, the role of other factors that may influence the health and productivity of workers, such as nutrition, is generally overlooked. Nutra-ergonomics describes the interface between workers, their work environment, and performance in relation to their nutritional status. It considers nutrition to be an integral part of a safe and productive workplace that encompasses physical and mental health as well as the long-term wellbeing of workers. This review explores the knowledge, awareness, and common practices of nutrition, hydration, stimulants, and fortified product use employed prior to physical employment standards testing and within the workplace. The influence of these nutra-ergonomic strategies on physical employment standards, worker safety, and performance will be examined. Further, the roles, responsibilities, and implications for the applicant, worker, and the employer will be discussed within the context of nutra-ergonomics, with reference to the provision and sustainability of an environment conducive to optimize worker health and wellbeing. Beyond physical employment standards, workplace productivity, and performance, the influence of extended or chronic desynchronization (irregular or shift work) in the work schedule on metabolism and long-term health, including risk of developing chronic and complex diseases, is discussed. Finally, practical nutra-ergonomic strategies and recommendations for the applicant, worker, and employer alike will be provided to enhance the short- and long-term safety, performance, health, and wellbeing of workers.

  1. Cardiac arrest risk standardization using administrative data compared to registry data.

    PubMed

    Grossestreuer, Anne V; Gaieski, David F; Donnino, Michael W; Nelson, Joshua I M; Mutter, Eric L; Carr, Brendan G; Abella, Benjamin S; Wiebe, Douglas J

    2017-01-01

    Methods for comparing hospitals regarding cardiac arrest (CA) outcomes, vital for improving resuscitation performance, rely on data collected by cardiac arrest registries. However, most CA patients are treated at hospitals that do not participate in such registries. This study aimed to determine whether CA risk standardization modeling based on administrative data could perform as well as that based on registry data. Two risk standardization logistic regression models were developed using 2453 patients treated from 2000-2015 at three hospitals in an academic health system. Registry and administrative data were accessed for all patients. The outcome was death at hospital discharge. The registry model was considered the "gold standard" with which to compare the administrative model, using metrics including comparing areas under the curve, calibration curves, and Bland-Altman plots. The administrative risk standardization model had a c-statistic of 0.891 (95% CI: 0.876-0.905) compared to a registry c-statistic of 0.907 (95% CI: 0.895-0.919). When limited to only non-modifiable factors, the administrative model had a c-statistic of 0.818 (95% CI: 0.799-0.838) compared to a registry c-statistic of 0.810 (95% CI: 0.788-0.831). All models were well-calibrated. There was no significant difference between c-statistics of the models, providing evidence that valid risk standardization can be performed using administrative data. Risk standardization using administrative data performs comparably to standardization using registry data. This methodology represents a new tool that can enable opportunities to compare hospital performance in specific hospital systems or across the entire US in terms of survival after CA.

  2. Face recognition performance of individuals with Asperger syndrome on the Cambridge Face Memory Test.

    PubMed

    Hedley, Darren; Brewer, Neil; Young, Robyn

    2011-12-01

    Although face recognition deficits in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), including Asperger syndrome (AS), are widely acknowledged, the empirical evidence is mixed. This in part reflects the failure to use standardized and psychometrically sound tests. We contrasted standardized face recognition scores on the Cambridge Face Memory Test (CFMT) for 34 individuals with AS with those for 42, IQ-matched non-ASD individuals, and age-standardized scores from a large Australian cohort. We also examined the influence of IQ, autistic traits, and negative affect on face recognition performance. Overall, participants with AS performed significantly worse on the CFMT than the non-ASD participants and when evaluated against standardized test norms. However, while 24% of participants with AS presented with severe face recognition impairment (>2 SDs below the mean), many individuals performed at or above the typical level for their age: 53% scored within +/- 1 SD of the mean and 9% demonstrated superior performance (>1 SD above the mean). Regression analysis provided no evidence that IQ, autistic traits, or negative affect significantly influenced face recognition: diagnostic group membership was the only significant predictor of face recognition performance. In sum, face recognition performance in ASD is on a continuum, but with average levels significantly below non-ASD levels of performance. Copyright © 2011, International Society for Autism Research, Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  3. 40 CFR 60.401 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Phosphate Rock Plants § 60.401 Definitions. (a) Phosphate rock plant means any plant which produces or prepares phosphate rock product by any or..., calcining, and grinding. (b) Phosphate rock feed means all material entering the process unit, including...

  4. 40 CFR 60.401 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Phosphate Rock Plants § 60.401 Definitions. (a) Phosphate rock plant means any plant which produces or prepares phosphate rock product by any or..., calcining, and grinding. (b) Phosphate rock feed means all material entering the process unit, including...

  5. 40 CFR 60.401 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Phosphate Rock Plants § 60.401 Definitions. (a) Phosphate rock plant means any plant which produces or prepares phosphate rock product by any or..., calcining, and grinding. (b) Phosphate rock feed means all material entering the process unit, including...

  6. 40 CFR 60.401 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Phosphate Rock Plants § 60.401 Definitions. (a) Phosphate rock plant means any plant which produces or prepares phosphate rock product by any or..., calcining, and grinding. (b) Phosphate rock feed means all material entering the process unit, including...

  7. 77 FR 16213 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-20

    ... ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, reporting burden (time and financial... align with upcoming standard performance measure requirements. To separate the currently combined Grant... performance of the functions of the Corporation, including whether the information will have practical utility...

  8. 40 CFR 60.301 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... from an affected facility at a grain elevator. (i) Capture system means the equipment such as sheds..., railcar, barge, or ship. (l) Grain handling operations include bucket elevators or legs (excluding legs... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Grain Elevators § 60.301 Definitions. As...

  9. 40 CFR 60.301 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... from an affected facility at a grain elevator. (i) Capture system means the equipment such as sheds..., railcar, barge, or ship. (l) Grain handling operations include bucket elevators or legs (excluding legs... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Grain Elevators § 60.301 Definitions. As...

  10. 40 CFR 60.301 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... from an affected facility at a grain elevator. (i) Capture system means the equipment such as sheds..., railcar, barge, or ship. (l) Grain handling operations include bucket elevators or legs (excluding legs... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Grain Elevators § 60.301 Definitions. As...

  11. 40 CFR 60.301 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... from an affected facility at a grain elevator. (i) Capture system means the equipment such as sheds..., railcar, barge, or ship. (l) Grain handling operations include bucket elevators or legs (excluding legs... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Grain Elevators § 60.301 Definitions. As...

  12. 40 CFR 60.301 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... from an affected facility at a grain elevator. (i) Capture system means the equipment such as sheds..., railcar, barge, or ship. (l) Grain handling operations include bucket elevators or legs (excluding legs... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Grain Elevators § 60.301 Definitions. As...

  13. Collaborative study for the calibration of a replacement International Standard for Tetanus Toxoid Adsorbed.

    PubMed

    Tierney, Rob; Stickings, Paul; Hockley, Jason; Rigsby, Peter; Iwaki, Masaaki; Sesardic, Dorothea

    2011-11-01

    We present the results of a collaborative study for the establishment of a replacement International Standard (IS) for Tetanus Toxoid Adsorbed. Two candidate preparations were included in the study, one of which was established as the 4th IS for Tetanus Toxoid Adsorbed at the WHO Expert Committee on Biological Standardization meeting in October 2010. This preparation was found to have a unitage of 490 IU/ampoule, based on calibration in guinea pig challenge assays. Results from mouse challenge assays suggest that the relative performance of two candidate preparations may differ significantly between guinea pigs and mice. The authors note that the number of laboratories that performed guinea pig challenge assays, which are used to calibrate and assign IU, is much lower than in previous collaborative studies and this may have implications for calibration of replacement standards in the future. The issue of assigning separate units to the IS for guinea pig and mouse assays is discussed. The study also assessed performance of the replacement standard in serological assays which are used as alternative procedures to challenge assays for tetanus potency testing. Results suggest that the replacement standard is suitable for use as the reference vaccine in serological assays. Copyright © 2011 The International Alliance for Biological Standardization. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  14. Private Health Plans’ Contracts with Managed Behavioral Healthcare Organizations

    PubMed Central

    Garnick, Deborah W.; Horgan, Constance M.; Merrick, Elizabeth L.; Hodgkin, Dominic; Reif, Sharon; Quinn, Amity E.; Stewart, Maureen; Creedon, Timothy B.

    2015-01-01

    Contracts between health plans and managed behavioral health care organizations (MBHOs) influence access and quality of behavioral health care. This report presents information on performance requirements, information sharing, and financial risk from a nationally representative survey of private health plans. Most contracts include geographic access to providers (93.3%) and NCQA’s performance standards (84.2%). Health plans and MBHOs share data (99.0%), generally by the MBHO sending information to the health plan (96.3%). About a quarter of contracts impose financial penalties (23.0%), but few include incentives related to performance standards (<1.0%). Contract terms can shape the provision of behavioral health services in response to changes such as parity legislation or health reform. If current trends continue towards increases in value-based purchasing in the privately financed behavioral health sector, the focus on quality in contracts between health plans and MBHOs will be critical to understand. PMID:26276421

  15. Relating Standardized Visual Perception Measures to Simulator Visual System Performance

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kaiser, Mary K.; Sweet, Barbara T.

    2013-01-01

    Human vision is quantified through the use of standardized clinical vision measurements. These measurements typically include visual acuity (near and far), contrast sensitivity, color vision, stereopsis (a.k.a. stereo acuity), and visual field periphery. Simulator visual system performance is specified in terms such as brightness, contrast, color depth, color gamut, gamma, resolution, and field-of-view. How do these simulator performance characteristics relate to the perceptual experience of the pilot in the simulator? In this paper, visual acuity and contrast sensitivity will be related to simulator visual system resolution, contrast, and dynamic range; similarly, color vision will be related to color depth/color gamut. Finally, we will consider how some characteristics of human vision not typically included in current clinical assessments could be used to better inform simulator requirements (e.g., relating dynamic characteristics of human vision to update rate and other temporal display characteristics).

  16. Performance characterization of structured light-based fingerprint scanner

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hassebrook, Laurence G.; Wang, Minghao; Daley, Raymond C.

    2013-05-01

    Our group believes that the evolution of fingerprint capture technology is in transition to include 3-D non-contact fingerprint capture. More specifically we believe that systems based on structured light illumination provide the highest level of depth measurement accuracy. However, for these new technologies to be fully accepted by the biometric community, they must be compliant with federal standards of performance. At present these standards do not exist for this new biometric technology. We propose and define a set of test procedures to be used to verify compliance with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's image quality specification for Personal Identity Verification single fingerprint capture devices. The proposed test procedures include: geometric accuracy, lateral resolution based on intensity or depth, gray level uniformity and flattened fingerprint image quality. Several 2-D contact analogies, performance tradeoffs and optimization dilemmas are evaluated and proposed solutions are presented.

  17. Using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for calibration transfer between environmental CRMs.

    PubMed

    Turk, G C; Yu, L L; Salit, M L; Guthrie, W F

    2001-06-01

    Multielement analyses of environmental reference materials have been performed using existing certified reference materials (CRMs) as calibration standards for inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. The analyses have been performed using a high-performance methodology that results in comparison measurement uncertainties that are significantly less than the uncertainties of the certified values of the calibration CRM. Consequently, the determined values have uncertainties that are very nearly equivalent to the uncertainties of the calibration CRM. Several uses of this calibration transfer are proposed, including, re-certification measurements of replacement CRMs, establishing traceability of one CRM to another, and demonstrating the equivalence of two CRMs. RM 8704, a river sediment, was analyzed using SRM 2704, Buffalo River Sediment, as the calibration standard. SRM 1632c, Trace Elements in Bituminous Coal, which is a replacement for SRM 1632b, was analyzed using SRM 1632b as the standard. SRM 1635, Trace Elements in Subbituminous Coal, was also analyzed using SRM 1632b as the standard.

  18. Improving compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Administration standards.

    PubMed

    Cuming, Richard; Rocco, Tonette S; McEachern, Adriana G

    2008-02-01

    Health care facilities can be dangerous places. The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to improve the safety of the American workplace by developing and implementing standards that prevent occupational injury, illness, and death. Perioperative services are performed in environments where exposure to bloodborne pathogens is a daily occurrence, making implementation and compliance with OSHA standards very important. Employees and employers must remain current with workplace safety requirements, including use of personal protective equipment. This article presents implications of the OSHA standards for employers, educators, and employees.

  19. Performance Assessments: A Review of Definitions, Quality Characteristics, and Outcomes Associated with Their Use in K-12 Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bland, Lynne M.; Gareis, Christopher R.

    2018-01-01

    After nearly two decades of federal and state accountability requirements relying on conventional standardized assessments, Virginia and several other states are moving to create more balanced approaches to statewide assessment systems that include the use of performance assessments. But Palm (2008) states, "Performance assessment can mean…

  20. 40 CFR 60.1595 - What must I include in the notifications of achievement of my increments of progress?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY... or Before August 30, 1999 Model Rule-Increments of Progress § 60.1595 What must I include in the...

  1. Comparative performance analysis for computer aided lung nodule detection and segmentation on ultra-low-dose vs. standard-dose CT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wiemker, Rafael; Rogalla, Patrik; Opfer, Roland; Ekin, Ahmet; Romano, Valentina; Bülow, Thomas

    2006-03-01

    The performance of computer aided lung nodule detection (CAD) and computer aided nodule volumetry is compared between standard-dose (70-100 mAs) and ultra-low-dose CT images (5-10 mAs). A direct quantitative performance comparison was possible, since for each patient both an ultra-low-dose and a standard-dose CT scan were acquired within the same examination session. The data sets were recorded with a multi-slice CT scanner at the Charite university hospital Berlin with 1 mm slice thickness. Our computer aided nodule detection and segmentation algorithms were deployed on both ultra-low-dose and standard-dose CT data without any dose-specific fine-tuning or preprocessing. As a reference standard 292 nodules from 20 patients were visually identified, each nodule both in ultra-low-dose and standard-dose data sets. The CAD performance was analyzed by virtue of multiple FROC curves for different lower thresholds of the nodule diameter. For nodules with a volume-equivalent diameter equal or larger than 4 mm (149 nodules pairs), we observed a detection rate of 88% at a median false positive rate of 2 per patient in standard-dose images, and 86% detection rate in ultra-low-dose images, also at 2 FPs per patient. Including even smaller nodules equal or larger than 2 mm (272 nodules pairs), we observed a detection rate of 86% in standard-dose images, and 84% detection rate in ultra-low-dose images, both at a rate of 5 FPs per patient. Moreover, we observed a correlation of 94% between the volume-equivalent nodule diameter as automatically measured on ultra-low-dose versus on standard-dose images, indicating that ultra-low-dose CT is also feasible for growth-rate assessment in follow-up examinations. The comparable performance of lung nodule CAD in ultra-low-dose and standard-dose images is of particular interest with respect to lung cancer screening of asymptomatic patients.

  2. Effects of Mat Pilates on Physical Functional Performance of Older Adults: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

    PubMed

    Bueno de Souza, Roberta Oliveira; Marcon, Liliane de Faria; Arruda, Alex Sandro Faria de; Pontes Junior, Francisco Luciano; Melo, Ruth Caldeira de

    2018-06-01

    The present meta-analysis aimed to examine evidence from randomized controlled trials to determine the effects of mat Pilates on measures of physical functional performance in the older population. A search was conducted in the MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Scielo, and PEDro databases between February and March 2017. Only randomized controlled trials that were written in English, included subjects aged 60 yrs who used mat Pilates exercises, included a comparison (control) group, and reported performance-based measures of physical function (balance, flexibility, muscle strength, and cardiorespiratory fitness) were included. The methodological quality of the studies was analyzed according to the PEDro scale and the best-evidence synthesis. The meta-analysis was conducted with the Review Manager 5.3 software. The search retrieved 518 articles, nine of which fulfilled the inclusion criteria. High methodological quality was found in five of these studies. Meta-analysis indicated a large effect of mat Pilates on dynamic balance (standardized mean difference = 1.10, 95% confidence interval = 0.29-1.90), muscle strength (standardized mean difference = 1.13, 95% confidence interval = 0.30-1.96), flexibility (standardized mean difference = 1.22, 95% confidence interval = 0.39-2.04), and cardiorespiratory fitness (standardized mean difference = 1.48, 95% confidence interval = 0.42-2.54) of elderly subjects. There is evidence that mat Pilates improves dynamic balance, lower limb strength, hip and lower back flexibility, and cardiovascular endurance in elderly individuals. Furthermore, high-quality studies are necessary to clarify the effects of mat Pilates on other physical functional measurements among older adults.

  3. 34 CFR 403.202 - What must each State's system of core standards and measures of performance include?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... academic skills; (2) One or more measures of the following: (i) Student competency attainment. (ii) Job or... skills in the industry the student is preparing to enter. (iii) Retention in school or completion of... appropriate, for consistency with— (1) Standards and measures developed under job opportunities and basic...

  4. Student Science Achievement and the Integration of Indigenous Knowledge on Standardized Tests

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dupuis, Juliann; Abrams, Eleanor

    2017-01-01

    In this article, we examine how American Indian students in Montana performed on standardized state science assessments when a small number of test items based upon traditional science knowledge from a cultural curriculum, "Indian Education for All", were included. Montana is the first state in the US to mandate the use of a culturally…

  5. Reproductive Performance of Mice in Disposable and Standard Individually Ventilated Cages

    PubMed Central

    Ferguson, Danielle R; Bailey, Michele M

    2013-01-01

    This study assessed the reproductive performance of mice housed in 2 types of individually ventilated caging systems. Breeding pairs from 48 female and 24 male mice of 3 established transgenic mouse breeding colonies were placed in either a standard or disposable ventilated caging system. For 3 breeding cycles, the number of pups born, pup survival rate to weaning, time interval between litters, and pup weights were monitored for each breeding pair. Disposable and standard cages were maintained in the same location during breeding. Environmental parameters included intracage temperature, humidity, and ammonia and carbon dioxide levels and room light intensity and sound. Overall, 776 offspring were produced. Breeding performance did not differ significantly between the 2 cage types. By 11 wk of age, the weights of pups from both cage types were equivalent. The intracage temperature was 1.1 °F warmer and light intensity at the site of the nest was 34 lx dimmer in disposable cages than in standard caging. The difference in lighting likely was due to nest location; the nests in the disposable cages were at the back of the cages and away from the anterior air supply, whereas in standard caging, nests were at the front of the cages, with the air supply at the rear. Under these husbandry conditions, mice housed in disposable caging systems have comparable breeding performance to those housed in standard individually ventilated cages. PMID:23849403

  6. Approach for Configuring a Standardized Vessel for Processing Radioactive Waste Slurries

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

    Bamberger, Judith A.; Enderlin, Carl W.; Minette, Michael J.

    2015-09-10

    A standardized vessel design is being considered at the Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) that is under construction at Hanford, Washington. The standardized vessel design will be used for storing, blending, and chemical processing of slurries that exhibit a variable process feed including Newtonian to non-Newtonian rheologies over a range of solids loadings. Developing a standardized vessel is advantageous and reduces the testing required to evaluate the performance of the design. The objectives of this paper are to: 1) present a design strategy for developing a standard vessel mixing system design for the pretreatment portion of the waste treatmentmore » plant that must process rheologically and physically challenging process streams, 2) identify performance criteria that the design for the standard vessel must satisfy, 3) present parameters that are to be used for assessing the performance criteria, and 4) describe operation of the selected technology. Vessel design performance will be assessed for both Newtonian and non-Newtonian simulants which represent a range of waste types expected during operation. Desired conditions for the vessel operations are the ability to shear the slurry so that flammable gas does not accumulate within the vessel, that settled solids will be mobilized, that contents can be blended, and that contents can be transferred from the vessel. A strategy is presented for adjusting the vessel configuration to ensure that all these conditions are met.« less

  7. A suite of phantom-based test methods for assessing image quality of photoacoustic tomography systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vogt, William C.; Jia, Congxian; Wear, Keith A.; Garra, Brian S.; Pfefer, T. Joshua

    2017-03-01

    As Photoacoustic Tomography (PAT) matures and undergoes clinical translation, objective performance test methods are needed to facilitate device development, regulatory clearance and clinical quality assurance. For mature medical imaging modalities such as CT, MRI, and ultrasound, tissue-mimicking phantoms are frequently incorporated into consensus standards for performance testing. A well-validated set of phantom-based test methods is needed for evaluating performance characteristics of PAT systems. To this end, we have constructed phantoms using a custom tissue-mimicking material based on PVC plastisol with tunable, biologically-relevant optical and acoustic properties. Each phantom is designed to enable quantitative assessment of one or more image quality characteristics including 3D spatial resolution, spatial measurement accuracy, ultrasound/PAT co-registration, uniformity, penetration depth, geometric distortion, sensitivity, and linearity. Phantoms contained targets including high-intensity point source targets and dye-filled tubes. This suite of phantoms was used to measure the dependence of performance of a custom PAT system (equipped with four interchangeable linear array transducers of varying design) on design parameters (e.g., center frequency, bandwidth, element geometry). Phantoms also allowed comparison of image artifacts, including surface-generated clutter and bandlimited sensing artifacts. Results showed that transducer design parameters create strong variations in performance including a trade-off between resolution and penetration depth, which could be quantified with our method. This study demonstrates the utility of phantom-based image quality testing in device performance assessment, which may guide development of consensus standards for PAT systems.

  8. Verbal and Nonverbal Predictors of Spelling Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sadoski, Mark; Willson, Victor L.; Holcomb, Angelia; Boulware-Gooden, Regina

    2005-01-01

    Verbal and nonverbal predictors of spelling performance in Grades 1-12 were investigated using the national norming data from a standardized spelling test. Verbal variables included number of letters, phonemes, syllables, digraphs, blends, silent markers, r-controlled vowels, and the proportion of grapheme-phoneme correspondence. The nonverbal…

  9. Progress and Promise: Results from the Boston Pilot Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tung, Rosann; Ouimette, Monique; Rugen, Leah

    2006-01-01

    New research conducted by Boston's Center for Collaborative Education documents significant achievement by students who attend the city's Pilot Schools. Pilot School students are performing better than the district averages across every indicator of student engagement and performance, including the statewide standardized assessment (MCAS). In…

  10. 40 CFR 86.1823-01 - Durability demonstration procedures for exhaust emissions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...) Discussion of the manufacturer's in-use verification procedures including testing performed, vehicle... performed should also be documented in the manufacturer's submission. The in-use verification program shall...), the Alternate Service Accumulation Durability Program described in § 86.094-13(e) or the Standard Self...

  11. 40 CFR 60.111 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... petroleum liquid being contained, and is equipped with a closure seal or seals to close the space between... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Storage Vessels for Petroleum Liquids for... container used for the storage of petroleum liquids, but does not include: (1) Pressure vessels which are...

  12. 40 CFR 60.111 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... petroleum liquid being contained, and is equipped with a closure seal or seals to close the space between... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Storage Vessels for Petroleum Liquids for... container used for the storage of petroleum liquids, but does not include: (1) Pressure vessels which are...

  13. 40 CFR 60.111 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... petroleum liquid being contained, and is equipped with a closure seal or seals to close the space between... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Storage Vessels for Petroleum Liquids for... container used for the storage of petroleum liquids, but does not include: (1) Pressure vessels which are...

  14. 40 CFR 60.111 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... petroleum liquid being contained, and is equipped with a closure seal or seals to close the space between... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Storage Vessels for Petroleum Liquids for... container used for the storage of petroleum liquids, but does not include: (1) Pressure vessels which are...

  15. 40 CFR 60.111 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... petroleum liquid being contained, and is equipped with a closure seal or seals to close the space between... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Storage Vessels for Petroleum Liquids for... container used for the storage of petroleum liquids, but does not include: (1) Pressure vessels which are...

  16. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Revised 2017 Scope of Practice for the Nutrition and Dietetics Technician, Registered.

    PubMed

    2018-02-01

    The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Academy) is the world's largest organization of food and nutrition professionals and the association that represents credentialed nutrition and dietetics practitioners-nutrition and dietetics technicians, registered (NDTRs) and registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs). An NDTR's scope of practice in nutrition and dietetics has flexible boundaries to capture the depth and breadth of the individual's practice. The NDTR's practice expands with advances in many areas, including nutrition, food production, food safety, food systems management, health care, public health, community health, and information and communication technology. The Revised 2017 Scope of Practice for the NDTR reflects the position of the Academy on the essential role of the NDTR in the management and delivery of food and nutrition services. The scope of practice for the NDTR is composed of education and credentialing, practice resources, Academy Standards of Practice and Standards of Professional Performance, codes of ethics, accreditation standards, state and federal regulations, national guidelines, and organizational policy and procedures. The Revised 2017 Scope of Practice for the NDTR is used in conjunction with the Revised 2017 Standards of Practice in Nutrition Care and the Standards of Professional Performance for NDTRs. The Standards of Practice address activities related to direct patient and client care. The Standards of Professional Performance address behaviors related to the technical role of NDTRs. These standards reflect the minimum competent level of nutrition and dietetics practice and professional performance for NDTRs. A companion document addresses the scope of practice for the RDN. Copyright © 2018 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Experimental investigations and guidelines for PCB design for a fuel injection ECU to meet automotive environmental, EMI/EMC and ESD standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalyankar-Narwade, Supriya; Kumar, C. Ramesh; Patil, Sanjay A.

    2017-11-01

    Engine Management ECU plays a vital role in controlling different important features related to the engine performance. ECU is an embedded system which includes hardware and firmware platform for control logics. However, it is necessary to verify its smooth performance by its functionality testing in the Electromagnetic environment for approval. If these requirements are not known at earlier stages, then ECU may not fulfil functional requirements during required automotive electronic test standards. Hence, focusing on EMS ECU, this paper highlights hardware, layout and software guidelines for solving problems related with Electromagnetic Interference (EMI) to comply ISO 7637, CISPR 25 standard, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) to comply ISO 11452-4,5 standard, Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) to comply ISO 10605 standard and Environmental Testing to comply standards as per IEC standards. This paper specifies initially the importance, need and guidelines for reducing the EMI effect on PCB i.e. making ECU more electromagnetically compatible as per automotive standards. The guidelines are useful for the designers to avoid pitfalls at the later stage. After mentioned modifications in the paper, ECU successfully passed the requirements for all standard tests.

  18. Measurement of Energy Performances for General-Structured Servers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Ren; Chen, Lili; Li, Pengcheng; Liu, Meng; Chen, Haihong

    2017-11-01

    Energy consumption of servers in data centers increases rapidly along with the wide application of Internet and connected devices. To improve the energy efficiency of servers, voluntary or mandatory energy efficiency programs for servers, including voluntary label program or mandatory energy performance standards have been adopted or being prepared in the US, EU and China. However, the energy performance of servers and testing methods of servers are not well defined. This paper presents matrices to measure the energy performances of general-structured servers. The impacts of various components of servers on their energy performances are also analyzed. Based on a set of normalized workload, the author proposes a standard method for testing energy efficiency of servers. Pilot tests are conducted to assess the energy performance testing methods of servers. The findings of the tests are discussed in the paper.

  19. Body mass index predicts selected physical fitness attributes but is not associated with performance on military relevant tasks in U.S. Army Soldiers.

    PubMed

    Pierce, Joseph R; DeGroot, David W; Grier, Tyson L; Hauret, Keith G; Nindl, Bradley C; East, Whitfield B; McGurk, Michael S; Jones, Bruce H

    2017-11-01

    Army body composition standards are based upon validated criteria; however, certain field-expedient methodologies (e.g., weight-for-height, body mass index [BMI]) may disqualify individuals from service who may otherwise excel on physical performance and military-relevant tasks. The purpose was to assess soldier physical performance and military-specific task/fitness performance stratified by BMI. Cross-sectional observational study. Male (n=275) and female (n=46) soldiers performed a wide-array of physical fitness tests and military-specific tasks, including the Army physical fitness test (APFT). Within-sex performance data were analyzed by BMI tertile stratification or by Army Body Composition Program (ABCP) weight-for-height (calculated BMI) screening standards using ANOVA/Tukey post-hoc or independent t-tests, respectively. BMI stratification (higher vs. lower BMI) was associated with significant improvements in muscular strength and power, but also with decrements in speed/agility in male and female soldiers. Within the military specific tasks, a higher BMI was associated with an increased APFT 2-Mile Run time; however, performance on a 1600-m Loaded March or a Warrior Task and Battle Drill obstacle course was not related to BMI in either sex. Male and Female soldiers who did not meet ABCP screening standards demonstrated a slower 2-Mile Run time; however, not meeting the ABCP BMI standard only affected a minimal number (∼6%) of soldiers' ability to pass the APFT. Military body composition standards require a careful balance between physical performance, health, and military readiness. Allowances should be considered where tradeoffs exist between body composition classifications and performance on physical tasks with high military relevance. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Student science achievement and the integration of Indigenous knowledge on standardized tests

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dupuis, Juliann; Abrams, Eleanor

    2017-09-01

    In this article, we examine how American Indian students in Montana performed on standardized state science assessments when a small number of test items based upon traditional science knowledge from a cultural curriculum, "Indian Education for All", were included. Montana is the first state in the US to mandate the use of a culturally relevant curriculum in all schools and to incorporate this curriculum into a portion of the standardized assessment items. This study compares White and American Indian student test scores on these particular test items to determine how White and American Indian students perform on culturally relevant test items compared to traditional standard science test items. The connections between student achievement on adapted culturally relevant science test items versus traditional items brings valuable insights to the fields of science education, research on student assessments, and Indigenous studies.

  1. 6 CFR 27.225 - Site security plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... performance standards and potential modes of terrorist attack including, as applicable, vehicle-borne explosive devices, water-borne explosive devices, ground assault, or other modes or potential modes...

  2. 6 CFR 27.225 - Site security plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... performance standards and potential modes of terrorist attack including, as applicable, vehicle-borne explosive devices, water-borne explosive devices, ground assault, or other modes or potential modes...

  3. 6 CFR 27.225 - Site security plans.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... performance standards and potential modes of terrorist attack including, as applicable, vehicle-borne explosive devices, water-borne explosive devices, ground assault, or other modes or potential modes...

  4. Teachable, high-content analytics for live-cell, phase contrast movies.

    PubMed

    Alworth, Samuel V; Watanabe, Hirotada; Lee, James S J

    2010-09-01

    CL-Quant is a new solution platform for broad, high-content, live-cell image analysis. Powered by novel machine learning technologies and teach-by-example interfaces, CL-Quant provides a platform for the rapid development and application of scalable, high-performance, and fully automated analytics for a broad range of live-cell microscopy imaging applications, including label-free phase contrast imaging. The authors used CL-Quant to teach off-the-shelf universal analytics, called standard recipes, for cell proliferation, wound healing, cell counting, and cell motility assays using phase contrast movies collected on the BioStation CT and BioStation IM platforms. Similar to application modules, standard recipes are intended to work robustly across a wide range of imaging conditions without requiring customization by the end user. The authors validated the performance of the standard recipes by comparing their performance with truth created manually, or by custom analytics optimized for each individual movie (and therefore yielding the best possible result for the image), and validated by independent review. The validation data show that the standard recipes' performance is comparable with the validated truth with low variation. The data validate that the CL-Quant standard recipes can provide robust results without customization for live-cell assays in broad cell types and laboratory settings.

  5. Evaluation of a new automated instrument for pretransfusion testing.

    PubMed

    Morelati, F; Revelli, N; Maffei, L M; Poretti, M; Santoro, C; Parravicini, A; Rebulla, P; Cole, R; Sirchia, G

    1998-10-01

    A number of automated devices for pretransfusion testing have recently become available. This study evaluated a fully automated device based on column agglutination technology (AutoVue System, Ortho, Raritan, NJ). Some 6747 tests including forward and reverse ABO group, Rh type and phenotype, antibody screen, autocontrol, and crossmatch were performed on random samples from 1069 blood donors, 2063 patients, and 98 newborns and cord blood. Also tested were samples from 168 immunized patients and 53 donors expressing weak or variant A and D antigens. Test results and technician times required for their performance were compared with those obtained by standard methods (manual column agglutination technology, slide, semiautomatic handler). No erroneous conclusions were found in regard to the 5028 ABO group and Rh type or phenotype determinations carried out with the device. The device rejected 1.53 percent of tests for sample inadequacy. Of the remaining 18 tests with discrepant results found with the device and not confirmed with the standard methods, 6 gave such results because of mixed-field reactions, 10 gave negative results with A2 RBCs in reverse ABO grouping, and 2 gave very weak positive reactions in antibody screening and crossmatching. In the samples from immunized patients, the device missed one weak anti-K, whereas standard methods missed five weak antibodies. In addition, 48, 34, and 31 of the 53 weak or variant antigens were detected by the device, the slide method, and the semiautomated handler, respectively. Technician time with the standard methods was 1.6 to 7 times higher than that with the device. The technical performance of the device compared favorably with that of standard methods, with a number of advantages, including in particular the saving of technician time. Sample inadequacy was the most common cause of discrepancy, which suggests that standardization of sample collection can further improve the performance of the device.

  6. High-definition television evaluation for remote handling task performance

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fujita, Y.; Omori, E.; Hayashi, S.; Draper, J. V.; Herndon, J. N.

    Described are experiments designed to evaluate the impact of HDTV (High-Definition Television) on the performance of typical remote tasks. The experiments described in this paper compared the performance of four operators using HDTV with their performance while using other television systems. The experiments included four television systems: (1) high-definition color television, (2) high-definition monochromatic television, (3) standard-resolution monochromatic television, and (4) standard-resolution stereoscopic monochromatic television. The stereo system accomplished stereoscopy by displaying two cross-polarized images, one reflected by a half-silvered mirror and one seen through the mirror. Observers wore spectacles with cross-polarized lenses so that the left eye received only the view from the left camera and the right eye received only the view from the right camera.

  7. Timing and frequency considerations in the worldwide testing of a spread spectrum communication system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodring, D. G.; Nichols, S. A.; Swanson, R.

    1979-01-01

    During 1978 and 1979, an Air Force C-135 test aircraft was flown to various locations in the North and South Atlantic and Pacific Oceans for satellite communications experiments. A part of the equipment tested on the aircraft was the SEACOM spread spectrum modem. The SEACOM modem operated at X band frequency from the aircraft via the DSCS II satellite to a ground station. For data to be phased successfully, it was necessary to maintain independent time and frequency accuracy over relatively long periods of time (up to two weeks) on the aircraft and at the ground station. To achieve this goal, two Efratom atomic frequency standards were used. The performance of these frequency standards as used in the spread spectrum modem is discussed, including the effects of high relative velocity, synchronization and the effects of the frequency standards on data performance is discussed. The aircraft environment, which includes extremes of temperature, as well as long periods of shutdown followed by rapid warmup requirements, is also discussed.

  8. What's the Problem? Familiarity Working Memory, and Transfer in a Problem-Solving Task.

    PubMed

    Kole, James A; Snyder, Hannah R; Brojde, Chandra L; Friend, Angela

    2015-01-01

    The contributions of familiarity and working memory to transfer were examined in the Tower of Hanoi task. Participants completed 3 different versions of the task: a standard 3-disk version, a clothing exchange task that included familiar semantic content, and a tea ceremony task that included unfamiliar semantic content. The constraints on moves were equivalent across tasks, and each could be solved with the same sequence of movements. Working memory demands were manipulated by the provision of a (static or dynamic) visual representation of the problem. Performance was equivalent for the standard Tower of Hanoi and clothing exchange tasks but worse for the tea ceremony task, and it decreased with increasing working memory demands. Furthermore, the standard Tower of Hanoi task and clothing exchange tasks independently, additively, and equivalently transferred to subsequent tasks, whereas the tea ceremony task did not. The results suggest that both familiarity and working memory demands determine overall level of performance, whereas familiarity influences transfer.

  9. Clinical Assessment of Risk Management: an INtegrated Approach (CARMINA).

    PubMed

    Tricarico, Pierfrancesco; Tardivo, Stefano; Sotgiu, Giovanni; Moretti, Francesca; Poletti, Piera; Fiore, Alberto; Monturano, Massimo; Mura, Ida; Privitera, Gaetano; Brusaferro, Silvio

    2016-08-08

    Purpose - The European Union recommendations for patient safety calls for shared clinical risk management (CRM) safety standards able to guide organizations in CRM implementation. The purpose of this paper is to develop a self-evaluation tool to measure healthcare organization performance on CRM and guide improvements over time. Design/methodology/approach - A multi-step approach was implemented including: a systematic literature review; consensus meetings with an expert panel from eight Italian leader organizations to get to an agreement on the first version; field testing to test instrument feasibility and flexibility; Delphi strategy with a second expert panel for content validation and balanced scoring system development. Findings - The self-assessment tool - Clinical Assessment of Risk Management: an INtegrated Approach includes seven areas (governance, communication, knowledge and skills, safe environment, care processes, adverse event management, learning from experience) and 52 standards. Each standard is evaluated according to four performance levels: minimum; monitoring; outcomes; and improvement actions, which resulted in a feasible, flexible and valid instrument to be used throughout different organizations. Practical implications - This tool allows practitioners to assess their CRM activities compared to minimum levels, monitor performance, benchmarking with other institutions and spreading results to different stakeholders. Originality/value - The multi-step approach allowed us to identify core minimum CRM levels in a field where no consensus has been reached. Most standards may be easily adopted in other countries.

  10. Standards for midwife practitioners of external cephalic version: A Delphi study.

    PubMed

    Walker, Shawn; Perilakalathil, Prasanth; Moore, Jenny; Gibbs, Claire L; Reavell, Karen; Crozier, Kenda

    2015-05-01

    expansion of advanced and specialist midwifery practitioner roles across professional boundaries requires an evidence-based framework to evaluate achievement and maintenance of competency. In order to develop the role of Breech Specialist Midwife to include the autonomous performance of external cephalic version within one hospital, guidance was required on standards of training and skill development, particularly in the use of ultrasound. a three-round Delphi survey was used to determine consensus among an expert panel, including highly experienced obstetric and midwife practitioners, as well as sonographers. The first round used mostly open-ended questions to gather data, from which statements were formed and returned to the panel for evaluation in subsequent rounds. standards for achieving and maintaining competence to perform ECV, and in the use of basic third trimester ultrasound as part of this practice, should be the same for midwives and doctors. The maintenance of proficiency requires regular practice. midwives can appropriately expand their sphere of practice to include ECV and basic third trimester ultrasound, according to internal guidelines, following the completion of a competency-based training programme roughly equivalent to those used to guide obstetric training. Ideally, ECV services should be offered in organised clinics where individual practitioners in either profession are able to perform approximately 30 or more ECVs per year in order to maintain an appropriate level of skill. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Amendments to the Center for Devices and Radiological Health federal performance standard for laser products.

    PubMed

    Dennis, J E

    1997-12-01

    Federal law requires that all laser products that are imported into or introduced into commerce in the United States comply with the performance standard published in the Code of Federal Regulations (CRF), Title 21, Parts 1040.10 and 1040.11, administered by the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), US Food and Drug Administration. Although it contains somewhat different requirements for hazard classification, engineering controls and labeling, the ANSI Z136.1 standard defers to the CDRH standard. The CDRH standard became effective in August, 1976 and was amended, in 1978 and also in 1985. In the early 1990s, US experts met to formulate an approach to bring the requirements of the CDRH standard and those of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standard, IEC 825, into closer agreement in order to lower barriers to international trade and to remove any excessive compliance burdens on manufacturers. In 1993, the CDRH published, formally in the Federal Register and informally, a Notice of Intent to amend the CDRH standard. Responses to those notices have now been analyzed and informal draft amendments were distributed in 1996. This draft is now being prepared for formal issuance as a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. Meanwhile, the IEC standard was amended in 1993 and republished as IEC 825-1; these amendments created considerable controversy since they resulted in over classification of the hazard of many products, especially light emitting diodes (LEDs) that have a large divergence and increased source dimensions. Additional amendments are now being developed to correct this problem. The CDRH has carefully monitored developments in the IEC and actively participated in its proceedings as a guide in developing its own proposal. This paper describes the major changes that are being proposed for the CDRH standard and presents some rationale for the major changes. The more significant changes include expansion of applicability to include LEDs, reduced emission durations for classification, revised measurement for hazard classification, reduced performance requirements for lower power visible radiation products, and revised requirements for medical products.

  12. 33 CFR 332.6 - Monitoring.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...., forested wetlands, bogs). Following project implementation, the district engineer may reduce or waive the... performance standards, and may include plans (such as as-built plans), maps, and photographs to illustrate...

  13. 6 CFR 27.230 - Risk-based performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... countersurveillance, frustration of opportunity to observe potential targets, surveillance and sensing systems, and..., including by preventing unauthorized onsite or remote access to critical process controls, such as...

  14. 6 CFR 27.230 - Risk-based performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... countersurveillance, frustration of opportunity to observe potential targets, surveillance and sensing systems, and..., including by preventing unauthorized onsite or remote access to critical process controls, such as...

  15. 6 CFR 27.230 - Risk-based performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... countersurveillance, frustration of opportunity to observe potential targets, surveillance and sensing systems, and..., including by preventing unauthorized onsite or remote access to critical process controls, such as...

  16. 6 CFR 27.230 - Risk-based performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... countersurveillance, frustration of opportunity to observe potential targets, surveillance and sensing systems, and..., including by preventing unauthorized onsite or remote access to critical process controls, such as...

  17. 6 CFR 27.230 - Risk-based performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... countersurveillance, frustration of opportunity to observe potential targets, surveillance and sensing systems, and..., including by preventing unauthorized onsite or remote access to critical process controls, such as...

  18. Managing for Results--Linking Performance Measures and Budgets.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McGee, William L.; Fountain, James R., Jr.

    1995-01-01

    The Government Accounting Standards Board notion of service efforts and accomplishments reporting is one step in a process of managing for results that includes strategic planning, development and use of performance measures of managing ongoing programs, and outputs to budgetary appropriation. Reports a trial application to one school district.…

  19. Exploring the Impact of Mental Workload on Rater-Based Assessments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tavares, Walter; Eva, Kevin W.

    2013-01-01

    When appraising the performance of others, assessors must acquire relevant information and process it in a meaningful way in order to translate it effectively into ratings, comments, or judgments about how well the performance meets appropriate standards. Rater-based assessment strategies in health professional education, including scale and…

  20. 40 CFR 60.111a - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Storage Vessels for Petroleum Liquids for..., reservoir, or container used for the storage of petroleum liquids, but does not include: (1) Pressure... tanks if the total volume of petroleum liquids added to and taken from a tank annually does not exceed...

  1. 40 CFR 60.111a - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Storage Vessels for Petroleum Liquids for..., reservoir, or container used for the storage of petroleum liquids, but does not include: (1) Pressure... tanks if the total volume of petroleum liquids added to and taken from a tank annually does not exceed...

  2. 40 CFR 60.111a - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Storage Vessels for Petroleum Liquids for..., reservoir, or container used for the storage of petroleum liquids, but does not include: (1) Pressure... tanks if the total volume of petroleum liquids added to and taken from a tank annually does not exceed...

  3. 40 CFR 60.111a - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Storage Vessels for Petroleum Liquids for..., reservoir, or container used for the storage of petroleum liquids, but does not include: (1) Pressure... tanks if the total volume of petroleum liquids added to and taken from a tank annually does not exceed...

  4. 40 CFR 60.111a - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Standards of Performance for Storage Vessels for Petroleum Liquids for..., reservoir, or container used for the storage of petroleum liquids, but does not include: (1) Pressure... tanks if the total volume of petroleum liquids added to and taken from a tank annually does not exceed...

  5. 21 CFR 900.23 - Evaluation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Evaluation. 900.23 Section 900.23 Food and Drugs... STANDARDS ACT MAMMOGRAPHY States as Certifiers § 900.23 Evaluation. FDA shall evaluate annually the performance of each certification agency. The evaluation shall include the use of performance indicators that...

  6. Perkins Core Performance Measures: Results and Targets, 1999-2000.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McHewitt, Earl R.; Taylor, Garry

    This document describes the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Core Indicators for the Perkins III Core Performance Standards and Measures. Core indicators and measures include: (1) student attainment, measured by academic and technical skills; (2) completion, measured by graduation rate; (3) placement and persistence, measured by placement,…

  7. Extended Techniques in Trumpet Performance and Pedagogy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cherry, Amy K.

    2009-01-01

    The impetus for this study was the question of whether extended techniques are actually being taught in college trumpet studio settings as standard skills necessary on the instrument. The specific purposes of this document included: (1) catalogue the extended techniques available to today's trumpet performer, (2) reflect on their current use and…

  8. Computation of ancestry scores with mixed families and unrelated individuals.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Yi-Hui; Marron, James S; Wright, Fred A

    2018-03-01

    The issue of robustness to family relationships in computing genotype ancestry scores such as eigenvector projections has received increased attention in genetic association, and is particularly challenging when sets of both unrelated individuals and closely related family members are included. The current standard is to compute loadings (left singular vectors) using unrelated individuals and to compute projected scores for remaining family members. However, projected ancestry scores from this approach suffer from shrinkage toward zero. We consider two main novel strategies: (i) matrix substitution based on decomposition of a target family-orthogonalized covariance matrix, and (ii) using family-averaged data to obtain loadings. We illustrate the performance via simulations, including resampling from 1000 Genomes Project data, and analysis of a cystic fibrosis dataset. The matrix substitution approach has similar performance to the current standard, but is simple and uses only a genotype covariance matrix, while the family-average method shows superior performance. Our approaches are accompanied by novel ancillary approaches that provide considerable insight, including individual-specific eigenvalue scree plots. © 2017 The Authors. Biometrics published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of International Biometric Society.

  9. Cardiac arrest risk standardization using administrative data compared to registry data

    PubMed Central

    Gaieski, David F.; Donnino, Michael W.; Nelson, Joshua I. M.; Mutter, Eric L.; Carr, Brendan G.; Abella, Benjamin S.; Wiebe, Douglas J.

    2017-01-01

    Background Methods for comparing hospitals regarding cardiac arrest (CA) outcomes, vital for improving resuscitation performance, rely on data collected by cardiac arrest registries. However, most CA patients are treated at hospitals that do not participate in such registries. This study aimed to determine whether CA risk standardization modeling based on administrative data could perform as well as that based on registry data. Methods and results Two risk standardization logistic regression models were developed using 2453 patients treated from 2000–2015 at three hospitals in an academic health system. Registry and administrative data were accessed for all patients. The outcome was death at hospital discharge. The registry model was considered the “gold standard” with which to compare the administrative model, using metrics including comparing areas under the curve, calibration curves, and Bland-Altman plots. The administrative risk standardization model had a c-statistic of 0.891 (95% CI: 0.876–0.905) compared to a registry c-statistic of 0.907 (95% CI: 0.895–0.919). When limited to only non-modifiable factors, the administrative model had a c-statistic of 0.818 (95% CI: 0.799–0.838) compared to a registry c-statistic of 0.810 (95% CI: 0.788–0.831). All models were well-calibrated. There was no significant difference between c-statistics of the models, providing evidence that valid risk standardization can be performed using administrative data. Conclusions Risk standardization using administrative data performs comparably to standardization using registry data. This methodology represents a new tool that can enable opportunities to compare hospital performance in specific hospital systems or across the entire US in terms of survival after CA. PMID:28783754

  10. Performance Based Assessment and Instructional Activities in Communication Arts for Marketing Education. Application Activities for Communications in Marketing, Employment and Advancement, and Selling.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Broeker, Arlene M.

    This document contains performance-based assessment and instructional activities for Missouri high school teachers to use in teaching the communications arts needed by marketing education students. The activities included were developed to reflect Missouri's new Show-Me Standards, which are knowledge (content) and performance (process) standards…

  11. Writing to the Common Core: Teachers' Responses to Changes in Standards and Assessments for Writing in Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wilcox, Kristen Campbell; Jeffery, Jill V.; Gardner-Bixler, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    This multiple case study investigated how the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for writing and teacher evaluation system based in part on CCSS assessments might be influencing writing instruction in elementary schools. The sample included nine schools: Six achieved above-predicted performance on English Language Arts (ELA) as well as prior ELA…

  12. Assessing Growth in Young Children: A Comparison of Raw, Age-Equivalent, and Standard Scores Using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sullivan, Jeremy R.; Winter, Suzanne M.; Sass, Daniel A.; Svenkerud, Nicole

    2014-01-01

    Many tests provide users with several different types of scores to facilitate interpretation and description of students' performance. Common examples include raw scores, age- and grade-equivalent scores, and standard scores. However, when used within the context of assessing growth among young children, these scores should not be interchangeable…

  13. Machine on Trial

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-01

    executed a concerted effort to employ reliability standards and testing from the design phase through fielding. Reliability programs remain standard...performed flight test engineer duties on several developmental flight test programs and served as Chief Engineer for a flight test squadron. Major...Quant is an acquisition professional with over 250 flight test hours in various aircraft, including the F-16, Airborne Laser, and HH-60. She holds a

  14. Oral Reading Fluency and Maze Measures as Predictors of Performance on North Carolina End-of-Grade Assessment of Reading Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Galloway, Tara Watkins

    2010-01-01

    Current legislation (IDEA, 2004; NCLB, 2001) mandates all students, including students with disabilities, demonstrate progress toward the same standards. However, students continue to struggle with attainment of statewide academic standards as measured by high-stakes assessment. The purpose of the current study was to examine the degree that…

  15. Review and Application of ASME NOG-1 and ASME NUM-1-2000

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lytle, Bradford P.; Delgado, H. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    The intent of the workshop is to review the application of the ASME Nuclear Crane Standards ASME NOG-1 and ASME NUM-1-2000. The ASME Nuclear Crane standards provide a basis for purchasing overhead handling equipment with enhanced safety features, based upon accepted engineering principles, and including performance and environmental parameters specific to nuclear facilities.

  16. Performance characteristics of an ion chromatographic method for the quantitation of citrate and phosphate in pharmaceutical solutions.

    PubMed

    Jenke, Dennis; Sadain, Salma; Nunez, Karen; Byrne, Frances

    2007-01-01

    The performance of an ion chromatographic method for measuring citrate and phosphate in pharmaceutical solutions is evaluated. Performance characteristics examined include accuracy, precision, specificity, response linearity, robustness, and the ability to meet system suitability criteria. In general, the method is found to be robust within reasonable deviations from its specified operating conditions. Analytical accuracy is typically 100 +/- 3%, and short-term precision is not more than 1.5% relative standard deviation. The instrument response is linear over a range of 50% to 150% of the standard preparation target concentrations (12 mg/L for phosphate and 20 mg/L for citrate), and the results obtained using a single-point standard versus a calibration curve are essentially equivalent. A small analytical bias is observed and ascribed to the relative purity of the differing salts, used as raw materials in tested finished products and as reference standards in the analytical method. The assay is specific in that no phosphate or citrate peaks are observed in a variety of method-related solutions and matrix blanks (with and without autoclaving). The assay with manual preparation of the eluents is sensitive to the composition of the eluent in the sense that the eluent must be effectively degassed and protected from CO(2) ingress during use. In order for the assay to perform effectively, extensive system equilibration and conditioning is required. However, a properly conditioned and equilibrated system can be used to test a number of samples via chromatographic runs that include many (> 50) injections.

  17. Developing hospital accreditation standards in Uganda.

    PubMed

    Galukande, Moses; Katamba, Achilles; Nakasujja, Noeline; Baingana, Rhona; Bateganya, Moses; Hagopian, Amy; Tavrow, Paula; Barnhart, Scott; Luboga, Sam

    2016-07-01

    Whereas accreditation is widely used as a tool to improve quality of healthcare in the developed world, it is a concept not well adapted in most developing countries for a host of reasons, including insufficient incentives, insufficient training and a shortage of human and material resources. The purpose of this paper is to describe refining use and outcomes of a self-assessment hospital accreditation tool developed for a resource-limited context. We invited 60 stakeholders to review a set of standards (from which a self-assessment tool was developed), and subsequently refined them to include 485 standards in 7 domains. We then invited 60 hospitals to test them. A study team traveled to each of the 40 hospitals that agreed to participate providing training and debrief the self-assessment. The study was completed in 8 weeks. Hospital self-assessments revealed hospitals were remarkably open to frank rating of their performance and willing to rank all 485 measures. Good performance was measured in outreach programs, availability of some types of equipment and running water, 24-h staff calls systems, clinical guidelines and waste segregation. Poor performance was measured in care for the vulnerable, staff living quarters, physician performance reviews, patient satisfaction surveys and sterilizing equipment. We have demonstrated the feasibility of a self-assessment approach to hospital standards in low-income country setting. This low-cost approach may be used as a good precursor to establishing a national accreditation body, as indicated by the Ministry's efforts to take the next steps. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Teacher Effectiveness: An Update on Pennsylvania's Teacher Evaluation System. Issue Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Research For Action, 2013

    2013-01-01

    Act 82 of 2012 established new standards for Pennsylvania's teacher evaluation system, including the incorporation of student performance measures in ratings decisions. Since 2009, approximately 35 states have amended teacher evaluation systems, with student achievement playing an increasingly prominent role. This count includes neighboring…

  19. Care of pediatric tracheostomy in the immediate postoperative period and timing of first tube change.

    PubMed

    Lippert, Dylan; Hoffman, Matthew R; Dang, Phat; McMurray, J Scott; Heatley, Diane; Kille, Tony

    2014-12-01

    To analyze the safety of a standardized pediatric tracheostomy care protocol in the immediate postoperative period and its impact on tracheostomy related complications. Retrospective case series. Pediatric patients undergoing tracheotomy from February 2010-February 2014. In 2012, a standardized protocol was established regarding postoperative pediatric tracheostomy care. This protocol included securing newly placed tracheostomy tubes using a foam strap with hook and loop fastener rather than twill ties, placing a fresh drain sponge around the tracheostomy tube daily, and performing the first tracheostomy tube change on postoperative day 3 or 4. Outcome measures included rate of skin breakdown and presence of a mature stoma allowing for a safe first tracheostomy tube change. Two types of tracheotomy were performed based on patient age: standard pediatric tracheotomy and adult-style tracheotomy with a Bjork flap. Patients were analyzed separately based on age and the type of tracheotomy performed. Thirty-seven patients in the pre-protocol group and 35 in the post-protocol group were analyzed. The rate of skin breakdown was significantly lower in the post-protocol group (standard: p=0.0048; Bjork flap: p=0.0003). In the post-protocol group, all tube changes were safely accomplished on postoperative day three or four, and the stomas were deemed to be adequately matured to do so in all cases. A standardized postoperative pediatric tracheostomy care protocol resulted in decreased rates of skin breakdown and demonstrated that pediatric tracheostomy tubes can be safely changed as early as 3 days postoperatively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. The quest to standardize hemodialysis care.

    PubMed

    Hegbrant, Jörgen; Gentile, Giorgio; Strippoli, Giovanni F M

    2011-01-01

    A large global dialysis provider's core activities include providing dialysis care with excellent quality, ensuring a low variability across the clinic network and ensuring strong focus on patient safety. In this article, we summarize the pertinent components of the quality assurance and safety program of the Diaverum Renal Services Group. Concerning medical performance, the key components of a successful quality program are setting treatment targets; implementing evidence-based guidelines and clinical protocols; consistently, regularly, prospectively and accurately collecting data from all clinics in the network; processing collected data to provide feedback to clinics in a timely manner, incorporating information on interclinic and intercountry variations; and revising targets, guidelines and clinical protocols based on sound scientific data. The key activities for ensuring patient safety include a standardized approach to education, i.e. a uniform education program including control of theoretical knowledge and clinical competencies; implementation of clinical policies and procedures in the organization in order to reduce variability and potential defects in clinic practice; and auditing of clinical practice on a regular basis. By applying a standardized and systematic continuous quality improvement approach throughout the entire organization, it has been possible for Diaverum to progressively improve medical performance and ensure patient safety. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  1. NEMA NU 4-2008 comparison of preclinical PET imaging systems.

    PubMed

    Goertzen, Andrew L; Bao, Qinan; Bergeron, Mélanie; Blankemeyer, Eric; Blinder, Stephan; Cañadas, Mario; Chatziioannou, Arion F; Dinelle, Katherine; Elhami, Esmat; Jans, Hans-Sonke; Lage, Eduardo; Lecomte, Roger; Sossi, Vesna; Surti, Suleman; Tai, Yuan-Chuan; Vaquero, Juan José; Vicente, Esther; Williams, Darin A; Laforest, Richard

    2012-08-01

    The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) standard NU 4-2008 for performance measurements of small-animal tomographs was recently published. Before this standard, there were no standard testing procedures for preclinical PET systems, and manufacturers could not provide clear specifications similar to those available for clinical systems under NEMA NU 2-1994 and 2-2001. Consequently, performance evaluation papers used methods that were modified ad hoc from the clinical PET NEMA standard, thus making comparisons between systems difficult. We acquired NEMA NU 4-2008 performance data for a collection of commercial animal PET systems manufactured since 2000: microPET P4, microPET R4, microPET Focus 120, microPET Focus 220, Inveon, ClearPET, Mosaic HP, Argus (formerly eXplore Vista), VrPET, LabPET 8, and LabPET 12. The data included spatial resolution, counting-rate performance, scatter fraction, sensitivity, and image quality and were acquired using settings for routine PET. The data showed a steady improvement in system performance for newer systems as compared with first-generation systems, with notable improvements in spatial resolution and sensitivity. Variation in system design makes direct comparisons between systems from different vendors difficult. When considering the results from NEMA testing, one must also consider the suitability of the PET system for the specific imaging task at hand.

  2. Near-infrared fluorescence image quality test methods for standardized performance evaluation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kanniyappan, Udayakumar; Wang, Bohan; Yang, Charles; Ghassemi, Pejhman; Wang, Quanzeng; Chen, Yu; Pfefer, Joshua

    2017-03-01

    Near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging has gained much attention as a clinical method for enhancing visualization of cancers, perfusion and biological structures in surgical applications where a fluorescent dye is monitored by an imaging system. In order to address the emerging need for standardization of this innovative technology, it is necessary to develop and validate test methods suitable for objective, quantitative assessment of device performance. Towards this goal, we develop target-based test methods and investigate best practices for key NIRF imaging system performance characteristics including spatial resolution, depth of field and sensitivity. Characterization of fluorescence properties was performed by generating excitation-emission matrix properties of indocyanine green and quantum dots in biological solutions and matrix materials. A turbid, fluorophore-doped target was used, along with a resolution target for assessing image sharpness. Multi-well plates filled with either liquid or solid targets were generated to explore best practices for evaluating detection sensitivity. Overall, our results demonstrate the utility of objective, quantitative, target-based testing approaches as well as the need to consider a wide range of factors in establishing standardized approaches for NIRF imaging system performance.

  3. Performing skin microbiome research: A method to the madness

    PubMed Central

    Kong, Heidi H.; Andersson, Björn; Clavel, Thomas; Common, John E.; Jackson, Scott A.; Olson, Nathan D.; Segre, Julia A.; Traidl-Hoffmann, Claudia

    2017-01-01

    Growing interest in microbial contributions to human health and disease has increasingly led investigators to examine the microbiome in both healthy skin and cutaneous disorders, including acne, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. The need for common language, effective study design, and validated methods are critical for high-quality, standardized research. Features, unique to skin, pose particular challenges when conducting microbiome research. This review discusses microbiome research standards and highlights important factors to consider, including clinical study design, skin sampling, sample processing, DNA sequencing, control inclusion, and data analysis. PMID:28063650

  4. Stereotype threat? Effects of inquiring about test takers' gender on conceptual test performance in physics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maries, Alexandru; Singh, Chandralekha

    2015-12-01

    It has been found that activation of a stereotype, for example by indicating one's gender before a test, typically alters performance in a way consistent with the stereotype, an effect called "stereotype threat." On a standardized conceptual physics assessment, we found that asking test takers to indicate their gender right before taking the test did not deteriorate performance compared to an equivalent group who did not provide gender information. Although a statistically significant gender gap was present on the standardized test whether or not students indicated their gender, no gender gap was observed on the multiple-choice final exam students took, which included both quantitative and conceptual questions on similar topics.

  5. Setting performance standards for medical practice: a theoretical framework.

    PubMed

    Southgate, L; Hays, R B; Norcini, J; Mulholland, H; Ayers, B; Woolliscroft, J; Cusimano, M; McAvoy, P; Ainsworth, M; Haist, S; Campbell, M

    2001-05-01

    The assessment of performance in the real world of medical practice is now widely accepted as the goal of assessment at the postgraduate level. This is largely a validity issue, as it is recognised that tests of knowledge and in clinical simulations cannot on their own really measure how medical practitioners function in the broader health care system. However, the development of standards for performance-based assessment is not as well understood as in competency assessment, where simulations can more readily reflect narrower issues of knowledge and skills. This paper proposes a theoretical framework for the development of standards that reflect the more complex world in which experienced medical practitioners work. The paper reflects the combined experiences of a group of education researchers and the results of literature searches that included identifying current health system data sources that might contribute information to the measurement of standards. Standards that reflect the complexity of medical practice may best be developed through an "expert systems" analysis of clinical conditions for which desired health care outcomes reflect the contribution of several health professionals within a complex, three-dimensional, contextual model. Examples of the model are provided, but further work is needed to test validity and measurability.

  6. ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1-2010 Performance Rating Method Reference Manual

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

    Goel, Supriya; Rosenberg, Michael I.

    This document is intended to be a reference manual for the Appendix G Performance Rating Method (PRM) of ANSI/ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1- 2010 (Standard 90.1-2010).The PRM is used for rating the energy efficiency of commercial and high-rise residential buildings with designs that exceed the requirements of Standard 90.1. The procedures and processes described in this manual are designed to provide consistency and accuracy by filling in gaps and providing additional details needed by users of the PRM. It should be noted that this document is created independently from ASHRAE and SSPC 90.1 and is not sanctioned nor approved by either ofmore » those entities . Potential users of this manual include energy modelers, software developers and implementers of “beyond code” energy programs. Energy modelers using ASHRAE Standard 90.1-2010 for beyond code programs can use this document as a reference manual for interpreting requirements of the Performance Rating method. Software developers, developing tools for automated creation of the baseline model can use this reference manual as a guideline for developing the rules for the baseline model.« less

  7. Aircraft Power-Plant Instruments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sontag, Harcourt; Brombacher, W G

    1934-01-01

    This report supersedes NACA-TR-129 which is now obsolete. Aircraft power-plant instruments include tachometers, engine thermometers, pressure gages, fuel-quantity gages, fuel flow meters and indicators, and manifold pressure gages. The report includes a description of the commonly used types and some others, the underlying principle utilized in the design, and some design data. The inherent errors of the instrument, the methods of making laboratory tests, descriptions of the test apparatus, and data in considerable detail in the performance of commonly used instruments are presented. Standard instruments and, in cases where it appears to be of interest, those used as secondary standards are described. A bibliography of important articles is included.

  8. Functions of standard CPR training on performance qualities of medical volunteers for Mt. Taishan International Mounting Festival.

    PubMed

    Fanshan, Meng; Lin, Zhao; Wenqing, Liu; Chunlei, Lu; Yongqiang, Liu; Naiyi, Li

    2013-01-01

    Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) is a sudden emergency procedure that requires a rapid and efficient response, and personnel training in lifesaving procedures. Regular practice and training are necessary to improve resuscitation skills and reduce anxiety among the staff. As one of the most important skills mastered by medical volunteers serving for Mt. Taishan International Mounting Festival, we randomly selected some of them to evaluate the quality of CPR operation and compared the result with that of the untrained doctors and nurses. In order to evaluate the functions of repeating standard CPR training on performance qualities of medical volunteers for Mt. Taishan International Mounting Festival, their performance qualities of CPR were compared with those of the untrained medical workers working in emergency departments of hospitals in Taian. The CPR performance qualities of 52 medical volunteers (Standard Training Group), who had continually taken part in standard CPR technical training for six months, were tested at random and were compared with those of 68 medical workers (Compared Group) working in emergency departments of hospitals in Taian who hadn't attended CPR training within a year. The QCPR 3535 monitor (provided by Philips Company) was used to measure the standard degree of single simulated CPR performance, including the chest compression depth, frequency, released pressure between compressions and performance time of compression and ventilation, the results of which were recorded in the table and the number of practical compression per minute was calculated. The data were analyzed by x2 Test and t Test. The factors which would influence CPR performance, including gender, age, placement, hand skill, posture of compression and frequency of training, were classified and given parameters, and were put to Logistic repression analysis. The CPR performance qualities of volunteers were much higher than those of the compared group. The overall pass rates were respectively 86.4% and 31.9%; the pass rates of medical volunteers in terms of the chest compression depth, frequency, released pressure between compressions were higher than those of the compared group, which were 89.6%, 94.2%, 95.8% vs 50.3%, 53.0%, 83.1%, P<0.01; there were few differences in overall performance time, which were (118.4 ± 13.5s) vs (116.0 ± 10.4s), P>0.05; the duration time of ventilation in each performance section was much shorter than that in the compared group, which were (6.38 ± 1.2) vs (7.47 ± 1.7), P<0.01; there were few differences in the number of practical compression per minute, which were (78.2 ± 3.5) vs (78.8 ± 12.2), P>0.05); the time proportion of compression and ventilation was 2.6:1 vs 2.1:1. The Logistic repression analysis showed that CPR performance qualities were clearly related to hand skill, posture of compression and repeating standard training, which were respectively OR 13.12 and 95%CI (2.35~73.2); OR 30.89, 95%CI (3.62~263.5); OR 4.07,95%CI (1.16~14.2). The CPR performance qualities of volunteers who had had repeating standard training were much higher than those of untrained medical workers, which proved that standard training helped improve CPR performance qualities.

  9. Compression performance comparison in low delay real-time video for mobile applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bivolarski, Lazar

    2012-10-01

    This article compares the performance of several current video coding standards in the conditions of low-delay real-time in a resource constrained environment. The comparison is performed using the same content and the metrics and mix of objective and perceptual quality metrics. The metrics results in different coding schemes are analyzed from a point of view of user perception and quality of service. Multiple standards are compared MPEG-2, MPEG4 and MPEG-AVC and well and H.263. The metrics used in the comparison include SSIM, VQM and DVQ. Subjective evaluation and quality of service are discussed from a point of view of perceptual metrics and their incorporation in the coding scheme development process. The performance and the correlation of results are presented as a predictor of the performance of video compression schemes.

  10. Employment Standards for Australian Urban Firefighters: Part 4: Physical Aptitude Tests and Standards.

    PubMed

    Fullagar, Hugh H K; Sampson, John A; Mott, Brendan J; Burdon, Catriona A; Taylor, Nigel A S; Groeller, Herbert

    2015-10-01

    Firefighter physical aptitude tests were administered to unskilled subjects and operational firefighters to evaluate the impact that testing bias associated with gender, age, activity-specific skills, or task familiarity may have upon establishing performance thresholds. These tests were administered in sequence, simulating hazmat incidents, ventilation fan carriage (stairs), motor-vehicle rescues, bushfire incidents, fire attacks, and a firefighter rescue. Participants included two unskilled samples (N = 14 and 22) and 143 firefighters. Firefighter performance was not significantly different from the unskilled subjects. Participants from both genders passed the test, with scores unrelated to performance skill or age; however, familiarization significantly improved performance when the test was repeated. These outcomes confirmed this test to be gender-, age-, and skill-neutral. Familiarization effects could be removed through performing a single, pre-selection trial of the test battery.

  11. Standardization, evaluation and early-phase method validation of an analytical scheme for batch-consistency N-glycosylation analysis of recombinant produced glycoproteins.

    PubMed

    Zietze, Stefan; Müller, Rainer H; Brecht, René

    2008-03-01

    In order to set up a batch-to-batch-consistency analytical scheme for N-glycosylation analysis, several sample preparation steps including enzyme digestions and fluorophore labelling and two HPLC-methods were established. The whole method scheme was standardized, evaluated and validated according to the requirements on analytical testing in early clinical drug development by usage of a recombinant produced reference glycoprotein (RGP). The standardization of the methods was performed by clearly defined standard operation procedures. During evaluation of the methods, the major interest was in the loss determination of oligosaccharides within the analytical scheme. Validation of the methods was performed with respect to specificity, linearity, repeatability, LOD and LOQ. Due to the fact that reference N-glycan standards were not available, a statistical approach was chosen to derive accuracy from the linearity data. After finishing the validation procedure, defined limits for method variability could be calculated and differences observed in consistency analysis could be separated into significant and incidental ones.

  12. Using an Accountability Program to Improve Psychiatry Resident Scores on In-Service Examinations.

    PubMed

    Ferrell, Brandon T; Tankersley, William E; Morris, Clayton D

    2015-12-01

    The Psychiatry Resident-In-Training Examination (PRITE) is a standardized examination that measures residents' educational progress during residency training. It also serves as a moderate-to-strong predictor of later performance on the board certification examination. This study evaluated the effectiveness of an accountability program used by a public psychiatric hospital to increase its residents' PRITE scores. A series of consequences and incentives were developed based on levels of PRITE performance. Poor performance resulted in consequences, including additional academic assignments. Higher performance led to residents earning external moonlighting privileges. Standardized PRITE scores for all residents (N = 67) over a 10-year period were collected and analyzed. The PRITE examination consists of 2 subscales-psychiatry and neurology. Change in the overall level of PRITE scores following the implementation of the accountability program was estimated using a discontinuous growth curve model for each subscale. Standardized scores on the psychiatry subscale were 51.09 points, approximately 0.50 SD change, which was higher after the accountability program was implemented. Standardized scores on the neurology subscale did not change. An accountability program that assigns consequences based on examination performance may be moderately successful in improving scores on the psychiatry subscale scores of the PRITE. This likely has longer-term benefits for residents due to the relationship between PRITE and board certification examination performance.

  13. User's manual for rocket combustor interactive design (ROCCID) and analysis computer program. Volume 2: Appendixes A-K

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Muss, J. A.; Nguyen, T. V.; Johnson, C. W.

    1991-01-01

    The appendices A-K to the user's manual for the rocket combustor interactive design (ROCCID) computer program are presented. This includes installation instructions, flow charts, subroutine model documentation, and sample output files. The ROCCID program, written in Fortran 77, provides a standardized methodology using state of the art codes and procedures for the analysis of a liquid rocket engine combustor's steady state combustion performance and combustion stability. The ROCCID is currently capable of analyzing mixed element injector patterns containing impinging like doublet or unlike triplet, showerhead, shear coaxial and swirl coaxial elements as long as only one element type exists in each injector core, baffle, or barrier zone. Real propellant properties of oxygen, hydrogen, methane, propane, and RP-1 are included in ROCCID. The properties of other propellants can be easily added. The analysis models in ROCCID can account for the influences of acoustic cavities, helmholtz resonators, and radial thrust chamber baffles on combustion stability. ROCCID also contains the logic to interactively create a combustor design which meets input performance and stability goals. A preliminary design results from the application of historical correlations to the input design requirements. The steady state performance and combustion stability of this design is evaluated using the analysis models, and ROCCID guides the user as to the design changes required to satisfy the user's performance and stability goals, including the design of stability aids. Output from ROCCID includes a formatted input file for the standardized JANNAF engine performance prediction procedure.

  14. Performance evaluation of the intra compression in the video coding standards

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abramowski, Andrzej

    2015-09-01

    The article presents a comparison of the Intra prediction algorithms in the current state-of-the-art video coding standards, including MJPEG 2000, VP8, VP9, H.264/AVC and H.265/HEVC. The effectiveness of techniques employed by each standard is evaluated in terms of compression efficiency and average encoding time. The compression efficiency is measured using BD-PSNR and BD-RATE metrics with H.265/HEVC results as an anchor. Tests are performed on a set of video sequences, composed of sequences gathered by Joint Collaborative Team on Video Coding during the development of the H.265/HEVC standard and 4K sequences provided by Ultra Video Group. According to results, H.265/HEVC provides significant bit-rate savings at the expense of computational complexity, while VP9 may be regarded as a compromise between the efficiency and required encoding time.

  15. Airside HVAC BESTEST: HVAC Air-Distribution System Model Test Cases for ASHRAE Standard 140

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

    Judkoff, Ronald; Neymark, Joel; Kennedy, Mike D.

    This paper summarizes recent work to develop new airside HVAC equipment model analytical verification test cases for ANSI/ASHRAE Standard 140, Standard Method of Test for the Evaluation of Building Energy Analysis Computer Programs. The analytical verification test method allows comparison of simulation results from a wide variety of building energy simulation programs with quasi-analytical solutions, further described below. Standard 140 is widely cited for evaluating software for use with performance-path energy efficiency analysis, in conjunction with well-known energy-efficiency standards including ASHRAE Standard 90.1, the International Energy Conservation Code, and other international standards. Airside HVAC Equipment is a common area ofmore » modelling not previously explicitly tested by Standard 140. Integration of the completed test suite into Standard 140 is in progress.« less

  16. Including the Copenhagen Adduction Exercise in the FIFA 11+ Provides Missing Eccentric Hip Adduction Strength Effect in Male Soccer Players: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

    PubMed

    Harøy, Joar; Thorborg, Kristian; Serner, Andreas; Bjørkheim, André; Rolstad, Linn E; Hölmich, Per; Bahr, Roald; Andersen, Thor Einar

    2017-11-01

    The FIFA 11+ was developed as a complete warm-up program to prevent injuries in soccer players. Although reduced hip adduction strength is associated with groin injuries, none of the exercises included in the FIFA 11+ seem to specifically target hip adduction strength. To investigate the effect on eccentric hip adduction strength of the FIFA 11+ warm-up program with or without the Copenhagen adduction exercise. Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. We recruited 45 eligible players from 2 U19 elite male soccer teams. Players were randomized into 2 groups; 1 group carried out the standard FIFA 11+ program, while the other carried out the FIFA 11+ but replaced the Nordic hamstring exercise with the Copenhagen adduction exercise. Both groups performed the intervention 3 times weekly for 8 weeks. Players completed eccentric strength and sprint testing before and after the intervention. Per-protocol analyses were performed, and 12 players were excluded due to low compliance (<67% of sessions completed). The main outcome was eccentric hip adduction strength (N·m/kg). Between-group analyses revealed a significantly greater increase in eccentric hip adduction strength of 0.29 Nm/kg (8.9%; P = .01) in favor of the group performing the Copenhagen adduction exercise, whereas no within-group change was noted in the group that used the standard FIFA 11+ program (-0.02 N·m/kg [-0.7%]; P = .69). Including the Copenhagen adduction exercise in the FIFA 11+ program increases eccentric hip adduction strength, while the standard FIFA 11+ program does not. Registration: Registration: ISRCTN13731446 (International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number registry).

  17. A Systematic Review of the Amount of Water per Person per Day Needed to Prevent Morbidity and Mortality in (Post-)Disaster Settings

    PubMed Central

    De Buck, Emmy; Borra, Vere; De Weerdt, Elfi; Vande Veegaete, Axel; Vandekerckhove, Philippe

    2015-01-01

    Background In order to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of humanitarian efforts, minimum standards for humanitarian assistance and key indicators, showing whether a standard has been attained, have been developed. However, many of these standards and indicators are based on a consensus on best practices and experiences in humanitarian response, because relevant evidence on the impact of humanitarian interventions is often lacking. Objectives One important example of a standard in humanitarian aid in a disaster setting is “water quantity.” The accompanying indicator states how many litres of water are needed per person per day in a disaster setting. It was our objective to determine the evidence base behind this indicator, in order to improve health outcomes such as morbidity (e.g., diarrhoea) and mortality. Methods A systematic review was performed searching The Cochrane Library, Medline and Embase. We included studies performed during disasters and in refugee camps that reported a specific water amount and health-related outcomes related to water shortages, including diarrhoea, cholera, and mortality. We used GRADE to determine the quality of evidence. Results Out of 3,630 articles, 111 references relevant to our question were selected. Based on our selection criteria, we finally retained 6 observational studies, including 1 study that was performed during the disaster and 5 studies in a post-disaster phase. From two studies there is conclusive evidence on the relationship between the amount of water received and diarrhoea or mortality rates in refugee camps. However, overall, these studies do not contain enough data with relevance to a specific amount of water, and the level of evidence is very low. Conclusions More primary research on water amounts in a disaster setting is necessary, so that the humanitarian sector can further professionalise its water-related standards, indicators and interventions. PMID:25961720

  18. 40 CFR 63.93 - Approval of State requirements that substitute for a section 112 rule.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ..., board and administrative orders, permits issued pursuant to permit templates, or State operating permits... respective Federal rule; (2) Levels of control (including associated performance test methods) and compliance... must include monitoring or another method for determining compliance. (ii) If a standard in the...

  19. 5 CFR 430.206 - Planning performance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... summary level, including at least one critical element and any non-critical element(s). (5) Each... summary levels (pattern A as specified in § 430.208(d)(1)) shall not include non-critical elements. (7) An... non-critical elements. (8) Elements and standards shall be established as follows— (i) For a critical...

  20. 50 CFR 648.230 - Catch quotas and other restrictions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... measures. Based on this review, the Spiny Dogfish Monitoring Committee shall recommend to the Joint Spiny... be set within the range of zero to the maximum allowed. The measures that may be recommended include...) Trip limits; (5) Changes to the Northeast Region SBRM, including the CV-based performance standard...

  1. Industrial Wireless Sensors: A User's Perspective on the Impact of Standards on Wide-spread Deployment

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

    Taft, Cyrus W.; Manges, Wayne W; Sorge, John N

    2012-01-01

    The role of wireless sensing technologies in industrial instrumentation will undoubtedly become more important in the years ahead. . Deployment of such instrumentation in an industrial setting with its heightened security and robustness criteria hinges on user acceptance of verified performance as well as meeting cost requirements. Today, industrial users face many choices when specifying a wireless sensor network, including radio performance, battery life, interoperability, security, and standards compliance. The potential market for industrial wireless sensors is literally millions of wireless instruments and it is imperative that accurate information for applying the technology to real-world applications be available to themore » end-user so that they can make informed deployment decisions. The majority of industrial wireless automation designs now being deployed or being considered for deployment are based on three different standards . The HART Communications Foundation s WirelessHART (IEC 62591), the International Society of Automation s ISA100.11a, and the offering from the Industrial Wireless Alliance of China known as WIA-PA (IEC 62601). Aside from these industrial automation standards, users must also be cognizant of the underlying wireless network standards IEEE 802.11, IEEE 802.15.4, and IEEE 802.15.3a and their interactions with the three principal industrial automation protocols mentioned previously. The crucial questions being asked by end users revolve around sensor network performance, interoperability, reliability, and security. This paper will discuss potential wireless sensor applications in power plants, barriers to the acceptance of wireless technology, concerns related to standards, and provide an end user prospective on the issues affecting wide-spread deployment of wireless sensors. Finally, the authors conclude with a discussion of a recommended path forward including how standards organizations can better facilitate end user decision making and how end users can locate and use objective information for decision making.« less

  2. Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory Standard Measures (BHP-SM)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Williams, Thomas J.; Cromwell, Ronita

    2017-01-01

    The Spaceflight Standard Measures is a NASA Johnson Space Center Human Research Project (HRP) project that proposes to collect a set of core measurements, representative of many of the human spaceflight risks, from astronauts before, during and after long-duration International Space Station (ISS) missions. The term "standard measures" is defined as a set of core measurements, including physiological, biochemical, psychosocial, cognitive, and functional, that are reliable, valid, and accepted in terrestrial science, are associated with a specific and measurable outcome known to occur as a consequence of spaceflight, that will be collected in a standardized fashion from all (or most) crewmembers. While such measures might be used to define standards of health and performance or readiness for flight, the prime intent in their collection is to allow longitudinal analysis of multiple parameters in order to answer a variety of operational, occupational, and research-based questions. These questions are generally at a high level, and the approach for this project is to populate the standard measures database with the smallest set of data necessary to indicate further detailed research is required. Also included as standard measures are parameters that are not outcome-based in and of-themselves, but provide ancillary information that supports interpretation of the outcome measures, e.g., nutritional assessment, vehicle environmental parameters, crew debriefs, etc. The project's main aim is to ensure that an optimized minimal set of measures is consistently captured from all ISS crewmembers until the end of Station in order to characterize the human in space. -This allows the HRP to identify, establish, and evaluate a common set of measures for use in spaceflight and analog research to: develop baselines, systematically characterize risk likelihood and consequences, and assess effectiveness of countermeasures that work for behavioral health and performance risk factors. -By standardizing the battery of measures on all crewmembers, it will allow the HRP to evaluate countermeasures that work for one physiological system and ensure another system is not negatively affected. -These measures, named "Standard Measures," will serve as a data repository and be available to other studies under data sharing agreements.

  3. Evaluation of Alternative Field Buses for Lighting ControlApplications

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

    Koch, Ed; Rubinstein, Francis

    2005-03-21

    The Subcontract Statement of Work consists of two major tasks. This report is the Final Report in fulfillment of the contract deliverable for Task 1. The purpose of Task 1 was to evaluate existing and emerging protocols and standards for interfacing sensors and controllers for communicating with integrated lighting control systems in commercial buildings. The detailed task description follows: Task 1. Evaluate alternative sensor/field buses. The objective of this task is to evaluate existing and emerging standards for interfacing sensors and controllers for communicating with integrated lighting control systems in commercial buildings. The protocols to be evaluated will include atmore » least: (1) 1-Wire Net, (2) DALI, (3) MODBUS (or appropriate substitute such as EIB) and (4) ZigBee. The evaluation will include a comparative matrix for comparing the technical performance features of the different alternative systems. The performance features to be considered include: (1) directionality and network speed, (2) error control, (3) latency times, (4) allowable cable voltage drop, (5) topology, and (6) polarization. Specifically, Subcontractor will: (1) Analyze the proposed network architecture and identify potential problems that may require further research and specification. (2) Help identify and specify additional software and hardware components that may be required for the communications network to operate properly. (3) Identify areas of the architecture that can benefit from existing standards and technology and enumerate those standards and technologies. (4) Identify existing companies that may have relevant technology that can be applied to this research. (5) Help determine if new standards or technologies need to be developed.« less

  4. Evaluation of internal noise methods for Hotelling observers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Yani; Pham, Binh T.; Eckstein, Miguel P.

    2005-04-01

    Including internal noise in computer model observers to degrade model observer performance to human levels is a common method to allow for quantitatively comparisons of human and model performance. In this paper, we studied two different types of methods for injecting internal noise to Hotelling model observers. The first method adds internal noise to the output of the individual channels: a) Independent non-uniform channel noise, b) Independent uniform channel noise. The second method adds internal noise to the decision variable arising from the combination of channel responses: a) internal noise standard deviation proportional to decision variable's standard deviation due to the external noise, b) internal noise standard deviation proportional to decision variable's variance caused by the external noise. We tested the square window Hotelling observer (HO), channelized Hotelling observer (CHO), and Laguerre-Gauss Hotelling observer (LGHO). The studied task was detection of a filling defect of varying size/shape in one of four simulated arterial segment locations with real x-ray angiography backgrounds. Results show that the internal noise method that leads to the best prediction of human performance differs across the studied models observers. The CHO model best predicts human observer performance with the channel internal noise. The HO and LGHO best predict human observer performance with the decision variable internal noise. These results might help explain why previous studies have found different results on the ability of each Hotelling model to predict human performance. Finally, the present results might guide researchers with the choice of method to include internal noise into their Hotelling models.

  5. Clinical protein science developments for patient monitoring in hospital central laboratories.

    PubMed

    Malm, Johan; Marko-Varga, György

    2016-12-01

    Patient care relies heavily on standardized tests performed in hospital laboratories, typically including clinical chemistry, pathology and microbiology. With the introduction of personalized medicine tremendous efforts have been made to identify new biomarkers of disease with various omics technologies, often including mass spectrometry. In order to validate new biomarkers and perform clinical studies high quality biobank samples are of key importance. In this editorial different aspects of mass spectrometry in future personalized medicine are discussed.

  6. Validation of GC and HPLC systems for residue studies

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

    Williams, M.

    1995-12-01

    For residue studies, GC and HPLC system performance must be validated prior to and during use. One excellent measure of system performance is the standard curve and associated chromatograms used to construct that curve. The standard curve is a model of system response to an analyte over a specific time period, and is prima facia evidence of system performance beginning at the auto sampler and proceeding through the injector, column, detector, electronics, data-capture device, and printer/plotter. This tool measures the performance of the entire chromatographic system; its power negates most of the benefits associated with costly and time-consuming validation ofmore » individual system components. Other measures of instrument and method validation will be discussed, including quality control charts and experimental designs for method validation.« less

  7. 7 CFR 650.5 - Environmental evaluation in planning.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... alternatives that are in keeping with the Water Resources Council's Principles and Standards are considered, if appropriate. (4) To perform other related investigations and analyses as needed, including economic evaluation...

  8. 12 CFR 563e.21 - Performance tests, standards, and ratings, in general.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... association or obtained from community organizations, state, local, and tribal governments, economic... constraints, including the size and financial condition of the savings association, the economic climate...

  9. 40 CFR 60.2780 - What must I include in the deviation report?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model Rule-Recordkeeping and...

  10. 40 CFR 60.2780 - What must I include in the deviation report?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model Rule-Recordkeeping and...

  11. 33 CFR 154.1110 - Purpose and applicability.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Requirements for a Trans-Alaska Pipeline Authorization Act (TAPAA) Facility Operating in Prince William Sound... performance standards. (b) The information required by this subpart must be included in the Prince William...

  12. 9 CFR 161.4 - Standards for accredited veterinarian duties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... legally able to practice veterinary medicine. An accredited veterinarian shall perform the functions of an... eradication programs, including emergency programs. (i) An accredited veterinarian shall not use or dispense...

  13. 9 CFR 161.4 - Standards for accredited veterinarian duties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... legally able to practice veterinary medicine. An accredited veterinarian shall perform the functions of an... eradication programs, including emergency programs. (i) An accredited veterinarian shall not use or dispense...

  14. 9 CFR 161.4 - Standards for accredited veterinarian duties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... legally able to practice veterinary medicine. An accredited veterinarian shall perform the functions of an... eradication programs, including emergency programs. (i) An accredited veterinarian shall not use or dispense...

  15. 16 CFR 1205.1 - Scope of the standard.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... certain walk-behind power lawn mowers, including labeling and performance requirements. The performance... part thereof, produced or distributed (i) for sale to a consumer for use in or around a permanent or... distributed for sale to, or for the use or consumption by, or enjoyment of, a consumer. (2) It is unlawful to...

  16. Testing to the Top: Everything But the Kitchen Sink?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dietel, Ron

    2011-01-01

    Two tests intended to measure student achievement of the Common Core State Standards will face intense scrutiny, but the test makers say they will include performance assessments and other items that are not multiple-choice questions. Incorporating performance items on this tests will bring up issues over scoring, costs, and validity.

  17. 77 FR 75173 - Comprehensive Assessment of the Process for the Review of Device Submissions; Request for Comments

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-12-19

    ... performing the technical analysis, management assessment, and program evaluation tasks required to address... premarket reviews that meet regulatory review standards. 2. Analysis of elements of the review process... process. This includes analysis of root causes for inefficiencies that may affect review performance and...

  18. Reflectivity and Teaching Performance of Novice Teachers: Three Years of Investigation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pultorak, Edward; Barnes, Debbie

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this 3-year investigation was to determine if a relationship exists between teacher reflectivity and the classroom performance of novice teachers when final evaluations are aligned with national standards. This study included 98 novice teachers enrolled in their final field-based teaching experience. Participants reflected over two…

  19. A New Tool for Identifying Research Standards and Evaluating Research Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bacon, Donald R.; Paul, Pallab; Stewart, Kim A.; Mukhopadhyay, Kausiki

    2012-01-01

    Much has been written about the evaluation of faculty research productivity in promotion and tenure decisions, including many articles that seek to determine the rank of various marketing journals. Yet how faculty evaluators combine journal quality, quantity, and author contribution to form judgments of a scholar's performance is unclear. A…

  20. 25 CFR 542.42 - What are the minimum internal control standards for internal audit for Tier C gaming operations?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... maintained whose primary function is performing internal audit work and that is independent with respect to... accountability shall be reconciled to the general ledger; (ix) Information technology functions, including review... internal audit function, the accountant shall perform separate observations of the table games/gaming...

  1. 25 CFR 542.42 - What are the minimum internal control standards for internal audit for Tier C gaming operations?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... maintained whose primary function is performing internal audit work and that is independent with respect to... accountability shall be reconciled to the general ledger; (ix) Information technology functions, including review... internal audit function, the accountant shall perform separate observations of the table games/gaming...

  2. 25 CFR 542.42 - What are the minimum internal control standards for internal audit for Tier C gaming operations?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... maintained whose primary function is performing internal audit work and that is independent with respect to... accountability shall be reconciled to the general ledger; (ix) Information technology functions, including review... internal audit function, the accountant shall perform separate observations of the table games/gaming...

  3. 25 CFR 542.42 - What are the minimum internal control standards for internal audit for Tier C gaming operations?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... maintained whose primary function is performing internal audit work and that is independent with respect to... accountability shall be reconciled to the general ledger; (ix) Information technology functions, including review... internal audit function, the accountant shall perform separate observations of the table games/gaming...

  4. SCPS-TP: A Satellite-Enhanced TCP

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scott, Keith; Torgerson, Leigh

    2004-01-01

    This viewgraph presentation reviews the Space Communications Protocol Standard Transport Protocol (SCPS-TP) which is a satellite enhanced Transport Control Protocol (TCP). The contents include: 1) Purpose; 2) Background; 3) Stressed Communication Environments; 4) SCPS-TP Features; 5) SCPS-TP Performance; 6) Performance Enhancing Proxies (PEPs); and 7) Ongoing and Future SCPS-TP Work.

  5. Perkins Core Performance Measures: Results and Targets, 2001-2002.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McHewitt, Earl R.; Taylor, Garry

    This report addresses the Virginia Community College System's (VCCS) core performance standards and measures for the years 2001-2002. There are four core indicators through which the VCCS is assessed. They are the following: (1) student attainment including academic and technical skills; (2) completion/graduation rate using first time, full-time…

  6. Factors Influencing Performance of Internet-Based Biosurveillance Systems Used in Epidemic Intelligence for Early Detection of Infectious Diseases Outbreaks

    PubMed Central

    Barboza, Philippe; Vaillant, Laetitia; Le Strat, Yann; Hartley, David M.; Nelson, Noele P.; Mawudeku, Abla; Madoff, Lawrence C.; Linge, Jens P.; Collier, Nigel; Brownstein, John S.; Astagneau, Pascal

    2014-01-01

    Background Internet-based biosurveillance systems have been developed to detect health threats using information available on the Internet, but system performance has not been assessed relative to end-user needs and perspectives. Method and Findings Infectious disease events from the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) weekly international epidemiological bulletin published in 2010 were used to construct the gold-standard official dataset. Data from six biosurveillance systems were used to detect raw signals (infectious disease events from informal Internet sources): Argus, BioCaster, GPHIN, HealthMap, MedISys and ProMED-mail. Crude detection rates (C-DR), crude sensitivity rates (C-Se) and intrinsic sensitivity rates (I-Se) were calculated from multivariable regressions to evaluate the systems’ performance (events detected compared to the gold-standard) 472 raw signals (Internet disease reports) related to the 86 events included in the gold-standard data set were retrieved from the six systems. 84 events were detected before their publication in the gold-standard. The type of sources utilised by the systems varied significantly (p<0001). I-Se varied significantly from 43% to 71% (p = 0001) whereas other indicators were similar (C-DR: p = 020; C-Se, p = 013). I-Se was significantly associated with individual systems, types of system, languages, regions of occurrence, and types of infectious disease. Conversely, no statistical difference of C-DR was observed after adjustment for other variables. Conclusion Although differences could result from a biosurveillance system's conceptual design, findings suggest that the combined expertise amongst systems enhances early detection performance for detection of infectious diseases. While all systems showed similar early detection performance, systems including human moderation were found to have a 53% higher I-Se (p = 00001) after adjustment for other variables. Overall, the use of moderation, sources, languages, regions of occurrence, and types of cases were found to influence system performance. PMID:24599062

  7. Factors influencing performance of internet-based biosurveillance systems used in epidemic intelligence for early detection of infectious diseases outbreaks.

    PubMed

    Barboza, Philippe; Vaillant, Laetitia; Le Strat, Yann; Hartley, David M; Nelson, Noele P; Mawudeku, Abla; Madoff, Lawrence C; Linge, Jens P; Collier, Nigel; Brownstein, John S; Astagneau, Pascal

    2014-01-01

    Internet-based biosurveillance systems have been developed to detect health threats using information available on the Internet, but system performance has not been assessed relative to end-user needs and perspectives. Infectious disease events from the French Institute for Public Health Surveillance (InVS) weekly international epidemiological bulletin published in 2010 were used to construct the gold-standard official dataset. Data from six biosurveillance systems were used to detect raw signals (infectious disease events from informal Internet sources): Argus, BioCaster, GPHIN, HealthMap, MedISys and ProMED-mail. Crude detection rates (C-DR), crude sensitivity rates (C-Se) and intrinsic sensitivity rates (I-Se) were calculated from multivariable regressions to evaluate the systems' performance (events detected compared to the gold-standard) 472 raw signals (Internet disease reports) related to the 86 events included in the gold-standard data set were retrieved from the six systems. 84 events were detected before their publication in the gold-standard. The type of sources utilised by the systems varied significantly (p<0001). I-Se varied significantly from 43% to 71% (p=0001) whereas other indicators were similar (C-DR: p=020; C-Se, p=013). I-Se was significantly associated with individual systems, types of system, languages, regions of occurrence, and types of infectious disease. Conversely, no statistical difference of C-DR was observed after adjustment for other variables. Although differences could result from a biosurveillance system's conceptual design, findings suggest that the combined expertise amongst systems enhances early detection performance for detection of infectious diseases. While all systems showed similar early detection performance, systems including human moderation were found to have a 53% higher I-Se (p=00001) after adjustment for other variables. Overall, the use of moderation, sources, languages, regions of occurrence, and types of cases were found to influence system performance.

  8. Determining Mobility Support Advisory Squadron Effectiveness in Support of Building Partner Capacity

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-06-15

    Pamela Bennet Bardot, USAF Expeditionary Center Librarian - Extraordinaire for graciously entertaining my numerous requests for information and helping... standardized , realistic set of performance criteria can ensure standardization between the MSAS and give AMC a baseline from which to inspect compliance...continue to mature. They include: • Lacking a universally recognized and utilized lexicon. In reference to working with PNs, common , interchangeably

  9. 75 FR 19252 - Delegation of New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-14

    ... Industrial Process Cooling X Towers. R Gasoline Distribution X S Pulp & Paper MACT I X T Halogenated Solvent.... IIII Auto & Light Duty Truck (Surface X Coating). JJJJ Paper & Other Webs (Surface X Coating). KKKK... subparts B, H, I, K, Q, R, T, and W. For the part 63 NESHAPs, this includes the NESHAPs set forth in the...

  10. Electromagnetic Environmental Effects System Testing

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-09-02

    Procedure (TOP) 1-2-511 Electromagnetic Environmental Effects System Testing 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER...airborne, sea, space, and ground systems , including associated ordnance, as stated in military standard (MIL-STD)-464A “Electromagnetic Environmental...Effects Requirement for Systems ”, as well as ADS-37A-PRF “Aeronautical Design Standard for the Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3) Performance and

  11. Understanding the Residential Wood Heater Rules

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Information on the components of the current wood heater new source performance standards (NSPS) and proposed updates to the NSPS including which types of heaters are covered under the rules and the benefits.

  12. 40 CFR 112.12 - Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure Plan requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... Fish and Marine Mammal Oils; and for Vegetable Oils, including Oils from Seeds, Nuts, Fruits, and... with industry standards, the appropriate qualifications for personnel performing tests and inspections...

  13. 20 CFR 1001.120 - Standards of performance governing State agency services.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... those activities or efforts including but not limited to registration, counseling, referral to... making referrals from the group of applicants meeting the specific eligibility criteria for a particular...

  14. 2 CFR 200.76 - Performance goal.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... achievement can be compared, including a goal expressed as a quantitative standard, value, or rate. In some instances (e.g., discretionary research awards), this may be limited to the requirement to submit technical...

  15. Clinical performance of a new blood control peripheral intravenous catheter: A prospective, randomized, controlled study.

    PubMed

    Seiberlich, Laura E; Keay, Vanessa; Kallos, Stephane; Junghans, Tiffany; Lang, Eddy; McRae, Andrew D

    2016-03-01

    The performance of a new safety peripheral intravenous catheter (PIVC) that contains a blood control feature in the hub (blood control) was compared against the current hospital standard without blood control (standard). In this prospective, non-blinded trial, patients were randomized 1:1 to receive either device. Insertions were performed and rated by emergency room nurses. Primary endpoints included clinical acceptability, incidence of blood leakage, and risk of blood exposure. Secondary endpoints were digital compression, insertion success, and usability. 15 clinicians performed 152 PIVC insertions (73 blood control, 79 standard). Clinical acceptability of the blood control device (100%) was non-inferior to the standard (98.7%) (p < 0.0001). The blood control device had a lower incidence of blood leakage (14.1% vs 68.4%), was superior in eliminating the risk of blood exposure (93.9% vs 19.1%) and the need for digital compression (95.3% vs 19.1%), while maintaining non-inferior insertion success rates (95.9% vs 93.7%) and usability ratings (p < 0.0001). In comparison with the hospital-standard, the new safety PIVC with integrated blood control valve had similar clinical acceptability ratings yet demonstrated superior advantages to both clinicians and patients to decrease blood leakage and the clinician's risk of blood exposure, during the insertion process. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  16. The impact of a standardized program on short and long-term outcomes in bariatric surgery.

    PubMed

    Aird, Lisa N F; Hong, Dennis; Gmora, Scott; Breau, Ruth; Anvari, Mehran

    2017-02-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine whether there has been an improvement in short- and long-term clinical outcomes since 2010, when the Ontario Bariatric Network led a province-wide initiative to establish a standardized system of care for bariatric patients. The system includes nine bariatric centers, a centralized referral system, and a research registry. Standardization of procedures has progressed yearly, including guidelines for preoperative assessment and perioperative care. Analysis of the OBN registry data was performed by fiscal year between April 2010 and March 2015. Three-month overall postoperative complication rates and 30 day postoperative mortality were calculated. The mean percentage of weight loss at 1, 2, and 3 years postoperative, and regression of obesity-related diseases were calculated. The analysis of continuous and nominal data was performed using ANOVA, Chi-square, and McNemar's testing. A multiple logistic regression analysis was performed for factors affecting postoperative complication rate. Eight thousand and forty-three patients were included in the bariatric registry between April 2010 and March 2015. Thirty-day mortality was rare (<0.075 %) and showed no significant difference between years. Three-month overall postoperative complication rates significantly decreased with standardization (p < 0.001), as did intra-operative complication rates (p < -0.001). Regression analysis demonstrated increasing standardization to be a predictor of 3 month complication rate OR of 0.59 (95 %CI 0.41-0.85, p = 0.00385). The mean percentage of weight loss at 1, 2, and 3 years postoperative showed stability at 33.2 % (9.0 SD), 34.1 % (10.1 SD), and 32.7 % (10.1 SD), respectively. Sustained regression in obesity-related comorbidities was demonstrated at 1, 2, and 3 years postoperative. Evidence indicates the implementation of a standardized system of bariatric care has contributed to improvements in complication rates and supported prolonged weight loss and regression of obesity-related diseases in patients undergoing bariatric surgery in Ontario.

  17. Comparison of EHR-based diagnosis documentation locations to a gold standard for risk stratification in patients with multiple chronic conditions.

    PubMed

    Martin, Shelby; Wagner, Jesse; Lupulescu-Mann, Nicoleta; Ramsey, Katrina; Cohen, Aaron; Graven, Peter; Weiskopf, Nicole G; Dorr, David A

    2017-08-02

    To measure variation among four different Electronic Health Record (EHR) system documentation locations versus 'gold standard' manual chart review for risk stratification in patients with multiple chronic illnesses. Adults seen in primary care with EHR evidence of at least one of 13 conditions were included. EHRs were manually reviewed to determine presence of active diagnoses, and risk scores were calculated using three different methodologies and five EHR documentation locations. Claims data were used to assess cost and utilization for the following year. Descriptive and diagnostic statistics were calculated for each EHR location. Criterion validity testing compared the gold standard verified diagnoses versus other EHR locations and risk scores in predicting future cost and utilization. Nine hundred patients had 2,179 probable diagnoses. About 70% of the diagnoses from the EHR were verified by gold standard. For a subset of patients having baseline and prediction year data (n=750), modeling showed that the gold standard was the best predictor of outcomes on average for a subset of patients that had these data. However, combining all data sources together had nearly equivalent performance for prediction as the gold standard. EHR data locations were inaccurate 30% of the time, leading to improvement in overall modeling from a gold standard from chart review for individual diagnoses. However, the impact on identification of the highest risk patients was minor, and combining data from different EHR locations was equivalent to gold standard performance. The reviewer's ability to identify a diagnosis as correct was influenced by a variety of factors, including completeness, temporality, and perceived accuracy of chart data.

  18. The incidence of oropharyngeal dysphagia in infants with GERD-like symptoms.

    PubMed

    Fishbein, Mark; Branham, Christina; Fraker, Cheryl; Walbert, Laura; Cox, Sibyl; Scarborough, Donna

    2013-09-01

    Symptoms of infantile gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may overlap with oropharyngeal dysphagia, but the evaluation and treatment of these conditions vary greatly. In this investigation, the incidence of oropharyngeal dysphagia in infants with GERD-like symptoms is determined. A retrospective chart review was performed on infants referred to a pediatric gastroenterology clinic for GERD-like symptoms. A feeding screen was performed in all infants. Standardized bedside swallow evaluation and modified barium swallow (MBS) studies were then performed when clinically indicated. A similarly aged cohort of normal participants also underwent a standard bedside swallow evaluation for group comparison. Study population included 67 infants. A swallow evaluation was recommended in 39 of 67 infants with abnormalities noted in all. Swallowing abnormalities were more frequent and clustered in infants with GERD-like symptoms vs controls. MBS was abnormal in 16 of 17 qualifying infants. Characteristics of at-risk infants included extreme prematurity, developmental delay, or symptoms refractory to antireflux medications. Oropharyngeal dysphagia is prominent in infants with GERD-like symptoms.

  19. Advanced data management system architectures testbed

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grant, Terry

    1990-01-01

    The objective of the Architecture and Tools Testbed is to provide a working, experimental focus to the evolving automation applications for the Space Station Freedom data management system. Emphasis is on defining and refining real-world applications including the following: the validation of user needs; understanding system requirements and capabilities; and extending capabilities. The approach is to provide an open, distributed system of high performance workstations representing both the standard data processors and networks and advanced RISC-based processors and multiprocessor systems. The system provides a base from which to develop and evaluate new performance and risk management concepts and for sharing the results. Participants are given a common view of requirements and capability via: remote login to the testbed; standard, natural user interfaces to simulations and emulations; special attention to user manuals for all software tools; and E-mail communication. The testbed elements which instantiate the approach are briefly described including the workstations, the software simulation and monitoring tools, and performance and fault tolerance experiments.

  20. Simulation verification techniques study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schoonmaker, P. B.; Wenglinski, T. H.

    1975-01-01

    Results are summarized of the simulation verification techniques study which consisted of two tasks: to develop techniques for simulator hardware checkout and to develop techniques for simulation performance verification (validation). The hardware verification task involved definition of simulation hardware (hardware units and integrated simulator configurations), survey of current hardware self-test techniques, and definition of hardware and software techniques for checkout of simulator subsystems. The performance verification task included definition of simulation performance parameters (and critical performance parameters), definition of methods for establishing standards of performance (sources of reference data or validation), and definition of methods for validating performance. Both major tasks included definition of verification software and assessment of verification data base impact. An annotated bibliography of all documents generated during this study is provided.

  1. User's manual for rocket combustor interactive design (ROCCID) and analysis computer program. Volume 1: User's manual

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Muss, J. A.; Nguyen, T. V.; Johnson, C. W.

    1991-01-01

    The user's manual for the rocket combustor interactive design (ROCCID) computer program is presented. The program, written in Fortran 77, provides a standardized methodology using state of the art codes and procedures for the analysis of a liquid rocket engine combustor's steady state combustion performance and combustion stability. The ROCCID is currently capable of analyzing mixed element injector patterns containing impinging like doublet or unlike triplet, showerhead, shear coaxial, and swirl coaxial elements as long as only one element type exists in each injector core, baffle, or barrier zone. Real propellant properties of oxygen, hydrogen, methane, propane, and RP-1 are included in ROCCID. The properties of other propellants can easily be added. The analysis model in ROCCID can account for the influence of acoustic cavities, helmholtz resonators, and radial thrust chamber baffles on combustion stability. ROCCID also contains the logic to interactively create a combustor design which meets input performance and stability goals. A preliminary design results from the application of historical correlations to the input design requirements. The steady state performance and combustion stability of this design is evaluated using the analysis models, and ROCCID guides the user as to the design changes required to satisfy the user's performance and stability goals, including the design of stability aids. Output from ROCCID includes a formatted input file for the standardized JANNAF engine performance prediction procedure.

  2. Laboratory Performance Evaluation Report of SEL 421 Phasor Measurement Unit

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

    Huang, Zhenyu; faris, Anthony J.; Martin, Kenneth E.

    2007-12-01

    PNNL and BPA have been in close collaboration on laboratory performance evaluation of phasor measurement units for over ten years. A series of evaluation tests are designed to confirm accuracy and determine measurement performance under a variety of conditions that may be encountered in actual use. Ultimately the testing conducted should provide parameters that can be used to adjust all measurements to a standardized basis. These tests are performed with a standard relay test set using recorded files of precisely generated test signals. The test set provides test signals at a level and in a format suitable for input tomore » a PMU that accurately reproduces the signals in both signal amplitude and timing. Test set outputs are checked to confirm the accuracy of the output signal. The recorded signals include both current and voltage waveforms and a digital timing track used to relate the PMU measured value with the test signal. Test signals include steady-state waveforms to test amplitude, phase, and frequency accuracy, modulated signals to determine measurement and rejection bands, and step tests to determine timing and response accuracy. Additional tests are included as necessary to fully describe the PMU operation. Testing is done with a BPA phasor data concentrator (PDC) which provides communication support and monitors data input for dropouts and data errors.« less

  3. Quality standards in a rheumatology Day-Care Hospital Unit. The proposal of the Spanish Society of Rheumatology Day Hospitals' Working Group.

    PubMed

    García-Vicuña, Rosario; Montoro, María; Egües Dubuc, César Antonio; Bustabad Reyes, Sagrario; Gómez-Centeno, Antonio; Muñoz-Fernández, Santiago; Pérez Pampín, Eva; Román Ivorra, Jose Andrés; Balsa, Alejandro; Loza, Estíbaliz

    2014-01-01

    In recent years, the Rheumatology Day-Care Hospital Units (DHU have undergone extensive development. However, the quality standards are poorly documented and mainly limited to structure items rather than including broad and specific areas of this specialty. To develop specific quality standards for Rheumatology DHU. After a systematic review of the literature and related documents, a working group (WG) involving 8 DHU-experienced rheumatologists developed an initial proposal of the quality standards, under the supervision of an expert methodologist. A second round was held by the WG group to review the initial proposal and to consider further suggestions. Once the content was agreed upon by consensus, a final report was prepared. 17 structure standards, 25 process standards and 10 results standards were defined, with special emphasis on specific aspects of the Rheumatology DHU. The proposal includes: 1) essential standards to 2) excellent standards, 3) a Rheumatology DHU services portfolio and 4) performance criteria. The proposed quality standards are the basis for developing the indicators and other management tools for Rheumatology DHU, thereby ensuring a patient-oriented practice based on both the evidence and the experience. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  4. Recommendations for fluorescence instrument qualification: the new ASTM Standard Guide.

    PubMed

    DeRose, Paul C; Resch-Genger, Ute

    2010-03-01

    Aimed at improving quality assurance and quantitation for modern fluorescence techniques, ASTM International (ASTM) is about to release a Standard Guide for Fluorescence, reviewed here. The guide's main focus is on steady state fluorometry, for which available standards and instrument characterization procedures are discussed along with their purpose, suitability, and general instructions for use. These include the most relevant instrument properties needing qualification, such as linearity and spectral responsivity of the detection system, spectral irradiance reaching the sample, wavelength accuracy, sensitivity or limit of detection for an analyte, and day-to-day performance verification. With proper consideration of method-inherent requirements and limitations, many of these procedures and standards can be adapted to other fluorescence techniques. In addition, procedures for the determination of other relevant fluorometric quantities including fluorescence quantum yields and fluorescence lifetimes are briefly introduced. The guide is a clear and concise reference geared for users of fluorescence instrumentation at all levels of experience and is intended to aid in the ongoing standardization of fluorescence measurements.

  5. Implementing standardized performance indicators to improve hypertension control at both the population and healthcare organization levels

    PubMed Central

    Campbell, Norm; Ordunez, Pedro; Jafe, Marc G.; Orias, Marcelo; DiPete, Donald J.; Patel, Pragna; Khan, Nadia; Onuma, Oyere; Lackland, Daniel T.

    2017-01-01

    The ability to reliably evaluate the impact of interventions and changes in hypertension prevalence and control is critical if the burden of hypertension-related disease is to be reduced. Previously, a World Hypertension League Expert Committee made recommendations to standardize the reporting of population blood pressure surveys. We have added to those recommendations and also provide modified recommendations from a Pan American Health Organization expert meeting for “performance indicators” to be used to evaluate clinical practices. Core indicators for population surveys are recommended to include: (1) mean systolic blood pressure and (2) mean diastolic blood pressure, and the prevalences of: (3) hypertension, (4) awareness of hypertension, (5) drug-treated hypertension, and (6) drug-treated and controlled hypertension. Core indicators for clinical registries are recommended to include: (1) the prevalence of diagnosed hypertension and (2) the ratio of diagnosed hypertension to that expected by population surveys, and the prevalences of: (3) controlled hypertension, (4) lack of blood pressure measurement within a year in people diagnosed with hypertension, and (5) missed visits by people with hypertension. Definitions and additional indicators are provided. Widespread adoption of standardized population and clinical hypertension performance indicators could represent a major step forward in the effort to control hypertension. PMID:28191704

  6. Meta-analysis of the technical performance of an imaging procedure: guidelines and statistical methodology.

    PubMed

    Huang, Erich P; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Choudhury, Kingshuk Roy; McShane, Lisa M; Gönen, Mithat; Ye, Jingjing; Buckler, Andrew J; Kinahan, Paul E; Reeves, Anthony P; Jackson, Edward F; Guimaraes, Alexander R; Zahlmann, Gudrun

    2015-02-01

    Medical imaging serves many roles in patient care and the drug approval process, including assessing treatment response and guiding treatment decisions. These roles often involve a quantitative imaging biomarker, an objectively measured characteristic of the underlying anatomic structure or biochemical process derived from medical images. Before a quantitative imaging biomarker is accepted for use in such roles, the imaging procedure to acquire it must undergo evaluation of its technical performance, which entails assessment of performance metrics such as repeatability and reproducibility of the quantitative imaging biomarker. Ideally, this evaluation will involve quantitative summaries of results from multiple studies to overcome limitations due to the typically small sample sizes of technical performance studies and/or to include a broader range of clinical settings and patient populations. This paper is a review of meta-analysis procedures for such an evaluation, including identification of suitable studies, statistical methodology to evaluate and summarize the performance metrics, and complete and transparent reporting of the results. This review addresses challenges typical of meta-analyses of technical performance, particularly small study sizes, which often causes violations of assumptions underlying standard meta-analysis techniques. Alternative approaches to address these difficulties are also presented; simulation studies indicate that they outperform standard techniques when some studies are small. The meta-analysis procedures presented are also applied to actual [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) test-retest repeatability data for illustrative purposes. © The Author(s) 2014 Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav.

  7. Meta-analysis of the technical performance of an imaging procedure: Guidelines and statistical methodology

    PubMed Central

    Huang, Erich P; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Choudhury, Kingshuk Roy; McShane, Lisa M; Gönen, Mithat; Ye, Jingjing; Buckler, Andrew J; Kinahan, Paul E; Reeves, Anthony P; Jackson, Edward F; Guimaraes, Alexander R; Zahlmann, Gudrun

    2017-01-01

    Medical imaging serves many roles in patient care and the drug approval process, including assessing treatment response and guiding treatment decisions. These roles often involve a quantitative imaging biomarker, an objectively measured characteristic of the underlying anatomic structure or biochemical process derived from medical images. Before a quantitative imaging biomarker is accepted for use in such roles, the imaging procedure to acquire it must undergo evaluation of its technical performance, which entails assessment of performance metrics such as repeatability and reproducibility of the quantitative imaging biomarker. Ideally, this evaluation will involve quantitative summaries of results from multiple studies to overcome limitations due to the typically small sample sizes of technical performance studies and/or to include a broader range of clinical settings and patient populations. This paper is a review of meta-analysis procedures for such an evaluation, including identification of suitable studies, statistical methodology to evaluate and summarize the performance metrics, and complete and transparent reporting of the results. This review addresses challenges typical of meta-analyses of technical performance, particularly small study sizes, which often causes violations of assumptions underlying standard meta-analysis techniques. Alternative approaches to address these difficulties are also presented; simulation studies indicate that they outperform standard techniques when some studies are small. The meta-analysis procedures presented are also applied to actual [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) test–retest repeatability data for illustrative purposes. PMID:24872353

  8. Comparisons of ANS, ASME, AWS, and NFPA standards cited in the NRC standard review plan, NUREG-0800, and related documents

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

    Ankrum, A.R.; Bohlander, K.L.; Gilbert, E.R.

    This report provides the results of comparisons of the cited and latest versions of ANS, ASME, AWS and NFPA standards cited in the NRC Standard Review Plan for the Review of Safety Analysis Reports for Nuclear Power Plants (NUREG 0800) and related documents. The comparisons were performed by Battelle Pacific Northwest Laboratories in support of the NRC`s Standard Review Plan Update and Development Program. Significant changes to the standards, from the cited version to the latest version, are described and discussed in a tabular format for each standard. Recommendations for updating each citation in the Standard Review Plan are presented.more » Technical considerations and suggested changes are included for related regulatory documents (i.e., Regulatory Guides and the Code of Federal Regulations) citing the standard. The results and recommendations presented in this document have not been subjected to NRC staff review.« less

  9. Collaborative study on saccharide quantification of the Haemophilus influenzae type b component in liquid vaccine presentations.

    PubMed

    Rosskopf, U; Daas, A; Terao, E; von Hunolstein, C

    2017-01-01

    Before release onto the market, it must be demonstrated that the total and free polysaccharide (poly ribosyl-ribitol-phosphate, PRP) content of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine complies with requirements. However, manufacturers use different methods to assay PRP content: a national control laboratory must establish and validate the relevant manufacturer methodology before using it to determine PRP content. An international study was organised by the World Health Organization (WHO), in collaboration with the Biological Standardisation Programme (BSP) of the Council of Europe/European Directorate for the Quality of Medicines & HealthCare (EDQM) and of the European Union Commission, to verify the suitability of a single method for determining PRP content in liquid pentavalent vaccines (DTwP-HepB-Hib) containing a whole-cell pertussis component. It consists of HCl hydrolysis followed by chromatographic separation and quantification of ribitol on a CarboPac MA1 column using high-performance anion exchange chromatography coupled with pulsed amperometric detection (HPAEC-PAD). The unconjugated, free, PRP is separated from the total PRP using C4 solid-phase extraction cartridges (SPE C4). Ten quality control laboratories performed two independent analyses applying the proposed analytical test protocol to five vaccine samples, including a vaccine lot with sub-potent PRP content and very high free PRP content. Both WHO PRP standard and ribitol reference standard were included as calibrating standards. A significant bias between WHO PRP standard and ribitol reference standard was observed. Study results showed that the proposed analytical method is, in principle, suitable for the intended use provided that a validation is performed as usually expected from quality control laboratories.

  10. Recommendations for the Development of a Dust Suppressant Test Operations Procedure (TOP) Performed at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-02-08

    variety of bedrock types including: igneous ( basalt , granite, and rhyolite), metamorphic (schist and gneiss), and sedimentary rocks of Quaternary...TerraLOC® Standard formulation was applied. Chemical dust suppressant formulations vary widely, to include salts, oils, fiber mixtures and synthetic

  11. Who's in Charge Here? Sources of Leadership for Change in Eight Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Heller, Marjorie F.; Firestone, William A.

    1995-01-01

    Identifies a set of change leadership functions including sustaining a vision for change, encouraging staff, modifying standard operating procedures, and monitoring progress. Suggests that these functions do contribute to change, but are also performed redundantly by persons in a variety of overlapping roles, including central office personnel,…

  12. Standardization of End-to-End Performance of Digital Video Teleconferencing/Video Telephony Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-12-01

    SYSTEM 3-1 end-to-end video transmission system including both firmly specified and peripheral flexible functions. The format converter changes either...which manifests itself in both subjective evaluations and objective tests. The relative importance of performance parameters is likely to change with...conventional analog performance parameters to be largely independent of bit rate, and only slightly changed between different codec models. The

  13. Functional assessment and performance evaluation for assistive robotic manipulators: Literature review.

    PubMed

    Chung, Cheng-Shiu; Wang, Hongwu; Cooper, Rory A

    2013-07-01

    The user interface development of assistive robotic manipulators can be traced back to the 1960s. Studies include kinematic designs, cost-efficiency, user experience involvements, and performance evaluation. This paper is to review studies conducted with clinical trials using activities of daily living (ADLs) tasks to evaluate performance categorized using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) frameworks, in order to give the scope of current research and provide suggestions for future studies. We conducted a literature search of assistive robotic manipulators from 1970 to 2012 in PubMed, Google Scholar, and University of Pittsburgh Library System - PITTCat. Twenty relevant studies were identified. Studies were separated into two broad categories: user task preferences and user-interface performance measurements of commercialized and developing assistive robotic manipulators. The outcome measures and ICF codes associated with the performance evaluations are reported. Suggestions for the future studies include (1) standardized ADL tasks for the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of task efficiency and performance to build comparable measures between research groups, (2) studies relevant to the tasks from user priority lists and ICF codes, and (3) appropriate clinical functional assessment tests with consideration of constraints in assistive robotic manipulator user interfaces. In addition, these outcome measures will help physicians and therapists build standardized tools while prescribing and assessing assistive robotic manipulators.

  14. [Using Interdisciplinary Cooperation to Improve the Rate of Proper Performance of a Hand Exercise Among Hemodialysis Patients With Arteriovenous Fistula Construction].

    PubMed

    Hsiao, Ya-Hsin; Shin, Miao-Ling; Huang, Cyong-Pei; Chen, Siang-Jyun; Huang, Tsuey-Yuan

    2017-06-01

    Patients who undergo new arteriovenous fistula (AVF) construction as part of their hemodialysis treatment program are required to perform hand exercises properly in order to maintain AVF function. However, poor performance of these hand exercises currently results in the failure of many patients to preserve AVF function. To increase the rate of performing this hand exercise properly from 55% to 80%. A comprehensive investigation identified the following five main problems: (a) Insufficient muscular endurance; (b) Resistance was not labeled on the ball; (c) Difficulties with maintaining a grip on the ball during the exercise; (d) Lack of standardized education procedures; and (e) Nurses lack latest knowledge on the hand exercise. The strategies used to improve the situation included: (a) Interdisciplinary team cooperation with physiotherapists to design individualized resistance training regimens; (b) Exercise tool improvement; (c) Standardized AVF care; (d) Continuous education for nursing staffs; and (e) Seed teacher program for hand exercise. The rate of proper hand exercise performance increased from 55% to 93%. This nursing project involved an interdisciplinary team that included physiotherapists in order to successfully improve the rate at which the hand exercise was performed properly. This positive experience may be applied to other hemodialysis departments in the treatment of patients with AVF.

  15. NEMA NU 4-2008 Comparison of Preclinical PET Imaging Systems

    PubMed Central

    Goertzen, Andrew L.; Bao, Qinan; Bergeron, Mélanie; Blankemeyer, Eric; Blinder, Stephan; Cañadas, Mario; Chatziioannou, Arion F.; Dinelle, Katherine; Elhami, Esmat; Jans, Hans-Sonke; Lage, Eduardo; Lecomte, Roger; Sossi, Vesna; Surti, Suleman; Tai, Yuan-Chuan; Vaquero, Juan José; Vicente, Esther; Williams, Darin A.; Laforest, Richard

    2014-01-01

    The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) standard NU 4-2008 for performance measurements of small-animal tomographs was recently published. Before this standard, there were no standard testing procedures for preclinical PET systems, and manufacturers could not provide clear specifications similar to those available for clinical systems under NEMA NU 2-1994 and 2-2001. Consequently, performance evaluation papers used methods that were modified ad hoc from the clinical PET NEMA standard, thus making comparisons between systems difficult. Methods We acquired NEMA NU 4-2008 performance data for a collection of commercial animal PET systems manufactured since 2000: micro- PET P4, microPET R4, microPET Focus 120, microPET Focus 220, Inveon, ClearPET, Mosaic HP, Argus (formerly eXplore Vista), VrPET, LabPET 8, and LabPET 12. The data included spatial resolution, counting-rate performance, scatter fraction, sensitivity, and image quality and were acquired using settings for routine PET. Results The data showed a steady improvement in system performance for newer systems as compared with first-generation systems, with notable improvements in spatial resolution and sensitivity. Conclusion Variation in system design makes direct comparisons between systems from different vendors difficult. When considering the results from NEMA testing, one must also consider the suitability of the PET system for the specific imaging task at hand. PMID:22699999

  16. Robust Decision Making to Support Water Quality Climate Adaptation: a Case Study in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fischbach, J. R.; Lempert, R. J.; Molina-Perez, E.

    2017-12-01

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), together with state and local partners, develops watershed implementation plans designed to meet water quality standards. Climate uncertainty, along with uncertainty about future land use changes or the performance of water quality best management practices (BMPs), may make it difficult for these implementation plans to meet water quality goals. In this effort, we explored how decision making under deep uncertainty (DMDU) methods such as Robust Decision Making (RDM) could help USEPA and its partners develop implementation plans that are more robust to future uncertainty. The study focuses on one part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed, the Patuxent River, which is 2,479 sq km in area, highly urbanized, and has a rapidly growing population. We simulated the contribution of stormwater contaminants from the Patuxent to the overall Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for the Chesapeake Bay under multiple scenarios reflecting climate and other uncertainties. Contaminants considered included nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment loads. The assessment included a large set of scenario simulations using the USEPA Chesapeake Bay Program's Phase V watershed model. Uncertainties represented in the analysis included 18 downscaled climate projections (based on 6 general circulation models and 3 emissions pathways), 12 land use scenarios with different population projections and development patterns, and alternative assumptions about BMP performance standards and efficiencies associated with different suites of stormwater BMPs. Finally, we developed cost estimates for each of the performance standards and compared cost to TMDL performance as a key tradeoff for future water quality management decisions. In this talk, we describe how this research can help inform climate-related decision support at USEPA's Chesapeake Bay Program, and more generally how RDM and other DMDU methods can support improved water quality management under climate uncertainty.

  17. Should Title 24 Ventilation Requirements Be Amended to include an Indoor Air Quality Procedure?

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

    Dutton, Spencer M.; Mendell, Mark J.; Chan, Wanyu R.

    Minimum outdoor air ventilation rates (VRs) for buildings are specified in standards, including California?s Title 24 standards. The ASHRAE ventilation standard includes two options for mechanically-ventilated buildings ? a prescriptive ventilation rate procedure (VRP) that specifies minimum VRs that vary among occupancy classes, and a performance-based indoor air quality procedure (IAQP) that may result in lower VRs than the VRP, with associated energy savings, if IAQ meeting specified criteria can be demonstrated. The California Energy Commission has been considering the addition of an IAQP to the Title 24 standards. This paper, based on a review of prior data and newmore » analyses of the IAQP, evaluates four future options for Title 24: no IAQP; adding an alternate VRP, adding an equivalent indoor air quality procedure (EIAQP), and adding an improved ASHRAE-like IAQP. Criteria were established for selecting among options, and feedback was obtained in a workshop of stakeholders. Based on this review, the addition of an alternate VRP is recommended. This procedure would allow lower minimum VRs if a specified set of actions were taken to maintain acceptable IAQ. An alternate VRP could also be a valuable supplement to ASHRAE?s ventilation standard.« less

  18. Corridor consultations and the medical microbiological record: is patient safety at risk?

    PubMed Central

    Heard, S R; Roberts, C; Furrows, S J; Kelsey, M; Southgate, L

    2003-01-01

    The performance procedures of the General Medical Council are aimed at identifying seriously deficient performance in a doctor. The performance procedures require the medical record to be of a standard that enables the next doctor seeing the patient to give adequate care based on the available information. Setting standards for microbiological record keeping has proved difficult. Over one fifth of practising medical microbiologists (including virologists) in the UK (139 of 676) responded to a survey undertaken by the working group developing the performance procedures for microbiology, to identify current practice and to develop recommendations for agreement within the profession about the standards of the microbiological record. The cumulative frequency for the surveyed recording methods used indicated that at various times 65% (90 of 139) of respondents used a daybook, 62% (86 of 139) used the back of the clinical request card, 57% (79 of 139) used a computer record, and 22% (30 of 139) used an index card system to record microbiological advice, suggesting wide variability in relation to how medical microbiologists maintain clinical records. PMID:12499432

  19. AeroMACS system characterization and demonstrations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kerczewski, R. J.; Apaza, R. D.; Dimond, R. P.

    This The Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS) is being developed to provide a new broadband wireless communications capability for safety critical communications in the airport surface domain, providing connectivity to aircraft and other ground vehicles as well as connections between other critical airport fixed assets. AeroMACS development has progressed from requirements definition through technology definition, prototype deployment and testing, and now into national and international standards development. The first prototype AeroMACS system has been deployed at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and the adjacent NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). During the past three years, extensive technical testing has taken place to characterize the performance of the AeroMACS prototype and provide technical support for the standards development process. The testing has characterized AeroMACS link and network performance over a variety of conditions for both fixed and mobile data transmission and has included basic system performance testing and fixed and mobile applications testing. This paper provides a summary of the AeroMACS performance testing and the status of standardization activities that the testing supports.

  20. AeroMACS System Characterization and Demonstrations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kerczewski, Robert J.; Apaza, Rafael D.; Dimond, Robert P.

    2013-01-01

    This The Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS) is being developed to provide a new broadband wireless communications capability for safety critical communications in the airport surface domain, providing connectivity to aircraft and other ground vehicles as well as connections between other critical airport fixed assets. AeroMACS development has progressed from requirements definition through technology definition, prototype deployment and testing, and now into national and international standards development. The first prototype AeroMACS system has been deployed at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and the adjacent NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). During the past 3 years, extensive technical testing has taken place to characterize the performance of the AeroMACS prototype and provide technical support for the standards development process. The testing has characterized AeroMACS link and network performance over a variety of conditions for both fixed and mobile data transmission and has included basic system performance testing and fixed and mobile applications testing. This paper provides a summary of the AeroMACS performance testing and the status of standardization activities that the testing supports.

  1. AeroMACS System Characterization and Demonstrations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kerczewski, Robert J.; Apaza, Rafael D.; Dimond, Robert P.

    2013-01-01

    The Aeronautical Mobile Airport Communications System (AeroMACS) is being developed to provide a new broadband wireless communications capability for safety critical communications in the airport surface domain, providing connectivity to aircraft and other ground vehicles as well as connections between other critical airport fixed assets. AeroMACS development has progressed from requirements definition through technology definition, prototype deployment and testing, and now into national and international standards development. The first prototype AeroMACS system has been deployed at the Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE) and the adjacent NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC). During the past three years, extensive technical testing has taken place to characterize the performance of the AeroMACS prototype and provide technical support for the standards development process. The testing has characterized AeroMACS link and network performance over a variety of conditions for both fixed and mobile data transmission and has included basic system performance testing and fixed and mobile applications testing. This paper provides a summary of the AeroMACS performance testing and the status of standardization activities that the testing supports.

  2. Combining performance and outcome indicators can be used in a standardized way: a pilot study of two multidisciplinary, full-scale major aircraft exercises

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background Disaster medicine is a fairly young scientific discipline and there is a need for the development of new methods for evaluation and research. This includes full-scale disaster exercisers. A standardized concept on how to evaluate these exercises, could lead to easier identification of pitfalls caused by system-errors in the organization. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using a combination of performance and outcome indicators so that results can be compared in standardized full-scale exercises. Methods Two multidisciplinary, full-scale exercises were studied in 2008 and 2010. The panorama had the same setup. Sets of performance indicators combined with indicators for unfavorable patient outcome were recorded in predesigned templates. Evaluators, all trained in a standardized way at a national disaster medicine centre, scored the results on predetermined locations; at the scene, at hospital and at the regional command and control. Results All data regarding the performance indicators of the participants during the exercises were obtained as well as all data regarding indicators for patient outcome. Both exercises could therefore be compared regarding performance (processes) as well as outcome indicators. The data from the performance indicators during the exercises showed higher scores for the prehospital command in the second exercise 15 points and 3 points respectively. Results from the outcome indicators, patient survival and patient complications, demonstrated a higher number of preventable deaths and a lower number of preventable complications in the exercise 2010. In the exercise 2008 the number of preventable deaths was lower and the number of preventable complications was higher. Conclusions Standardized multidisciplinary, full-scale exercises in different settings can be conducted and evaluated with performance indicators combined with outcome indicators enabling results from exercises to be compared. If exercises are performed in a standardized way, results may serve as a basis for lessons learned. Future use of the same concept using the combination of performance indicators and patient outcome indicators may demonstrate new and important evidence that could lead to new and better knowledge that also may be applied during real incidents. PMID:22929479

  3. Combining performance and outcome indicators can be used in a standardized way: a pilot study of two multidisciplinary, full-scale major aircraft exercises.

    PubMed

    Rådestad, Monica; Nilsson, Heléne; Castrén, Maaret; Svensson, Leif; Rüter, Anders; Gryth, Dan

    2012-08-28

    Disaster medicine is a fairly young scientific discipline and there is a need for the development of new methods for evaluation and research. This includes full-scale disaster exercisers. A standardized concept on how to evaluate these exercises, could lead to easier identification of pitfalls caused by system-errors in the organization. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using a combination of performance and outcome indicators so that results can be compared in standardized full-scale exercises. Two multidisciplinary, full-scale exercises were studied in 2008 and 2010. The panorama had the same setup. Sets of performance indicators combined with indicators for unfavorable patient outcome were recorded in predesigned templates. Evaluators, all trained in a standardized way at a national disaster medicine centre, scored the results on predetermined locations; at the scene, at hospital and at the regional command and control. All data regarding the performance indicators of the participants during the exercises were obtained as well as all data regarding indicators for patient outcome. Both exercises could therefore be compared regarding performance (processes) as well as outcome indicators. The data from the performance indicators during the exercises showed higher scores for the prehospital command in the second exercise 15 points and 3 points respectively. Results from the outcome indicators, patient survival and patient complications, demonstrated a higher number of preventable deaths and a lower number of preventable complications in the exercise 2010. In the exercise 2008 the number of preventable deaths was lower and the number of preventable complications was higher. Standardized multidisciplinary, full-scale exercises in different settings can be conducted and evaluated with performance indicators combined with outcome indicators enabling results from exercises to be compared. If exercises are performed in a standardized way, results may serve as a basis for lessons learned. Future use of the same concept using the combination of performance indicators and patient outcome indicators may demonstrate new and important evidence that could lead to new and better knowledge that also may be applied during real incidents.

  4. Durability of Hardboard Lap Siding

    Treesearch

    Charles Carll; Charles R. Boardman; Steve P. Verrill

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes a study that was undertaken to evaluate the degree of correlation between in-service performance of hardboard siding and its performance in the industry standard test procedure for “weatherability of substrate.” The study included 13 different hardboard sidings: 6 noncommercial boards and 7 commercial products. All manufacturing plants operating in...

  5. Performance of back-primed and factory-finished hardboard lap siding in southern Florida

    Treesearch

    Charles. Carll; Mark. Knaebe; Vyto. Malinauskas; Peter. Sotos; Anton. TenWolde

    2000-01-01

    Because of performance problems with hardboard siding in southern Florida, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) proposed a local standard requiring prefinishing of siding and priming of all siding surfaces, including the back. However, the effectiveness of these practices was questioned. To determine if back-priming or factory finishing improves...

  6. Effects of a Teacher Incentive Program on 4th Grade State Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alfaro, Moises; Jones, Don; Holland, Glenda; Mundy, Marie-Anne

    2012-01-01

    Recent national and state standards of accountability have focused on increasing student performance and achievement as well as teacher quality. Included in this challenge is the issue of teacher compensation and how it has evolved with the efforts of providing quality instruction in order to improve the performance of students. Texas has…

  7. Learner Characteristics and Writing Performance in a Community College English as a Second Language Course: Some Unexpected Findings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lambert, Olga D.

    2015-01-01

    This study investigates the relationships between individual learner characteristics and gain in writing performance as measured by a standardized writing assessment in a sample of community college academic English as a Second Language (ESL) students in the United States. The ethnically and linguistically diverse convenience sample included 76…

  8. Performance Analysis of IEEE 802.15.6 CSMA/CA Protocol for WBAN Medical Scenario through DTMC Model.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Vivek; Gupta, Bharat

    2016-12-01

    The newly drafted IEEE 802.15.6 standard for Wireless Body Area Networks (WBAN) has been concentrating on a numerous medical and non-medical applications. Such short range wireless communication standard offers ultra-low power consumption with variable data rates from few Kbps to Mbps in, on or around the proximity of the human body. In this paper, the performance analysis of carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) scheme based on IEEE 802.15.6 standard in terms of throughput, reliability, clear channel assessment (CCA) failure probability, packet drop probability, and end-to-end delay has been presented. We have developed a discrete-time Markov chain (DTMC) to significantly evaluate the performances of IEEE 802.15.6 CSMA/CA under non-ideal channel condition having saturated traffic condition including node wait time and service time. We also visualize that, as soon as the payload length increases the CCA failure probability increases, which results in lower node's reliability. Also, we have calculated the end-to-end delay in order to prioritize the node wait time cause by backoff and retransmission. The user priority (UP) wise DTMC analysis has been performed to show the importance of the standard especially for medical scenario.

  9. Agile Task Tracking Tool

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

    Duke, Roger T.; Crump, Thomas Vu

    The work was created to provide a tool for the purpose of improving the management of tasks associated with Agile projects. Agile projects are typically completed in an iterative manner with many short duration tasks being performed as part of iterations. These iterations are generally referred to as sprints. The objective of this work is to create a single tool that enables sprint teams to manage all of their tasks in multiple sprints and automatically produce all standard sprint performance charts with minimum effort. The format of the printed work is designed to mimic a standard Kanban board. The workmore » is developed as a single Excel file with worksheets capable of managing up to five concurrent sprints and up to one hundred tasks. It also includes a summary worksheet providing performance information from all active sprints. There are many commercial project management systems typically designed with features desired by larger organizations with many resources managing multiple programs and projects. The audience for this work is the small organizations and Agile project teams desiring an inexpensive, simple, user-friendly, task management tool. This work uses standard readily available software, Excel, requiring minimum data entry and automatically creating summary charts and performance data. It is formatted to print out and resemble standard flip charts and provide the visuals associated with this type of work.« less

  10. Wavelet-Bayesian inference of cosmic strings embedded in the cosmic microwave background

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    McEwen, J. D.; Feeney, S. M.; Peiris, H. V.; Wiaux, Y.; Ringeval, C.; Bouchet, F. R.

    2017-12-01

    Cosmic strings are a well-motivated extension to the standard cosmological model and could induce a subdominant component in the anisotropies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), in addition to the standard inflationary component. The detection of strings, while observationally challenging, would provide a direct probe of physics at very high-energy scales. We develop a framework for cosmic string inference from observations of the CMB made over the celestial sphere, performing a Bayesian analysis in wavelet space where the string-induced CMB component has distinct statistical properties to the standard inflationary component. Our wavelet-Bayesian framework provides a principled approach to compute the posterior distribution of the string tension Gμ and the Bayesian evidence ratio comparing the string model to the standard inflationary model. Furthermore, we present a technique to recover an estimate of any string-induced CMB map embedded in observational data. Using Planck-like simulations, we demonstrate the application of our framework and evaluate its performance. The method is sensitive to Gμ ∼ 5 × 10-7 for Nambu-Goto string simulations that include an integrated Sachs-Wolfe contribution only and do not include any recombination effects, before any parameters of the analysis are optimized. The sensitivity of the method compares favourably with other techniques applied to the same simulations.

  11. [Performance of a standardized interrogation to improve the screening of Chlamydia trachomatis infection].

    PubMed

    Grandcolin, S; de Hauteclocque, A; Lafoscade, A; Fritel, X

    2015-10-01

    To estimate the performance of a standardized interrogation tool facilitating the detection and screening of patients for the Chlamydia trachomatis infection, to estimate the prevalence of the infection in the family planning population studied. Prospective observational study, including the patients who had a consultation in the abortion center in the CHU of Poitiers. A sampling of the cervix was systematically carried out after the standardized interrogation in search of four clinical signs. The samples were analyzed by genetic amplification. Three hundred and eighty-six women were included and 56 (14.5 %) infections were identified. The medical history questionnaire was relatively effective for 2 or 3 clinical signs. The positive predictive value (PPV) was respectively 34.8 % and 53.8 % and was very relevant for 4 clinical signs with PPV at 83.3 % [CI 95 %: 74-93 %]. Among the infected women, 48.2 % had no clinical sign revealed by the medical history questionnaire. The presence of any clinical sign was strongly associated with the C. trachomatis infection (P<0.05). The clinical signs find in the standardized interrogation are all significantly associated with the C. trachomatis infection. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. An adaptive software defined radio design based on a standard space telecommunication radio system API

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiong, Wenhao; Tian, Xin; Chen, Genshe; Pham, Khanh; Blasch, Erik

    2017-05-01

    Software defined radio (SDR) has become a popular tool for the implementation and testing for communications performance. The advantage of the SDR approach includes: a re-configurable design, adaptive response to changing conditions, efficient development, and highly versatile implementation. In order to understand the benefits of SDR, the space telecommunication radio system (STRS) was proposed by NASA Glenn research center (GRC) along with the standard application program interface (API) structure. Each component of the system uses a well-defined API to communicate with other components. The benefit of standard API is to relax the platform limitation of each component for addition options. For example, the waveform generating process can support a field programmable gate array (FPGA), personal computer (PC), or an embedded system. As long as the API defines the requirements, the generated waveform selection will work with the complete system. In this paper, we demonstrate the design and development of adaptive SDR following the STRS and standard API protocol. We introduce step by step the SDR testbed system including the controlling graphic user interface (GUI), database, GNU radio hardware control, and universal software radio peripheral (USRP) tranceiving front end. In addition, a performance evaluation in shown on the effectiveness of the SDR approach for space telecommunication.

  13. Composite Gauss-Legendre Quadrature with Error Control

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prentice, J. S. C.

    2011-01-01

    We describe composite Gauss-Legendre quadrature for determining definite integrals, including a means of controlling the approximation error. We compare the form and performance of the algorithm with standard Newton-Cotes quadrature. (Contains 1 table.)

  14. CTEPP NC DATA QA/QC RESULTS

    EPA Science Inventory

    This data set contains the method performance results. This includes field blanks, method blanks, duplicate samples, analytical duplicates, matrix spikes, and surrogate recovery standards.

    The Children’s Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persistent Pollutant (...

  15. The Influence of Bilectalism and Non-standardization on the Perception of Native Grammatical Variants

    PubMed Central

    Leivada, Evelina; Papadopoulou, Elena; Kambanaros, Maria; Grohmann, Kleanthes K.

    2017-01-01

    Research in speakers of closely related varieties has shown that bilectalism and non-standardization affect speakers’ perception of the variants that exist in their native languages in a way that is absent from the performance of their monolingual peers. One possible explanation for this difference is that non-standardization blurs the boundaries of grammatical variants and increases grammatical fluidity. Affected by such factors, bilectals become less accurate in identifying the variety to which a grammatical variant pertains. Another explanation is that their differential performance derives from the fact that they are competent in two varieties. Under this scenario, the difference is due to the existence of two linguistic systems in the course of development, and not to how close or standardized these systems are. This study employs a novel variety-judgment task in order to elucidate which of the two explanations holds. Having administered the task to monolinguals, bilectals, and bilinguals, including heritage language learners and L1 attriters, we obtained a dataset of 16,245 sentences. The analysis shows differential performance between bilectal and bilingual speakers, granting support for the first explanation. We discuss the role of factors such as non-standardization and linguistic proximity in language development and flesh out the implications of the results in relation to different developmental trajectories. PMID:28265248

  16. Comparison of mortality prediction models and validation of SAPS II in critically ill burns patients.

    PubMed

    Pantet, O; Faouzi, M; Brusselaers, N; Vernay, A; Berger, M M

    2016-06-30

    Specific burn outcome prediction scores such as the Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI), Ryan, Belgian Outcome of Burn Injury (BOBI) and revised Baux scores have been extensively studied. Validation studies of the critical care score SAPS II (Simplified Acute Physiology Score) have included burns patients but not addressed them as a cohort. The study aimed at comparing their performance in a Swiss burns intensive care unit (ICU) and to observe whether they were affected by a standardized definition of inhalation injury. We conducted a retrospective cohort study, including all consecutive ICU burn admissions (n=492) between 1996 and 2013: 5 epochs were defined by protocol changes. As required for SAPS II calculation, stays <24h were excluded. Data were collected on age, gender, total body surface area burned (TBSA) and inhalation injury (systematic standardized diagnosis since 2006). Study epochs were compared (χ2 test, ANOVA). Score performance was assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. SAPS II performed well (AUC 0.89), particularly in burns <40% TBSA (AUC 0.93). Revised Baux and ABSI scores were not affected by the standardized diagnosis of inhalation injury and showed the best performance (AUC 0.92 and 0.91 respectively). In contrast, the accuracy of the BOBI and Ryan scores was lower (AUC 0.84 and 0.81) and reduced after 2006. The excellent predictive performance of the classic scores (revised Baux score and ABSI) was confirmed. SAPS II was nearly as accurate, particularly in burns <40% TBSA. Ryan and BOBI scores were least accurate, as they heavily weight inhalation injury.

  17. Comparison of mortality prediction models and validation of SAPS II in critically ill burns patients

    PubMed Central

    Pantet, O.; Faouzi, M.; Brusselaers, N.; Vernay, A.; Berger, M.M.

    2016-01-01

    Summary Specific burn outcome prediction scores such as the Abbreviated Burn Severity Index (ABSI), Ryan, Belgian Outcome of Burn Injury (BOBI) and revised Baux scores have been extensively studied. Validation studies of the critical care score SAPS II (Simplified Acute Physiology Score) have included burns patients but not addressed them as a cohort. The study aimed at comparing their performance in a Swiss burns intensive care unit (ICU) and to observe whether they were affected by a standardized definition of inhalation injury. We conducted a retrospective cohort study, including all consecutive ICU burn admissions (n=492) between 1996 and 2013: 5 epochs were defined by protocol changes. As required for SAPS II calculation, stays <24h were excluded. Data were collected on age, gender, total body surface area burned (TBSA) and inhalation injury (systematic standardized diagnosis since 2006). Study epochs were compared (χ2 test, ANOVA). Score performance was assessed by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. SAPS II performed well (AUC 0.89), particularly in burns <40% TBSA (AUC 0.93). Revised Baux and ABSI scores were not affected by the standardized diagnosis of inhalation injury and showed the best performance (AUC 0.92 and 0.91 respectively). In contrast, the accuracy of the BOBI and Ryan scores was lower (AUC 0.84 and 0.81) and reduced after 2006. The excellent predictive performance of the classic scores (revised Baux score and ABSI) was confirmed. SAPS II was nearly as accurate, particularly in burns <40% TBSA. Ryan and BOBI scores were least accurate, as they heavily weight inhalation injury. PMID:28149234

  18. Alcohol consumption for simulated driving performance: A systematic review.

    PubMed

    Rezaee-Zavareh, Mohammad Saeid; Salamati, Payman; Ramezani-Binabaj, Mahdi; Saeidnejad, Mina; Rousta, Mansoureh; Shokraneh, Farhad; Rahimi-Movaghar, Vafa

    2017-06-01

    Alcohol consumption can lead to risky driving and increase the frequency of traffic accidents, injuries and mortalities. The main purpose of our study was to compare simulated driving performance between two groups of drivers, one consumed alcohol and the other not consumed, using a systematic review. In this systematic review, electronic resources and databases including Medline via Ovid SP, EMBASE via Ovid SP, PsycINFO via Ovid SP, PubMed, Scopus, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINHAL) via EBSCOhost were comprehensively and systematically searched. The randomized controlled clinical trials that compared simulated driving performance between two groups of drivers, one consumed alcohol and the other not consumed, were included. Lane position standard deviation (LPSD), mean of lane position deviation (MLPD), speed, mean of speed deviation (MSD), standard deviation of speed deviation (SDSD), number of accidents (NA) and line crossing (LC) were considered as the main parameters evaluating outcomes. After title and abstract screening, the articles were enrolled for data extraction and they were evaluated for risk of biases. Thirteen papers were included in our qualitative synthesis. All included papers were classified as high risk of biases. Alcohol consumption mostly deteriorated the following performance outcomes in descending order: SDSD, LPSD, speed, MLPD, LC and NA. Our systematic review had troublesome heterogeneity. Alcohol consumption may decrease simulated driving performance in alcohol consumed people compared with non-alcohol consumed people via changes in SDSD, LPSD, speed, MLPD, LC and NA. More well-designed randomized controlled clinical trials are recommended. Copyright © 2017. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.

  19. Estimating Basic Preliminary Design Performances of Aerospace Vehicles

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Luz, Paul L.; Alexander, Reginald

    2004-01-01

    Aerodynamics and Performance Estimation Toolset is a collection of four software programs for rapidly estimating the preliminary design performance of aerospace vehicles represented by doing simplified calculations based on ballistic trajectories, the ideal rocket equation, and supersonic wedges through standard atmosphere. The program consists of a set of Microsoft Excel worksheet subprograms. The input and output data are presented in a user-friendly format, and calculations are performed rapidly enough that the user can iterate among different trajectories and/or shapes to perform "what-if" studies. Estimates that can be computed by these programs include: 1. Ballistic trajectories as a function of departure angles, initial velocities, initial positions, and target altitudes; assuming point masses and no atmosphere. The program plots the trajectory in two-dimensions and outputs the position, pitch, and velocity along the trajectory. 2. The "Rocket Equation" program calculates and plots the trade space for a vehicle s propellant mass fraction over a range of specific impulse and mission velocity values, propellant mass fractions as functions of specific impulses and velocities. 3. "Standard Atmosphere" will estimate the temperature, speed of sound, pressure, and air density as a function of altitude in a standard atmosphere, properties of a standard atmosphere as functions of altitude. 4. "Supersonic Wedges" will calculate the free-stream, normal-shock, oblique-shock, and isentropic flow properties for a wedge-shaped body flying supersonically through a standard atmosphere. It will also calculate the maximum angle for which a shock remains attached, and the minimum Mach number for which a shock becomes attached, all as functions of the wedge angle, altitude, and Mach number.

  20. Achieving high quality colonoscopy: using graphical representation to measure performance and reset standards.

    PubMed

    Rajasekhar, P T; Rutter, M D; Bramble, M G; Wilson, D W; East, J E; Greenaway, J R; Saunders, B P; Lee, T J W; Barton, R; Hungin, A P S; Rees, C J

    2012-12-01

    Completeness and thoroughness of colonoscopy are measured by the caecal intubation rate (CIR) and the adenoma detection rate (ADR). National standards are ≥ 90% and ≥ 10% respectively. Variability in CIR and ADR have been demonstrated but comparison between individuals and units is difficult. We aimed to assess the performance of colonoscopy in endoscopy units in the northeast of England. Data on colonoscopy performance and sedation use were collected over 3 months from 12 units. Colonoscopies performed by screening colonoscopists were included for the CIR only. Funnel plots with upper and lower 95% confidence limits for CIR and ADR were created. CIR was 92.5% (n = 5720) and ADR 15.9% (n = 4748). All units and 128 (99.2%) colonoscopists were above the lower limit for CIR. All units achieved the ADR standard with 10 above the upper limit. Ninety-nine (76.7%) colonoscopists were above 10%, 16 (12.4%) above the upper limit and 7 (5.4%) below the lower limit. Median medication doses were 2.2 mg midazolam, 29.4 mg pethidine and 83.3 μg fentanyl. In all, 15.1% of colonoscopies were unsedated. Complications were bleeding (0.10%) and perforation (0.02%). There was one death possibly related to bowel preparation. Results indicate that colonoscopies are performed safely and to a high standard. Funnel plots can highlight variability and areas for improvement. Analyses of ADR presented graphically around the global mean suggest that the national standard should be reset at 15%. © 2012 The Authors. Colorectal Disease © 2012 The Association of Coloproctology of Great Britain and Ireland.

  1. [Meta-analysis of diagnostic capability of frequency-doubling technology (FDT) for primary glaucoma].

    PubMed

    Liu, Ting; He, Xiang-ge

    2006-05-01

    To evaluate the overall diagnostic capabilities of frequency-doubling technology (FDT) in patients of primary glaucoma, with standard automated perimetry (SAP) and/or optic disc appearance as the gold standard. A comprehensive electric search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, BIOSIS, Previews, HMIC, IPA, OVID, CNKI, CBMdisc, VIP information, CMCC, CCPD, SSreader and 21dmedia and a manual search in related textbooks, journals, congress articles and their references were performed to identify relevant English and Chinese language articles. Criteria for adaptability were established according to validity criteria for diagnostic research published by the Cochrane Methods Group on Screening and Diagnostic Tests. Quality of the included articles was assessed and relevant materials were extracted for studying. Statistical analysis was performed with Meta Test version 0.6 software. Heterogeneity of the included articles was tested, which was used to select appropriate effect model to calculate pooled weighted sensitivity and specificity. Summary Receiver Operating Characteristic (SROC) curve was established and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Finally, sensitivity analysis was performed. Fifteen English articles (21 studies) of 206 retrieved articles were included in the present study, with a total of 3172 patients. The reported sensitivity of FDT ranged from 0.51 to 1.00, and specificity from 0.58 to 1.00. The pooled weighted sensitivity and specificity for FDT with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) after correction for standard error were 0.86 (0.80 - 0.90), 0.87 (0.81 - 0.91), respectively. The AUC of SROC was 93.01%. Sensitivity analysis demonstrated no disproportionate influences of individual study. The included articles are of good quality and FDT can be a highly efficient diagnostic test for primary glaucoma based on Meta-analysis. However, a high quality perspective study is still required for further analysis.

  2. Technical support document: Energy conservation standards for consumer products: Dishwashers, clothes washers, and clothes dryers including: Environmental impacts; regulatory impact analysis

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

    Not Available

    1990-12-01

    The Energy Policy and Conservation Act as amended (P.L. 94-163), establishes energy conservation standards for 12 of the 13 types of consumer products specifically covered by the Act. The legislation requires the Department of Energy (DOE) to consider new or amended standards for these and other types of products at specified times. This Technical Support Document presents the methodology, data and results from the analysis of the energy and economic impacts of standards on dishwashers, clothes washers, and clothes dryers. The economic impact analysis is performed in five major areas: An Engineering Analysis, which establishes technical feasibility and product attributesmore » including costs of design options to improve appliance efficiency. A Consumer Analysis at two levels: national aggregate impacts, and impacts on individuals. The national aggregate impacts include forecasts of appliance sales, efficiencies, energy use, and consumer expenditures. The individual impacts are analyzed by Life-Cycle Cost (LCC), Payback Periods, and Cost of Conserved Energy (CCE), which evaluate the savings in operating expenses relative to increases in purchase price; A Manufacturer Analysis, which provides an estimate of manufacturers' response to the proposed standards. Their response is quantified by changes in several measures of financial performance for a firm. An Industry Impact Analysis shows financial and competitive impacts on the appliance industry. A Utility Analysis that measures the impacts of the altered energy-consumption patterns on electric utilities. A Environmental Effects analysis, which estimates changes in emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur oxides, and nitrogen oxides, due to reduced energy consumption in the home and at the power plant. A Regulatory Impact Analysis collects the results of all the analyses into the net benefits and costs from a national perspective. 47 figs., 171 tabs. (JF)« less

  3. Customer Satisfaction Assessment at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

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

    Anderson, Dale N.; Sours, Mardell L.

    2000-03-20

    The Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) is developing and implementing a customer satisfaction assessment program (CSAP) to assess the quality of research and development provided by the laboratory. We present the customer survey component of the PNNL CSAP. The customer survey questionnaire is composed of 2 major sections, Strategic Value and Project Performance. The Strategic Value section of the questionnaire consists of 5 questions that can be answered with a 5 point Likert scale response. These questions are designed to determine if a project is directly contributing to critical future national needs. The Project Performance section of the questionnaire consistsmore » of 9 questions that can be answered with a 5 point Likert scale response. These questions determine PNNL performance in meeting customer expectations. Many approaches could be used to analyze customer survey data. We present a statistical model that can accurately capture the random behavior of customer survey data. The properties of this statistical model can be used to establish a "gold standard'' or performance expectation for the laboratory, and then assess progress. The gold standard is defined from input from laboratory management --- answers to 4 simple questions, in terms of the information obtained from the CSAP customer survey, define the standard: *What should the average Strategic Value be for the laboratory project portfolio? *What Strategic Value interval should include most of the projects in the laboratory portfolio? *What should average Project Performance be for projects with a Strategic Value of about 2? *What should average Project Performance be for projects with a Strategic Value of about 4? We discuss how to analyze CSAP customer survey data with this model. Our discussion will include "lessons learned" and issues that can invalidate this type of assessment.« less

  4. The Development of a Quality Management Framework for Evaluating Medical Device Reprocessing Practice in Healthcare Facilities.

    PubMed

    Lorv, Bailey; Horodyski, Robin; Welton, Cynthia; Vail, John; Simonetto, Luca; Jokanovic, Danilo; Sharma, Richa; Mahoney, Angela Rea; Savoy-Bird, Shay; Bains, Shalu

    2017-01-01

    There is increasing awareness of the importance of medical device reprocessing (MDR) for the provision of safe patient care. Although industry service standards are available to guide MDR practices, there remains a lack of published key performance indicators (KPIs) and targets that are necessary to evaluate MDR quality for feedback and improvement. This article outlines the development of an initial framework that builds on established guidelines and includes service standards, KPIs and targets for evaluating MDR operations. This framework can support healthcare facilities in strengthening existing practices and enables a platform for collaboration towards better MDR performance management.

  5. Performance of the Sleep-Mode Mechanism of the New IEEE 802.16m Proposal for Correlated Downlink Traffic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    de Turck, Koen; de Vuyst, Stijn; Fiems, Dieter; Wittevrongel, Sabine; Bruneel, Herwig

    There is a considerable interest nowadays in making wireless telecommunication more energy-efficient. The sleep-mode mechanism in WiMAX (IEEE 802.16e) is one of such energy saving measures. Recently, Samsung proposed some modifications on the sleep-mode mechanism, scheduled to appear in the forthcoming IEEE 802.16m standard, aimed at minimizing the signaling overhead. In this work, we present a performance analysis of this proposal and clarify the differences with the standard mechanism included in IEEE 802.16e. We also propose some special algorithms aimed at reducing the computational complexity of the analysis.

  6. Energy performance standards for new buildings: Economic analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1980-01-01

    The major economic impacts of the implementations of the standards on affected groups were assessed and the effectiveness of the standards as an investment in energy conservation was evaluated. The methodology used to evaluate the standards for the various building types and perspectives is described. The net economic effect of changes in building cost and energy use are discussed for three categories of buildings: single family residential, commercial and multifamily residential, and mobile homes. Forecasts of energy savings and national costs and benefits both with and without implementation of the standards are presented. The effects of changes in energy consumption and construction of new buildings on the national economy, including such factors as national income, investment, employment, and balance of trade are assessed.

  7. Optical Property Requirements for Glasses, Ceramics and Plastics in Spacecraft Window Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Estes, Lynda

    2011-01-01

    This is a preliminary draft of a standard published by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) that is intended to provide uniform window optical design requirements in support of the development of human-rated spaceflight hardware. The material covered in this standard is based on data from extensive testing by the Advanced Sensing and Optical Measurement Branch at NASA Langley Research Center, and compiled into requirements format by the NASA JSC Structural Engineering Division. At the time of this initial document release, a broader technical community has not reviewed this standard. The technical content of this standard is primarily based on the Constellation Program Orion Crew Exploration Vehicle Window Optical Properties Requirements, CxP 72407, Baseline. Unlike other optical requirements documents available for human rated spacecraft, this document includes requirements that ensure functionality for windows that contain glass/ceramic and/or plastic window substrate materials. These requirements were derived by measuring the optical properties of fused silica and aluminosilicate glass window assemblies and ensuring that the performance of any window assembly that includes a plastic pane or panes will meet the performance level of the all-glass assemblies. The resulting requirements are based upon the performance and parameter metrology testing of a variety of materials, including glass, transparent ceramics, acrylics, and polycarbonates. In general, these requirements are minimum specifications for each optical parameter in order to achieve the function specified for each functional category, A through D. Because acrylic materials perform at a higher level than polycarbonates in the optics regime, and CxP/Orion is planning to use acrylic in the Orion spacecraft, these requirements are based heavily on metrology from that material. As a result, two of the current Category D requirements for plastics are cited in such a way that will result in the screening out of polycarbonates. It is acknowledged that many polycarbonates can perform the functions of Category D, such as piloting and imagery with lens with apertures up to 25mm, without performance issues. Therefore, this forward warns users that certain requirements, such as birefringence and wavefront, for Category D plastics need to be revised to allow those polycarbonates that perform adequately in Category D to be accepted, while at the same time, screen out those materials that do not perform up to par. At the time of document release, the requirements in question have been identified by a TBD beside the proposed requirement criteria (which is based upon acrylic performance). Vehicles that are designed with acrylic materials for windowpanes are encouraged to use the values presented in this document for all requirements, in order to ensure adequate optical performance.

  8. Study Methods to Standardize Thermography NDE

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Walker, James L.; Workman, Gary L.

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to develop thermographic inspection methods and standards for use in evaluating structural composites and aerospace hardware. Qualification techniques and calibration methods are investigated to standardize the thermographic method for use in the field. Along with the inspections of test standards structural hardware, support hardware is designed and fabricated to aid in the thermographic process. Also, a standard operating procedure is developed for performing inspections with the Bales Thermal Image Processor (TIP). Inspections are performed on a broad range of structural composites. These materials include various graphite/epoxies, graphite/cyanide-ester, graphite/silicon-carbide, graphite phenolic and Keviar/epoxy. Also metal honeycomb (titanium and aluminum faceplates over an aluminum honeycomb core) structures are investigated. Various structural shapes are investigated and the thickness of the structures vary from as few as 3 plies to as many as 80 plies. Special emphasis is placed on characterizing defects in attachment holes and bondlines, in addition to those resulting from impact damage and the inclusion of foreign matter. Image processing through statistical analysis and digital filtering is investigated to enhance the quality and quantify the NDE thermal images when necessary.

  9. Study Methods to Standardize Thermography NDE

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Walker, James L.; Workman, Gary L.

    1998-01-01

    The purpose of this work is to develop thermographic inspection methods and standards for use in evaluating structural composites and aerospace hardware. Qualification techniques and calibration methods are investigated to standardize the thermographic method for use in the field. Along with the inspections of test standards structural hardware, support hardware is designed and fabricated to aid in the thermographic process. Also, a standard operating procedure is developed for performing inspections with the Bales Thermal Image Processor (TIP). Inspections are performed on a broad range of structural composites. These materials include graphite/epoxies, graphite/cyanide-ester, graphite/silicon-carbide, graphite phenolic and Kevlar/epoxy. Also metal honeycomb (titanium and aluminum faceplates over an aluminum honeycomb core) structures are investigated. Various structural shapes are investigated and the thickness of the structures vary from as few as 3 plies to as many as 80 plies. Special emphasis is placed on characterizing defects in attachment holes and bondlines, in addition to those resulting from impact damage and the inclusion of foreign matter. Image processing through statistical analysis and digital filtering is investigated to enhance the quality and quantify the NDE thermal images when necessary.

  10. Solar PV O&M Standards and Best Practices – Existing Gaps and Improvement Efforts

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

    Klise, Geoffrey Taylor; Balfour, John R.; Keating, T. J.

    2014-11-01

    As greater numbers of photovoltaic (PV) systems are being installed, operations & maintenance (O&M) activities will need to be performed to ensure the PV system is operating as designed over its useful lifetime. To mitigate risks to PV system availability and performance, standardized procedures for O&M activities are needed to ensure high reliability and long-term system bankability. Efforts are just getting underway to address the need for standard O&M procedures as PV gains a larger share of U.S. generation capacity. Due to the existing landscape of how and where PV is installed, including distributed generation from small and medium PVmore » systems, as well as large, centralized utility-scale PV, O&M activities will require different levels of expertise and reporting, making standards even more important. This report summarizes recent efforts made by solar industry stakeholders to identify the existing standards and best practices applied to solar PV O&M activities, and determine the gaps that have yet to be, or are currently being addressed by industry.« less

  11. Solar PV O&M Standards and Best Practices - Existing Gaps and Improvement Efforts

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

    Klise, Geoffrey Taylor; Balfour, John R.; Keating, T. J.

    2014-11-01

    As greater numbers of photovoltaic (PV) systems are being installed, operations & maintenance (O&M) activities will need to be performed to ensure the PV system is operating as designed over its useful lifetime. To mitigate risks to PV system availability and performance, standardized procedures for O&M activities are needed to ensure high reliability and long-term system bankability. Efforts are just getting underway to address the need for standard O&M procedures as PV gains a larger share of U.S. generation capacity. Due to the existing landscape of how and where PV is installed, including distributed generation from small and medium PVmore » systems, as well as large, centralized utility-scale PV, O&M activities will require different levels of expertise and reporting, making standards even more important. This report summarizes recent efforts made by solar industry stakeholders to identify the existing standards and best practices applied to solar PV O&M activities, and determine the gaps that have yet to be, or are currently being addressed by industry.« less

  12. Achieving Innovation and Affordability Through Standardization of Materials Development and Testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bray, M. H.; Zook, L. M.; Raley, R. E.; Chapman, C.

    2011-01-01

    The successful expansion of development, innovation, and production within the aeronautics industry during the 20th century was facilitated by collaboration of government agencies with the commercial aviation companies. One of the initial products conceived from the collaboration was the ANC-5 Bulletin, first published in 1937. The ANC-5 Bulletin had intended to standardize the requirements of various government agencies in the design of aircraft structure. The national space policy shift in priority for NASA with an emphasis on transferring the travel to low earth orbit to commercial space providers highlights an opportunity and a need for the national and global space industries. The same collaboration and standardization that is documented and maintained by the industry within MIL-HDBK-5 (MMPDS-01) and MIL-HBDK-17 (nonmetallic mechanical properties) can also be exploited to standardize the thermal performance properties, processing methods, test methods, and analytical methods for use in aircraft and spacecraft design and associated propulsion systems. In addition to the definition of thermal performance description and standardization, the standardization for test methods and analysis for extreme environments (high temperature, cryogenics, deep space radiation, etc) would also be highly valuable to the industry. Its subsequent revisions and conversion to MIL-HDBK-5 and then MMPDS-01 established and then expanded to contain standardized mechanical property design values and other related design information for metallic materials used in aircraft, missiles, and space vehicles. It also includes guidance on standardization of composition, processing, and analytical methods for presentation and inclusion into the handbook. This standardization enabled an expansion of the technologies to provide efficiency and reliability to the consumers. It can be established that many individual programs within the government agencies have been overcome with development costs generated from these nonstandard requirements. Without industry standardization and acceptance, the programs are driven to shoulder the costs of determining design requirements, performance criteria, and then material qualification and certification. A significant investment that the industry could make to both reduce individual program development costs and schedules while expanding commercial space flight capabilities would be to invest in standardizing material performance properties for high temperature, cryogenic, and deep space environments for both metallic and nonmetallic materials.

  13. Medical Emergency Exceptions in State Abortion Statutes: The Statistical Record.

    PubMed

    Linton, Paul Benjamin

    2016-01-01

    This article attempts to determine, first, whether emergency exceptions in statutes regulating abortion have been abused and, second, whether the standard used in such an exception--subjective or objective--makes a difference in the reported incidence of such emergencies. A review of the statistical data supports two conclusions. First, physicians who perform abortions and have complied with state reporting requirements have not relied upon the medical emergency exceptions in state abortion statutes to evade the requirements of those statutes. Second, the use of an objective standard for evaluating medical emergencies ("reasonable medical judgment") has not been associated with fewer reported emergencies (per number of abortions performed) than the use of a subjective standard ("good faith clinical judgment"). Both of these conclusions may be relevant in drafting other abortion statutes including prohibitions (e.g., post-viability abortions).

  14. Type testing of the Siemens Plessey electronic personal dosemeter.

    PubMed

    Hirning, C R; Yuen, P S

    1995-07-01

    This paper presents the results of a laboratory assessment of the performance of a new type of personal dosimeter, the Electronic Personal Dosemeter made by Siemens Plessey Controls Limited. Twenty pre-production dosimeters and a reader were purchased by Ontario Hydro for the assessment. Tests were performed on radiological performance, including reproducibility, accuracy, linearity, detection threshold, energy response, angular response, neutron response, and response time. There were also tests on the effects of a variety of environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, pulsed magnetic and electric fields, low- and high-frequency electromagnetic fields, light exposure, drop impact, vibration, and splashing. Other characteristics that were tested were alarm volume, clip force, and battery life. The test results were compared with the relevant requirements of three standards: an Ontario Hydro standard for personal alarming dosimeters, an International Electrotechnical Commission draft standard for direct reading personal dose monitors, and an International Electrotechnical Commission standard for thermoluminescence dosimetry systems for personal monitoring. In general, the performance of the Electronic Personal Dosemeter was found to be quite acceptable: it met most of the relevant requirements of the three standards. However, the following deficiencies were found: slow response time; sensitivity to high-frequency electromagnetic fields; poor resistance to dropping; and an alarm that was not loud enough. In addition, the response of the electronic personal dosimeter to low-energy beta rays may be too low for some applications. Problems were experienced with the reliability of operation of the pre-production dosimeters used in these tests.

  15. ASCCP Colposcopy Standards: How Do We Perform Colposcopy? Implications for Establishing Standards.

    PubMed

    Waxman, Alan G; Conageski, Christine; Silver, Michelle I; Tedeschi, Candice; Stier, Elizabeth A; Apgar, Barbara; Huh, Warner K; Wentzensen, Nicolas; Massad, L Stewart; Khan, Michelle J; Mayeaux, Edward J; Einstein, Mark H; Schiffman, Mark H; Guido, Richard S

    2017-10-01

    The American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) Colposcopy Standards recommendations address the role of and approach to colposcopy and biopsy for cervical cancer prevention in the United States. The recommendations were developed by an expert working group appointed by ASCCP's Board of Directors. Working group 3 defined colposcopy procedure guidelines for minimum and comprehensive colposcopy practice and evaluated the use of colposcopy adjuncts. The working group performed a systematic literature review to identify best practices in colposcopy methodology and to evaluate the use of available colposcopy adjuncts. The literature provided little evidence to support specific elements of the procedure. The working group, therefore, implemented a national survey of current and recent ASCCP members to evaluate common elements of the colposcopy examination. The findings of this survey were modified by expert consensus from the ASCCP Colposcopy Standards Committee members to create guidelines for performing colposcopy. The draft recommendations were posted online for public comment and presented at an open session of the International Federation for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy 2017 World Congress for further comment. All comments were considered in the development of final recommendations. Minimum and comprehensive colposcopy practice guidelines were developed. These guidelines represent recommended practice in all parts of the examination including the following: precolposcopy evaluation, performing the procedure, documentation of findings, biopsy practice, and postprocedure follow-up. These guidelines are intended to serve as a guide to standardize colposcopy across the United States.

  16. 40 CFR 60.5095 - What must I include in the notifications of achievement of increments of progress?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emission Guidelines and Compliance Times for Existing Sewage Sludge Incineration Units Model Rule...

  17. CTEPP-OH DATA QA/QC RESULTS

    EPA Science Inventory

    This data set contains the method performance results for CTEPP-OH. This includes field blanks, method blanks, duplicate samples, analytical duplicates, matrix spikes, and surrogate recovery standards.

    The Children’s Total Exposure to Persistent Pesticides and Other Persisten...

  18. 78 FR 14358 - Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under the Clean Air Act

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-05

    ... violations related to a tire-burning electric generating plant in Ford Heights, Illinois (the ``Facility..., including: (1) The New Source Performance Standards for Industrial Steam Generating Units; (2) the Illinois...

  19. Perfmon2: a leap forward in performance monitoring

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jarp, S.; Jurga, R.; Nowak, A.

    2008-07-01

    This paper describes the software component, perfmon2, that is about to be added to the Linux kernel as the standard interface to the Performance Monitoring Unit (PMU) on common processors, including x86 (AMD and Intel), Sun SPARC, MIPS, IBM Power and Intel Itanium. It also describes a set of tools for doing performance monitoring in practice and details how the CERN openlab team has participated in the testing and development of these tools.

  20. Critical appraisal of the Vienna consensus: performance indicators for assisted reproductive technology laboratories.

    PubMed

    Lopez-Regalado, María Luisa; Martínez-Granados, Luis; González-Utor, Antonio; Ortiz, Nereyda; Iglesias, Miriam; Ardoy, Manuel; Castilla, Jose A

    2018-05-24

    The Vienna consensus, based on the recommendations of an expert panel, has identified 19 performance indicators for assisted reproductive technology (ART) laboratories. Two levels of reference values are established for these performance indicators: competence and benchmark. For over 10 years, the Spanish embryology association (ASEBIR) has participated in the definition and design of ART performance indicators, seeking to establish specific guidelines for ART laboratories to enhance quality, safety and patient welfare. Four years ago, ASEBIR took part in an initiative by AENOR, the Spanish Association for Standardization and Certification, to develop a national standard in this field (UNE 17900:2013 System of quality management for assisted reproduction laboratories), extending the former requirements, based on ISO 9001, to include performance indicators. Considering the experience acquired, we discuss various aspects of the Vienna consensus and consider certain discrepancies in performance indicators between the consensus and UNE 179007:2013, and analyse the definitions, methodology and reference values used. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  1. Specific NIST projects in support of the NIJ Concealed Weapon Detection and Imaging Program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Paulter, Nicholas G.

    1998-12-01

    The Electricity Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology is developing revised performance standards for hand-held (HH) and walk-through (WT) metal weapon detectors, test procedures and systems for these detectors, and a detection/imaging system for finding concealed weapons. The revised standards will replace the existing National Institute of Justice (NIJ) standards for HH and WT devices and will include detection performance specifications as well as system specifications (environmental conditions, mechanical strength and safety, response reproducibility and repeatability, quality assurance, test reporting, etc.). These system requirements were obtained from the Law Enforcement and corrections Technology Advisory Council, an advisory council for the NIJ. Reproducible and repeatable test procedures and appropriate measurement systems will be developed for evaluating HH and WT detection performance. A guide to the technology and application of non- eddy-current-based detection/imaging methods (such as acoustic, passive millimeter-wave and microwave, active millimeter-wave and terahertz-wave, x-ray, etc.) Will be developed. The Electricity Division is also researching the development of a high- frequency/high-speed (300 GH to 1 THz) pulse-illuminated, stand- off, video-rate, concealed weapons/contraband imaging system.

  2. The Effects of Using Space to Teach Standard Elementary School Curriculum

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ewell, Robert N.

    1996-01-01

    This brief report and recommendation for further research brings to a formal close this effort, the original purpose of which is described in detail in The effects of using space to teach standard elementary school curriculum, Volume 1, included here as the Appendix. Volume 1 describes the project as a 3-year research program to determine the effectiveness of using space to teach. The research design is quasi experimental using standardized test data on students from Aldrin Elementary School and a District-identified 'control' school, which shall be referred to as 'School B.' Students now in fourth through sixth grades will be compared now (after one year at Aldrin) and tracked at least until the present sixth graders are through the eighth grade. Appropriate statistical tests will be applied to standardized test scores to see if Aldrin students are 'better' than School B students in areas such as: Overall academic performance; Performance in math/science; and Enrollments in math/science in middle school.

  3. Science and the rules governing anti-doping violations.

    PubMed

    Bowers, Larry D

    2010-01-01

    The fight against the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports has been in effect for nearly 90 years. The formation of the World Anti-Doping Agency in 1999 was a major event because an independent agency was entrusted with harmonization of the antidoping program. In addition to sports governing bodies, governments have endorsed WADA and its programs by signing a United Nations Education, Science, and Cultural Organization Convention on Doping. The first step in the harmonization process was the development of the World Anti-Doping Program. This program consisted of five documents - the Code, the International Standard for Testing, the International Standard for Laboratories, the Prohibited List, and the International Standard for Therapeutic Use Exemptions - which unified the approach of the international federations and national antidoping agencies in applying antidoping rules. For laboratory testing, the International Standard for Laboratories establishes the performance expectations for and competence of laboratories recognized by WADA, including accreditation under ISO/IEC 17025. The antidoping rules are adjudicated by arbitration using the internationally recognized Court of Arbitration for Sport.

  4. ADEpedia: a scalable and standardized knowledge base of Adverse Drug Events using semantic web technology.

    PubMed

    Jiang, Guoqian; Solbrig, Harold R; Chute, Christopher G

    2011-01-01

    A source of semantically coded Adverse Drug Event (ADE) data can be useful for identifying common phenotypes related to ADEs. We proposed a comprehensive framework for building a standardized ADE knowledge base (called ADEpedia) through combining ontology-based approach with semantic web technology. The framework comprises four primary modules: 1) an XML2RDF transformation module; 2) a data normalization module based on NCBO Open Biomedical Annotator; 3) a RDF store based persistence module; and 4) a front-end module based on a Semantic Wiki for the review and curation. A prototype is successfully implemented to demonstrate the capability of the system to integrate multiple drug data and ontology resources and open web services for the ADE data standardization. A preliminary evaluation is performed to demonstrate the usefulness of the system, including the performance of the NCBO annotator. In conclusion, the semantic web technology provides a highly scalable framework for ADE data source integration and standard query service.

  5. Critical Thinking Skills among Elementary School Students: Comparing Identified Gifted and General Education Student Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kettler, Todd

    2014-01-01

    Education reform efforts, including the current adoption of Common Core State Standards, have increased attention to teaching critical thinking skills to all students. This study investigated the critical thinking skills of fourth-grade students from a school district in Texas, including 45 identified gifted students and 163 general education…

  6. Biodiesel Basics

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

    None

    This fact sheet provides a brief introduction to biodiesel, including a discussion of biodiesel blends and specifications. It also covers how biodiesel compares to diesel fuel in terms of performance (including in cold weather) and whether there are adverse effects on engines or other systems. Finally, it discusses biodiesel fuel quality and standards, and compares biodiesel emissions to those of diesel fuel.

  7. 30 CFR 815.15 - Performance standards for coal exploration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Performance standards for coal exploration. 815... OF THE INTERIOR PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS-COAL EXPLORATION § 815.15 Performance standards for coal exploration. (a) Habitats of unique or unusually high...

  8. 30 CFR 815.15 - Performance standards for coal exploration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Performance standards for coal exploration. 815... OF THE INTERIOR PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS-COAL EXPLORATION § 815.15 Performance standards for coal exploration. (a) Habitats of unique or unusually high...

  9. 30 CFR 815.15 - Performance standards for coal exploration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Performance standards for coal exploration. 815... OF THE INTERIOR PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS-COAL EXPLORATION § 815.15 Performance standards for coal exploration. (a) Habitats of unique or unusually high...

  10. 30 CFR 815.15 - Performance standards for coal exploration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Performance standards for coal exploration. 815... OF THE INTERIOR PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS-COAL EXPLORATION § 815.15 Performance standards for coal exploration. (a) Habitats of unique or unusually high...

  11. 30 CFR 815.15 - Performance standards for coal exploration.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 30 Mineral Resources 3 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Performance standards for coal exploration. 815... OF THE INTERIOR PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS PERMANENT PROGRAM PERFORMANCE STANDARDS-COAL EXPLORATION § 815.15 Performance standards for coal exploration. (a) Habitats of unique or unusually high...

  12. A pilot quality assurance scheme for diabetic retinopathy risk reduction programmes.

    PubMed

    Garvican, L; Scanlon, P H

    2004-10-01

    We describe a pilot study of measurement of quality assurance targets for diabetic retinopathy screening and performance comparison between 10 existing services, in preparation for the roll-out of the national programme. In 1999 the UK National Screening Committee approved proposals for a national diabetic retinopathy risk reduction programme, including recommendations for quality assurance, but implementation was held pending publication of the National Service Framework for Diabetes. Existing services requested the authors to perform a pilot study of a QA scheme, indicating willingness to contribute data for comparison. Objectives and quality standards were developed, following consultation with diabetologists, ophthalmologists and retinal screeners. Services submitted 2001/2 performance data, in response to a questionnaire, for anonymization, central analysis and comparison. The 17 quality standards encompass all aspects of the programme from identification of patients to timeliness of treatment. Ten programmes took part, submitting all the data available. All returns were incomplete, but especially so from the optometry-based schemes. Eight or more services demonstrated they could reach the minimum level in only five of the 17 standards. Thirty per cent could not provide coverage data. All were running behind. Reasons for difficulties in obtaining data and/or failing to achieve standards included severe under-funding and little previous experience of QA. Information systems were limited and incompatible between diabetes and eye units, and there was a lack of co-ordinated management of the whole programme. Quality assurance is time-consuming, expensive and inadequately resourced. The pilot study identified priorities for local action. National programme implementation must involve integral quality assurance mechanisms from the outset.

  13. Below-Ambient and Cryogenic Thermal Testing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fesmire, James E.

    2016-01-01

    Thermal insulation systems operating in below-ambient temperature conditions are inherently susceptible to moisture intrusion and vapor drive toward the cold side. The subsequent effects may include condensation, icing, cracking, corrosion, and other problems. Methods and apparatus for real-world thermal performance testing of below-ambient systems have been developed based on cryogenic boiloff calorimetry. New ASTM International standards on cryogenic testing and their extension to future standards for below-ambient testing of pipe insulation are reviewed.

  14. 76 FR 53371 - Oil and Natural Gas Sector: New Source Performance Standards and National Emission Standards for...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-26

    .... until 2 p.m. and a dinner break is scheduled from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. The EPA's Web site for the... preferences on speaking times may not be able to be fulfilled. If you will require the service of a translator... hearing schedules, including lists of speakers, will be posted on the EPA's Web site at http://www.epa.gov...

  15. Wave equations on anti self dual (ASD) manifolds

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bashingwa, Jean-Juste; Kara, A. H.

    2017-11-01

    In this paper, we study and perform analyses of the wave equation on some manifolds with non diagonal metric g_{ij} which are of neutral signatures. These include the invariance properties, variational symmetries and conservation laws. In the recent past, wave equations on the standard (space time) Lorentzian manifolds have been performed but not on the manifolds from metrics of neutral signatures.

  16. Qualification of an Acceptable Alternative to Halon 1211 DOD Flightline Extinguishers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-09-01

    Minimum Performance Standard MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet NATO North Atlantic Treaty Organization NAWCAD Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft...included chronic and acute occupational exposure limits and cardiotoxicity. Alternatives that were carcinogens or that had any adverse developmental...gear to fight the fires Does not exceed pain threshold for exposed skin Each unit tested met this performance objective 2. Firefighting

  17. Accountability and Avoidance in the Bush Education Plan: The "No Child Left Behind Act of 2001."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rudalevige, Andrew

    The latest Elementary and Secondary Education Act reauthorization, the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, includes new standards, testing, and sanctions provisions designed to bring better performance and new accountability for that performance to local schools. The accountability ingredients in the new law were mostly not new to the 2001 debate…

  18. Evaluation of the Geotech SMART24BH 20Vpp/5Vpp data acquisition system with active fortezza crypto card data signing and authentication.

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

    Rembold, Randy Kai; Hart, Darren M.

    Sandia National Laboratories has tested and evaluated Geotech SMART24BH borehole data acquisition system with active Fortezza crypto card data signing and authentication. The test results included in this report were in response to static and tonal-dynamic input signals. Most test methodologies used were based on IEEE Standards 1057 for Digitizing Waveform Recorders and 1241 for Analog to Digital Converters; others were designed by Sandia specifically for infrasound application evaluation and for supplementary criteria not addressed in the IEEE standards. The objective of this work was to evaluate the overall technical performance of two Geotech SMART24BH digitizers with a Fortezza PCMCIAmore » crypto card actively implementing the signing of data packets. The results of this evaluation were compared to relevant specifications provided within manufacturer's documentation notes. The tests performed were chosen to demonstrate different performance aspects of the digitizer under test. The performance aspects tested include determining noise floor, least significant bit (LSB), dynamic range, cross-talk, relative channel-to-channel timing, time-tag accuracy/statistics/drift, analog bandwidth.« less

  19. A lack of standardization: the basis for the ethical issues surrounding quality and performance reports.

    PubMed

    Suchy, Kirsten

    2010-01-01

    Consumers in the United States are taking advantage of the proliferation of publicly available, internet-based performance reports and quality appraisals of health plans, healthcare organizations, hospitals, and physicians to aid in their healthcare decision making. However, these appraisal practices have given rise to controversy and debate over certain distinctive ethical issues. This article advocates a standardized ethical framework to guide current and future development and implementation of performance reports. This framework, which would resolve a number of the major issues, includes the following ethical principles to guide the practice of public reporting on the Internet and facilitate enhanced quality improvement in the healthcare industry: legitimacy, data integrity and quality, transparency, informed understanding, equity, privacy and confidentiality, collaboration, accountability, and evaluation and continuous improvement.

  20. Mechanisms for training security inspectors to enhance human performance

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

    Burkhalter, H.E.; Sessions, J.C.

    The Department of Energy (DOE) has established qualification standards for protective force personnel employed at nuclear facilities (10 CFR Part 1046 (Federal Register)). Training mechanisms used at Los Alamos to enhance human performance in meeting DOE standards include, but are not limited to, the following: for cardio-respiratory training, they utilize distance running, interval training, sprint training, pacing, indoor aerobics and circuit training; for muscular strength, free weights, weight machines, light hand weights, grip strength conditioners, and calistenics are employed; for muscular endurance, participants do high repetitions (15 - 40) using dumbbells, flex weights, resistive rubber bands, benches, and calisthenics; formore » flexibility, each training session devotes specific times to stretch the muscles involved for a particular activity. These training mechanisms with specific protocols can enhance human performance.« less

  1. 40 CFR 434.55 - New source performance standards (NSPS).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 29 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false New source performance standards (NSPS... PERFORMANCE STANDARDS Post-Mining Areas § 434.55 New source performance standards (NSPS). The following new source performance standards shall apply to the post-mining areas of all new source coal mines: (a...

  2. Aiming High: Setting Performance Standards for Student Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Phillips, Gary; Garcia, Alicia N.

    2015-01-01

    Content standards, not performance standards, have been almost the sole focus of state policies and recent conversations about academic standards. Without rigorous content and performance standards, we cannot adequately prepare students for the global marketplace. A recent AIR study shows that state performance standards are consistently low and…

  3. 48 CFR 37.603 - Performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Performance standards. 37... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING SERVICE CONTRACTING Performance-Based Acquisition 37.603 Performance standards. (a) Performance standards establish the performance level required by the Government to meet the contract...

  4. 48 CFR 37.603 - Performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Performance standards. 37... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING SERVICE CONTRACTING Performance-Based Acquisition 37.603 Performance standards. (a) Performance standards establish the performance level required by the Government to meet the contract...

  5. 48 CFR 37.603 - Performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Performance standards. 37... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING SERVICE CONTRACTING Performance-Based Acquisition 37.603 Performance standards. (a) Performance standards establish the performance level required by the Government to meet the contract...

  6. 48 CFR 37.603 - Performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Performance standards. 37... CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING SERVICE CONTRACTING Performance-Based Acquisition 37.603 Performance standards. (a) Performance standards establish the performance level required by the Government to meet the contract...

  7. U.S. initiatives to strengthen forensic science & international standards in forensic DNA.

    PubMed

    Butler, John M

    2015-09-01

    A number of initiatives are underway in the United States in response to the 2009 critique of forensic science by a National Academy of Sciences committee. This article provides a broad review of activities including efforts of the White House National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Forensic Science and a partnership between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create the National Commission on Forensic Science and the Organization of Scientific Area Committees. These initiatives are seeking to improve policies and practices of forensic science. Efforts to fund research activities and aid technology transition and training in forensic science are also covered. The second portion of the article reviews standards in place or in development around the world for forensic DNA. Documentary standards are used to help define written procedures to perform testing. Physical standards serve as reference materials for calibration and traceability purposes when testing is performed. Both documentary and physical standards enable reliable data comparison, and standard data formats and common markers or testing regions are crucial for effective data sharing. Core DNA markers provide a common framework and currency for constructing DNA databases with compatible data. Recent developments in expanding core DNA markers in Europe and the United States are discussed. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  8. U.S. initiatives to strengthen forensic science & international standards in forensic DNA

    PubMed Central

    Butler, John M.

    2015-01-01

    A number of initiatives are underway in the United States in response to the 2009 critique of forensic science by a National Academy of Sciences committee. This article provides a broad review of activities including efforts of the White House National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Forensic Science and a partnership between the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to create the National Commission on Forensic Science and the Organization of Scientific Area Committees. These initiatives are seeking to improve policies and practices of forensic science. Efforts to fund research activities and aid technology transition and training in forensic science are also covered. The second portion of the article reviews standards in place or in development around the world for forensic DNA. Documentary standards are used to help define written procedures to perform testing. Physical standards serve as reference materials for calibration and traceability purposes when testing is performed. Both documentary and physical standards enable reliable data comparison, and standard data formats and common markers or testing regions are crucial for effective data sharing. Core DNA markers provide a common framework and currency for constructing DNA databases with compatible data. Recent developments in expanding core DNA markers in Europe and the United States are discussed. PMID:26164236

  9. Multi-laboratory evaluations of the performance of Catellicoccus marimammalium PCR assays developed to target gull fecal sources

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sinigalliano, Christopher D.; Ervin, Jared S.; Van De Werfhorst, Laurie C.; Badgley, Brian D.; Ballestée, Elisenda; Bartkowiaka, Jakob; Boehm, Alexandria B.; Byappanahalli, Muruleedhara N.; Goodwin, Kelly D.; Gourmelon, Michèle; Griffith, John; Holden, Patricia A.; Jay, Jenny; Layton, Blythe; Lee, Cheonghoon; Lee, Jiyoung; Meijer, Wim G.; Noble, Rachel; Raith, Meredith; Ryu, Hodon; Sadowsky, Michael J.; Schriewer, Alexander; Wang, Dan; Wanless, David; Whitman, Richard; Wuertz, Stefan; Santo Domingo, Jorge W.

    2013-01-01

    Here we report results from a multi-laboratory (n = 11) evaluation of four different PCR methods targeting the 16S rRNA gene of Catellicoccus marimammalium originally developed to detect gull fecal contamination in coastal environments. The methods included a conventional end-point PCR method, a SYBR® Green qPCR method, and two TaqMan® qPCR methods. Different techniques for data normalization and analysis were tested. Data analysis methods had a pronounced impact on assay sensitivity and specificity calculations. Across-laboratory standardization of metrics including the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ), target detected but not quantifiable (DNQ), and target not detected (ND) significantly improved results compared to results submitted by individual laboratories prior to definition standardization. The unit of measure used for data normalization also had a pronounced effect on measured assay performance. Data normalization to DNA mass improved quantitative method performance as compared to enterococcus normalization. The MST methods tested here were originally designed for gulls but were found in this study to also detect feces from other birds, particularly feces composited from pigeons. Sequencing efforts showed that some pigeon feces from California contained sequences similar to C. marimammalium found in gull feces. These data suggest that the prevalence, geographic scope, and ecology of C. marimammalium in host birds other than gulls require further investigation. This study represents an important first step in the multi-laboratory assessment of these methods and highlights the need to broaden and standardize additional evaluations, including environmentally relevant target concentrations in ambient waters from diverse geographic regions.

  10. PET Timing Performance Measurement Method Using NEMA NEC Phantom

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Gin-Chung; Li, Xiaoli; Niu, Xiaofeng; Du, Huini; Balakrishnan, Karthik; Ye, Hongwei; Burr, Kent

    2016-06-01

    When comparing the performance of time-of-flight whole-body PET scanners, timing resolution is one important benchmark. Timing performance is heavily influenced by detector and electronics design. Even for the same scanner design, measured timing resolution is a function of many factors including the activity concentration, geometry and positioning of the radioactive source. Due to lack of measurement standards, the timing resolutions reported in the literature may not be directly comparable and may not describe the timing performance under clinically relevant conditions. In this work we introduce a method which makes use of the data acquired during the standard NEMA Noise-Equivalent-Count-Rate (NECR) measurements, and compare it to several other timing resolution measurement methods. The use of the NEMA NEC phantom, with well-defined dimensions and radioactivity distribution, is attractive because it has been widely accepted in the industry and allows for the characterization of timing resolution across a more relevant range of conditions.

  11. Community Level Association between Home Health and Nursing Home Performance on Quality and Hospital 30-day Readmissions for Medicare Patients.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yun; Pandolfi, Michelle M; Fine, Jonathan; Metersky, Mark L; Wang, Changqin; Ho, Shih-Yieh; Galusha, Deron; Nuti, Sudhakar V; Murugiah, Karthik; Spenard, Ann; Elwell, Timothy; Krumholz, Harlan M

    2016-11-01

    We evaluated whether community-level home health agencies and nursing home performance is associated with community-level hospital 30-day all-cause risk-standardized readmission rates for Medicare patients used data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service from 2010 to 2012. Our final sample included 2,855 communities that covered 4,140 hospitals with 6,751,713 patients, 13,060 nursing homes with 1,250,648 residents, and 7,613 home health agencies providing services to 35,660 zipcodes. Based on a mixed effect model, we found that increasing nursing home performance by one star for all of its 4 measures and home health performance by 10 points for all of its 6 measures is associated with decreases of 0.25% (95% CI 0.17-0.34) and 0.60% (95% CI 0.33-0.83), respectively, in community-level risk-standardized readmission rates.

  12. Infection prevention and control.

    PubMed

    Pegram, Anne; Bloomfield, Jacqueline

    2015-03-18

    All newly registered graduate nurses are required to have the appropriate knowledge and understanding to perform the skills required for patient care, specifically the competencies identified in the Nursing and Midwifery Council's essential skills clusters. This article focuses on the third essential skills cluster - infection prevention and control. It provides an overview and discussion of the key skills and behaviours that must be demonstrated to meet the standards set by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. In doing so, it considers the key principles of infection prevention and control, including local and national policies, standard infection control precautions, risk assessment, standard isolation measures and asepsis.

  13. Sealed nickel cadmium batteries

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Raudszus, W.; Kiehne, H. A.; Cloke, F. R.

    1982-10-01

    The design, manufacture, and application of maintenance-free sealed NiCd batteries are surveyed. The principles of electrochemical power supplies and the history of the development of NiCd cells are reviewed. The batteries produced by Varta Batterie AG are presented; topics discussed include design parameters, electrical and physical characteristics, performance under adverse conditions, type range, production, and quality control. Application techniques, including cell-type choice, charging units and charging circuits, and the construction of standby power supplies, are considered, with reference to national and international standards of performance and classification. No individual items are abstracted in this volume

  14. 40 CFR 60.2630 - What should I include in my waste management plan?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model Rule-Waste Management.... Model Rule—Operator Training and Qualification ...

  15. 40 CFR 60.2630 - What should I include in my waste management plan?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ...) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) STANDARDS OF PERFORMANCE FOR NEW STATIONARY SOURCES Emissions Guidelines and Compliance Times for Commercial and Industrial Solid Waste Incineration Units Model Rule-Waste Management.... Model Rule—Operator Training and Qualification ...

  16. Gigabit Ethernet: A Technical Assessment.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Axner, David

    1997-01-01

    Describes gigabit ethernet for LAN (local area network) technology that will expand ethernet bandwidth. Technical details are discussed, including protocol stacks, optical fiber, deployment strategy for performance improvement, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode), real-time protocol, reserve reservation protocol, and standards. (LRW)

  17. Procurement Without Problems: Preparing the RFP.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Epstein, Susan Baerg

    1983-01-01

    Discussion of factors contributing to successful procurement of automated library system focuses on preparation of Request for Proposal (RFP) and elements included in the RFP--administrative requirements, functional requirements, performance requirements, reliability requirements, testing procedures, standardized response language, location table,…

  18. Effect of the implementation of the fluvial performance standard on maintenance of bridges and culverts.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-08-01

    The objective of this project was to determine what factors influence maintenance cost of Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) stream-crossing structures. Data acquired for the project included structure characteristics, stream characteristics,...

  19. Optometrists Association Australia Universal (entry-level) and Therapeutic Competency Standards for Optometry 2008.

    PubMed

    Kiely, Patricia M

    2009-07-01

    Competency standards for entry-level to the profession of optometry in Australia were first developed in 1993, revised in 1997 and expanded in 2000 to include therapeutic competency standards. The entry-level standards cover the competencies required by a person entering the profession without therapeutic endorsement of their registration. The therapeutic competency standards address the additional competencies required for therapeutic endorsement of registration. This paper presents a revised version of the universal (entry-level) and therapeutic competency standards for the profession of optometry in Australia in 2008. Expert members of the profession and representatives from schools of optometry, registration boards in Australia, state divisions of Optometrists Association Australia and the New Zealand Association of Optometrists were consulted in the process of updating the standards. Three new elements of competency have been added to the standards. Twenty-three new performance criteria with associated indicators have been added. Some performance criteria from the earlier document have been combined. Substantial alterations were made to the presentation of indicators throughout the document. The updated entry-level (universal) and therapeutic competency standards were adopted on behalf of the profession by the National Council of Optometrists Association Australia in November 2008. Competency standards are used by Australian and New Zealand registration authorities for the purposes of registration and therapeutic endorsement of registration via the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand accreditation and assessment processes. They have also been used as the basis of the World Council of Optometry Global Competency-Based Model.

  20. Workmanship Standards Personnel Training and Certification Explained

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Plante, Jeannette F.

    2010-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the standards that NASA requires for workmanship and discusses the rationale and the NASA-STD-8739.x standard series. The training and certification of inspectors and operators is to guarantee that workmanship is qualified for NASA applications. The NASA workmanship standard documents review the standards for: Polymeric Applications, Surface Mount Technology, Soldered Electrical Connections, Crimp, Cable and Harnesses, Fiber Optic Terminations, including ANSI and IPC standards for Electrostatic Discharge Safety, Space Applications Electronic Hardware and Requirements for Soldered Electrical and Electronic Assemblies. It also reviews the certification requirements for appropriate personnel. It also reviews the various levels of trainers for the various requirements. There is also a review of calibration requirements for training equipment. Some variations on the curriculum are allowed. NASA requires operators and inspectors to be certified by their employer to ensure that oversight is being performed.

  1. Conventional engine technology. Volume 1: Status of OTTO cycle engine technology

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dowdy, M. W.

    1981-01-01

    Federally-mandated emissions standards have led to major changes in automotive technology during the last decade. Efforts to satisfy the new standards were directed more toward the use of add-on devices, such as catalytic converters, turbochargers, and improved fuel metering, than toward complete engine redesign. The resulting changes are described and the improvement brought about by them in fuel economy and emissions levels are fully documented. Four specific categories of gasoline-powered internal combustion engines are covered, including subsystem and total engine development. Also included are the results of fuel economy and exhaust emissions tests performed on representative vehicles from each category.

  2. Assessing Functional Performance using a Computer-Based Simulations of Everyday Activities

    PubMed Central

    Czaja, Sara J.; Loewenstein, David A.; Lee, Chin Chin; Fu, Shih Hua; Harvey, Philip D.

    2016-01-01

    Current functional capacity (FC) measures for patients with schizophrenia typically involve informant assessments or are in paper and pencil format, requiring in-person administration by a skilled assessor. This approach presents logistic problems and limits the possibilities for remote assessment, an important issue for these patients. This study evaluated the feasibility of using a computer-based assessment battery, including simulations of everyday activities. The battery was compared to in-person standard assessments of cognition and FC with respect to baseline convergence and sensitivity to group differences. The battery, administered on a touch screen computer, included measures of critical everyday activities, including: ATM Banking/Financial Management, Prescriptions Refill via Telephone/Voice Menu System, and Forms Completion (simulating a clinic and patient history form). The sample included 77 older adult patients with schizophrenia and 24 older adult healthy controls that were administered the battery at two time points. The results indicated that the battery was sensitive to group differences in FC. Performance on the battery was also moderately correlated with standard measures of cognitive abilities and showed convergence with standard measures of FC, while demonstrating good test-retest reliability. Our results show that it is feasible to use technology-based assessment protocols with older adults and patients with schizophrenia. The battery overcomes logistic constraints associated with current FC assessment protocols as the battery is computer-based, can be delivered remotely and does not require a healthcare professional for administration. PMID:27913159

  3. Performance and standards for the process of head and neck cancer care: South and West audit of head and neck cancer 1996-1997 (SWAHN I). South and West Regional Cancer Organisation Tumour Panel for Head and Neck Cancer.

    PubMed

    Birchall, M A; Bailey, D; Lennon, A

    2000-08-01

    Evidence suggests wide variation in cancer care between different hospitals in the UK. To establish bench-marking data, we designed a prospective, 1 year regional study comparing key performance measures with established standards for the 28 hospital Trusts in the South and West of England involved in head and neck cancer care. 566 sequential patients with a newly-diagnosed head and neck cancer were included. Numbers referred and treated per hospital Trust were 1-58 and 1-65 respectively. 59% of patients received a pretreatment chest X-ray (standard 95%). 45% of patients were seen in a multidisciplinary clinic pretreatment (standard 95%), and this was proportional to the frequency of clinics held (P<0.0001). Median number of cases treated per surgeon was 4 (1-26), and by radiotherapist was 10 (1-51). Times between parts of the process of oral cancer care were closer to the standards than those for laryngeal cancer. Two patients were entered into a clinical trial. One had a quality-of-life score. Thus, in 1996-1997, in the South and West of England, there were major discrepancies between actual performance and established standards in many fundamental aspects of head and neck cancer care. Re-audit is essential to determine if the implementation of the Calman-Hine report has resulted in improvements.

  4. Performance and standards for the process of head and neck cancer care: South and West audit of head and neck cancer 1996–1997 (SWAHN I)

    PubMed Central

    Birchall, M A; Bailey, D; Lennon, A

    2000-01-01

    Evidence suggests wide variation in cancer care between different hospitals in the UK. To establish bench-marking data, we designed a prospective, 1 year regional study comparing key performance measures with established standards for the 28 hospital Trusts in the South and West of England involved in head and neck cancer care. 566 sequential patients with a newly-diagnosed head and neck cancer were included. Numbers referred and treated per hospital Trust were 1–58 and 1–65 respectively. 59% of patients received a pretreatment chest X-ray (standard 95%). 45% of patients were seen in a multidisciplinary clinic pretreatment (standard 95%), and this was proportional to the frequency of clinics held (P< 0.0001). Median number of cases treated per surgeon was 4 (1–26), and by radiotherapist was 10 (1–51). Times between parts of the process of oral cancer care were closer to the standards than those for laryngeal cancer. Two patients were entered into a clinical trial. One had a quality-of-life score. Thus, in 1996–1997, in the South and West of England, there were major discrepancies between actual performance and established standards in many fundamental aspects of head and neck cancer care. Re-audit is essential to determine if the implementation of the Calman–Hine report has resulted in improvements. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign PMID:10945484

  5. A reference standard-based quality assurance program for radiology.

    PubMed

    Liu, Patrick T; Johnson, C Daniel; Miranda, Rafael; Patel, Maitray D; Phillips, Carrie J

    2010-01-01

    The authors have developed a comprehensive radiology quality assurance (QA) program that evaluates radiology interpretations and procedures by comparing them with reference standards. Performance metrics are calculated and then compared with benchmarks or goals on the basis of published multicenter data and meta-analyses. Additional workload for physicians is kept to a minimum by having trained allied health staff members perform the comparisons of radiology reports with the reference standards. The performance metrics tracked by the QA program include the accuracy of CT colonography for detecting polyps, the false-negative rate for mammographic detection of breast cancer, the accuracy of CT angiography detection of coronary artery stenosis, the accuracy of meniscal tear detection on MRI, the accuracy of carotid artery stenosis detection on MR angiography, the accuracy of parathyroid adenoma detection by parathyroid scintigraphy, the success rate for obtaining cortical tissue on ultrasound-guided core biopsies of pelvic renal transplants, and the technical success rate for peripheral arterial angioplasty procedures. In contrast with peer-review programs, this reference standard-based QA program minimizes the possibilities of reviewer bias and erroneous second reviewer interpretations. The more objective assessment of performance afforded by the QA program will provide data that can easily be used for education and management conferences, research projects, and multicenter evaluations. Additionally, such performance data could be used by radiology departments to demonstrate their value over nonradiology competitors to referring clinicians, hospitals, patients, and third-party payers. Copyright 2010 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Quality of haemophilia care in The Netherlands: new standards for optimal care.

    PubMed

    Leebeek, Frank W G; Fischer, Kathelijn

    2014-04-01

    In the Netherlands, the first formal haemophilia comprehensive care centre was established in 1964, and Dutch haemophilia doctors have been organised since 1972. Although several steps were taken to centralise haemophilia care and maintain quality of care, treatment was still delivered in many hospitals, and formal criteria for haemophilia treatment centres as well as a national haemophilia registry were lacking. In collaboration with patients and other stakeholders, Dutch haemophilia doctors have undertaken a formal process to draft new quality standards for the haemophilia treatment centres. First a project group including doctors, nurses, patients and the institute for harmonisation of quality standards undertook a literature study on quality standards and performed explorative visits to several haemophilia treatment centres in the Netherlands. Afterwards concept standards were defined and validated in two treatment centres. Next, the concept standards were evaluated by haemophilia doctors, patients, health insurance representatives and regulators. Finally, the final version of the standards of care was approved by Central body of Experts on quality standards in clinical care and the Dutch Ministry of Health. A team of expert auditors have been trained and, together with an independent auditor, will perform audits in haemophilia centres applying for formal certification. Concomitantly, a national registry for haemophilia and allied disorders is being set up. It is expected that these processes will lead to further concentration and improved quality of haemophilia care in the Netherlands.

  7. Mass Properties for Space Systems Standards Development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Beech, Geoffrey

    2013-01-01

    Current Verbiage in S-120 Applies to Dry Mass. Mass Margin is difference between Required Mass and Predicted Mass. Performance Margin is difference between Predicted Performance and Required Performance. Performance estimates and corresponding margin should be based on Predicted Mass (and other inputs). Contractor Mass Margin reserved from Performance Margin. Remaining performance margin allocated according to mass partials. Compliance can be evaluated effectively by comparison of three areas (preferably on a single sheet). Basic and Predicted Mass (including historical trend). Aggregate potential changes (threats and opportunities) which gives Mass Forecast. Mass Maturity by category (Estimated/Calculated/Actual).

  8. Functional assessment and performance evaluation for assistive robotic manipulators: Literature review

    PubMed Central

    Chung, Cheng-Shiu; Wang, Hongwu; Cooper, Rory A.

    2013-01-01

    Context The user interface development of assistive robotic manipulators can be traced back to the 1960s. Studies include kinematic designs, cost-efficiency, user experience involvements, and performance evaluation. This paper is to review studies conducted with clinical trials using activities of daily living (ADLs) tasks to evaluate performance categorized using the International Classification of Functioning, Disability, and Health (ICF) frameworks, in order to give the scope of current research and provide suggestions for future studies. Methods We conducted a literature search of assistive robotic manipulators from 1970 to 2012 in PubMed, Google Scholar, and University of Pittsburgh Library System – PITTCat. Results Twenty relevant studies were identified. Conclusion Studies were separated into two broad categories: user task preferences and user-interface performance measurements of commercialized and developing assistive robotic manipulators. The outcome measures and ICF codes associated with the performance evaluations are reported. Suggestions for the future studies include (1) standardized ADL tasks for the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of task efficiency and performance to build comparable measures between research groups, (2) studies relevant to the tasks from user priority lists and ICF codes, and (3) appropriate clinical functional assessment tests with consideration of constraints in assistive robotic manipulator user interfaces. In addition, these outcome measures will help physicians and therapists build standardized tools while prescribing and assessing assistive robotic manipulators. PMID:23820143

  9. Developments in REDES: The rocket engine design expert system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davidian, Kenneth O.

    1990-01-01

    The Rocket Engine Design Expert System (REDES) is being developed at the NASA-Lewis to collect, automate, and perpetuate the existing expertise of performing a comprehensive rocket engine analysis and design. Currently, REDES uses the rigorous JANNAF methodology to analyze the performance of the thrust chamber and perform computational studies of liquid rocket engine problems. The following computer codes were included in REDES: a gas properties program named GASP, a nozzle design program named RAO, a regenerative cooling channel performance evaluation code named RTE, and the JANNAF standard liquid rocket engine performance prediction code TDK (including performance evaluation modules ODE, ODK, TDE, TDK, and BLM). Computational analyses are being conducted by REDES to provide solutions to liquid rocket engine thrust chamber problems. REDES is built in the Knowledge Engineering Environment (KEE) expert system shell and runs on a Sun 4/110 computer.

  10. Developments in REDES: The Rocket Engine Design Expert System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davidian, Kenneth O.

    1990-01-01

    The Rocket Engine Design Expert System (REDES) was developed at NASA-Lewis to collect, automate, and perpetuate the existing expertise of performing a comprehensive rocket engine analysis and design. Currently, REDES uses the rigorous JANNAF methodology to analyze the performance of the thrust chamber and perform computational studies of liquid rocket engine problems. The following computer codes were included in REDES: a gas properties program named GASP; a nozzle design program named RAO; a regenerative cooling channel performance evaluation code named RTE; and the JANNAF standard liquid rocket engine performance prediction code TDK (including performance evaluation modules ODE, ODK, TDE, TDK, and BLM). Computational analyses are being conducted by REDES to provide solutions to liquid rocket engine thrust chamber problems. REDES was built in the Knowledge Engineering Environment (KEE) expert system shell and runs on a Sun 4/110 computer.

  11. The effectiveness of using standardized patients to improve community physician skills in mammography counseling and clinical breast exam.

    PubMed

    Costanza, M E; Luckmann, R; Quirk, M E; Clemow, L; White, M J; Stoddard, A M

    1999-10-01

    Traditional didactic continuing education is relatively ineffective in improving physicians' clinical skills. We hypothesized that a centralized course including small group workshops utilizing standardized patients could improve clinical skills for a reasonable cost. We designed a 5-h course aimed at improving physicians' counseling skills (re: screening mammography) and clinical breast exam (CBE) skills. The course included lectures, demonstrations, and small group skills sessions utilizing standardized patients and was offered to 156 typical community-based primary care physicians. Pre- and postcourse evaluation included in-office assessments of physician CBE and counseling performance by standardized patients and a written test of knowledge and attitudes. A total of 54.5% of eligible physicians participated. They improved modestly in only one of three areas of counseling skills measured (providing counseling appropriate to the patient's readiness to accept mammography, P = 0.01). The overall CBE score increased substantially from 24.8 to 34.7 (P < 0.0001). Knowledge in all areas measured and confidence in counseling patients also increased. The basic course cost $202 per physician trained. Most community-based primary care physicians may find small group training and in-office evaluation involving standardized patients acceptable. Such training may be more effective in improving physical exam skills than complex communication skills.

  12. Standard Guidelines of Care: Performing Procedures in Patients on or Recently Administered with Isotretinoin

    PubMed Central

    Mysore, Venkataram; Mahadevappa, Omprakash H.; Barua, Shyamanta; Majid, Imran; Viswanath, Vishalakshi; Bhat, Ramesh M.; Talwar, Suresh; Thurakkal, Salim; Aurangabadkar, Sanjeev J.; Chatterjee, Manas; Ganjoo, Anil

    2017-01-01

    Background: Currently, the standard protocol regarding the performance of procedures on patients receiving or having recently received isotretinoin (13-cis-retinoic acid) states that the procedures should not be performed. The recommendations in standard books and drug insert require discontinuation of isotretinoin for 6 months before performing cosmetic procedures, including waxing, dermabrasion, chemical peels, laser procedures, or incisional and excisional cold-steel surgery. These recommendations have been followed for over two decades despite little evidence for the stated increased risk of scarring. Objective: The Association of Cutaneous Surgeons (I) constituted a task force to review the evidence and to recommend consensus guidelines regarding the safety of skin procedures, including resurfacing, energy-device treatments, and dermatosurgical procedures in patients with concurrent or recent isotretinoin administration. Materials and Methods: Data were extracted from the literature through a PubMed search using the keywords “isotretinoin,” “safety,” “scarring,” “keloids,” “hypertrophic scarring,” and “pigmentation.” The evidence was then labeled and circulated to all members of task force for review. Results: The task force is of the opinion that there is insufficient evidence to support the current protocol of avoiding and delaying treatments in the patient group under consideration and recommends that the current practice should be discontinued. The task force concludes that performing procedures such as laser hair removal, fractional lasers for aging and acne scarring, lasers for pigmented skin lesions, fractional radio-frequency microneedling, superficial and medium-depth peels, microdermabrasion, dermaroller, biopsies, radio-frequency ablation, and superficial excisions is safe in patients with concurrent or recent isotretinoin administration. PMID:29491653

  13. Academic performance and career choices of older medical students at the University of Otago.

    PubMed

    Shelker, William; Belton, Alison; Glue, Paul

    2011-11-25

    To compare the academic performance and postgraduate career choices of a cohort of medical students who are older and more life experienced at time of medical school entry ("Other Category" students) with students admitted through standard entry admission pathways. Examination performance, graduation rates, postgraduate specialisation and geographical location were compared between Other Category students and students entering via Standard Entry admission (including competitive first year entry and competitive graduate entry immediately after completing a Bachelor's degree). Compared with Standard Entry students, Other Category students had equivalent examination pass rates, significantly higher rates of distinction passes in examinations in Year 2 (OR 1.86; 95% CI 1.05, 3.29; p=0.03) and Year 5 (OR 2.36; 95% CI 1.27, 4.37; p=0.005), and equivalent graduation rates. Retention of Other Category graduates in New Zealand was 14% higher than Standard Entry students over 10 years post-graduation (p<0.0001), and a higher proportion had specialised in General Practice (p=0.04). Compared with Standard Entry students, Other Category medical students had higher rates of distinction grades in examination results, higher rates of retention in NZ post-graduation, and a higher proportion taking up general practice as a specialty. These findings may be relevant in planning for recruitment and training of the future medical workforce in New Zealand.

  14. The cooking task: making a meal of executive functions

    PubMed Central

    Doherty, T. A.; Barker, L. A.; Denniss, R.; Jalil, A.; Beer, M. D.

    2015-01-01

    Current standardized neuropsychological tests may fail to accurately capture real-world executive deficits. We developed a computer-based Cooking Task (CT) assessment of executive functions and trialed the measure with a normative group before use with a head-injured population. Forty-six participants completed the computerized CT and subtests from standardized neuropsychological tasks, including the Tower and Sorting Tests of executive function from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) and the Cambridge prospective memory test (CAMPROMPT), in order to examine whether standardized executive function tasks, predicted performance on measurement indices from the CT. Findings showed that verbal comprehension, rule detection and prospective memory contributed to measures of prospective planning accuracy and strategy implementation of the CT. Results also showed that functions necessary for cooking efficacy differ as an effect of task demands (difficulty levels). Performance on rule detection, strategy implementation and flexible thinking executive function measures contributed to accuracy on the CT. These findings raise questions about the functions captured by present standardized tasks particularly at varying levels of difficulty and during dual-task performance. Our preliminary findings also indicate that CT measures can effectively distinguish between executive function and Full Scale IQ abilities. Results of the present study indicate that the CT shows promise as an ecologically valid measure of executive function for future use with a head-injured population and indexes selective executive function’s captured by standardized tests. PMID:25717294

  15. The cooking task: making a meal of executive functions.

    PubMed

    Doherty, T A; Barker, L A; Denniss, R; Jalil, A; Beer, M D

    2015-01-01

    Current standardized neuropsychological tests may fail to accurately capture real-world executive deficits. We developed a computer-based Cooking Task (CT) assessment of executive functions and trialed the measure with a normative group before use with a head-injured population. Forty-six participants completed the computerized CT and subtests from standardized neuropsychological tasks, including the Tower and Sorting Tests of executive function from the Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) and the Cambridge prospective memory test (CAMPROMPT), in order to examine whether standardized executive function tasks, predicted performance on measurement indices from the CT. Findings showed that verbal comprehension, rule detection and prospective memory contributed to measures of prospective planning accuracy and strategy implementation of the CT. Results also showed that functions necessary for cooking efficacy differ as an effect of task demands (difficulty levels). Performance on rule detection, strategy implementation and flexible thinking executive function measures contributed to accuracy on the CT. These findings raise questions about the functions captured by present standardized tasks particularly at varying levels of difficulty and during dual-task performance. Our preliminary findings also indicate that CT measures can effectively distinguish between executive function and Full Scale IQ abilities. Results of the present study indicate that the CT shows promise as an ecologically valid measure of executive function for future use with a head-injured population and indexes selective executive function's captured by standardized tests.

  16. Antianaerobic Antimicrobials: Spectrum and Susceptibility Testing

    PubMed Central

    Wexler, Hannah M.; Goldstein, Ellie J. C.

    2013-01-01

    SUMMARY Susceptibility testing of anaerobic bacteria recovered from selected cases can influence the choice of antimicrobial therapy. The Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) has standardized many laboratory procedures, including anaerobic susceptibility testing (AST), and has published documents for AST. The standardization of testing methods by the CLSI allows comparisons of resistance trends among various laboratories. Susceptibility testing should be performed on organisms recovered from sterile body sites, those that are isolated in pure culture, or those that are clinically important and have variable or unique susceptibility patterns. Organisms that should be considered for individual isolate testing include highly virulent pathogens for which susceptibility cannot be predicted, such as Bacteroides, Prevotella, Fusobacterium, and Clostridium spp.; Bilophila wadsworthia; and Sutterella wadsworthensis. This review describes the current methods for AST in research and reference laboratories. These methods include the use of agar dilution, broth microdilution, Etest, and the spiral gradient endpoint system. The antimicrobials potentially effective against anaerobic bacteria include beta-lactams, combinations of beta-lactams and beta-lactamase inhibitors, metronidazole, chloramphenicol, clindamycin, macrolides, tetracyclines, and fluoroquinolones. The spectrum of efficacy, antimicrobial resistance mechanisms, and resistance patterns against these agents are described. PMID:23824372

  17. 20 CFR 627.470 - Performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Performance standards. 627.470 Section 627... GOVERNING PROGRAMS UNDER TITLES I, II, AND III OF THE ACT Administrative Standards § 627.470 Performance standards. (a) General. The Secretary shall prescribe performance standards for adult programs under title...

  18. 20 CFR 627.470 - Performance standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Performance standards. 627.470 Section 627... GOVERNING PROGRAMS UNDER TITLES I, II, AND III OF THE ACT Administrative Standards § 627.470 Performance standards. (a) General. The Secretary shall prescribe performance standards for adult programs under title...

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

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reeves, Anthony P.

    1987-01-01

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

  20. B physics and Quarkonia in CMS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fiorendi, Sara

    2017-12-01

    The heavy-flavor sector offers the opportunity to perform indirect tests of beyond the Standard Model physics through precision measurements and of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) through particle production studies. A review of recent measurements on heavy flavors from the CMS experiment is presented. Results are based on data collected during LHC Run I and Run II and include measurements of heavy flavor production and properties, rare decays, CP violation, exotic and standard quarkonia. Warning, no authors found for 2017EPJWC.16407006.

  1. Hand-Held EMI Sensor Combined with Inertial Positioning for Cued UXO Discrimination - APG Standardized UXO Test Site

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-04-01

    Measurement Tracking System (SAINT) with an advanced hand-held, time-domain electromagnetic sensor (TEM-HH) and document classification performance at...rejecting 77% of the clutter. 15. SUBJECT TERMS EMI, electromagnetic induction, UXO classification, UXO, IMU, inertial measurement unit, 16. SECURITY...U c. THIS PAGE U UU 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (include area code) 919-677-1560 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18

  2. Performance of Wireless Unattended Sensor Network in Maritime Applications

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-06-01

    longevity. Crossbow Technologies produces a number of gateways for use with their motes which include the MIB510, the MIB600 and the Stargate . The...MIB510 and MIB600 gateways require interface directly with a PC while he Stargate gateway interfaces remotely using the IEEE 802.11 standard for access...dedicated PC is unfeasible, the Stargate gateway allows remote access using the IEEE 802.11 standard. This can be accomplished via a Personal Computer

  3. EQUAL-quant: an international external quality assessment scheme for real-time PCR.

    PubMed

    Ramsden, Simon C; Daly, Sarah; Geilenkeuser, Wolf-Jochen; Duncan, Graeme; Hermitte, Fabienne; Marubini, Ettore; Neumaier, Michael; Orlando, Claudio; Palicka, Vladimir; Paradiso, Angelo; Pazzagli, Mario; Pizzamiglio, Sara; Verderio, Paolo

    2006-08-01

    Quantitative gene expression analysis by real-time PCR is important in several diagnostic areas, such as the detection of minimum residual disease in leukemia and the prognostic assessment of cancer patients. To address quality assurance in this technically challenging area, the European Union (EU) has funded the EQUAL project to develop methodologic external quality assessment (EQA) relevant to diagnostic and research laboratories among the EU member states. We report here the results of the EQUAL-quant program, which assesses standards in the use of TaqMan probes, one of the most widely used assays in the implementation of real-time PCR. The EQUAL-quant reagent set was developed to assess the technical execution of a standard TaqMan assay, including RNA extraction, reverse transcription, and real-time PCR quantification of target DNA copy number. The multidisciplinary EQA scheme included 137 participating laboratories from 29 countries. We demonstrated significant differences in performance among laboratories, with 20% of laboratories reporting at least one result lacking in precision and/or accuracy according to the statistical procedures described. No differences in performance were observed for the >10 different testing platforms used by the study participants. This EQA scheme demonstrated both the requirement and demand for external assessment of technical standards in real-time PCR. The reagent design and the statistical tools developed within this project will provide a benchmark for defining acceptable working standards in this emerging technology.

  4. Applying energy-conservation retrofits to standard army buildings: project design and initial energy data. Final report

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

    Westervelt, E.T.; Northrup, G.R.; Allen, E.O.

    1988-07-01

    This report describes the initial and continuing efforts in a project demonstrating the energy performance of theoretically-based retrofit packages on as-found, standard-design Army buildings. Four standard building designs are being investigated: a motor-vehicle repair shop, the Type 64 (L-shaped) barracks, an enlisted-personnel mess hall, and a two-company, rolling-pin-shaped barracks for enlisted personnel. The Army has over 840 of these particular buildings. The objective of the project is to test the energy and cost performance of the retrofit packages, which include such measures as installing wall or ceiling insulation, replacing and/or blocking windows, partitioning areas of differing temperature, modifying air-handling equipment,more » modifying boiler controls, replacing lights, etc. To this end, energy data has been gathered from retrofitted and identical but nonretrofitted buildings for a test/reference comparison.« less

  5. The diagnostic performance of reduced-dose CT for suspected appendicitis in paediatric and adult patients: A systematic review and diagnostic meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Yoon, Hee Mang; Suh, Chong Hyun; Cho, Young Ah; Kim, Jeong Rye; Lee, Jin Seong; Jung, Ah Young; Kim, Jung Heon; Lee, Jeong-Yong; Kim, So Yeon

    2018-06-01

    To evaluate the diagnostic performance of reduced-dose CT for suspected appendicitis. A systematic search of the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases was carried out through to 10 January 2017. Studies evaluating the diagnostic performance of reduced-dose CT for suspected appendicitis in paediatric and adult patients were selected. Pooled summary estimates of sensitivity and specificity were calculated using hierarchical logistic regression modelling. Meta-regression was performed. Fourteen original articles with a total of 3,262 patients were included. For all studies using reduced-dose CT, the summary sensitivity was 96 % (95 % CI 93-98) with a summary specificity of 94 % (95 % CI 92-95). For the 11 studies providing a head-to-head comparison between reduced-dose CT and standard-dose CT, reduced-dose CT demonstrated a comparable summary sensitivity of 96 % (95 % CI 91-98) and specificity of 94 % (95 % CI 93-96) without any significant differences (p=.41). In meta-regression, there were no significant factors affecting the heterogeneity. The median effective radiation dose of the reduced-dose CT was 1.8 mSv (1.46-4.16 mSv), which was a 78 % reduction in effective radiation dose compared to the standard-dose CT. Reduced-dose CT shows excellent diagnostic performance for suspected appendicitis. • Reduced-dose CT shows excellent diagnostic performance for evaluating suspected appendicitis. • Reduced-dose CT has a comparable diagnostic performance to standard-dose CT. • Median effective radiation dose of reduced-dose CT was 1.8 mSv (1.46-4.16). • Reduced-dose CT achieved a 78 % dose reduction compared to standard-dose CT.

  6. Circular stapled pyloroplasty: a fast and effective technique for pyloric disruption during esophagectomy with gastric pull-up.

    PubMed

    Oezcelik, A; DeMeester, S R; Hindoyan, K; Leers, J M; Ayazi, S; Abate, E; Zehetner, J; Hagen, J A; Lipham, J C; DeMeester, T R

    2011-08-01

    The necessity of pyloroplasty after esophagectomy and gastric pull-up is debated. Disadvantages of a standard pyloroplasty include the potential for leak, shortening of the length of the graft, and complexity when done during a minimally invasive procedure. The aim of this study is to report our experience with a novel internal pyloroplasty technique using a circular stapler (CS pyloroplasty), which is applicable for both laparoscopic and open esophagectomy. The records of all patients who underwent an esophagectomy with gastric pull-up and pyloroplasty between 2002 and 2007 were reviewed. The CS pyloroplasty was performed through a lesser curve gastrotomy with a 21-mm CS, while the standard pyloroplasty entailed a longitudinal full thickness incision through the pylorus with mucosal closure in the same direction and a Graham patch. A CS pyloroplasty was performed in 144 and a standard pyloroplasty in 133 patients. The median patient age was 66years, and the median follow-up was 17months, and was similar for both types of pyloroplasty. Routine postoperative videoesophagram was significantly more likely to show a delay in contrast transit through the pylorus after standard pyloroplasty (16% standard vs. 8% CS pyloroplasty, P= 0.03). Significantly more patients had postoperative endoscopy after standard pyloroplasty (40% standard vs. 24% CS pyloroplasty, P= 0.004), but the frequency of pyloric dilatation was similar. There were no leaks with either technique. A circular stapled pyloroplasty is as efficacious as a standard pyloroplasty after esophagectomy with gastric pull-up. Potential advantages include the ease and simplicity of the procedure along with virtually no risk of a leak and no graft shortening. The technique is amenable to both open and minimally invasive procedures. © 2011 Copyright the Authors. Journal compilation © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the International Society for Diseases of the Esophagus.

  7. Characterization of interdigitated electrode piezoelectric fiber composites under high electrical and mechanical loading

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rodgers, John P.; Bent, Aaron A.; Hagood, Nesbitt W.

    1996-05-01

    The primary objective of this work is to develop a standard methodology for characterizing structural actuation systems intended for operation in high electrical and mechanical loading environments. The designed set of tests evaluates the performance of the active materials system under realistic operating conditions. The tests are also used to characterize piezoelectric fiber composites which have been developed as an alternative to monolithic piezoceramic wafers for structural actuation applications. The performance of this actuator system has been improved using an interdigitated electrode pattern, which orients the primary component of the electric field into the plane of the structure, enabling the use of the primary piezoelectric effect along the active fibers. One possible application of this technology is in the integral twist actuation of helicopter rotor blades for higher harmonic control. This application requires actuators which can withstand the harsh rotor blade operating environment. This includes large numbers of electrical and mechanical cycles with considerable centripetal and bending loads. The characterization tests include standard active material tests as well as application-driven tests which evaluate the performance of the actuators during simulated operation. Test results for several actuator configurations are provided, including S2 glass- reinforced and E-glass laminated actuators. The study concludes that the interdigitated electrode piezoelectric fiber composite actuator has great potential for high loading applications.

  8. Teacher Evaluation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sayavedra, Melinda

    2014-01-01

    Accredited universities normally include a standard that addresses faculty evaluation. It may contain references to performance criteria and procedures and usually emphasizes the need for faculty evaluations to be systematic, regular, fair, objective and relevant to achieving the goals of the institution. Accredited language programs usually have…

  9. The Benefits of Aluminum Windows.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goyal, R. C.

    2002-01-01

    Discusses benefits of aluminum windows for college construction and renovation projects, including that aluminum is the most successfully recycled material, that it meets architectural glass deflection standards, that it has positive thermal energy performance, and that it is a preferred exterior surface. (EV)

  10. 16 CFR § 1031.7 - Commission support of voluntary standards activities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... actions: (1) Providing epidemiological and health science information and explanations of hazards for...) Performing or subsidizing technical assistance, including research, health science data, and engineering... participating. (5) Providing assistance on methods of disseminating information and education about the...

  11. 30 CFR 1229.123 - Standards for audit activities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ...) Qualifications. The auditors assigned to perform the audit must collectively possess adequate professional proficiency for the tasks required, including a knowledge of accounting, auditing, agency regulations, and... shall maintain an independent attitude and appearance. (iii) Due professional care. Due professional...

  12. 30 CFR 1229.123 - Standards for audit activities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ...) Qualifications. The auditors assigned to perform the audit must collectively possess adequate professional proficiency for the tasks required, including a knowledge of accounting, auditing, agency regulations, and... shall maintain an independent attitude and appearance. (iii) Due professional care. Due professional...

  13. 30 CFR 1229.123 - Standards for audit activities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ...) Qualifications. The auditors assigned to perform the audit must collectively possess adequate professional proficiency for the tasks required, including a knowledge of accounting, auditing, agency regulations, and... shall maintain an independent attitude and appearance. (iii) Due professional care. Due professional...

  14. Advanced Gas Turbine (AGT)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1983-01-01

    The development and progress of the Advanced Gas Turbine engine program is examined. An analysis of the role of ceramics in the design and major engine components is included. Projected fuel economy, emissions and performance standards, and versatility in fuel use are also discussed.

  15. Fire Safety of Passenger Trains : Phase II : Application of Fire Hazard Analysis Techniques

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-12-01

    On May 12, 1999, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued regulations for passenger rail equipment safety standards that included small-scale fire tests and performance criteria to evaluate the flammability and smoke characteristics of indivi...

  16. Fire safety of passenger trains. Phase II, Application of fire hazard analysis techniques.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-12-01

    On May 12, 1999, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued regulations for passenger rail equipment safety standards that included small-scale fire tests and performance criteria to evaluate the flammability and smoke characteristics of indivi...

  17. 77 FR 10805 - Proposed Information Collections; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-23

    ...: Businesses report their Federal excise tax liability on distilled spirits, wine, beer, tobacco products, and.... Title: Labeling and Advertising Requirements under the Federal Alcohol Administration Act. OMB Control... of alcohol beverages. These performance standards include minimum mandatory labeling and advertising...

  18. Basic Commercial Art. Florida Vocational Program Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    University of South Florida, Tampa. Dept. of Adult and Vocational Education.

    This document includes a vocational program guide and Career Merit Achievement Plan (Career MAP) for secondary and postsecondary basic commercial art programs. The guide contains the following sections: occupational description; program content (curriculum framework and student performance standards); program implementation (student admission…

  19. English Leadership Quarterly, 1992.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Strickland, James, Ed.

    1992-01-01

    These four issues of the English Leadership Quarterly represent those published during 1992. Articles in number 1 deal with testing assessing, and measuring student performance, and include: "Real Evaluation: Portfolios as an Effective Alternative to Standardized Testing" (Kate Kiefer); "No More Objective Tests, Ever" (Carol…

  20. Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Service Watchstander Analysis

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1978-11-01

    A team of human factors specialists analyzed the performance of watch-standards in the U.S. Coast Guard's Puget Sound Vessel Traffic Center at Seattle WA. Data collected included copies of the center's forms and logs, records and tapes of watchstande...

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