Performance measures for multi-vehicle allowance shuttle transit (MAST) system.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-01

This study investigates the performance measures for multi-vehicle mobility allowance shuttle : transit (MAST) system. Particularly, researchers were primarily concerned with two measures, : waiting time and ride time, to evaluate the performance and...

General Services Administration Streamlines the Procurement of Construction Services

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-05-01

successful. The system must be changed to increase performance, and have a sustainable performance measurement system that results in an increase...currently employ, and what is needed to employ a sustainable performance measurement system that has accompanying increase in performance and value

Performance measurement for information systems: Industry perspectives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, Peter C.; Yoes, Cissy; Hamilton, Kay

1992-01-01

Performance measurement has become a focal topic for information systems (IS) organizations. Historically, IS performance measures have dealt with the efficiency of the data processing function. Today, the function of most IS organizations goes beyond simple data processing. To understand how IS organizations have developed meaningful performance measures that reflect their objectives and activities, industry perspectives on IS performance measurement was studied. The objectives of the study were to understand the state of the practice in IS performance techniques for IS performance measurement; to gather approaches and measures of actual performance measures used in industry; and to report patterns, trends, and lessons learned about performance measurement to NASA/JSC. Examples of how some of the most forward looking companies are shaping their IS processes through measurement is provided. Thoughts on the presence of a life-cycle to performance measures development and a suggested taxonomy for performance measurements are included in the appendices.

Engineering performance metrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delozier, R.; Snyder, N.

1993-03-01

Implementation of a Total Quality Management (TQM) approach to engineering work required the development of a system of metrics which would serve as a meaningful management tool for evaluating effectiveness in accomplishing project objectives and in achieving improved customer satisfaction. A team effort was chartered with the goal of developing a system of engineering performance metrics which would measure customer satisfaction, quality, cost effectiveness, and timeliness. The approach to developing this system involved normal systems design phases including, conceptual design, detailed design, implementation, and integration. The lessons teamed from this effort will be explored in this paper. These lessons learned may provide a starting point for other large engineering organizations seeking to institute a performance measurement system accomplishing project objectives and in achieving improved customer satisfaction. To facilitate this effort, a team was chartered to assist in the development of the metrics system. This team, consisting of customers and Engineering staff members, was utilized to ensure that the needs and views of the customers were considered in the development of performance measurements. The development of a system of metrics is no different than the development of any type of system. It includes the steps of defining performance measurement requirements, measurement process conceptual design, performance measurement and reporting system detailed design, and system implementation and integration.

More than a score: a qualitative study of ancillary benefits of performance measurement.

PubMed

Powell, Adam A; White, Katie M; Partin, Melissa R; Halek, Krysten; Hysong, Sylvia J; Zarling, Edwin; Kirsh, Susan R; Bloomfield, Hanna E

2014-08-01

Prior research has examined clinical effects of performance measurement systems. To the extent that non-clinical effects have been researched, the focus has been on negative unintended consequences. Yet, these same systems may also have ancillary benefits for patients and providers--that is, benefits that extend beyond improvements on clinical measures. The purpose of this study is to identify and describe potential ancillary benefits of performance measures as perceived by primary care staff and facility leaders in a large US healthcare system. In-person individual semistructured interviews were conducted with 59 primary care staff and facility leaders at four Veterans Health Administration facilities. Transcribed interviews were coded and organised into thematic categories. Interviewed staff observed that local performance measurement implementation practices can result in increased patient knowledge and motivation. These effects on patients can lead to improved performance scores and additional ancillary benefits. Performance measurement implementation can also directly result in ancillary benefits for the patients and providers. Patients may experience greater satisfaction with care and psychosocial benefits associated with increased provider-patient communication. Ancillary benefits of performance measurement for providers include increased pride in individual or organisational performance and greater confidence that one's practice is grounded in evidence-based medicine. A comprehensive understanding of the effects of performance measurement systems needs to incorporate ancillary benefits as well as effects on clinical performance scores and negative unintended consequences. Although clinical performance has been the focus of most evaluations of performance measurement to date, both patient care and provider satisfaction may improve more rapidly if all three categories of effects are considered when designing and evaluating performance measurement systems. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

A Critique of Health System Performance Measurement.

PubMed

Lynch, Thomas

2015-01-01

Health system performance measurement is a ubiquitous phenomenon. Many authors have identified multiple methodological and substantive problems with performance measurement practices. Despite the validity of these criticisms and their cross-national character, the practice of health system performance measurement persists. Theodore Marmor suggests that performance measurement invokes an "incantatory response" wrapped within "linguistic muddle." In this article, I expand upon Marmor's insights using Pierre Bourdieu's theoretical framework to suggest that, far from an aberration, the "linguistic muddle" identified by Marmor is an indicator of a broad struggle about the representation and classification of public health services as a public good. I present a case study of performance measurement from Alberta, Canada, examining how this representational struggle occurs and what the stakes are. © The Author(s) 2015.

Telerobotic system performance measurement - Motivation and methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kondraske, George V.; Khoury, George J.

1992-01-01

A systems performance-based strategy for modeling and conducting experiments relevant to the design and performance characterization of telerobotic systems is described. A developmental testbed consisting of a distributed telerobotics network and initial efforts to implement the strategy described is presented. Consideration is given to the general systems performance theory (GSPT) to tackle human performance problems as a basis for: measurement of overall telerobotic system (TRS) performance; task decomposition; development of a generic TRS model; and the characterization of performance of subsystems comprising the generic model. GSPT employs a resource construct to model performance and resource economic principles to govern the interface of systems to tasks. It provides a comprehensive modeling/measurement strategy applicable to complex systems including both human and artificial components. Application is presented within the framework of a distributed telerobotics network as a testbed. Insight into the design of test protocols which elicit application-independent data is described.

Computer System Performance Measurement Techniques for ARTS III Computer Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-12-01

The potential contribution of direct system measurement in the evolving ARTS 3 Program is discussed and software performance measurement techniques are comparatively assessed in terms of credibility of results, ease of implementation, volume of data,...

Smith machine counterbalance system affects measures of maximal bench press throw performance.

PubMed

Vingren, Jakob L; Buddhadev, Harsh H; Hill, David W

2011-07-01

Equipment with counterbalance weight systems is commonly used for the assessment of performance in explosive resistance exercise movements, but it is not known if such systems affect performance measures. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of using a counterbalance weight system on measures of smith machine bench press throw performance. Ten men and 14 women (mean ± SD: age, 25 ± 4 years; height, 173 ± 10 cm; weight, 77.7 ± 18.3 kg) completed maximal smith machine bench press throws under 4 different conditions (2 × 2; counterbalance × load): with or without a counterbalance weight system and using 'light' or 'moderate' net barbell loads. Performance variables (peak force, peak velocity, and peak power) were measured using a linear accelerometer attached to the barbell. The counterbalance weight system resulted in significant (p < 0.001) reductions in measures of peak force (mean difference ± standard error: light: -112 ± 20 N; moderate: -140 ± 23 N), peak velocity (light: -0.49 ± 0.10 m·s; moderate: -0.33 ± 0.07 m·s), and peak power (light: -220 ± 43 W; moderate: -143 ± 28 W) compared with no counterbalance system for both load conditions. Load condition did not affect absolute or percentage reductions from the counterbalance weight system for any variable. In conclusion, the use of a counterbalance weight system reduces accelerometer-based performance measures for the bench press throw exercise at light and moderate loads. This reduction in measures is likely because of an increase in the external resistance during the movement, which results in a discrepancy between the manually input and the actual value for external load. A counterbalance weight system should not be used when measuring performance in explosive resistance exercises with an accelerometer.

Reconsidering the measurement of ancillary service performance.

PubMed

Griffin, D T; Rauscher, J A

1987-08-01

Prospective payment reimbursement systems have forced hospitals to review their costs more carefully. The result of the increased emphasis on costs is that many hospitals use costs, rather than margin, to judge the performance of ancillary services. However, arbitrary selection of performance measures for ancillary services can result in managerial decisions contrary to hospital objectives. Managerial accounting systems provide models which assist in the development of performance measures for ancillary services. Selection of appropriate performance measures provides managers with the incentive to pursue goals congruent with those of the hospital overall. This article reviews the design and implementation of managerial accounting systems, and considers the impact of prospective payment systems and proposed changes in capital reimbursement on this process.

[Supply services at health facilities: measuring performance].

PubMed

Dacosta Claro, I

2001-01-01

Performance measurement, in their different meanings--either balance scorecard or outputs measurement--have become an essential tool in today's organizations (World-Class organizations) to improve service quality and reduce costs. This paper presents a performance measurement system for the hospital supply chain. The system is organized in different levels and groups of indicators in order to show a hierarchical, coherent and integrated vision of the processes. Thus, supply services performance is measured according to (1) financial aspects, (2) customers satisfaction aspects and (3) internal aspects of the processes performed. Since the informational needs of the managers vary within the administrative structure, the performance measurement system is defined in three hierarchical levels. Firstly, the whole supply chain, with the different interrelation of activities. Secondly, the three main processes of the chain--physical management of products, purchasing and negotiation processes and the local storage units. And finally, the performance measurement of each activity involved. The system and the indicators have been evaluated with the participation of 17 health services of Quebec (Canada), however, and due to the similarities of the operation, could be equally implemented in Spanish hospitals.

A knowledge based search tool for performance measures in health care systems.

PubMed

Beyan, Oya D; Baykal, Nazife

2012-02-01

Performance measurement is vital for improving the health care systems. However, we are still far from having accepted performance measurement models. Researchers and developers are seeking comparable performance indicators. We developed an intelligent search tool to identify appropriate measures for specific requirements by matching diverse care settings. We reviewed the literature and analyzed 229 performance measurement studies published after 2000. These studies are evaluated with an original theoretical framework and stored in the database. A semantic network is designed for representing domain knowledge and supporting reasoning. We have applied knowledge based decision support techniques to cope with uncertainty problems. As a result we designed a tool which simplifies the performance indicator search process and provides most relevant indicators by employing knowledge based systems.

Freight performance measures : a yardstick for Minnesota's transportation system : recommendations of the Minnesota Freight Advisory Committee

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-11-01

Performance measures tell public officials and citizens how well services are meeting customer needs. In this report, the Minnesota Freight Advisory Committee recommends performance measures for Minnesota's freight transportation system. MFAC is a gr...

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…

Performance measurement in healthcare: part II--state of the science findings by stage of the performance measurement process.

PubMed

Adair, Carol E; Simpson, Elizabeth; Casebeer, Ann L; Birdsell, Judith M; Hayden, Katharine A; Lewis, Steven

2006-07-01

This paper summarizes findings of a comprehensive, systematic review of the peer-reviewed and grey literature on performance measurement according to each stage of the performance measurement process--conceptualization, selection and development, data collection, and reporting and use. It also outlines implications for practice. Six hundred sixty-four articles about organizational performance measurement from the health and business literature were reviewed after systematic searches of the literature, multi-rater relevancy ratings, citation checks and expert author nominations. Key themes were extracted and summarized from the most highly rated papers for each performance measurement stage. Despite a virtually universal consensus on the potential benefits of performance measurement, little evidence currently exists to guide practice in healthcare. Issues in conceptualizing systems include strategic alignment and scope. There are debates on the criteria for selecting measures and on the types and quality of measures. Implementation of data collection and analysis systems is complex and costly, and challenges persist in reporting results, preventing unintended effects and putting findings for improvement into action. There is a need for further development and refinement of performance measures and measurement systems, with a particular focus on strategies to ensure that performance measurement leads to healthcare improvement.

Computer systems performance measurement techniques.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-06-01

Computer system performance measurement techniques, tools, and approaches are presented as a foundation for future recommendations regarding the instrumentation of the ARTS ATC data processing subsystem for purposes of measurement and evaluation.

Strategic Measures of Teacher Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milanowski, Anthony

2011-01-01

Managing the human capital in education requires measuring teacher performance. To measure performance, administrators need to combine measures of practice with measures of outcomes, such as value-added measures, and three measurement systems are needed: classroom observations, performance assessments or work samples, and classroom walkthroughs.…

26 CFR 801.2 - Measuring organizational performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 20 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Measuring organizational performance. 801.2... REVENUE PRACTICE BALANCED SYSTEM FOR MEASURING ORGANIZATIONAL AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE WITHIN THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE § 801.2 Measuring organizational performance. The performance measures that comprise the...

Predicting Document Retrieval System Performance: An Expected Precision Measure.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Losee, Robert M., Jr.

1987-01-01

Describes an expected precision (EP) measure designed to predict document retrieval performance. Highlights include decision theoretic models; precision and recall as measures of system performance; EP graphs; relevance feedback; and computing the retrieval status value of a document for two models, the Binary Independent Model and the Two Poisson…

Computer system performance measurement techniques for ARTS III computer systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1973-12-01

Direct measurement of computer systems is of vital importance in: a) developing an intelligent grasp of the variables which affect overall performance; b)tuning the system for optimum benefit; c)determining under what conditions saturation thresholds...

Performance analysis and evaluation of direct phase measuring deflectometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Ping; Gao, Nan; Zhang, Zonghua; Gao, Feng; Jiang, Xiangqian

2018-04-01

Three-dimensional (3D) shape measurement of specular objects plays an important role in intelligent manufacturing applications. Phase measuring deflectometry (PMD)-based methods are widely used to obtain the 3D shapes of specular surfaces because they offer the advantages of a large dynamic range, high measurement accuracy, full-field and noncontact operation, and automatic data processing. To enable measurement of specular objects with discontinuous and/or isolated surfaces, a direct PMD (DPMD) method has been developed to build a direct relationship between phase and depth. In this paper, a new virtual measurement system is presented and is used to optimize the system parameters and evaluate the system's performance in DPMD applications. Four system parameters are analyzed to obtain accurate measurement results. Experiments are performed using simulated and actual data and the results confirm the effects of these four parameters on the measurement results. Researchers can therefore select suitable system parameters for actual DPMD (including PMD) measurement systems to obtain the 3D shapes of specular objects with high accuracy.

34 CFR 403.201 - What are the State's responsibilities for developing and implementing a statewide system of core...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... and implementing a statewide system of core standards and measures of performance? 403.201 Section 403... a statewide system of core standards and measures of performance? (a)(1) Each State board receiving funds under the Act shall develop and implement a statewide system of core standards and measures of...

Review of the Community College System's Performance-Based Program Budgeting Measures and Incentive Fund. Report 97-49.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Florida State Legislature, Tallahassee. Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability.

This report addresses the Florida Community College System's (FCCS) performance based on measures established by the General Appropriations Act. Discussed are: (1) FCCS' performance on the measures used in the performance-based budgeting (PBB) incentive fund; (2) improvements that can be made to the PBB incentive fund; and (3) changes to community…

Human performance measurement: Validation procedures applicable to advanced manned telescience systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haines, Richard F.

1990-01-01

As telescience systems become more and more complex, autonomous, and opaque to their operators it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether the total system is performing as it should. Some of the complex and interrelated human performance measurement issues are addressed as they relate to total system validation. The assumption is made that human interaction with the automated system will be required well into the Space Station Freedom era. Candidate human performance measurement-validation techniques are discussed for selected ground-to-space-to-ground and space-to-space situations. Most of these measures may be used in conjunction with an information throughput model presented elsewhere (Haines, 1990). Teleoperations, teleanalysis, teleplanning, teledesign, and teledocumentation are considered, as are selected illustrative examples of space related telescience activities.

Development of Performance Dashboards in Healthcare Sector: Key Practical Issues

PubMed Central

Ghazisaeidi, Marjan; Safdari, Reza; Torabi, Mashallah; Mirzaee, Mahboobeh; Farzi, Jebraeil; Goodini, Azadeh

2015-01-01

Background: Static nature of performance reporting systems in health care sector has resulted in inconsistent, incomparable, time consuming, and static performance reports that are not able to transparently reflect a round picture of performance and effectively support healthcare managers’ decision makings. So, the healthcare sector needs interactive performance management tools such as performance dashboards to measure, monitor, and manage performance more effectively. The aim of this article was to identify key issues that need to be addressed for developing high-quality performance dashboards in healthcare sector. Methods: A literature review was established to search electronic research databases, e-journals collections, and printed journals, books, dissertations, and theses for relevant articles. The search strategy interchangeably used the terms of “dashboard”, “performance measurement system”, and “executive information system” with the term of “design” combined with operator “AND”. Search results (n=250) were adjusted for duplications, screened based on their abstract relevancy and full-text availability (n=147) and then assessed for eligibility (n=40). Eligible articles were included if they had explicitly focused on dashboards, performance measurement systems or executive information systems design. Finally, 28 relevant articles included in the study. Results: Creating high-quality performance dashboards requires addressing both performance measurement and executive information systems design issues. Covering these two fields, identified contents were categorized to four main domains: KPIs development, Data Sources and data generation, Integration of dashboards to source systems, and Information presentation issues. Conclusion: This study implies the main steps to develop dashboards for the purpose of performance management. Performance dashboards developed on performance measurement and executive information systems principles and supported by proper back-end infrastructure will result in creation of dynamic reports that help healthcare managers to consistently measure the performance, continuously detect outliers, deeply analyze causes of poor performance, and effectively plan for the future. PMID:26635442

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...

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...

Operations-oriented performance measures for freeway management systems : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-12-01

This report describes the second and final year activities of the project titled Using Operations-Oriented Performance Measures to Support Freeway Management Systems. Work activities included developing a prototype system architecture for testi...

Characteristics of an Optical Delay Line for Radar Testing

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-12

MANUFACTURER PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT ....................................... 2 3 NRL PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT ...Third-Order-Intercept (TOI) ................... 7 3.4 Phase Noise Measurement ...MANUFACTURER PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT Figures 3 to 5 are the Miteq’s FODL performance measured by the manufacturer prior to shipping the system to NRL

C3 generic workstation: Performance metrics and applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eddy, Douglas R.

1988-01-01

The large number of integrated dependent measures available on a command, control, and communications (C3) generic workstation under development are described. In this system, embedded communications tasks will manipulate workload to assess the effects of performance-enhancing drugs (sleep aids and decongestants), work/rest cycles, biocybernetics, and decision support systems on performance. Task performance accuracy and latency will be event coded for correlation with other measures of voice stress and physiological functioning. Sessions will be videotaped to score non-verbal communications. Physiological recordings include spectral analysis of EEG, ECG, vagal tone, and EOG. Subjective measurements include SWAT, fatigue, POMS and specialized self-report scales. The system will be used primarily to evaluate the effects on performance of drugs, work/rest cycles, and biocybernetic concepts. Performance assessment algorithms will also be developed, including those used with small teams. This system provides a tool for integrating and synchronizing behavioral and psychophysiological measures in a complex decision-making environment.

A new performance measurement system for maternal and child health in the United States.

PubMed

Kogan, Michael D; Dykton, Christopher; Hirai, Ashley H; Strickland, Bonnie B; Bethell, Christina D; Naqvi, Iran; Cano, Carlos E; Downing-Futrell, Sheri L; Lu, Michael C

2015-05-01

The Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Block Grant is the linchpin for US MCH services. The first national performance measures (NPMs) for MCH were instituted in 1997. Changing trends in MCH risk factors, outcomes, health services, data sources, and advances in scientific knowledge, in conjunction with budgetary constraints led the Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) to design a new performance measurement system. A workgroup was formed to develop a new system. The following guiding principles were used: (1) Afford States more flexibility and reduce the overall reporting burden; (2) Improve accountability to better document Title V's impact; (3) Develop NPMs that encompass measures in: maternal and women's health, perinatal health, child health, children with special health care needs, adolescent health, and cross-cutting areas. A three-tiered performance measurement system was proposed with national outcome measures (NOMs), NPMs and evidence-based/informed strategy measures (ESMs). NOMs are the ultimate goals that MCHB and States are attempting to achieve. NPMs are measures, generally associated with processes or programs, shown to affect NOMs. ESMs are evidence-based or informed measures that each State Title V program develops to affect the NPMs. There are 15 NPMs from which States select eight, with at least one from each population area. MCHB will provide the data for the NOMs and NPMs, when possible. The new performance measurement system increases the flexibility and reduces the reporting burden for States by allowing them to choose 8 NPMs to target, and increases accountability by having States develop actionable ESMs. The new national performance measure framework for maternal and child health will allow States more flexibility to address their areas of greatest need, reduce their data reporting burden by having the Maternal and Child Health Bureau provide data for the National Outcome and Performance Measures, yet afford States the opportunity to develop measurable strategies to address their selected performance measures.

Demonstration of subsidence monitoring system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Conroy, P. J.; Gyarmaty, J. H.; Pearson, M. L.

1981-06-01

Data on coal mine subsidence were studied as a basis for the development of subsidence control technology. Installation, monitoring, and evaluation of three subsidence monitoring instrument systems were examined: structure performance, performance of supported systems, and performance of caving systems. Objectives of the instrument program were: (1) to select, test, assemble, install, monitor, and maintain all instrumentation required for implementing the three subsidence monitoring systems; and (2) to evaluate performance of each instrument individually and as part of the appropriate monitoring system or systems. The use of an automatic level and a rod extensometer for measuring structure performance, and the automatic level, steel tape extensometer, FPBX, FPBI, USBM borehole deformation gauge, and vibrating wire stressmeters for measuring the performance of caving systems are recommended.

Advanced optical blade tip clearance measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ford, M. J.; Honeycutt, R. E.; Nordlund, R. E.; Robinson, W. W.

1978-01-01

An advanced electro-optical system was developed to measure single blade tip clearances and average blade tip clearances between a rotor and its gas path seal in an operating gas turbine engine. This system is applicable to fan, compressor, and turbine blade tip clearance measurement requirements, and the system probe is particularly suitable for operation in the extreme turbine environment. A study of optical properties of blade tips was conducted to establish measurement system application limitations. A series of laboratory tests was conducted to determine the measurement system's operational performance characteristics and to demonstrate system capability under simulated operating gas turbine environmental conditions. Operational and environmental performance test data are presented.

Systems Measures of Water Distribution System Resilience

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

Klise, Katherine A.; Murray, Regan; Walker, La Tonya Nicole

2015-01-01

Resilience is a concept that is being used increasingly to refer to the capacity of infrastructure systems to be prepared for and able to respond effectively and rapidly to hazardous events. In Section 2 of this report, drinking water hazards, resilience literature, and available resilience tools are presented. Broader definitions, attributes and methods for measuring resilience are presented in Section 3. In Section 4, quantitative systems performance measures for water distribution systems are presented. Finally, in Section 5, the performance measures and their relevance to measuring the resilience of water systems to hazards is discussed along with needed improvements tomore » water distribution system modeling tools.« less

The challenge of measuring emergency preparedness: integrating component metrics to build system-level measures for strategic national stockpile operations.

PubMed

Jackson, Brian A; Faith, Kay Sullivan

2013-02-01

Although significant progress has been made in measuring public health emergency preparedness, system-level performance measures are lacking. This report examines a potential approach to such measures for Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) operations. We adapted an engineering analytic technique used to assess the reliability of technological systems-failure mode and effects analysis-to assess preparedness. That technique, which includes systematic mapping of the response system and identification of possible breakdowns that affect performance, provides a path to use data from existing SNS assessment tools to estimate likely future performance of the system overall. Systems models of SNS operations were constructed and failure mode analyses were performed for each component. Linking data from existing assessments, including the technical assistance review and functional drills, to reliability assessment was demonstrated using publicly available information. The use of failure mode and effects estimates to assess overall response system reliability was demonstrated with a simple simulation example. Reliability analysis appears an attractive way to integrate information from the substantial investment in detailed assessments for stockpile delivery and dispensing to provide a view of likely future response performance.

Virtual performer: single camera 3D measuring system for interaction in virtual space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sakamoto, Kunio; Taneji, Shoto

2006-10-01

The authors developed interaction media systems in the 3D virtual space. In these systems, the musician virtually plays an instrument like the theremin in the virtual space or the performer plays a show using the virtual character such as a puppet. This interactive virtual media system consists of the image capture, measuring performer's position, detecting and recognizing motions and synthesizing video image using the personal computer. In this paper, we propose some applications of interaction media systems; a virtual musical instrument and superimposing CG character. Moreover, this paper describes the measuring method of the positions of the performer, his/her head and both eyes using a single camera.

Selecting cockpit functions for speech I/O technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simpson, C. A.

1985-01-01

A general methodology for the initial selection of functions for speech generation and speech recognition technology is discussed. The SCR (Stimulus/Central-Processing/Response) compatibility model of Wickens et al. (1983) is examined, and its application is demonstrated for a particular cockpit display problem. Some limits of the applicability of that model are illustrated in the context of predicting overall pilot-aircraft system performance. A program of system performance measurement is recommended for the evaluation of candidate systems. It is suggested that no one measure of system performance can necessarily be depended upon to the exclusion of others. Systems response time, system accuracy, and pilot ratings are all important measures. Finally, these measures must be collected in the context of the total flight task environment.

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

Minimum detectable gas concentration performance evaluation method for gas leak infrared imaging detection systems.

PubMed

Zhang, Xu; Jin, Weiqi; Li, Jiakun; Wang, Xia; Li, Shuo

2017-04-01

Thermal imaging technology is an effective means of detecting hazardous gas leaks. Much attention has been paid to evaluation of the performance of gas leak infrared imaging detection systems due to several potential applications. The minimum resolvable temperature difference (MRTD) and the minimum detectable temperature difference (MDTD) are commonly used as the main indicators of thermal imaging system performance. This paper establishes a minimum detectable gas concentration (MDGC) performance evaluation model based on the definition and derivation of MDTD. We proposed the direct calculation and equivalent calculation method of MDGC based on the MDTD measurement system. We build an experimental MDGC measurement system, which indicates the MDGC model can describe the detection performance of a thermal imaging system to typical gases. The direct calculation, equivalent calculation, and direct measurement results are consistent. The MDGC and the minimum resolvable gas concentration (MRGC) model can effectively describe the performance of "detection" and "spatial detail resolution" of thermal imaging systems to gas leak, respectively, and constitute the main performance indicators of gas leak detection systems.

Performance Measurement and Target-Setting in California's Safety Net Health Systems.

PubMed

Hemmat, Shirin; Schillinger, Dean; Lyles, Courtney; Ackerman, Sara; Gourley, Gato; Vittinghoff, Eric; Handley, Margaret; Sarkar, Urmimala

Health policies encourage implementing quality measurement with performance targets. The 2010-2015 California Medicaid waiver mandated quality measurement and reporting. In 2013, California safety net hospitals participating in the waiver set a voluntary performance target (the 90th percentile for Medicare preferred provider organization plans) for mammography screening and cholesterol control in diabetes. They did not reach the target, and the difference-in-differences analysis suggested that there was no difference for mammography ( P = .39) and low-density lipoprotein control ( P = .11) performance compared to measures for which no statewide quality improvement initiative existed. California's Medicaid waiver was associated with improved performance on a number of metrics, but this performance was not attributable to target setting on specific health conditions. Performance may have improved because of secular trends or systems improvements related to waiver funding. Relying on condition-specific targets to measure performance may underestimate improvements and disadvantage certain health systems. Achieving ambitious targets likely requires sustained fiscal, management, and workforce investments.

Optical fiber-based system for continuous measurement of in-bore projectile velocity.

PubMed

Wang, Guohua; Sun, Jinglin; Li, Qiang

2014-08-01

This paper reports the design of an optical fiber-based velocity measurement system and its application in measuring the in-bore projectile velocity. The measurement principle of the implemented system is based on Doppler effect and heterodyne detection technique. The analysis of the velocity measurement principle deduces the relationship between the projectile velocity and the instantaneous frequency (IF) of the optical fiber-based system output signal. To extract the IF of the fast-changing signal carrying the velocity information, an IF extraction algorithm based on the continuous wavelet transforms is detailed. Besides, the performance of the algorithm is analyzed by performing corresponding simulation. At last, an in-bore projectile velocity measurement experiment with a sniper rifle having a 720 m/s muzzle velocity is performed to verify the feasibility of the optical fiber-based velocity measurement system. Experiment results show that the measured muzzle velocity is 718.61 m/s, and the relative uncertainty of the measured muzzle velocity is approximately 0.021%.

Optical fiber-based system for continuous measurement of in-bore projectile velocity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Guohua; Sun, Jinglin; Li, Qiang

2014-08-01

This paper reports the design of an optical fiber-based velocity measurement system and its application in measuring the in-bore projectile velocity. The measurement principle of the implemented system is based on Doppler effect and heterodyne detection technique. The analysis of the velocity measurement principle deduces the relationship between the projectile velocity and the instantaneous frequency (IF) of the optical fiber-based system output signal. To extract the IF of the fast-changing signal carrying the velocity information, an IF extraction algorithm based on the continuous wavelet transforms is detailed. Besides, the performance of the algorithm is analyzed by performing corresponding simulation. At last, an in-bore projectile velocity measurement experiment with a sniper rifle having a 720 m/s muzzle velocity is performed to verify the feasibility of the optical fiber-based velocity measurement system. Experiment results show that the measured muzzle velocity is 718.61 m/s, and the relative uncertainty of the measured muzzle velocity is approximately 0.021%.

High-performance multi-channel fiber-based absolute distance measuring interferometer system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deck, Leslie L.

2009-08-01

I describe the principle of operation and performance of a fiber-based absolute distance measuring interferometer system with 60 independent simultaneous channels. The system was designed for demanding applications requiring passive, electrically immune sensors with an extremely long MTTF. In addition to providing better than 0.3nm measurement repeatability at 5KHz for all channels, the system demonstrated absolute distance uncertainty of less than 5nm over a 500 micron measurement range.

Hitting and missing targets by ambulance services for emergency calls: effects of different systems of performance measurement within the UK

PubMed Central

Bevan, Gwyn; Hamblin, Richard

2009-01-01

Following devolution, differences developed between UK countries in systems of measuring performance against a common target that ambulance services ought to respond to 75% of calls for what may be immediately life threatening emergencies (category A calls) within 8 minutes. Only in England was this target integral to a ranking system of ‘star rating’, which inflicted reputational damage on services that failed to hit targets, and only in England has this target been met. In other countries, the target has been missed by such large margins that services would have been publicly reported as failing, if they had been covered by the English system of star ratings. The paper argues that this case-study adds to evidence from comparisons of different systems of hospital performance measurement that, to have an effect, these systems need to be designed to inflict reputational damage on those that have performed poorly; and it explores implications of this hypothesis. The paper also asks questions about the adequacy of systems of performance measurement of ambulance services in UK countries. PMID:19381327

Driver performance measurement and analysis system (DPMAS). Volume 1, Description and operations manual

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-08-01

A prototype driver performance measurement and analysis system (DPMAS) has been developed for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). This system includes a completely instrumented 1974 Chevrolet Impala capable of digitally record...

Improving competitiveness through performance-measurement systems.

PubMed

Stewart, L J; Lockamy, A

2001-12-01

Parallels exist between the competitive pressures felt by U.S. manufacturers over the past 30 years and those experienced by healthcare providers today. Increasing market deregulation, changing government policies, and growing consumerism have altered the healthcare arena. Responding to similar pressures, manufacturers adopted a strategic orientation driven by customer needs and expectations that led them to achieve high performance levels and surpass their competition. The adoption of integrated performance-measurement systems was instrumental in these firms' success. An integrated performance-measurement model for healthcare organizations can help to blend the organization's strategy with the demands of the contemporary healthcare environment. Performance-measurement systems encourage healthcare organizations to focus on their mission and vision by aligning their strategic objectives and resource-allocation decisions with customer requirements.

A resistive mesh phantom for assessing the performance of EIT systems.

PubMed

Gagnon, Hervé; Cousineau, Martin; Adler, Andy; Hartinger, Alzbeta E

2010-09-01

Assessing the performance of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) systems usually requires a phantom for validation, calibration, or comparison purposes. This paper describes a resistive mesh phantom to assess the performance of EIT systems while taking into account cabling stray effects similar to in vivo conditions. This phantom is built with 340 precision resistors on a printed circuit board representing a 2-D circular homogeneous medium. It also integrates equivalent electrical models of the Ag/AgCl electrode impedances. The parameters of the electrode models were fitted from impedance curves measured with an impedance analyzer. The technique used to build the phantom is general and applicable to phantoms of arbitrary shape and conductivity distribution. We describe three performance indicators that can be measured with our phantom for every measurement of an EIT data frame: SNR, accuracy, and modeling accuracy. These performance indicators were evaluated on our EIT system under different frame rates and applied current intensities. The performance indicators are dependent on frame rate, operating frequency, applied current intensity, measurement strategy, and intermodulation distortion when performing simultaneous measurements at several frequencies. These parameter values should, therefore, always be specified when reporting performance indicators to better appreciate their significance.

Diagnostic-management system and test pulse acquisition for WEST plasma measurement system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojenski, A.; Kasprowicz, G.; Pozniak, K. T.; Byszuk, A.; Juszczyk, B.; Zabolotny, W.; Zienkiewicz, P.; Chernyshova, M.; Czarski, T.; Mazon, D.; Malard, P.

2014-11-01

This paper describes current status of electronics, firmware and software development for new plasma measurement system for use in WEST facility. The system allows to perform two dimensional plasma visualization (in time) with spectrum measurement. The analog front-end is connected to Gas Electron Multiplier detector (GEM detector). The system architecture have high data throughput due to use of PCI-Express interface, Gigabit Transceivers and sampling frequency of ADC integrated circuits. The hardware is based on several years of experience in building X-ray spectrometer system for Joint European Torus (JET) facility. Data streaming is done using Artix7 FPGA devices. The system in basic configuration can work with up to 256 channels, while the maximum number of measurement channels is 2048. Advanced firmware for the FPGA is required in order to perform high speed data streaming and analog signal sampling. Diagnostic system management has been developed in order to configure measurement system, perform necessary calibration and prepare hardware for data acquisition.

Best Practices Handbook: Traffic Engineering in Range Networks

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-03-01

units of measurement. Measurement Methodology - A repeatable measurement technique used to derive one or more metrics of interest . Network...Performance measures - Metrics that provide quantitative or qualitative measures of the performance of systems or subsystems of interest . Performance Metric

Modeling the Performance of Direct-Detection Doppler Lidar Systems in Real Atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGill, Matthew J.; Hart, William D.; McKay, Jack A.; Spinhirne, James D.

1999-01-01

Previous modeling of the performance of spaceborne direct-detection Doppler lidar systems has assumed extremely idealized atmospheric models. Here we develop a technique for modeling the performance of these systems in a more realistic atmosphere, based on actual airborne lidar observations. The resulting atmospheric model contains cloud and aerosol variability that is absent in other simulations of spaceborne Doppler lidar instruments. To produce a realistic simulation of daytime performance, we include solar radiance values that are based on actual measurements and are allowed to vary as the viewing scene changes. Simulations are performed for two types of direct-detection Doppler lidar systems: the double-edge and the multi-channel techniques. Both systems were optimized to measure winds from Rayleigh backscatter at 355 nm. Simulations show that the measurement uncertainty during daytime is degraded by only about 10-20% compared to nighttime performance, provided a proper solar filter is included in the instrument design.

Modeling the performance of direct-detection Doppler lidar systems including cloud and solar background variability.

PubMed

McGill, M J; Hart, W D; McKay, J A; Spinhirne, J D

1999-10-20

Previous modeling of the performance of spaceborne direct-detection Doppler lidar systems assumed extremely idealized atmospheric models. Here we develop a technique for modeling the performance of these systems in a more realistic atmosphere, based on actual airborne lidar observations. The resulting atmospheric model contains cloud and aerosol variability that is absent in other simulations of spaceborne Doppler lidar instruments. To produce a realistic simulation of daytime performance, we include solar radiance values that are based on actual measurements and are allowed to vary as the viewing scene changes. Simulations are performed for two types of direct-detection Doppler lidar system: the double-edge and the multichannel techniques. Both systems were optimized to measure winds from Rayleigh backscatter at 355 nm. Simulations show that the measurement uncertainty during daytime is degraded by only approximately 10-20% compared with nighttime performance, provided that a proper solar filter is included in the instrument design.

Cognitive performance modeling based on general systems performance theory.

PubMed

Kondraske, George V

2010-01-01

General Systems Performance Theory (GSPT) was initially motivated by problems associated with quantifying different aspects of human performance. It has proved to be invaluable for measurement development and understanding quantitative relationships between human subsystem capacities and performance in complex tasks. It is now desired to bring focus to the application of GSPT to modeling of cognitive system performance. Previous studies involving two complex tasks (i.e., driving and performing laparoscopic surgery) and incorporating measures that are clearly related to cognitive performance (information processing speed and short-term memory capacity) were revisited. A GSPT-derived method of task analysis and performance prediction termed Nonlinear Causal Resource Analysis (NCRA) was employed to determine the demand on basic cognitive performance resources required to support different levels of complex task performance. This approach is presented as a means to determine a cognitive workload profile and the subsequent computation of a single number measure of cognitive workload (CW). Computation of CW may be a viable alternative to measuring it. Various possible "more basic" performance resources that contribute to cognitive system performance are discussed. It is concluded from this preliminary exploration that a GSPT-based approach can contribute to defining cognitive performance models that are useful for both individual subjects and specific groups (e.g., military pilots).

Performance monitor system functional simulator, environmental data, orbiter 101(HFT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, F. W.

1974-01-01

Information concerning the environment component of the space shuttle performance monitor system simulator (PMSS) and those subsystems operational on the shuttle orbiter 101 used for horizontal flight test (HFT) is provided, along with detailed data for the shuttle performance monitor system (PMS) whose software requirements evolve from three basic PMS functions: (1) fault detection and annunciation; (2) subsystem measurement management; and (3) subsystem configuration management. Information relative to the design and operation of Orbiter systems for HFT is also presented, and the functional paths are identified to the lowest level at which the crew can control the system functions. Measurement requirements are given which are necessary to adequately monitor the health status of the system. PMS process requirements, relative to the measurements which are necessary for fault detection and annunciation of a failed functional path, consist of measurement characteristics, tolerance limits, precondition tests, and correlation measurements.

Design of a dual-mode electrochemical measurement and analysis system.

PubMed

Yang, Jr-Fu; Wei, Chia-Ling; Wu, Jian-Fu; Liu, Bin-Da

2013-01-01

A dual-mode electrochemical measurement and analysis system is proposed. This system includes a dual-mode chip, which was designed and fabricated by using TSMC 0.35 µm 3.3 V/5 V 2P4M mixed-signal CMOS process. Two electrochemical measurement and analysis methods, chronopotentiometry and voltammetry, can be performed by using the proposed chip and system. The proposed chip and system are verified successfully by performing voltammetry and chronopotentiometry on solutions.

Continuous performance measurement in flight systems. [sequential control model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Connelly, E. M.; Sloan, N. A.; Zeskind, R. M.

1975-01-01

The desired response of many man machine control systems can be formulated as a solution to an optimal control synthesis problem where the cost index is given and the resulting optimal trajectories correspond to the desired trajectories of the man machine system. Optimal control synthesis provides the reference criteria and the significance of error information required for performance measurement. The synthesis procedure described provides a continuous performance measure (CPM) which is independent of the mechanism generating the control action. Therefore, the technique provides a meaningful method for online evaluation of man's control capability in terms of total man machine performance.

Geoscience Laser Ranging System design and performance predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, Kent L.

1991-01-01

The Geoscience Laser System (GLRS) will be a high-precision distance-measuring instrument planned for deployment on the EOS-B platform. Its primary objectives are to perform ranging measurements to ground targets to monitor crustal deformation and tectonic plate motions, and nadir-looking altimetry to determine ice sheet thicknesses, surface topography, and vertical profiles of clouds and aerosols. The system uses a mode-locked, 3-color Nd:YAG laser source, a Microchannel Plate-PMT for absolute time-of-flight (TOF) measurement (at 532 nm), a streak camera for TOF 2-color dispersion measurement (532 nm and 355 nm), and a Si avalanche photodiode for altimeter waveform detection (1064 nm). The performance goals are to make ranging measurements to ground targets with about 1 cm accuracy, and altimetry height measurements over ice with 10 cm accuracy. This paper presents an overview of the design concept developed during a phase B study. System engineering issues and trade studies are discussed, with particular attention to error budgets and performance predictions.

26 CFR 801.3 - Measuring employee performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... REVENUE PRACTICE BALANCED SYSTEM FOR MEASURING ORGANIZATIONAL AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE WITHIN THE INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE § 801.3 Measuring employee performance. (a) In general. All employees of the IRS will be... 26 Internal Revenue 20 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Measuring employee performance. 801.3 Section...

The impact of health plan delivery system organization on clinical quality and patient satisfaction.

PubMed

Gillies, Robin R; Chenok, Kate Eresian; Shortell, Stephen M; Pawlson, Gregory; Wimbush, Julian J

2006-08-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which measures of health plan clinical performance and measures of patient perceptions of care are associated with health plan organizational characteristics, including the percentage of care provided based on a group or staff model delivery system, for-profit (tax) status, and affiliation with a national managed care firm. Data describing health plans on region, age of health plan, for-profit status, affiliation with a national managed care firm, percentage of Medicare business, total enrollment, ratio of primary care physicians to specialists, HMO penetration, and form of health care delivery system (e.g., IPA, network, mixed, staff, group) were obtained from InterStudy. Clinical performance measures for women's health screening rates, child and adolescent immunization rates, heart disease screening rates, diabetes screening rates, and smoking cessation were developed from HEDIS data. Measures of patient perceptions of care are obtained from CAHPS survey data submitted as Healthplan Employer Data and Information Set, Consumer Assessment of Health Plans 2.0 H. Multivariate regression cross-sectional analysis of 272 health plans was used to evaluate the relationship of health plan characteristics with measures of clinical performance and patient perceptions of care. The form of delivery system, measured by percent of care delivered by staff and group model systems, is significantly related (p < or = .05) with four of the five clinical performance indices but none of the three satisfaction performance indices. Other variables significantly associated with performance were being geographically located in the Northeast, having nonprofit status, and for patient satisfaction, not being part of a larger insurance company. These comparative results provide evidence suggesting that the type of delivery system used by health plans is related to many clinical performance measures but is not related to patient perceptions of care. These findings underscore the importance of the form of the delivery system and the need for further inquiry that examines the relationship between organizational form and performance.

Method for suppressing noise in measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carson, Paul L. (Inventor); Madsen, Louis A. (Inventor); Leskowitz, Garett M. (Inventor); Weitekamp, Daniel P. (Inventor)

2000-01-01

Methods for suppressing noise in measurements by correlating functions based on at least two different measurements of a system at two different times. In one embodiment, a measurement operation is performed on at least a portion of a system that has a memory. A property of the system is measured during a first measurement period to produce a first response indicative of a first state of the system. Then the property of the system is measured during a second measurement period to produce a second response indicative of a second state of the system. The second measurement is performed after an evolution duration subsequent to the first measurement period when the system still retains a degree of memory of an aspect of the first state. Next, a first function of the first response is combined with a second function of the second response to form a second-order correlation function. Information of the system is then extracted from the second-order correlation function.

Measuring Performance with Library Automated Systems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OFarrell, John P.

2000-01-01

Investigates the capability of three library automated systems to generate some of the datasets necessary to form the ISO (International Standards Organization) standard on performance measurement within libraries, based on research in Liverpool John Moores University (United Kingdom). Concludes that the systems are weak in generating the…

The role of non-financial performance measures in predicting hospital financial performance: the case of for-profit system hospitals.

PubMed

Vélez-González, Heltie; Pradhan, Rohit; Weech-Maldonado, Robert

2011-01-01

Non-financial measures have found increasing acceptance in the business world--however, their application in the health care industry remains limited. The purpose of this article is to understand the influence of non-financial measures (efficiency, productivity, and quality) on the financial performance of for-profit system hospitals. The sample consists of 499 for-profit system hospitals in the United States from 1999 to 2002. Data analyzed include the American Hospital Association's Annual Survey, Medicare Cost Reports, Joint Commission's quality scores, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' Hospital Case Mix Index. Dependent variables consist of financial measures (operating and total margins), while independent variables include measures of efficiency, productivity, and quality. Our results suggest the influence of non-financial performance measures on financial performance; occupancy rate positively influences financial performance while greater labor intensity may have negative implications for financial performance. In addition, we show that quality positively influences financial performance thereby offering a potential business case for quality. This result has important managerial and policy implications as it may incentivize capital and human resource investments required to improve hospital quality of care.

Properties and Cycle Performance of Refrigerant Blends Operating Near and Above the Refrigerant Critical Point, Task 2: Air Conditioner System Study

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

Piotr A. Domanski; W. Vance Payne

2002-10-31

The main goal of this project was to investigate and compare the performance of an R410A air conditioner to that of an R22 air conditioner, with specific interest in performance at high ambient temperatures at which the condenser of the R410A system may be operating above the refrigerant's critical point. Part 1 of this project consisted of conducting comprehensive measurements of thermophysical for refrigerant R125 and refrigerant blends R410A and R507A and developing new equation of state formulations and mixture models for predicting thermophysical properties of HFC refrigerant blends. Part 2 of this project conducted performance measurements of split-system, 3-tonmore » R22 and R410A residential air conditioners in the 80 to 135 F (27.8 to 57.2 C) outdoor temperature range and development of a system performance model. The performance data was used in preparing a beta version of EVAP-COND, a windows-based simulation package for predicting performance of finned-tube evaporators and condensers. The modeling portion of this project also included the formulation of a model for an air-conditioner equipped with a thermal expansion valve (TXV). Capacity and energy efficiency ratio (EER) were measured and compared. The R22 system's performance was measured over the outdoor ambient temperature range of 80 to 135 F (27.8 to 57.2 C). The same test range was planned for the R410A system. However, the compressor's safety system cut off the compressor at the 135.0 F (57.2 C) test temperature. The highest measurement on this system was at 130.0 F (54.4 C). Subsequently, a custom-manufactured R410A compressor with a disabled safety system and a more powerful motor was installed and performance was measured at outdoor temperatures up to 155.0 F (68.3 C). Both systems had similar capacity and EER performance at 82.0 F (27.8 C). The capacity and EER degradation of both systems were nearly linearly dependent with rising ambient outdoor ambient test temperatures. The performance degradation of R410A at higher temperatures was greater than R22. However, the R22 and R410A systems both operated normally during all tests. Visual observations of the R410A system provided no indication of vibrations or TXV hunting at high ambient outdoor test conditions with the compressor operating in the transcritical regime.« less

Automating Performance Measures and Clinical Practice Guidelines: Differences and Complementarities.

PubMed

Tu, Samson W; Martins, Susana; Oshiro, Connie; Yuen, Kaeli; Wang, Dan; Robinson, Amy; Ashcraft, Michael; Heidenreich, Paul A; Goldstein, Mary K

2016-01-01

Through close analysis of two pairs of systems that implement the automated evaluation of performance measures (PMs) and guideline-based clinical decision support (CDS), we contrast differences in their knowledge encoding and necessary changes to a CDS system that provides management recommendations for patients failing performance measures. We trace the sources of differences to the implementation environments and goals of PMs and CDS.

Northeast corridor passenger transportation data study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1976-08-31

Fourteen measures of performance are recommended for use in Northeast Corridor rail system evaluation and multimodal comparisons. These include performance measures in the categories of system configuration (e.g., daily available-seat miles by vehicl...

Transportation System Performance Measures : status and prototype report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-10-01

This report documents the progress of the Transportation System Performance : Measures initiative as the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) embarks : on implementation of the concepts and methodologies developed to date. The report : ...

Comparison of Stereo-PIV and Plenoptic-PIV Measurements on the Wake of a Cylinder in NASA Ground Test Facilities.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fahringer, Timothy W.; Thurow, Brian S.; Humphreys, William M., Jr.; Bartram, Scott M.

2017-01-01

A series of comparison experiments have been performed using a single-camera plenoptic PIV measurement system to ascertain the systems performance capabilities in terms of suitability for use in NASA ground test facilities. A proof-of-concept demonstration was performed in the Langley Advanced Measurements and Data Systems Branch 13-inch (33- cm) Subsonic Tunnel to examine the wake of a series of cylinders at a Reynolds number of 2500. Accompanying the plenoptic-PIV measurements were an ensemble of complementary stereo-PIV measurements. The stereo-PIV measurements were used as a truth measurement to assess the ability of the plenoptic-PIV system to capture relevant 3D/3C flow field features in the cylinder wake. Six individual tests were conducted as part of the test campaign using three different cylinder diameters mounted in two orientations in the tunnel test section. This work presents a comparison of measurements with the cylinders mounted horizontally (generating a 2D flow field in the x-y plane). Results show that in general the plenoptic-PIV measurements match those produced by the stereo-PIV system. However, discrepancies were observed in extracted pro les of the fuctuating velocity components. It is speculated that spatial smoothing of the vector fields in the stereo-PIV system could account for the observed differences. Nevertheless, the plenoptic-PIV system performed extremely well at capturing the flow field features of interest and can be considered a viable alternative to traditional PIV systems in smaller NASA ground test facilities with limited optical access.

Procurement performance measurement system in the health care industry.

PubMed

Kumar, Arun; Ozdamar, Linet; Ng, Chai Peng

2005-01-01

The rising operating cost of providing healthcare is of concern to health care providers. As such, measurement of procurement performance will enable competitive advantage and provide a framework for continuous improvement. The objective of this paper is to develop a procurement performance measurement system. The paper reviews the existing literature in procurement performance measurement to identify the key areas of purchasing performance. By studying the three components in the supply chain collectively with the resources, procedures and output, a model is been developed. Additionally, a balanced scorecard is proposed by establishing a set of generic measures and six perspectives. A case study conducted at the Singapore Hospital applies the conceptual model to describe the purchasing department and the activities within and outside the department. The results indicate that the material management department has already made a good start in measuring the procurement process through the implementation of the balanced scorecard. There are many data that are collected but not properly collated and utilized. Areas lacking measurement include cycle time of delivery, order processing time, effectiveness, efficiency and reliability. Though a lot of hard work was involved, the advantages of establishing a measurement system outweigh the costs and efforts involved in its implementation. Results of balanced scorecard measurements provide decision-makers with critical information on efficiency and effectiveness of the purchasing department's work. The measurement model developed could be used for any hospital procurement system.

Beta experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1982-01-01

A focused laser doppler velocimeter (LDV) system was developed for the measurement of atmospheric backscatter (beta) from aerosols at infrared wavelengths. A Doppler signal generator was used in mapping the coherent sensitive focal volume of a focused LDV system. System calibration data was analyzed during the flight test activity scheduled for the Beta system. These analyses were performed to determine the acceptability of the Beta measurement system's performance.

ASUPT Automated Objective Performance Measurement System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waag, Wayne L.; And Others

To realize its full research potential, a need exists for the development of an automated objective pilot performance evaluation system for use in the Advanced Simulation in Undergraduate Pilot Training (ASUPT) facility. The present report documents the approach taken for the development of performance measures and also presents data collected…

A unified method for evaluating real-time computer controllers: A case study. [aircraft control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shin, K. G.; Krishna, C. M.; Lee, Y. H.

1982-01-01

A real time control system consists of a synergistic pair, that is, a controlled process and a controller computer. Performance measures for real time controller computers are defined on the basis of the nature of this synergistic pair. A case study of a typical critical controlled process is presented in the context of new performance measures that express the performance of both controlled processes and real time controllers (taken as a unit) on the basis of a single variable: controller response time. Controller response time is a function of current system state, system failure rate, electrical and/or magnetic interference, etc., and is therefore a random variable. Control overhead is expressed as a monotonically nondecreasing function of the response time and the system suffers catastrophic failure, or dynamic failure, if the response time for a control task exceeds the corresponding system hard deadline, if any. A rigorous probabilistic approach is used to estimate the performance measures. The controlled process chosen for study is an aircraft in the final stages of descent, just prior to landing. First, the performance measures for the controller are presented. Secondly, control algorithms for solving the landing problem are discussed and finally the impact of the performance measures on the problem is analyzed.

Formation Flight System Extremum-Seeking-Control Using Blended Performance Parameters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, John J. (Inventor)

2018-01-01

An extremum-seeking control system for formation flight that uses blended performance parameters in a conglomerate performance function that better approximates drag reduction than performance functions formed from individual measurements. Generally, a variety of different measurements are taken and fed to a control system, the measurements are weighted, and are then subjected to a peak-seeking control algorithm. As measurements are continually taken, the aircraft will be guided to a relative position which optimizes the drag reduction of the formation. Two embodiments are discussed. Two approaches are shown for determining relative weightings: "a priori" by which they are qualitatively determined (by minimizing the error between the conglomerate function and the drag reduction function), and by periodically updating the weightings as the formation evolves.

The Development of A Performance Measurement Concept for the Royal Australian Air Force

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-09-01

knowledge of management accounting and performance measurement techniques. As the RAAF currently has no cost management and performance measurement system...provides a review of the current literature on management accounting for performance measurement, specifically referring to the problems of using...traditional management accounting methodologies as a basis for formulating performance measures. Chapter III explains the methodology used to conduct the

Automatic system for ionization chamber current measurements.

PubMed

Brancaccio, Franco; Dias, Mauro S; Koskinas, Marina F

2004-12-01

The present work describes an automatic system developed for current integration measurements at the Laboratório de Metrologia Nuclear of Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares. This system includes software (graphic user interface and control) and a module connected to a microcomputer, by means of a commercial data acquisition card. Measurements were performed in order to check the performance and for validating the proposed design.

Performance of electrolyte measurements assessed by a trueness verification program.

PubMed

Ge, Menglei; Zhao, Haijian; Yan, Ying; Zhang, Tianjiao; Zeng, Jie; Zhou, Weiyan; Wang, Yufei; Meng, Qinghui; Zhang, Chuanbao

2016-08-01

In this study, we analyzed frozen sera with known commutabilities for standardization of serum electrolyte measurements in China. Fresh frozen sera were sent to 187 clinical laboratories in China for measurement of four electrolytes (sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium). Target values were assigned by two reference laboratories. Precision (CV), trueness (bias), and accuracy [total error (TEa)] were used to evaluate measurement performance, and the tolerance limit derived from the biological variation was used as the evaluation criterion. About half of the laboratories used a homogeneous system (same manufacturer for instrument, reagent and calibrator) for calcium and magnesium measurement, and more than 80% of laboratories used a homogeneous system for sodium and potassium measurement. More laboratories met the tolerance limit of imprecision (coefficient of variation [CVa]) than the tolerance limits of trueness (biasa) and TEa. For sodium, calcium, and magnesium, the minimal performance criterion derived from biological variation was used, and the pass rates for total error were approximately equal to the bias (<50%). For potassium, the pass rates for CV and TE were more than 90%. Compared with the non homogeneous system, the homogeneous system was superior for all three quality specifications. The use of commutable proficiency testing/external quality assessment (PT/EQA) samples with values assigned by reference methods can monitor performance and provide reliable data for improving the performance of laboratory electrolyte measurement. The homogeneous systems were superior to the non homogeneous systems, whereas accuracy of assigned values of calibrators and assay stability remained challenges.

Feasibility of using auto Mod-MPI system, a novel technique for automated measurement of fetal modified myocardial performance index.

PubMed

Lee, M-Y; Won, H-S; Jeon, E-J; Yoon, H C; Choi, J Y; Hong, S J; Kim, M-J

2014-06-01

To evaluate the reproducibility of measurement of the fetal left modified myocardial performance index (Mod-MPI) determined using a novel automated system. This was a prospective study of 116 ultrasound examinations from 110 normal singleton pregnancies at 12 + 1 to 37 + 1 weeks' gestation. Two experienced operators each measured the left Mod-MPI twice manually and twice automatically using the Auto Mod-MPI system. Intra- and interoperator reproducibility were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) and the manual and automated measurements obtained by the more experienced operator were compared using Bland-Altman plots and ICCs. Both operators successfully measured the left Mod-MPI in all cases using the Auto Mod-MPI system. For both operators, intraoperator reproducibility was higher when performing automated measurements (ICC = 0.967 and 0.962 for Operators 1 and 2, respectively) than when performing manual measurements (ICC = 0.857 and 0.856 for Operators 1 and 2, respectively). Interoperator agreement was also better for automated than for manual measurements (ICC = 0.930 vs 0.723, respectively). There was good agreement between the automated and manual values measured by the more experienced operator. The Auto Mod-MPI system is a reliable technique for measuring fetal left Mod-MPI and demonstrates excellent reproducibility. Copyright © 2013 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Measuring the performance of visual to auditory information conversion.

PubMed

Tan, Shern Shiou; Maul, Tomás Henrique Bode; Mennie, Neil Russell

2013-01-01

Visual to auditory conversion systems have been in existence for several decades. Besides being among the front runners in providing visual capabilities to blind users, the auditory cues generated from image sonification systems are still easier to learn and adapt to compared to other similar techniques. Other advantages include low cost, easy customizability, and universality. However, every system developed so far has its own set of strengths and weaknesses. In order to improve these systems further, we propose an automated and quantitative method to measure the performance of such systems. With these quantitative measurements, it is possible to gauge the relative strengths and weaknesses of different systems and rank the systems accordingly. Performance is measured by both the interpretability and also the information preservation of visual to auditory conversions. Interpretability is measured by computing the correlation of inter image distance (IID) and inter sound distance (ISD) whereas the information preservation is computed by applying Information Theory to measure the entropy of both visual and corresponding auditory signals. These measurements provide a basis and some insights on how the systems work. With an automated interpretability measure as a standard, more image sonification systems can be developed, compared, and then improved. Even though the measure does not test systems as thoroughly as carefully designed psychological experiments, a quantitative measurement like the one proposed here can compare systems to a certain degree without incurring much cost. Underlying this research is the hope that a major breakthrough in image sonification systems will allow blind users to cost effectively regain enough visual functions to allow them to lead secure and productive lives.

Dynamic Sensing Performance of a Point-Wise Fiber Bragg Grating Displacement Measurement System Integrated in an Active Structural Control System

PubMed Central

Chuang, Kuo-Chih; Liao, Heng-Tseng; Ma, Chien-Ching

2011-01-01

In this work, a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensing system which can measure the transient response of out-of-plane point-wise displacement responses is set up on a smart cantilever beam and the feasibility of its use as a feedback sensor in an active structural control system is studied experimentally. An FBG filter is employed in the proposed fiber sensing system to dynamically demodulate the responses obtained by the FBG displacement sensor with high sensitivity. For comparison, a laser Doppler vibrometer (LDV) is utilized simultaneously to verify displacement detection ability of the FBG sensing system. An optical full-field measurement technique called amplitude-fluctuation electronic speckle pattern interferometry (AF-ESPI) is used to provide full-field vibration mode shapes and resonant frequencies. To verify the dynamic demodulation performance of the FBG filter, a traditional FBG strain sensor calibrated with a strain gauge is first employed to measure the dynamic strain of impact-induced vibrations. Then, system identification of the smart cantilever beam is performed by FBG strain and displacement sensors. Finally, by employing a velocity feedback control algorithm, the feasibility of integrating the proposed FBG displacement sensing system in a collocated feedback system is investigated and excellent dynamic feedback performance is demonstrated. In conclusion, our experiments show that the FBG sensor is capable of performing dynamic displacement feedback and/or strain measurements with high sensitivity and resolution. PMID:22247683

A measurement-based performability model for a multiprocessor system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ilsueh, M. C.; Iyer, Ravi K.; Trivedi, K. S.

1987-01-01

A measurement-based performability model based on real error-data collected on a multiprocessor system is described. Model development from the raw errror-data to the estimation of cumulative reward is described. Both normal and failure behavior of the system are characterized. The measured data show that the holding times in key operational and failure states are not simple exponential and that semi-Markov process is necessary to model the system behavior. A reward function, based on the service rate and the error rate in each state, is then defined in order to estimate the performability of the system and to depict the cost of different failure types and recovery procedures.

What's Measured Is Not Necessarily What Matters: A Cautionary Story from Public Health

PubMed Central

Schwartz, Robert

2016-01-01

A systematic review of the introduction and use of outcome-based performance management systems for public health organizations found differences between their use as a management system (which requires rigorous definition and measurement to allow comparison across organizational units) versus for improvement (which may require more flexibility). What is included in performance measurement/management systems is influenced by ease of measurement, data quality, ability of organization to control outcomes, ability to measure success in terms of doing things (rather than preventing things) and what is already happening. To the extent that most providers wish to do a good job, the availability of good data to enable benchmarking and improvement is an important step forward. However, to the extent that the health of a population is dependent on multiple factors, many beyond the mandate of the health system, too extensive a reliance on performance measurement may risk unintended consequences of marginalizing critical activities. PMID:28032824

47 CFR 73.151 - Field strength measurements to establish performance of directional antennas.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... verified either by field strength measurement or by computer modeling and sampling system verification. (a... specifically identified by the Commission. (c) Computer modeling and sample system verification of modeled... performance verified by computer modeling and sample system verification. (1) A matrix of impedance...

The Consequences of Using One Assessment System to Pursue Two Objectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neal, Derek

2013-01-01

Education officials often use one assessment system both to create measures of student achievement and to create performance metrics for educators. However, modern standardized testing systems are not designed to produce performance metrics for teachers or principals. They are designed to produce reliable measures of individual student achievement…

Medicaid nursing home pay for performance: where do we stand?

PubMed

Arling, Greg; Job, Carol; Cooke, Valerie

2009-10-01

Nursing home pay-for-performance (P4P) programs are intended to maximize the value obtained from public and private expenditures by measuring and rewarding better nursing home performance. We surveyed the 6 states with operational P4P systems in 2007. We describe key features of six Medicaid nursing home P4P systems and make recommendations for further development of nursing home P4P. We surveyed the six states with operational P4P systems in 2007. The range of performance measures employed by the states is quite broad: staffing level and satisfaction, findings from the regulatory system, clinical quality indicators, resident quality of life or satisfaction with care, family satisfaction, access to care for special populations, and efficiency. The main data sources for the measures are the Minimum Data Set (MDS), nursing home inspections, special surveys of nursing home residents, consumers or employees, and facility cost reports or other administrative systems. The most common financial incentive for better performance is a percentage bonus or an add-on to a facility's per diem rate. The bonus is generally proportional to a facility performance score, which consists of simple or weighted sums of scores on individual measures. States undertaking nursing home P4P programs should involve key stakeholders at all stages of P4P system design and implementation. Performance measures should be comprehensive, valid and reliable, risk adjusted where appropriate, and communicated clearly to providers and consumers. The P4P system should encourage provider investment in better care yet recognize state fiscal restraints. Consumer report cards, quality improvement initiatives, and the regulatory process should complement and reinforce P4P. Finally, the P4P system should be transparent and continuously evaluated.

Eight essentials of performance measurement.

PubMed

Moullin, Max

2004-01-01

A well-designed performance measurement system is vital for ensuring that organisations deliver cost-effective, high-quality services that meet the needs of service users. Without feedback on all important aspects and a system for ensuring that the organisation acts on that information, managers are struggling in the dark to improve services. However, performance measurement is not easy, particularly in health and public services where a wide range of stakeholders is involved. This article discusses what the author considers to be the eight essentials of performance measurement. Though described in the context of health and social care, they are important for organisations in all sectors.

Performance measurement for ambulatory care: moving towards a new agenda.

PubMed

Roski, J; Gregory, R

2001-12-01

Despite a shift in care delivery from inpatient to ambulatory care, performance measurement efforts for the different levels in ambulatory care settings such as individual physicians, individual clinics and physician organizations have not been widely instituted in the United States (U.S.). The Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS), the most widely used performance measurement set in the U.S., includes a number of measures that evaluate preventive and chronic care provided in ambulatory care facilities. While HEDIS has made important contributions to the tracking of ambulatory care quality, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the measurement set could be improved by providing quality of care information at the levels of greatest interest to consumers and purchasers of care, namely for individual physicians, clinics and physician organizations. This article focuses on the improvement opportunities for quality performance measurement systems in ambulatory care. Specific challenges to creating a sustainable performance measurement system at the level of physician organizations, such as defining the purpose of the system, the accountability logic, information and reporting needs and mechanisms for sustainable implementation, are discussed.

Health-care process improvement decisions: a systems perspective.

PubMed

Walley, Paul; Silvester, Kate; Mountford, Shaun

2006-01-01

The paper seeks to investigate decision-making processes within hospital improvement activity, to understand how performance measurement systems influence decisions and potentially lead to unsuccessful or unsustainable process changes. A longitudinal study over a 33-month period investigates key events, decisions and outcomes at one medium-sized hospital in the UK. Process improvement events are monitored using process control methods and by direct observation. The authors took a systems perspective of the health-care processes, ensuring that the impacts of decisions across the health-care supply chain were appropriately interpreted. The research uncovers the ways in which measurement systems disguise failed decisions and encourage managers to take a low-risk approach of "symptomatic relief" when trying to improve performance metrics. This prevents many managers from trying higher risk, sustainable process improvement changes. The behaviour of the health-care system is not understood by many managers and this leads to poor analysis of problem situations. Measurement using time-series methodologies, such as statistical process control are vital for a better understanding of the systems impact of changes. Senior managers must also be aware of the behavioural influence of similar performance measurement systems that discourage sustainable improvement. There is a risk that such experiences will tarnish the reputation of performance management as a discipline. Recommends process control measures as a way of creating an organization memory of how decisions affect performance--something that is currently lacking.

Are university rankings useful to improve research? A systematic review.

PubMed

Vernon, Marlo M; Balas, E Andrew; Momani, Shaher

2018-01-01

Concerns about reproducibility and impact of research urge improvement initiatives. Current university ranking systems evaluate and compare universities on measures of academic and research performance. Although often useful for marketing purposes, the value of ranking systems when examining quality and outcomes is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate usefulness of ranking systems and identify opportunities to support research quality and performance improvement. A systematic review of university ranking systems was conducted to investigate research performance and academic quality measures. Eligibility requirements included: inclusion of at least 100 doctoral granting institutions, be currently produced on an ongoing basis and include both global and US universities, publish rank calculation methodology in English and independently calculate ranks. Ranking systems must also include some measures of research outcomes. Indicators were abstracted and contrasted with basic quality improvement requirements. Exploration of aggregation methods, validity of research and academic quality indicators, and suitability for quality improvement within ranking systems were also conducted. A total of 24 ranking systems were identified and 13 eligible ranking systems were evaluated. Six of the 13 rankings are 100% focused on research performance. For those reporting weighting, 76% of the total ranks are attributed to research indicators, with 24% attributed to academic or teaching quality. Seven systems rely on reputation surveys and/or faculty and alumni awards. Rankings influence academic choice yet research performance measures are the most weighted indicators. There are no generally accepted academic quality indicators in ranking systems. No single ranking system provides a comprehensive evaluation of research and academic quality. Utilizing a combined approach of the Leiden, Thomson Reuters Most Innovative Universities, and the SCImago ranking systems may provide institutions with a more effective feedback for research improvement. Rankings which extensively rely on subjective reputation and "luxury" indicators, such as award winning faculty or alumni who are high ranking executives, are not well suited for academic or research performance improvement initiatives. Future efforts should better explore measurement of the university research performance through comprehensive and standardized indicators. This paper could serve as a general literature citation when one or more of university ranking systems are used in efforts to improve academic prominence and research performance.

Magnetic Levitation Force Measurement System at Any Low Temperatures From 20 K To 300 K

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Celik, Sukru; Guner, S. Baris; Coskun, Elvan

2015-03-01

Most of the magnetic levitation force measurements in previous studies were performed at liquid nitrogen temperatures. For the levitation force of MgB2 and iron based superconducting samples, magnetic levitation force measurement system is needed. In this study, magnetic levitation force measurement system was designed. In this system, beside vertical force versus vertical motion, lateral and vertical force versus lateral motion measurements, the vertical force versus temperature at the fixed distance between permanent magnet PM - superconducting sample SS and the vertical force versus time measurements were performed at any temperatures from 20 K to 300 K. Thanks to these measurements, the temperature dependence, time dependence, and the distance (magnetic field) and temperature dependences of SS can be investigated. On the other hand, the magnetic stiffness MS measurements can be performed in this system. Using the measurement of MS at different temperature in the range, MS dependence on temperature can be investigated. These measurements at any temperatures in the range help to the superconductivity properties to be characterized. This work was supported by TUBTAK-the Scientific and technological research council of Turkey under project of MFAG - 110T622. This system was applied to the Turkish patent institute with the Application Number of 2013/13638 on 22/11/2013.

ARTS III Computer Systems Performance Measurement Prototype Implementation

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1974-04-01

Direct measurement of computer systems is of vital importance in: a) developing an intelligent grasp of the variables which affect overall performance; b)tuning the systsem for optimum benefit; c)determining under what conditions saturation threshold...

Field Performance of Photovoltaic Systems in the Tucson Desert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orsburn, Sean; Brooks, Adria; Cormode, Daniel; Greenberg, James; Hardesty, Garrett; Lonij, Vincent; Salhab, Anas; St. Germaine, Tyler; Torres, Gabe; Cronin, Alexander

2011-10-01

At the Tucson Electric Power (TEP) solar test yard, over 20 different grid-connected photovoltaic (PV) systems are being tested. The goal at the TEP solar test yard is to measure and model real-world performance of PV systems and to benchmark new technologies such as holographic concentrators. By studying voltage and current produced by the PV systems as a function of incident irradiance, and module temperature, we can compare our measurements of field-performance (in a harsh desert environment) to manufacturer specifications (determined under laboratory conditions). In order to measure high-voltage and high-current signals, we designed and built reliable, accurate sensors that can handle extreme desert temperatures. We will present several benchmarks of sensors in a controlled environment, including shunt resistors and Hall-effect current sensors, to determine temperature drift and accuracy. Finally we will present preliminary field measurements of PV performance for several different PV technologies.

Toward a Culture of Consequences: Performance-Based Accountability Systems for Public Services. Monograph

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stecher, Brian M.; Camm, Frank; Damberg, Cheryl L.; Hamilton, Laura S.; Mullen, Kathleen J.; Nelson, Christopher; Sorensen, Paul; Wachs, Martin; Yoh, Allison; Zellman, Gail L.

2010-01-01

Performance-based accountability systems (PBASs), which link incentives to measured performance as a means of improving services to the public, have gained popularity. While PBASs can vary widely across sectors, they share three main components: goals, incentives, and measures. Research suggests that PBASs influence provider behaviors, but little…

Safe, Healthy and Ready to Succeed: Arizona School Readiness Key Performance Indicators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Migliore, Donna E.

2006-01-01

"Safe, Healthy and Ready to Succeed: Arizona School Readiness Key Performance Indicators" presents a set of baseline measurements that gauge how well a statewide system of school readiness supports is addressing issues that affect Arizona children's readiness for school. The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) measure the system, rather…

Evaluating Performance Measurement Systems in Nonprofit Agencies: The Program Accountability Quality Scale (PAQS).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poole, Dennis L.; Nelson, Joan; Carnahan, Sharon; Chepenik, Nancy G.; Tubiak, Christine

2000-01-01

Developed and field tested the Performance Accountability Quality Scale (PAQS) on 191 program performance measurement systems developed by nonprofit agencies in central Florida. Preliminary findings indicate that the PAQS provides a structure for obtaining expert opinions based on a theory-driven model about the quality of proposed measurement…

APMS 3.0 Flight Analyst Guide: Aviation Performance Measuring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jay, Griff; Prothero, Gary; Romanowski, Timothy; Lynch, Robert; Lawrence, Robert; Rosenthal, Loren

2004-01-01

The Aviation Performance Measuring System (APMS) is a method-embodied in software-that uses mathematical algorithms and related procedures to analyze digital flight data extracted from aircraft flight data recorders. APMS consists of an integrated set of tools used to perform two primary functions: a) Flight Data Importation b) Flight Data Analysis.

Characteristic Evaluation on Cooling Performance of Thermoelectric Modules.

PubMed

Seo, Sae Rom; Han, Seungwoo

2015-10-01

The aim of this work is to develop a performance evaluation system for thermoelectric cooling modules. We describe the design of such a system, composed of a vacuum chamber with a heat sink along with a metal block to measure the absorbed heat Qc. The system has a simpler structure than existing water-cooled or air-cooled systems. The temperature difference between the cold and hot sides of the thermoelectric module ΔT can be accurately measured without any effects due to convection, and the temperature equilibrium time is minimized compared to a water-cooled system. The evaluation system described here can be used to measure characteristic curves of Qc as a function of ΔT, as well as the current-voltage relations. High-performance thermoelectric systems can therefore be developed using optimal modules evaluated with this system.

Where should Momma go? Current nursing home performance measurement strategies and a less ambitious approach.

PubMed

Phillips, Charles D; Hawes, Catherine; Lieberman, Trudy; Koren, Mary Jane

2007-06-25

Nursing home performance measurement systems are practically ubiquitous. The vast majority of these systems aspire to rank order all nursing homes based on quantitative measures of quality. However, the ability of such systems to identify homes differing in quality is hampered by the multidimensional nature of nursing homes and their residents. As a result, the authors doubt the ability of many nursing home performance systems to truly help consumers differentiate among homes providing different levels of quality. We also argue that, for consumers, performance measurement models are better at identifying problem facilities than potentially good homes. In response to these concerns we present a proposal for a less ambitious approach to nursing home performance measurement than previously used. We believe consumers can make better informed choice using a simpler system designed to pinpoint poor-quality nursing homes, rather than one designed to rank hundreds of facilities based on differences in quality-of-care indicators that are of questionable importance. The suggested performance model is based on five principles used in the development of the Consumers Union 2006 Nursing Home Quality Monitor. We can best serve policy-makers and consumers by eschewing nursing home reporting systems that present information about all the facilities in a city, a state, or the nation on a website or in a report. We argue for greater modesty in our efforts and a focus on identifying only the potentially poorest or best homes. In the end, however, it is important to remember that information from any performance measurement website or report is no substitute for multiple visits to a home at different times of the day to personally assess quality.

Performance model for grid-connected photovoltaic inverters.

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

Boyson, William Earl; Galbraith, Gary M.; King, David L.

2007-09-01

This document provides an empirically based performance model for grid-connected photovoltaic inverters used for system performance (energy) modeling and for continuous monitoring of inverter performance during system operation. The versatility and accuracy of the model were validated for a variety of both residential and commercial size inverters. Default parameters for the model can be obtained from manufacturers specification sheets, and the accuracy of the model can be further refined using measurements from either well-instrumented field measurements in operational systems or using detailed measurements from a recognized testing laboratory. An initial database of inverter performance parameters was developed based on measurementsmore » conducted at Sandia National Laboratories and at laboratories supporting the solar programs of the California Energy Commission.« less

Requirements for a mobile communications satellite system. Volume 3: Large space structures measurements study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akle, W.

1983-01-01

This study report defines a set of tests and measurements required to characterize the performance of a Large Space System (LSS), and to scale this data to other LSS satellites. Requirements from the Mobile Communication Satellite (MSAT) configurations derived in the parent study were used. MSAT utilizes a large, mesh deployable antenna, and encompasses a significant range of LSS technology issues in the areas of structural/dynamics, control, and performance predictability. In this study, performance requirements were developed for the antenna. Special emphasis was placed on antenna surface accuracy, and pointing stability. Instrumentation and measurement systems, applicable to LSS, were selected from existing or on-going technology developments. Laser ranging and angulation systems, presently in breadboard status, form the backbone of the measurements. Following this, a set of ground, STS, and GEO-operational were investigated. A third scale (15 meter) antenna system as selected for ground characterization followed by STS flight technology development. This selection ensures analytical scaling from ground-to-orbit, and size scaling. Other benefits are cost and ability to perform reasonable ground tests. Detail costing of the various tests and measurement systems were derived and are included in the report.

UCMS - A new signal parameter measurement system using digital signal processing techniques. [User Constraint Measurement System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Choi, H. J.; Su, Y. T.

1986-01-01

The User Constraint Measurement System (UCMS) is a hardware/software package developed by NASA Goddard to measure the signal parameter constraints of the user transponder in the TDRSS environment by means of an all-digital signal sampling technique. An account is presently given of the features of UCMS design and of its performance capabilities and applications; attention is given to such important aspects of the system as RF interface parameter definitions, hardware minimization, the emphasis on offline software signal processing, and end-to-end link performance. Applications to the measurement of other signal parameters are also discussed.

Classroom Composition and Measured Teacher Performance: What Do Teacher Observation Scores Really Measure?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinberg, Matthew P.; Garrett, Rachel

2016-01-01

As states and districts implement more rigorous teacher evaluation systems, measures of teacher performance are increasingly being used to support instruction and inform retention decisions. Classroom observations take a central role in these systems, accounting for the majority of teacher ratings upon which accountability decisions are based.…

Sustaining Reliability on Accountability Measures at The Johns Hopkins Hospital.

PubMed

Pronovost, Peter J; Holzmueller, Christine G; Callender, Tiffany; Demski, Renee; Winner, Laura; Day, Richard; Austin, J Matthew; Berenholtz, Sean M; Miller, Marlene R

2016-02-01

In 2012 Johns Hopkins Medicine leaders challenged their health system to reliably deliver best practice care linked to nationally vetted core measures and achieve The Joint Commission Top Performer on Key Quality Measures ®program recognition and the Delmarva Foundation award. Thus, the Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality implemented an initiative to ensure that ≥96% of patients received care linked to measures. Nine low-performing process measures were targeted for improvement-eight Joint Commission accountability measures and one Delmarva Foundation core measure. In the initial evaluation at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, all accountability measures for the Top Performer program reached the required ≥95% performance, gaining them recognition by The Joint Commission in 2013. Efforts were made to sustain performance of accountability measures at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Improvements were sustained through 2014 using the following conceptual framework: declare and communicate goals, create an enabling infrastructure, engage clinicians and connect them in peer learning communities, report transparently, and create accountability systems. One part of the accountability system was for teams to create a sustainability plan, which they presented to senior leaders. To support sustained improvements, Armstrong Institute leaders added a project management office for all externally reported quality measures and concurrent reviewers to audit performance on care processes for certain measure sets. The Johns Hopkins Hospital sustained performance on all accountability measures, and now more than 96% of patients receive recommended care consistent with nationally vetted quality measures. The initiative methods enabled the transition of quality improvement from an isolated project to a way of leading an organization.

A Procedure for Measuring Latencies in Brain-Computer Interfaces

PubMed Central

Wilson, J. Adam; Mellinger, Jürgen; Schalk, Gerwin; Williams, Justin

2011-01-01

Brain-computer interface (BCI) systems must process neural signals with consistent timing in order to support adequate system performance. Thus, it is important to have the capability to determine whether a particular BCI configuration (i.e., hardware, software) provides adequate timing performance for a particular experiment. This report presents a method of measuring and quantifying different aspects of system timing in several typical BCI experiments across a range of settings, and presents comprehensive measures of expected overall system latency for each experimental configuration. PMID:20403781

Miltipath measurements for land mobile satellite service using global positioning system signals

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemmon, John J.

1988-01-01

A proposed multipath system for the land mobile satellite radio channel using the Global Positioning System (GPS) is presented. The measurement technique and equipment used to make multipath measurements on communications links are briefly described. The system configuration and performance specifications of the proposed measurement system are discussed.

Work Measurement as a Generalized Quantum Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roncaglia, Augusto J.; Cerisola, Federico; Paz, Juan Pablo

2014-12-01

We present a new method to measure the work w performed on a driven quantum system and to sample its probability distribution P (w ). The method is based on a simple fact that remained unnoticed until now: Work on a quantum system can be measured by performing a generalized quantum measurement at a single time. Such measurement, which technically speaking is denoted as a positive operator valued measure reduces to an ordinary projective measurement on an enlarged system. This observation not only demystifies work measurement but also suggests a new quantum algorithm to efficiently sample the distribution P (w ). This can be used, in combination with fluctuation theorems, to estimate free energies of quantum states on a quantum computer.

Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems

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

Conover, David R.; Crawford, Aladsair J.; Fuller, Jason C.

The Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems (PNNL-22010) was first issued in November 2012 as a first step toward providing a foundational basis for developing an initial standard for the uniform measurement and expression of energy storage system (ESS) performance. Based on experiences with the application and use of that document, and to include additional ESS applications and associated duty cycles, test procedures and performance metrics, a first revision of the November 2012 Protocol was issued in June 2014 (PNNL 22010 Rev. 1). As an update of the 2014 revision 1 to the Protocol,more » this document (the March 2016 revision 2 to the Protocol) is intended to supersede the June 2014 revision 1 to the Protocol and provide a more user-friendly yet more robust and comprehensive basis for measuring and expressing ESS performance.« less

User Satisfaction as a Measure of System Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffiths, Jillian R.; Johnson, Frances; Hartley, Richard J.

2007-01-01

It is evident from previous research that user satisfaction is a multidimensional, subjective variable which can be affected by many factors other than performance of the system or searcher. This article draws on information retrieval and information systems literature in an attempt to understand what user satisfaction is, how it is measured, what…

Synthesis of National and International Methodologies Used for Bridge Health Indices

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-01

Bridge performance measures are important components of any successful Bridge Management System. Different types of performance measures have been developed for various purposes. The types of performance measures are usually a reflection of an agency...

A novel method for measuring health care system performance: experience from QIDS in the Philippines.

PubMed

Solon, Orville; Woo, Kimberly; Quimbo, Stella A; Shimkhada, Riti; Florentino, Jhiedon; Peabody, John W

2009-05-01

Measuring and monitoring health system performance is important albeit controversial. Technical, logistic and financial challenges are formidable. We introduced a system of measurement, which we call Q, to measure the quality of hospital clinical performance across a range of facilities. This paper describes how Q was developed, implemented in hospitals in the Philippines and how it compares with typical measures. Q consists of measures of clinical performance, patient satisfaction and volume of physician services. We evaluate Q using experimental data from the Quality Improvement Demonstration Study (QIDS), a randomized policy experiment. We determined its responsiveness over time and to changes in structural measures such as staffing and supplies. We also examined the operational costs of implementing Q. Q was sustainable, minimally disruptive and readily grafted into existing routines in 30 hospitals in 10 provinces semi-annually for a period of 2(1/2) years. We found Q to be more responsive to immediate impacts of policy change than standard structural measures. The operational costs totalled USD2133 or USD305 per assessment per site. Q appears to be an achievable assessment tool that is a comprehensive and responsive measure of system level quality at a limited cost in resource-poor settings.

A novel method for measuring health care system performance: experience from QIDS in the Philippines

PubMed Central

Solon, Orville; Woo, Kimberly; Quimbo, Stella A; Shimkhada, Riti; Florentino, Jhiedon; Peabody, John W

2009-01-01

Objectives Measuring and monitoring health system performance is important albeit controversial. Technical, logistic and financial challenges are formidable. We introduced a system of measurement, which we call Q*, to measure the quality of hospital clinical performance across a range of facilities. This paper describes how Q* was developed, implemented in hospitals in the Philippines and how it compares with typical measures. Methods Q* consists of measures of clinical performance, patient satisfaction and volume of physician services. We evaluate Q* using experimental data from the Quality Improvement Demonstration Study (QIDS), a randomized policy experiment. We determined its responsiveness over time and to changes in structural measures such as staffing and supplies. We also examined the operational costs of implementing Q*. Results Q* was sustainable, minimally disruptive and readily grafted into existing routines in 30 hospitals in 10 provinces semi-annually for a period of 2½ years. We found Q* to be more responsive to immediate impacts of policy change than standard structural measures. The operational costs totalled US$2133 or US$305 per assessment per site. Conclusion Q* appears to be an achievable assessment tool that is a comprehensive and responsive measure of system level quality at a limited cost in resource-poor settings. PMID:19224955

Test procedures and performance measures sensitive to automobile steering dynamics. [considering operator/vehicle responses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klein, R. H.; Mcruer, D. T.; Weir, D.

1975-01-01

A maneuver complex and related performance measures used to evaluate driver/vehicle system responses as effected by variations in the directional response characteristics of passenger cars are described. The complex consists of normal and emergency maneuvers (including random and discrete disturbances) which, taken as a whole, represent all classes of steering functions and all modes of driver response behavior. Measures of driver/vehicle system response and performance in regulation tasks included direct describing function measurements and rms yaw velocity. In transient maneuvers, measures such as steering activity and cone strikes were used.

High temperature electromagnetic characterization of thermal protection system tile materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Heil, Garrett G.

1993-01-01

This study investigated the impact of elevated temperatures on the electromagnetic performance of the LI-2200 thermal protection system. A 15-kilowatt CO2 laser was used to heat an LI-2200 specimen to 3000 F while electromagnetic measurements were performed over the frequency range of l9 to 21 GHz. The electromagnetic measurement system consisted of two Dual-Lens Spot-Focusing (DLSF) antennas, a sample support structure, and an HP-8510B vector network analyzer. Calibration of the electromagnetic system was accomplished with a Transmission-Reflection-Line (TRL) procedure and was verified with measurements on a two-layer specimen of known properties. The results of testing indicated that the LI-2200 system's electromagnetic performance is slightly temperature dependent at temperatures up to 3000 F.

Space station definitions, design, and development. Task 5: Multiple arm telerobot coordination and control: Manipulator design methodology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoughton, R. M.

1990-01-01

A proposed methodology applicable to the design of manipulator systems is described. The current design process is especially weak in the preliminary design phase, since there is no accepted measure to be used in trading off different options available for the various subsystems. The design process described uses Cartesian End-Effector Impedance as a measure of performance for the system. Having this measure of performance, it is shown how it may be used to determine the trade-offs necessary to the preliminary design phase. The design process involves three main parts: (1) determination of desired system performance in terms of End-Effector Impedance; (2) trade-off design options to achieve this desired performance; and (3) verification of system performance through laboratory testing. The design process is developed using numerous examples and experiments to demonstrate the feasability of this approach to manipulator design.

Improving Performance on Preventive Health Quality Measures Using Clinical Decision Support to Capture Care Done Elsewhere and Patient Exceptions.

PubMed

Bowen, Michael E; Bhat, Deepa; Fish, Jason; Moran, Brett; Howell-Stampley, Temple; Kirk, Lynne; Persell, Stephen D; Halm, Ethan A

Preventive services required for performance measurement often are completed in outside health systems and not captured in electronic medical records (EMRs). A before-after study was conducted to examine the ability of clinical decision support (CDS) to improve performance on preventive quality measures, capture clinician-reported services completed elsewhere, and patient/medical exceptions and to describe their impact on quality measurement. CDS improved performance on colorectal cancer screening, osteoporosis screening, and pneumococcal vaccination measures ( P < .05) but not breast or cervical cancer screening. CDS captured clinician-reported services completed elsewhere (2% to 10%) and patient/medical exceptions (<3%). Compared to measures using only within-system data, including services completed elsewhere in the numerator improved performance: pneumococcal vaccine (73% vs 82%); breast (69% vs 75%), colorectal (58% vs 70%), and cervical cancer (53% vs 62%); and osteoporosis (72% vs 75%) screening ( P < .05). Visit-based CDS can capture clinician-reported preventive services, and accounting for services completed elsewhere improves performance on quality measures.

Combination of optical shape measurement and augmented reality for task support: II. Real-time feedback of shape measurement results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamauchi, Makoto; Iwamoto, Kazuyo

2010-05-01

Line heating is a skilled task in shipbuilding to shape the outer plates of ship hulls. Real-time information on the deformation of the plates during the task would be helpful to workers performing this process. Therefore, we herein propose an interactive scheme for supporting workers performing line heating; the system provides such information through an optical shape measurement instrument combined with an augmented reality (AR) system. The instrument was designed and fabricated so that the measured data were represented using coordinates based on fiducial markers. Since the markers were simultaneously used in the AR system for the purpose of positioning, the data could then be displayed to the workers through a head-mounted display as a virtual image overlaid on the plates. Feedback of the shape measurement results was thus performed in real time using the proposed system.

A high resolution on-chip delay sensor with low supply-voltage sensitivity for high-performance electronic systems.

PubMed

Sheng, Duo; Lai, Hsiu-Fan; Chan, Sheng-Min; Hong, Min-Rong

2015-02-13

An all-digital on-chip delay sensor (OCDS) circuit with high delay-measurement resolution and low supply-voltage sensitivity for efficient detection and diagnosis in high-performance electronic system applications is presented. Based on the proposed delay measurement scheme, the quantization resolution of the proposed OCDS can be reduced to several picoseconds. Additionally, the proposed cascade-stage delay measurement circuit can enhance immunity to supply-voltage variations of the delay measurement resolution without extra self-biasing or calibration circuits. Simulation results show that the delay measurement resolution can be improved to 1.2 ps; the average delay resolution variation is 0.55% with supply-voltage variations of ±10%. Moreover, the proposed delay sensor can be implemented in an all-digital manner, making it very suitable for high-performance electronic system applications as well as system-level integration.

Alignment Measurement of the New Horizons (NH) High Gain Antenna (HGA) in the Thermal/Vacuum Chamber using Photogrammetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, Michael D.; Saulino, Helen; Troll, John; Schulze, Ron; Mehoke, Doug; Gill, James; Stergiou, Niko

2006-01-01

The New Horizons (NH) spacecraft, launched in January, 2006, is the first mission to explore the planet Pluto and the icy bodies at the edge of the Solar system making up the Kuiper belt. NH utilizes a shaped parabolic High Gain Antenna (HGA) to transmit and receive data over the vast 3 billion mile distance it will travel. Proper maintenance of the HGA shape and alignment at cryogenic temperatures (90 K) is a critical element to ensure mission success. We describe the hardware and methods that were used to validate the displacement/deformation predictions of the HGA reflector during thermal/vacuum testing of the HGA system. The smallest deformation predictions to be measured on the HGA were on the order of +/-0.015 inches. Measurement of the resulting change of the HGA system boresight due to the HGA deformation was also desired. Performance of these alignment measurements inside a thermal/vacuum chamber could not be performed with conventional alignment equipment, namely due to the inability to send personnel into the chamber to perform the measurements due to the temperature extremes and vacuum. The Photogrammetry (PG) system was chosen to perform the measurements since it is a non-contact measurement system, measurements can be made relatively quickly and accurately, and the camera can be operated remotely. This method had been previously proven for WMAP. The hardware and methods developed to perform the NH alignment measurements using PG proved to be successful. The measured increase in the HGA RMS surface distortion as a result of going cold was approx. 0.012 inches, indicating that the +/-0.015 inches RF requirement was met. This measured deformation resulted in a change in alignment of the HGA system boresight of less than 0.008 degrees, meeting the requirement of 0.020 degrees.

Performance Status and Change--Measuring Education System Effectiveness with Data from PISA 2000-2009

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lenkeit, Jenny; Caro, Daniel H.

2014-01-01

Reports of international large-scale assessments tend to evaluate and compare education system performance based on absolute scores. And policymakers refer to high-performing and economically prosperous education systems to enhance their own systemic features. But socioeconomic differences between systems compromise the plausibility of those…

MTF measurements on real time for performance analysis of electro-optical systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stuchi, Jose Augusto; Signoreto Barbarini, Elisa; Vieira, Flavio Pascoal; dos Santos, Daniel, Jr.; Stefani, Mário Antonio; Yasuoka, Fatima Maria Mitsue; Castro Neto, Jarbas C.; Linhari Rodrigues, Evandro Luis

2012-06-01

The need of methods and tools that assist in determining the performance of optical systems is actually increasing. One of the most used methods to perform analysis of optical systems is to measure the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF). The MTF represents a direct and quantitative verification of the image quality. This paper presents the implementation of the software, in order to calculate the MTF of electro-optical systems. The software was used for calculating the MTF of Digital Fundus Camera, Thermal Imager and Ophthalmologic Surgery Microscope. The MTF information aids the analysis of alignment and measurement of optical quality, and also defines the limit resolution of optical systems. The results obtained with the Fundus Camera and Thermal Imager was compared with the theoretical values. For the Microscope, the results were compared with MTF measured of Microscope Zeiss model, which is the quality standard of ophthalmological microscope.

Simulation of mass storage systems operating in a large data processing facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Holmes, R.

1972-01-01

A mass storage simulation program was written to aid system designers in the design of a data processing facility. It acts as a tool for measuring the overall effect on the facility of on-line mass storage systems, and it provides the means of measuring and comparing the performance of competing mass storage systems. The performance of the simulation program is demonstrated.

Precision displacement reference system

DOEpatents

Bieg, Lothar F.; Dubois, Robert R.; Strother, Jerry D.

2000-02-22

A precision displacement reference system is described, which enables real time accountability over the applied displacement feedback system to precision machine tools, positioning mechanisms, motion devices, and related operations. As independent measurements of tool location is taken by a displacement feedback system, a rotating reference disk compares feedback counts with performed motion. These measurements are compared to characterize and analyze real time mechanical and control performance during operation.

MODELING AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION FOR AVIATION SECURITY CARGO INSPECTION QUEUING SYSTEM

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

Allgood, Glenn O; Olama, Mohammed M; Rose, Terri A

Beginning in 2010, the U.S. will require that all cargo loaded in passenger aircraft be inspected. This will require more efficient processing of cargo and will have a significant impact on the inspection protocols and business practices of government agencies and the airlines. In this paper, we conduct performance evaluation study for an aviation security cargo inspection queuing system for material flow and accountability. The overall performance of the aviation security cargo inspection system is computed, analyzed, and optimized for the different system dynamics. Various performance measures are considered such as system capacity, residual capacity, and throughput. These metrics aremore » performance indicators of the system s ability to service current needs and response capacity to additional requests. The increased physical understanding resulting from execution of the queuing model utilizing these vetted performance measures will reduce the overall cost and shipping delays associated with the new inspection requirements.« less

Development of System-level Performance Measures for Evaluation of Models of Care for Inflammatory Arthritis in Canada.

PubMed

Barber, Claire E H; Marshall, Deborah A; Mosher, Dianne P; Akhavan, Pooneh; Tucker, Lori; Houghton, Kristin; Batthish, Michelle; Levy, Deborah M; Schmeling, Heinrike; Ellsworth, Janet; Tibollo, Heidi; Grant, Sean; Khodyakov, Dmitry; Lacaille, Diane

2016-03-01

To develop system-level performance measures for evaluating the care of patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA), including rheumatoid arthritis (RA), psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, and juvenile idiopathic arthritis. This study involved several methodological phases. Over multiple rounds, various participants were asked to help define a set of candidate measurement themes. A systematic search was conducted of existing guidelines and measures. A set of 6 performance measures was defined and presented to 50 people, including patients with IA, rheumatologists, allied health professionals, and researchers using a 3-round, online, modified Delphi process. Participants rated the validity, feasibility, relevance, and likelihood of use of the measures. Measures with median ratings ≥ 7 for validity and relevance were included in the final set. Six performance measures were developed evaluating the following aspects of care, with each measure being applied separately for each type of IA except where specified: waiting times for rheumatology consultation for patients with new onset IA, percentage of patients with IA seen by a rheumatologist, percentage of patients with IA seen in yearly followup by a rheumatologist, percentage of patients with RA treated with a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD), time to DMARD therapy in RA, and number of rheumatologists per capita. The first set of system-level performance measures for IA care in Canada has been developed with broad input. The measures focus on timely access to care and initiation of appropriate treatment for patients with IA, and are likely to be of interest to other arthritis care systems internationally.

How Should Blood Glucose Meter System Analytical Performance Be Assessed?

PubMed

Simmons, David A

2015-08-31

Blood glucose meter system analytical performance is assessed by comparing pairs of meter system and reference instrument blood glucose measurements measured over time and across a broad array of glucose values. Consequently, no single, complete, and ideal parameter can fully describe the difference between meter system and reference results. Instead, a number of assessment tools, both graphical (eg, regression plots, modified Bland-Altman plots, and error grid analysis) and tabular (eg, International Organization for Standardization guidelines, mean absolute difference, and mean absolute relative difference) have been developed to evaluate meter system performance. The strengths and weaknesses of these methods of presenting meter system performance data, including a new method known as Radar Plots, are described here. © 2015 Diabetes Technology Society.

Simulation and Assessment of a Ku-Band Full-Polarized Radar Scatterometer for Ocean Surface Vector Wind Measurement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, X.; Lin, W.; Zhu, D.; Song, Z.

2011-12-01

Spaceborne radar scatterometry is the most important tool for global ocean surface wind vector (OSVW) measurement. Performances under condition of high-wind speed and accuracy of wind direction retrievals are two very important concerns for the development of OSVW measurement techniques by radar scatterometry. Co-polarized sigma 0 measurements are employed, for all the spaceborne radar scatterometers developed in past, and future planned missions. The main disadvantages of co-polarized only radar scatterometers for OSVW measurement are: firstly, wind vector retrieval performances varies with the position of the wind vector cells (WVC) within the swath, where WVCs with small incident angels with weaker modulation effect between sigma0 and azimuth incident angle, and the WVCs located in the outer part of the swath with lower signal-to-noise ratio and lower radiometric accuracies, have worse retrieval performances; secondly, for co-polarization measurements, Sigma 0 is the even function of the azimuth incident angle with respect to the real wind direction, which can results in directional ambiguity, and more additional information is need for the ambiguity removal. Theoretical and experimental results show that the cross-polarization measurement can provide complementary directional information to the co-polarization measurements, which can provide useful improvement to the wind vector retrieval performances. In this paper, the simulation and performance assessment of a full-polarized Ku-band radar scatterometer are provided. Some important conclusions are obtained: (1) Compared with available dual co-polarized radar scatterometer, the introduction of cross-polarization information can significantly improve the OSVW retrieval accuracies, where a relatively identical performance can be obtained within the whole swath. Simulation show that without significantly power increase, system design based on rotating-pencil beam design has much better performances than rotation fan-beam system due to its higher antenna gain and signal-to-noise ratio; (2) The performances of the full-polarized measurement, where all the 9 element covariant coefficient elements will be measurement, only have a little improvement compared with the "dual-co-polarization+HVVV" design, which is because of the almost identical characteristics of HVVV and VHHH measurement due to reciprocity; (3) The propagation error of rotation pencil-beam system is obviously much smaller than that of the rotation fan-beam system, which is due to the significant difference of antenna gains and signal-to-noise ratios; (4) Introduction of cross-polarized HVVV measurement can lead to almost identical wind direction retrieval performance for both the rotation pencil-beam and rotation fan-beam systems, which show that the cross-polarization information can significantly improve the wind direction retrieval performances by increasing the number of look angles, compared with the available fixed-fan-beam systems.

Comparing health system performance assessment and management approaches in the Netherlands and Ontario, Canada

PubMed Central

Tawfik-Shukor, Ali R; Klazinga, Niek S; Arah, Onyebuchi A

2007-01-01

Background Given the proliferation and the growing complexity of performance measurement initiatives in many health systems, the Netherlands and Ontario, Canada expressed interests in cross-national comparisons in an effort to promote knowledge transfer and best practise. To support this cross-national learning, a study was undertaken to compare health system performance approaches in The Netherlands with Ontario, Canada. Methods We explored the performance assessment framework and system of each constituency, the embeddedness of performance data in management and policy processes, and the interrelationships between the frameworks. Methods used included analysing governmental strategic planning and policy documents, literature and internet searches, comparative descriptive tables, and schematics. Data collection and analysis took place in Ontario and The Netherlands. A workshop to validate and discuss the findings was conducted in Toronto, adding important insights to the study. Results Both Ontario and The Netherlands conceive health system performance within supportive frameworks. However they differ in their assessment approaches. Ontario's Scorecard links performance measurement with strategy, aimed at health system integration. The Dutch Health Care Performance Report (Zorgbalans) does not explicitly link performance with strategy, and focuses on the technical quality of healthcare by measuring dimensions of quality, access, and cost against healthcare needs. A backbone 'five diamond' framework maps both frameworks and articulates the interrelations and overlap between their goals, themes, dimensions and indicators. The workshop yielded more contextual insights and further validated the comparative values of each constituency's performance assessment system. Conclusion To compare the health system performance approaches between The Netherlands and Ontario, Canada, several important conceptual and contextual issues must be addressed, before even attempting any future content comparisons and benchmarking. Such issues would lend relevant interpretational credibility to international comparative assessments of the two health systems. PMID:17319947

Crew workload strategies in advanced cockpits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, Sandra G.

1990-01-01

Many methods of measuring and predicting operator workload have been developed that provide useful information in the design, evaluation, and operation of complex systems and which aid in developing models of human attention and performance. However, the relationships between such measures, imposed task demands, and measures of performance remain complex and even contradictory. It appears that we have ignored an important factor: people do not passively translate task demands into performance. Rather, they actively manage their time, resources, and effort to achieve an acceptable level of performance while maintaining a comfortable level of workload. While such adaptive, creative, and strategic behaviors are the primary reason that human operators remain an essential component of all advanced man-machine systems, they also result in individual differences in the way people respond to the same task demands and inconsistent relationships among measures. Finally, we are able to measure workload and performance, but interpreting such measures remains difficult; it is still not clear how much workload is too much or too little nor the consequences of suboptimal workload on system performance and the mental, physical, and emotional well-being of the human operators. The rationale and philosophy of a program of research developed to address these issues will be reviewed and contrasted to traditional methods of defining, measuring, and predicting human operator workload. Viewgraphs are given.

Freeway performance measurement system : an operational analysis tool

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-07-30

PeMS is a freeway performance measurement system for all of California. It processes 2 : GB/day of 30-second loop detector data in real time to produce useful information. Managers : at any time can have a uniform, and comprehensive assessment of fre...

Using Measured Plane-of-Array Data Directly in Photovoltaic Modeling: Methodology and Validation: Preprint

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

Freeman, Janine; Freestate, David; Riley, Cameron

2016-11-01

Measured plane-of-array (POA) irradiance may provide a lower-cost alternative to standard irradiance component data for photovoltaic (PV) system performance modeling without loss of accuracy. Previous work has shown that transposition models typically used by PV models to calculate POA irradiance from horizontal data introduce error into the POA irradiance estimates, and that measured POA data can correlate better to measured performance data. However, popular PV modeling tools historically have not directly used input POA data. This paper introduces a new capability in NREL's System Advisor Model (SAM) to directly use POA data in PV modeling, and compares SAM results frommore » both POA irradiance and irradiance components inputs against measured performance data for eight operating PV systems.« less

Using Measured Plane-of-Array Data Directly in Photovoltaic Modeling: Methodology and Validation

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

Freeman, Janine; Freestate, David; Hobbs, William

2016-11-21

Measured plane-of-array (POA) irradiance may provide a lower-cost alternative to standard irradiance component data for photovoltaic (PV) system performance modeling without loss of accuracy. Previous work has shown that transposition models typically used by PV models to calculate POA irradiance from horizontal data introduce error into the POA irradiance estimates, and that measured POA data can correlate better to measured performance data. However, popular PV modeling tools historically have not directly used input POA data. This paper introduces a new capability in NREL's System Advisor Model (SAM) to directly use POA data in PV modeling, and compares SAM results frommore » both POA irradiance and irradiance components inputs against measured performance data for eight operating PV systems.« less

Using Measured Plane-of-Array Data Directly in Photovoltaic Modeling: Methodology and Validation

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

Freeman, Janine; Freestate, David; Hobbs, William

2016-06-05

Measured plane-of-array (POA) irradiance may provide a lower-cost alternative to standard irradiance component data for photovoltaic (PV) system performance modeling without loss of accuracy. Previous work has shown that transposition models typically used by PV models to calculate POA irradiance from horizontal data introduce error into the POA irradiance estimates, and that measured POA data can correlate better to measured performance data. However, popular PV modeling tools historically have not directly used input POA data. This paper introduces a new capability in NREL's System Advisor Model (SAM) to directly use POA data in PV modeling, and compares SAM results frommore » both POA irradiance and irradiance components inputs against measured performance data for eight operating PV systems.« less

Measuring School Performance To Improve Student Achievement and To Reward Effective Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heistad, Dave; Spicuzza, Rick

This paper describes the method that the Minneapolis Public School system (MPS), Minnesota, uses to measure school and student performance. MPS uses a multifaceted system that both captures and accounts for the complexity of a large urban school district. The system incorporates: (1) a hybrid model of critical indicators that report on level of…

User Performance Evaluation of Four Blood Glucose Monitoring Systems Applying ISO 15197:2013 Accuracy Criteria and Calculation of Insulin Dosing Errors.

PubMed

Freckmann, Guido; Jendrike, Nina; Baumstark, Annette; Pleus, Stefan; Liebing, Christina; Haug, Cornelia

2018-04-01

The international standard ISO 15197:2013 requires a user performance evaluation to assess if intended users are able to obtain accurate blood glucose measurement results with a self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) system. In this study, user performance was evaluated for four SMBG systems on the basis of ISO 15197:2013, and possibly related insulin dosing errors were calculated. Additionally, accuracy was assessed in the hands of study personnel. Accu-Chek ® Performa Connect (A), Contour ® plus ONE (B), FreeStyle Optium Neo (C), and OneTouch Select ® Plus (D) were evaluated with one test strip lot. After familiarization with the systems, subjects collected a capillary blood sample and performed an SMBG measurement. Study personnel observed the subjects' measurement technique. Then, study personnel performed SMBG measurements and comparison measurements. Number and percentage of SMBG measurements within ± 15 mg/dl and ± 15% of the comparison measurements at glucose concentrations < 100 and ≥ 100 mg/dl, respectively, were calculated. In addition, insulin dosing errors were modelled. In the hands of lay-users three systems fulfilled ISO 15197:2013 accuracy criteria with the investigated test strip lot showing 96% (A), 100% (B), and 98% (C) of results within the defined limits. All systems fulfilled minimum accuracy criteria in the hands of study personnel [99% (A), 100% (B), 99.5% (C), 96% (D)]. Measurements with all four systems were within zones of the consensus error grid and surveillance error grid associated with no or minimal risk. Regarding calculated insulin dosing errors, all 99% ranges were between dosing errors of - 2.7 and + 1.4 units for measurements in the hands of lay-users and between - 2.5 and + 1.4 units for study personnel. Frequent lay-user errors were not checking the test strips' expiry date and applying blood incorrectly. Data obtained in this study show that not all available SMBG systems complied with ISO 15197:2013 accuracy criteria when measurements were performed by lay-users. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02916576). Ascensia Diabetes Care Deutschland GmbH.

26 CFR 801.2 - Measuring organizational performance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 20 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Measuring organizational performance. 801.2 Section 801.2 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INTERNAL REVENUE PRACTICE BALANCED SYSTEM FOR MEASURING ORGANIZATIONAL AND EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE WITHIN THE INTERNAL...

Nonlinearity analysis of measurement model for vision-based optical navigation system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jianguo; Cui, Hutao; Tian, Yang

2015-02-01

In the autonomous optical navigation system based on line-of-sight vector observation, nonlinearity of measurement model is highly correlated with the navigation performance. By quantitatively calculating the degree of nonlinearity of the focal plane model and the unit vector model, this paper focuses on determining which optical measurement model performs better. Firstly, measurement equations and measurement noise statistics of these two line-of-sight measurement models are established based on perspective projection co-linearity equation. Then the nonlinear effects of measurement model on the filter performance are analyzed within the framework of the Extended Kalman filter, also the degrees of nonlinearity of two measurement models are compared using the curvature measure theory from differential geometry. Finally, a simulation of star-tracker-based attitude determination is presented to confirm the superiority of the unit vector measurement model. Simulation results show that the magnitude of curvature nonlinearity measurement is consistent with the filter performance, and the unit vector measurement model yields higher estimation precision and faster convergence properties.

System For Characterizing Three-Phase Brushless dc Motors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Howard, David E.; Smith, Dennis A.

1996-01-01

System of electronic hardware and software developed to automate measurements and calculations needed to characterize electromechanical performances of three-phase brushless dc motors, associated shaft-angle sensors needed for commutation, and associated brushless tachometers. System quickly takes measurements on all three phases of motor, tachometer, and shaft-angle sensor simultaneously and processes measurements into performance data. Also useful in development and testing of motors with not only three phases but also two, four, or more phases.

Performance Evaluation of MIMO-UWB Systems Using Measured Propagation Data and Proposal of Timing Control Scheme in LOS Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takanashi, Masaki; Nishimura, Toshihiko; Ogawa, Yasutaka; Ohgane, Takeo

Ultrawide-band impulse radio (UWB-IR) technology and multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems have attracted interest regarding their use in next-generation high-speed radio communication. We have studied the use of MIMO ultrawide-band (MIMO-UWB) systems to enable higher-speed radio communication. We used frequency-domain equalization based on the minimum mean square error criterion (MMSE-FDE) to reduce intersymbol interference (ISI) and co-channel interference (CCI) in MIMO-UWB systems. Because UWB systems are expected to be used for short-range wireless communication, MIMO-UWB systems will usually operate in line-of-sight (LOS) environments and direct waves will be received at the receiver side. Direct waves have high power and cause high correlations between antennas in such environments. Thus, it is thought that direct waves will adversely affect the performance of spatial filtering and equalization techniques used to enhance signal detection. To examine the feasibility of MIMO-UWB systems, we conducted MIMO-UWB system propagation measurements in LOS environments. From the measurements, we found that the arrival time of direct waves from different transmitting antennas depends on the MIMO configuration. Because we can obtain high power from the direct waves, direct wave reception is critical for maximizing transmission performance. In this paper, we present our measurement results, and propose a way to improve performance using a method of transmit (Tx) and receive (Rx) timing control. We evaluate the bit error rate (BER) performance for this form of timing control using measured channel data.

CPMIP: measurements of real computational performance of Earth system models in CMIP6

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balaji, Venkatramani; Maisonnave, Eric; Zadeh, Niki; Lawrence, Bryan N.; Biercamp, Joachim; Fladrich, Uwe; Aloisio, Giovanni; Benson, Rusty; Caubel, Arnaud; Durachta, Jeffrey; Foujols, Marie-Alice; Lister, Grenville; Mocavero, Silvia; Underwood, Seth; Wright, Garrett

2017-01-01

A climate model represents a multitude of processes on a variety of timescales and space scales: a canonical example of multi-physics multi-scale modeling. The underlying climate system is physically characterized by sensitive dependence on initial conditions, and natural stochastic variability, so very long integrations are needed to extract signals of climate change. Algorithms generally possess weak scaling and can be I/O and/or memory-bound. Such weak-scaling, I/O, and memory-bound multi-physics codes present particular challenges to computational performance. Traditional metrics of computational efficiency such as performance counters and scaling curves do not tell us enough about real sustained performance from climate models on different machines. They also do not provide a satisfactory basis for comparative information across models. codes present particular challenges to computational performance. We introduce a set of metrics that can be used for the study of computational performance of climate (and Earth system) models. These measures do not require specialized software or specific hardware counters, and should be accessible to anyone. They are independent of platform and underlying parallel programming models. We show how these metrics can be used to measure actually attained performance of Earth system models on different machines, and identify the most fruitful areas of research and development for performance engineering. codes present particular challenges to computational performance. We present results for these measures for a diverse suite of models from several modeling centers, and propose to use these measures as a basis for a CPMIP, a computational performance model intercomparison project (MIP).

Photovoltaic system derived data for determining the solar resource and for modeling the performance of other photovoltaic systems

DOE PAGES

Marion, Bill; Smith, Benjamin

2017-03-27

Using performance data from some of the millions of installed photovoltaic (PV) modules with micro-inverters may afford the opportunity to provide ground-based solar resource data critical for developing PV projects. Here, a method was developed to back-solve for the direct normal irradiance (DNI) and the diffuse horizontal irradiance (DHI) from the measured ac power of south-facing PV module/micro-inverter systems. The method was validated using one year of irradiance and PV performance measurements for five PV systems, each with a different tilt/azimuth orientation, and located in Golden, Colorado. Compared to using a measured global horizontal irradiance for PV performance model input,more » using the back-solved values of DNI and DHI only increased the range of mean bias deviations from measured values by 0.6% for the modeled annual averages of the global tilt irradiance and ac power for the five PV systems. Correcting for angle-of-incidence effects is an important feature of the method to prevent underestimating the solar resource and for modeling the performance of PV systems with more dissimilar PV module orientations. The results for the method were also shown more favorable than the results when using an existing power projection method for estimating the ac power.« less

Photovoltaic system derived data for determining the solar resource and for modeling the performance of other photovoltaic systems

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

Marion, Bill; Smith, Benjamin

Using performance data from some of the millions of installed photovoltaic (PV) modules with micro-inverters may afford the opportunity to provide ground-based solar resource data critical for developing PV projects. Here, a method was developed to back-solve for the direct normal irradiance (DNI) and the diffuse horizontal irradiance (DHI) from the measured ac power of south-facing PV module/micro-inverter systems. The method was validated using one year of irradiance and PV performance measurements for five PV systems, each with a different tilt/azimuth orientation, and located in Golden, Colorado. Compared to using a measured global horizontal irradiance for PV performance model input,more » using the back-solved values of DNI and DHI only increased the range of mean bias deviations from measured values by 0.6% for the modeled annual averages of the global tilt irradiance and ac power for the five PV systems. Correcting for angle-of-incidence effects is an important feature of the method to prevent underestimating the solar resource and for modeling the performance of PV systems with more dissimilar PV module orientations. The results for the method were also shown more favorable than the results when using an existing power projection method for estimating the ac power.« less

Assessing the influence of reactor system design criteria on the performance of model colon fermentation units.

PubMed

Moorthy, Arun S; Eberl, Hermann J

2014-04-01

Fermentation reactor systems are a key platform in studying intestinal microflora, specifically with respect to questions surrounding the effects of diet. In this study, we develop computational representations of colon fermentation reactor systems as a way to assess the influence of three design elements (number of reactors, emptying mechanism, and inclusion of microbial immobilization) on three performance measures (total biomass density, biomass composition, and fibre digestion efficiency) using a fractional-factorial experimental design. It was determined that the choice of emptying mechanism showed no effect on any of the performance measures. Additionally, it was determined that none of the design criteria had any measurable effect on reactor performance with respect to biomass composition. It is recommended that model fermentation systems used in the experimenting of dietary effects on intestinal biomass composition be streamlined to only include necessary system design complexities, as the measured performance is not benefited by the addition of microbial immobilization mechanisms or semi-continuous emptying scheme. Additionally, the added complexities significantly increase computational time during simulation experiments. It was also noted that the same factorial experiment could be directly adapted using in vitro colon fermentation systems. Copyright © 2013 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Describing the performance of U.S. hospitals by applying big data analytics.

PubMed

Downing, Nicholas S; Cloninger, Alexander; Venkatesh, Arjun K; Hsieh, Angela; Drye, Elizabeth E; Coifman, Ronald R; Krumholz, Harlan M

2017-01-01

Public reporting of measures of hospital performance is an important component of quality improvement efforts in many countries. However, it can be challenging to provide an overall characterization of hospital performance because there are many measures of quality. In the United States, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services reports over 100 measures that describe various domains of hospital quality, such as outcomes, the patient experience and whether established processes of care are followed. Although individual quality measures provide important insight, it is challenging to understand hospital performance as characterized by multiple quality measures. Accordingly, we developed a novel approach for characterizing hospital performance that highlights the similarities and differences between hospitals and identifies common patterns of hospital performance. Specifically, we built a semi-supervised machine learning algorithm and applied it to the publicly-available quality measures for 1,614 U.S. hospitals to graphically and quantitatively characterize hospital performance. In the resulting visualization, the varying density of hospitals demonstrates that there are key clusters of hospitals that share specific performance profiles, while there are other performance profiles that are rare. Several popular hospital rating systems aggregate some of the quality measures included in our study to produce a composite score; however, hospitals that were top-ranked by such systems were scattered across our visualization, indicating that these top-ranked hospitals actually excel in many different ways. Our application of a novel graph analytics method to data describing U.S. hospitals revealed nuanced differences in performance that are obscured in existing hospital rating systems.

Making Health System Performance Measurement Useful to Policy Makers: Aligning Strategies, Measurement and Local Health System Accountability in Ontario

PubMed Central

Veillard, Jeremy; Huynh, Tai; Ardal, Sten; Kadandale, Sowmya; Klazinga, Niek S.; Brown, Adalsteinn D.

2010-01-01

This study examined the experience of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in enhancing its stewardship and performance management role by developing a health system strategy map and a strategy-based scorecard through a process of policy reviews and expert consultations, and linking them to accountability agreements. An evaluation of the implementation and of the effects of the policy intervention has been carried out through direct policy observation over three years, document analysis, interviews with decision-makers and systematic discussion of findings with other authors and external reviewers. Cascading strategies at health and local health system levels were identified, and a core set of health system and local health system performance indicators was selected and incorporated into accountability agreements with the Local Health Integration Networks. despite the persistence of such challenges as measurement limitations and lack of systematic linkage to decision-making processes, these activities helped to strengthen substantially the ministry's performance management function. PMID:21286268

International Space Station Future Correlation Analysis Improvements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laible, Michael R.; Pinnamaneni, Murthy; Sugavanam, Sujatha; Grygier, Michael

2018-01-01

Ongoing modal analyses and model correlation are performed on different configurations of the International Space Station (ISS). These analyses utilize on-orbit dynamic measurements collected using four main ISS instrumentation systems: External Wireless Instrumentation System (EWIS), Internal Wireless Instrumentation System (IWIS), Space Acceleration Measurement System (SAMS), and Structural Dynamic Measurement System (SDMS). Remote Sensor Units (RSUs) are network relay stations that acquire flight data from sensors. Measured data is stored in the Remote Sensor Unit (RSU) until it receives a command to download data via RF to the Network Control Unit (NCU). Since each RSU has its own clock, it is necessary to synchronize measurements before analysis. Imprecise synchronization impacts analysis results. A study was performed to evaluate three different synchronization techniques: (i) measurements visually aligned to analytical time-response data using model comparison, (ii) Frequency Domain Decomposition (FDD), and (iii) lag from cross-correlation to align measurements. This paper presents the results of this study.

Using risk adjustment approaches in child welfare performance measurement: Applications and insights from health and mental health settings

PubMed Central

Raghavan, Ramesh

2014-01-01

Federal policymaking in the last decade has dramatically expanded performance measurement within child welfare systems, and states are currently being fiscally penalized for poor performance on defined outcomes. However, in contrast to performance measurement in health settings, current policy holds child welfare systems solely responsible for meeting outcomes, largely without taking into account the effects of factors at the level of the child, and his or her social ecology, that might undermine the performance of child welfare agencies. Appropriate measurement of performance is predicated upon the ability to disentangle individual, as opposed to organizational, determinants of outcomes, which is the goal of risk adjustment methodologies. This review briefly conceptualizes and examines risk adjustment approaches in health and child welfare, suggests approaches to expanding its use to appropriately measure the performance of child welfare agencies, and highlights research gaps that diminish the appropriate use of risk adjustment approaches – and which consequently suggest the need for caution – in policymaking around performance measurement of child welfare agencies. PMID:25253917

Developing an Index to Measure Health System Performance: Measurement for Districts of Nepal.

PubMed

Kandel, N; Fric, A; Lamichhane, J

2014-01-01

Various frameworks for measuring health system performance have been proposed and discussed. The scope of using performance indicators are broad, ranging from examining national health system to individual patients at various levels of health system. Development of innovative and easy index is essential to measure multidimensionality of health systems. We used indicators, which also serve as proxy to the set of activities, whose primary goal is to maintain and improve health. We used eleven indicators of MDGs, which represent all dimensions of health to develop index. These indicators are computed with similar methodology that of human development index. We used published data of Nepal for computation of the index for districts of Nepal as an illustration. To validate our finding, we compared the indices of these districts with other development indices of Nepal. An index for each district has been computed from eleven indicators. Then indices are compared with that of human development index, socio-economic and infrastructure development indices and findings has shown the similarity on distribution of districts. Categories of low and high performing districts on health system performance are also having low and high human development, socio-economic, and infrastructure indices respectively. This methodology of computing index from various indicators could assist policy makers and program managers to prioritize activities based on their performance. Validation of the findings with that of other development indicators show that this can be one of the tools, which can assist on assessing health system performance for policy makers, program managers and others.

Development of Sensor-Based Measures of Rifle Marksmanship Skill and Performance. CRESST Report 756

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Espinosa, Paul D.; Nagashima, Sam O.; Chung, Gregory K. W. K.; Parks, Daniel; Baker, Eva L.

2009-01-01

Measures of rifle marksmanship skill and performance were developed using a prototype instrumented laser-based training system. Measures of performance were derived from laser strikes on a video-projected target. Measures of rifle marksmanship skill--breath control, trigger control, and muzzle wobble--were developed from shooters' breathing and…

Are university rankings useful to improve research? A systematic review

PubMed Central

Momani, Shaher

2018-01-01

Introduction Concerns about reproducibility and impact of research urge improvement initiatives. Current university ranking systems evaluate and compare universities on measures of academic and research performance. Although often useful for marketing purposes, the value of ranking systems when examining quality and outcomes is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate usefulness of ranking systems and identify opportunities to support research quality and performance improvement. Methods A systematic review of university ranking systems was conducted to investigate research performance and academic quality measures. Eligibility requirements included: inclusion of at least 100 doctoral granting institutions, be currently produced on an ongoing basis and include both global and US universities, publish rank calculation methodology in English and independently calculate ranks. Ranking systems must also include some measures of research outcomes. Indicators were abstracted and contrasted with basic quality improvement requirements. Exploration of aggregation methods, validity of research and academic quality indicators, and suitability for quality improvement within ranking systems were also conducted. Results A total of 24 ranking systems were identified and 13 eligible ranking systems were evaluated. Six of the 13 rankings are 100% focused on research performance. For those reporting weighting, 76% of the total ranks are attributed to research indicators, with 24% attributed to academic or teaching quality. Seven systems rely on reputation surveys and/or faculty and alumni awards. Rankings influence academic choice yet research performance measures are the most weighted indicators. There are no generally accepted academic quality indicators in ranking systems. Discussion No single ranking system provides a comprehensive evaluation of research and academic quality. Utilizing a combined approach of the Leiden, Thomson Reuters Most Innovative Universities, and the SCImago ranking systems may provide institutions with a more effective feedback for research improvement. Rankings which extensively rely on subjective reputation and “luxury” indicators, such as award winning faculty or alumni who are high ranking executives, are not well suited for academic or research performance improvement initiatives. Future efforts should better explore measurement of the university research performance through comprehensive and standardized indicators. This paper could serve as a general literature citation when one or more of university ranking systems are used in efforts to improve academic prominence and research performance. PMID:29513762

77 FR 24740 - Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) Performance Measurement System

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-25

... Employment Program (SCSEP); Final Rule, Additional Indicator on Volunteer Work. See 77 FR 4654. [[Page 24741... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) Performance Measurement System AGENCY: Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, Division of National Programs...

Novel atmospheric extinction measurement techniques for aerospace laser system applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabatini, Roberto; Richardson, Mark

2013-01-01

Novel techniques for laser beam atmospheric extinction measurements, suitable for manned and unmanned aerospace vehicle applications, are presented in this paper. Extinction measurements are essential to support the engineering development and the operational employment of a variety of aerospace electro-optical sensor systems, allowing calculation of the range performance attainable with such systems in current and likely future applications. Such applications include ranging, weaponry, Earth remote sensing and possible planetary exploration missions performed by satellites and unmanned flight vehicles. Unlike traditional LIDAR methods, the proposed techniques are based on measurements of the laser energy (intensity and spatial distribution) incident on target surfaces of known geometric and reflective characteristics, by means of infrared detectors and/or infrared cameras calibrated for radiance. Various laser sources can be employed with wavelengths from the visible to the far infrared portions of the spectrum, allowing for data correlation and extended sensitivity. Errors affecting measurements performed using the proposed methods are discussed in the paper and algorithms are proposed that allow a direct determination of the atmospheric transmittance and spatial characteristics of the laser spot. These algorithms take into account a variety of linear and non-linear propagation effects. Finally, results are presented relative to some experimental activities performed to validate the proposed techniques. Particularly, data are presented relative to both ground and flight trials performed with laser systems operating in the near infrared (NIR) at λ = 1064 nm and λ = 1550 nm. This includes ground tests performed with 10 Hz and 20 kHz PRF NIR laser systems in a large variety of atmospheric conditions, and flight trials performed with a 10 Hz airborne NIR laser system installed on a TORNADO aircraft, flying up to altitudes of 22,000 ft.

Deterministic quantum teleportation with atoms.

PubMed

Riebe, M; Häffner, H; Roos, C F; Hänsel, W; Benhelm, J; Lancaster, G P T; Körber, T W; Becher, C; Schmidt-Kaler, F; James, D F V; Blatt, R

2004-06-17

Teleportation of a quantum state encompasses the complete transfer of information from one particle to another. The complete specification of the quantum state of a system generally requires an infinite amount of information, even for simple two-level systems (qubits). Moreover, the principles of quantum mechanics dictate that any measurement on a system immediately alters its state, while yielding at most one bit of information. The transfer of a state from one system to another (by performing measurements on the first and operations on the second) might therefore appear impossible. However, it has been shown that the entangling properties of quantum mechanics, in combination with classical communication, allow quantum-state teleportation to be performed. Teleportation using pairs of entangled photons has been demonstrated, but such techniques are probabilistic, requiring post-selection of measured photons. Here, we report deterministic quantum-state teleportation between a pair of trapped calcium ions. Following closely the original proposal, we create a highly entangled pair of ions and perform a complete Bell-state measurement involving one ion from this pair and a third source ion. State reconstruction conditioned on this measurement is then performed on the other half of the entangled pair. The measured fidelity is 75%, demonstrating unequivocally the quantum nature of the process.

Handbook of recommended practices for the determination of liquid monopropellant rocket engine performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bjorklund, R. A.; Rogero, R. S.; Baerwald, R. K.

1979-01-01

The design, installation, and operation of systems to be used for directly measuring quantities of fundamental importance to the determination of monopropellant thruster performance is described. Areas covered include: (1) force and impulse measurement; (2) propellant mass usage and flow measurement; (3) pressure measurement; (4) temperature measurement; (5) exhaust gas composition measurement; and (6) data reduction and performance determination.

Performance Analysis Tool for HPC and Big Data Applications on Scientific Clusters

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

Yoo, Wucherl; Koo, Michelle; Cao, Yu

Big data is prevalent in HPC computing. Many HPC projects rely on complex workflows to analyze terabytes or petabytes of data. These workflows often require running over thousands of CPU cores and performing simultaneous data accesses, data movements, and computation. It is challenging to analyze the performance involving terabytes or petabytes of workflow data or measurement data of the executions, from complex workflows over a large number of nodes and multiple parallel task executions. To help identify performance bottlenecks or debug the performance issues in large-scale scientific applications and scientific clusters, we have developed a performance analysis framework, using state-ofthe-more » art open-source big data processing tools. Our tool can ingest system logs and application performance measurements to extract key performance features, and apply the most sophisticated statistical tools and data mining methods on the performance data. It utilizes an efficient data processing engine to allow users to interactively analyze a large amount of different types of logs and measurements. To illustrate the functionality of the big data analysis framework, we conduct case studies on the workflows from an astronomy project known as the Palomar Transient Factory (PTF) and the job logs from the genome analysis scientific cluster. Our study processed many terabytes of system logs and application performance measurements collected on the HPC systems at NERSC. The implementation of our tool is generic enough to be used for analyzing the performance of other HPC systems and Big Data workows.« less

Resolution performance of a 0.60-NA, 364-nm laser direct writer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, Paul C.; Buck, Peter D.

1990-06-01

ATEQ has developed a high resolution laser scanning printing engine based on the 8 beam architecture of the CORE- 2000. This printing engine has been incorporated into two systems: the CORE-2500 for the production of advanced masks and reticles and a prototype system for direct write on wafers. The laser direct writer incorporates a through-the-lens alignment system and a rotary chuck for theta alignment. Its resolution performance is delivered by a 0. 60 NA laser scan lens and a novel air-jet focus system. The short focal length high resolution lens also reduces beam position errors thereby improving overall pattern accuracy. In order to take advantage of the high NA optics a high performance focus servo was developed capable of dynamic focus with a maximum error of 0. 15 tm. The focus system uses a hot wire anemometer to measure air flow through an orifice abutting the wafer providing a direct measurement to the top surface of resist independent of substrate properties. Lens specifications are presented and compared with the previous design. Bench data of spot size vs. entrance pupil filling show spot size performance down to 0. 35 m FWHM. The lens has a linearity specification of 0. 05 m system measurements of lens linearity indicate system performance substantially below this. The aerial image of the scanned beams is measured using resist as a threshold detector. An effective spot size is

Measuring and managing health system performance: An update from New Zealand.

PubMed

Chalmers, Linda Maree; Ashton, Toni; Tenbensel, Tim

2017-08-01

In July 2016, New Zealand introduced a new approach to measuring and monitoring health system performance. This 'Systems Level Measure Framework' (SLMF) has evolved from the Integrated Performance and Incentive Framework (IPIF) previously reported in this journal. The SLMF is designed to stimulate a 'whole of system' approach that requires inter-organisational collaboration. Local 'Alliances' between government and non-government health sector organisations are responsible for planning and achieving improved health system outcomes such as reducing ambulatory sensitive hospitalisation for young children, and reducing acute hospital bed days. It marks a shift from the previous regime of output and process targets, and from a pay-for-performance approach to primary care. Some elements of the earlier IPIF proposal, such as general practice quality measures, and tiered levels of performance, were not included in the SLM framework. The focus on health system outcomes demonstrates policy commitment to effective integration of health services. However, there remain considerable challenges to successful implementation. An outcomes framework makes it challenging to attribute changes in outcomes to organisational and collaborative strategies. At the local level, the strength and functioning of collaborative relationships between organisations vary considerably. The extent and pace of change may also be constrained by existing funding arrangements in the health system. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Framework to Guide the Assessment of Human-Machine Systems.

PubMed

Stowers, Kimberly; Oglesby, James; Sonesh, Shirley; Leyva, Kevin; Iwig, Chelsea; Salas, Eduardo

2017-03-01

We have developed a framework for guiding measurement in human-machine systems. The assessment of safety and performance in human-machine systems often relies on direct measurement, such as tracking reaction time and accidents. However, safety and performance emerge from the combination of several variables. The assessment of precursors to safety and performance are thus an important part of predicting and improving outcomes in human-machine systems. As part of an in-depth literature analysis involving peer-reviewed, empirical articles, we located and classified variables important to human-machine systems, giving a snapshot of the state of science on human-machine system safety and performance. Using this information, we created a framework of safety and performance in human-machine systems. This framework details several inputs and processes that collectively influence safety and performance. Inputs are divided according to human, machine, and environmental inputs. Processes are divided into attitudes, behaviors, and cognitive variables. Each class of inputs influences the processes and, subsequently, outcomes that emerge in human-machine systems. This framework offers a useful starting point for understanding the current state of the science and measuring many of the complex variables relating to safety and performance in human-machine systems. This framework can be applied to the design, development, and implementation of automated machines in spaceflight, military, and health care settings. We present a hypothetical example in our write-up of how it can be used to aid in project success.

Subsonic flight test evaluation of a propulsion system parameter estimation process for the F100 engine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orme, John S.; Gilyard, Glenn B.

1992-01-01

Integrated engine-airframe optimal control technology may significantly improve aircraft performance. This technology requires a reliable and accurate parameter estimator to predict unmeasured variables. To develop this technology base, NASA Dryden Flight Research Facility (Edwards, CA), McDonnell Aircraft Company (St. Louis, MO), and Pratt & Whitney (West Palm Beach, FL) have developed and flight-tested an adaptive performance seeking control system which optimizes the quasi-steady-state performance of the F-15 propulsion system. This paper presents flight and ground test evaluations of the propulsion system parameter estimation process used by the performance seeking control system. The estimator consists of a compact propulsion system model and an extended Kalman filter. The extended Laman filter estimates five engine component deviation parameters from measured inputs. The compact model uses measurements and Kalman-filter estimates as inputs to predict unmeasured propulsion parameters such as net propulsive force and fan stall margin. The ability to track trends and estimate absolute values of propulsion system parameters was demonstrated. For example, thrust stand results show a good correlation, especially in trends, between the performance seeking control estimated and measured thrust.

Operational and environmental performance in China's thermal power industry: Taking an effectiveness measure as complement to an efficiency measure.

PubMed

Wang, Ke; Zhang, Jieming; Wei, Yi-Ming

2017-05-01

The trend toward a more fiercely competitive and strictly environmentally regulated electricity market in several countries, including China has led to efforts by both industry and government to develop advanced performance evaluation models that adapt to new evaluation requirements. Traditional operational and environmental efficiency measures do not fully consider the influence of market competition and environmental regulations and, thus, are not sufficient for the thermal power industry to evaluate its operational performance with respect to specific marketing goals (operational effectiveness) and its environmental performance with respect to specific emissions reduction targets (environmental effectiveness). As a complement to an operational efficiency measure, an operational effectiveness measure not only reflects the capacity of an electricity production system to increase its electricity generation through the improvement of operational efficiency, but it also reflects the system's capability to adjust its electricity generation activities to match electricity demand. In addition, as a complement to an environmental efficiency measure, an environmental effectiveness measure not only reflects the capacity of an electricity production system to decrease its pollutant emissions through the improvement of environmental efficiency, but it also reflects the system's capability to adjust its emissions abatement activities to fulfill environmental regulations. Furthermore, an environmental effectiveness measure helps the government regulator to verify the rationality of its emissions reduction targets assigned to the thermal power industry. Several newly developed effectiveness measurements based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) were utilized in this study to evaluate the operational and environmental performance of the thermal power industry in China during 2006-2013. Both efficiency and effectiveness were evaluated from the three perspectives of operational, environmental, and joint adjustments to each electricity production system. The operational and environmental performance changes over time were also captured through an effectiveness measure based on the global Malmquist productivity index. Our empirical results indicated that the performance of China's thermal power industry experienced significant progress during the study period and that policies regarding the development and regulation of the thermal power industry yielded the expected effects. However, the emissions reduction targets assigned to China's thermal power industry are loose and conservative. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extreme Performance Scalable Operating Systems Final Progress Report (July 1, 2008 - October 31, 2011)

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

Malony, Allen D; Shende, Sameer

This is the final progress report for the FastOS (Phase 2) (FastOS-2) project with Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Oregon (UO). The project started at UO on July 1, 2008 and ran until April 30, 2010, at which time a six-month no-cost extension began. The FastOS-2 work at UO delivered excellent results in all research work areas: * scalable parallel monitoring * kernel-level performance measurement * parallel I/0 system measurement * large-scale and hybrid application performance measurement * onlne scalable performance data reduction and analysis * binary instrumentation

Theory of constraints for publicly funded health systems.

PubMed

Sadat, Somayeh; Carter, Michael W; Golden, Brian

2013-03-01

Originally developed in the context of publicly traded for-profit companies, theory of constraints (TOC) improves system performance through leveraging the constraint(s). While the theory seems to be a natural fit for resource-constrained publicly funded health systems, there is a lack of literature addressing the modifications required to adopt TOC and define the goal and performance measures. This paper develops a system dynamics representation of the classical TOC's system-wide goal and performance measures for publicly traded for-profit companies, which forms the basis for developing a similar model for publicly funded health systems. The model is then expanded to include some of the factors that affect system performance, providing a framework to apply TOC's process of ongoing improvement in publicly funded health systems. Future research is required to more accurately define the factors affecting system performance and populate the model with evidence-based estimates for various parameters in order to use the model to guide TOC's process of ongoing improvement.

Analytical simulation of SPS system performance, volume 3, phase 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kantak, A. V.; Lindsey, W. C.

1980-01-01

The simulation model for the Solar Power Satellite spaceantenna and the associated system imperfections are described. Overall power transfer efficiency, the key performance issue, is discussed as a function of the system imperfections. Other system performance measures discussed include average power pattern, mean beam gain reduction, and pointing error.

Nuclear Enterprise Performance Measurement

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

xi I. Introduction ...WSA: Weapons Storage Area 1 I. Introduction Overview This paper discusses United States Air Force nuclear enterprise...sustainment systems. Keywords Performance measurement, process measurement, strategy, multicriteria decision- making, aggregation 1. Introduction Nuclear

Modular biowaste monitoring system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fogal, G. L.

1975-01-01

The objective of the Modular Biowaste Monitoring System Program was to generate and evaluate hardware for supporting shuttle life science experimental and diagnostic programs. An initial conceptual design effort established requirements and defined an overall modular system for the collection, measurement, sampling and storage of urine and feces biowastes. This conceptual design effort was followed by the design, fabrication and performance evaluation of a flight prototype model urine collection, volume measurement and sampling capability. No operational or performance deficiencies were uncovered as a result of the performance evaluation tests.

Mobile CARS - IRS Instrument for Simultaneous Spectroscopic Measurement of Multiple Properties in Gaseous Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bivolaru, Daniel; Lee, Joseph W.; Jones, Stephen B.; Tedder, Sarah A.; Danehy, Paul M.; Weikl, M. C.; Magnotti, G.; Cutler, Andrew D.

2007-01-01

This paper describes a measurement system based on the dual-pump coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy (CARS) and interferometric Rayleigh scattering (IRS) methods. The IRS measurement is performed simultaneously with the CARS measurement using a common green laser beam as a narrow-band light source. The mobile CARS-IRS instrument is designed for the use both in laboratories as well as in ground-based combustion test facilities. Furthermore, it is designed to be easily transported between laboratory and test facility. It performs single-point spatially and temporally resolved simultaneous measurements of temperature, species mole fraction of N2, O2, and H2, and two-components of velocity. A mobile laser system can be placed inside or outside the test facility, while a beam receiving and monitoring system is placed near the measurement location. Measurements in a laboratory small-scale Mach 1.6 H2-air combustion-heated supersonic jet were performed to test the capability of the system. Final setup and pretests of a larger scale reacting jet are ongoing at NASA Langley Research Center s Direct Connect Supersonic Combustor Test Facility (DCSCTF).

Performance of a solar augmented heat pump

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedinger, A. F. G.; Tomlinson, J. J.; Reid, R. L.; Chaffin, D. J.

Performance of a residential size solar augmented heat pump is reported for the 1979-1980 heating season. The facility located in Knoxville, Tennessee, has a measured heat load coefficient of 339.5 watt/C (644 BTU/hr- F). The solar augmented heat pump system consists of 7.4 cu m of one inch diameter crushed limestone. The heat pump is a nominal 8.8 KW (2 1/2 ton) high efficiency unit. The system includes electric resistance heaters to give the option of adding thermal energy to the pebble bed storage during utility off-peak periods, thus offering considerable load management capability. A 15 KW electric resistance duct heater is used to add thermal energy to the pebble bin as required during off-peak periods. Hourly thermal performance and on site weather data was taken for the period November 1, 1979, to April 13, 1980. Thermal performance data consists of heat flow summations for all modes of the system, pebble bed temperatures, and space temperature. Weather data consists of dry bulb temperature, dew point temperature, total global insolation (in the plane of the collector), and wind speed and direction. An error analysis was performed and the least accurate of the measurements was determined to be the heat flow at 5%. Solar system thermal performance factor was measured to be 8.77. The heat pump thermal performance factor was 1.64. Total system seasonal performance factor was measured to be 1.66. Using a modified version of TRNSYS, the thermal performance of this system was simulated. When simulation results were compared with data collected onsite, the predicted heat flow and power consumption generally were within experimental accuracy.

Improved perceptual-motor performance measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, J. F., Jr.; Reilly, R. E.

1969-01-01

Battery of tests determines the primary dimensions of perceptual-motor performance. Eighteen basic measures range from simple tests to sophisticated electronic devices. Improved system has one unit for the subject containing test display and response elements, and one for the experimenter where test setups, programming, and scoring are accomplished.

Display system replacement baseline research report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-12-01

This report provides baseline measurements on the Display System Replacement (DSR). These measurements followed six constructs: : safety, capacity, performance, workload, usability, and simulation fidelity. To collect these measurements, human factor...

Study on Practical Application of Turboprop Engine Condition Monitoring and Fault Diagnostic System Using Fuzzy-Neuro Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Changduk; Lim, Semyeong; Kim, Keunwoo

2013-03-01

The Neural Networks is mostly used to engine fault diagnostic system due to its good learning performance, but it has a drawback due to low accuracy and long learning time to build learning data base. This work builds inversely a base performance model of a turboprop engine to be used for a high altitude operation UAV using measuring performance data, and proposes a fault diagnostic system using the base performance model and artificial intelligent methods such as Fuzzy and Neural Networks. Each real engine performance model, which is named as the base performance model that can simulate a new engine performance, is inversely made using its performance test data. Therefore the condition monitoring of each engine can be more precisely carried out through comparison with measuring performance data. The proposed diagnostic system identifies firstly the faulted components using Fuzzy Logic, and then quantifies faults of the identified components using Neural Networks leaned by fault learning data base obtained from the developed base performance model. In leaning the measuring performance data of the faulted components, the FFBP (Feed Forward Back Propagation) is used. In order to user's friendly purpose, the proposed diagnostic program is coded by the GUI type using MATLAB.

Development, implementation, and characterization of a standalone embedded viscosity measurement system based on the impedance spectroscopy of a vibrating wire sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, José; Janeiro, Fernando M.; Ramos, Pedro M.

2015-10-01

This paper presents an embedded liquid viscosity measurement system based on a vibrating wire sensor. Although multiple viscometers based on different working principles are commercially available, there is still a market demand for a dedicated measurement system capable of performing accurate, fast measurements and requiring little or no operator training for simple systems and solution monitoring. The developed embedded system is based on a vibrating wire sensor that works by measuring the impedance response of the sensor, which depends on the viscosity and density of the liquid in which the sensor is immersed. The core of the embedded system is a digital signal processor (DSP) which controls the waveform generation and acquisitions for the measurement of the impedance frequency response. The DSP also processes the acquired waveforms and estimates the liquid viscosity. The user can interact with the measurement system through a keypad and an LCD or through a computer with a USB connection for data logging and processing. The presented system is tested on a set of viscosity standards and the estimated values are compared with the standard manufacturer specified viscosity values. A stability study of the measurement system is also performed.

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,…

Measuring relative performance of an EDS detector using a NiO standard.

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

Sugar, Joshua Daniel; Kotula, Paul Gabriel

2013-09-01

A method for measuring the relative performance of energy dispersive spectrometers (EDS) on a TEM is discussed. A NiO thin-film standard fabricated at Sandia CA is used. A performance parameter,, is measured and compared to values on several TEM systems.

Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems

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

Conover, David R.; Crawford, Aladsair J.; Viswanathan, Vilayanur V.

2014-06-01

The Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems (PNNL-22010) was first issued in November 2012 as a first step toward providing a foundational basis for developing an initial standard for the uniform measurement and expression of energy storage system (ESS) performance. Its subsequent use in the field and review by the protocol working group and most importantly the users’ subgroup and the thermal subgroup has led to the fundamental modifications reflected in this update of the 2012 Protocol. As an update of the 2012 Protocol, this document (the June 2014 Protocol) is intended to supersedemore » its predecessor and be used as the basis for measuring and expressing ESS performance. The foreword provides general and specific details about what additions, revisions, and enhancements have been made to the 2012 Protocol and the rationale for them in arriving at the June 2014 Protocol.« less

Crew workload-management strategies - A critical factor in system performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hart, Sandra G.

1989-01-01

This paper reviews the philosophy and goals of the NASA/USAF Strategic Behavior/Workload Management Program. The philosophical foundation of the program is based on the assumption that an improved understanding of pilot strategies will clarify the complex and inconsistent relationships observed among objective task demands and measures of system performance and pilot workload. The goals are to: (1) develop operationally relevant figures of merit for performance, (2) quantify the effects of strategic behaviors on system performance and pilot workload, (3) identify evaluation criteria for workload measures, and (4) develop methods of improving pilots' abilities to manage workload extremes.

Static calibration of the RSRA active-isolator rotor balance system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Acree, C. W., Jr.

1987-01-01

The Rotor Systems Research Aircraft (RSRA) active-isolator system is designed to reduce rotor vibrations transmitted to the airframe and to simultaneously measure all six forces and moments generated by the rotor. These loads are measured by using a combination of load cells, strain gages, and hydropneumatic active isolators with built-in pressure gages. The first static calibration of the complete active-isolator rotor balance system was performed in l983 to verify its load-measurement capabilities. Analysis of the data included the use of multiple linear regressions to determine calibration matrices for different data sets and a hysteresis-removal algorithm to estimate in-flight measurement errors. Results showed that the active-isolator system can fulfill most performance predictions. The results also suggested several possible improvements to the system.

Problems in characterizing barrier performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Harry F.

1988-01-01

The barrier is a synchronization construct which is useful in separating a parallel program into parallel sections which are executed in sequence. The completion of a barrier requires cooperation among all executing processes. This requirement not only introduces the wait for the slowest process delay which is inherent in the definition of the synchronization, but also has implications for the efficient implementation and measurement of barrier performance in different systems. Types of barrier implementation and their relationship to different multiprocessor environments are described. Then the problem of measuring the performance of barrier implementations on specific machine architecture is discussed. The fact that the barrier synchronization requires the cooperation of all processes makes the problem of performance measurement similarly global. Making non-intrusive measurements of sufficient accuracy can be tricky on systems offering only rudimentary measurement tools.

Acoustic systems for the measurement of streamflow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laenen, Antonius; Smith, Winchell

1983-01-01

The acoustic velocity meter (AVM), also referred to as an ultrasonic flowmeter, has been an operational tool for the measurement of streamflow since 1965. Very little information is available concerning AVM operation, performance, and limitations. The purpose of this report is to consolidate information in such a manner as to provide a better understanding about the application of this instrumentation to streamflow measurement. AVM instrumentation is highly accurate and nonmechanical. Most commercial AVM systems that measure streamflow use the time-of-travel method to determine a velocity between two points. The systems operate on the principle that point-to-point upstream travel-time of sound is longer than the downstream travel-time, and this difference can be monitored and measured accurately by electronics. AVM equipment has no practical upper limit of measurable velocity if sonic transducers are securely placed and adequately protected. AVM systems used in streamflow measurement generally operate with a resolution of ?0.01 meter per second but this is dependent on system frequency, path length, and signal attenuation. In some applications the performance of AVM equipment may be degraded by multipath interference, signal bending, signal attenuation, and variable streamline orientation. Presently used minicomputer systems, although expensive to purchase and maintain, perform well. Increased use of AVM systems probably will be realized as smaller, less expensive, and more conveniently operable microprocessor-based systems become readily available. Available AVM equipment should be capable of flow measurement in a wide variety of situations heretofore untried. New signal-detection techniques and communication linkages can provide additional flexibility to the systems so that operation is possible in more river and estuary situations.

Testing of CMA-2000 Microwave Landing System (MLS) airborne receiver

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Labreche, L.; Murfin, A. J.

1989-09-01

Microwave landing system (MLS) is a precision approach and landing guidance system which provides position information and various air to ground data. Position information is provided on a wide coverage sector and is determined by an azimuth angle measurement, an elevation angle measurement, and a range measurement. MLS performance standards and testing of the MLS airborne receiver is mainly governed by Technical Standard Order TSO-C104 issued by the Federal Aviation Administration. This TSO defines detailed test procedures for use in determining the required performance under standard and stressed conditions. It also imposes disciplines on software development and testing procedures. Testing performed on the CMA-2000 MLS receiver and methods used in its validation are described. A computer automated test system has been developed to test for compliance with RTCA/DO-177 Minimum Operation Performance Standards. Extensive software verification and traceability tests designed to ensure compliance with RTCA/DO-178 are outlined.

Near real-time measurement of forces applied by an optical trap to a rigid cylindrical object

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glaser, Joseph; Hoeprich, David; Resnick, Andrew

2014-07-01

An automated data acquisition and processing system is established to measure the force applied by an optical trap to an object of unknown composition in real time. Optical traps have been in use for the past 40 years to manipulate microscopic particles, but the magnitude of applied force is often unknown and requires extensive instrument characterization. Measuring or calculating the force applied by an optical trap to nonspherical particles presents additional difficulties which are also overcome with our system. Extensive experiments and measurements using well-characterized objects were performed to verify the system performance.

Impact of reconstruction strategies on system performance measures : maximizing safety and mobility while minimizing life-cycle costs : final report, December 8, 2008.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-12-08

The objective of this research is to develop a general methodological framework for planning and : evaluating the effectiveness of highway reconstruction strategies on the systems performance : measures, in particular safety, mobility, and the tot...

76 FR 31339 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-05-31

... extension of the currently approved tool for the collection of ambulatory care clinical performance measure...: Medicare Demonstration Ambulatory Care Quality Measure Performance Assessment Tool (``PAT''); Use: This... based system. This system will also provide a platform for developing tools to collect clinical quality...

Developing a Performance Measurement System for University Central Administrative Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arena, Marika; Arnaboldi, Michela; Azzone, Giovanni; Carlucci, Paola

2009-01-01

Central administrative services have recently received increasing attention from practitioners and academics due to the challenging need to both manage scarce resources and provide high-quality services. In this context, performance measurement systems (PMSs) may assume a central role, although an unresolved debate remains on the claimed benefits…

NPS national transit inventory and performance report, 2015

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-01

This document summarizes key highlights and performance measures relating to the National Park Service (NPS) 2015 National Transit Inventory, by presenting data for NPS transit systems and vehicles nationwide. These highlights and performance measure...

NPS National Transit Inventory and Performance Report, 2016

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-12-01

This document summarizes key highlights and performance measures relating to the National Park Service (NPS) 2016 National Transit Inventory, by presenting data for NPS transit systems and vehicles nationwide. These highlights and performance measure...

Development of a Differential Optical Absorption Spectroscopy System Using HighLuminance LED for Measurement of NO2

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fukuchi, Tetsuo; Nayuki, Takuya; Mori, Hideto; Goto, Naohiko; Fujii, Takashi; Nemoto, Koshichi

A differential optical absorption spectroscopy (DOAS) system for measurement of atmospheric NO2 was developed. The system uses a battery-operated, high luminance LED and a fiber-coupled spectrometer, and is portable. Laboratory experiments using a gas cell of length 0.22 m with varying NO2 concentrations were performed to evaluate the sensitivity of the DOAS system. The DOAS measurement results are in agreement with NO2 concentrations obtained simultaneously by a FT-IR (Fourier Transform Infrared) system for NO2 concentrations down to 20 ppm. Experiments with an optical path length of 93 m were also performed, and NO2 concentrations down to 0.20 ppm were measured. Since measurement of atmospheric NO2, which is in the order of several tens of ppb, requires optical path lengths of several hundred m, system improvements to improve the signal detection are necessary.

Transforming Performance Measurement for the 21st Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hatry, Harry P.

2014-01-01

While substantial progress has been made in spreading performance measurement across the country and world, much of the information from performance measurement systems has been shallow. Modern technology and the considerable demand for information on progress in achieving the outcomes of public programs and policies are creating major…

Characterization of measurements in quantum communication. Ph.D. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chan, V. W. S.

1975-01-01

A characterization of quantum measurements by operator valued measures is presented. The generalized measurements include simultaneous approximate measurement of noncommuting observables. This characterization is suitable for solving problems in quantum communication. Two realizations of such measurements are discussed. The first is by adjoining an apparatus to the system under observation and performing a measurement corresponding to a self-adjoint operator in the tensor-product Hilbert space of the system and apparatus spaces. The second realization is by performing, on the system alone, sequential measurements that correspond to self-adjoint operators, basing the choice of each measurement on the outcomes of previous measurements. Simultaneous generalized measurements are found to be equivalent to a single finer grain generalized measurement, and hence it is sufficient to consider the set of single measurements. An alternative characterization of generalized measurement is proposed. It is shown to be equivalent to the characterization by operator-values measures, but it is potentially more suitable for the treatment of estimation problems. Finally, a study of the interaction between the information-carrying system and a measurement apparatus provides clues for the physical realizations of abstractly characterized quantum measurements.

Framework for measuring adaptive knowledge-rich systems performance.

PubMed

Bushko, Renata G

2005-01-01

The universe is non repeatable in nature--most of events cannot be prestated and do not repeat themselves. The only way to create systems that are truly useful is to make them adaptive (able to reason by analogy and learn) and rich in knowledge (including common sense knowledge). Adaptive and knowledge-rich health management could get us closer to errorless health care where small incremental adjustments happen all the time preventing occurrence of an error. In the era of adaptive systems we need to have a way to evaluate their performance. Are they truly adaptive? How adaptive are they? Are they accurate enough? Are they fast enough? Are they cost effective? This chapter presents general framework for measuring adaptive knowledge-rich systems' performance and includes among others definitions of adaptiveness factor, britt (a unit of brittleness) and uso-quant (unit of usefulness of a piece of knowledge). Measuring adaptive knowledge-rich systems performance is one of the most important research areas that can have a big pay-off in healthcare now and in the future.

Spectrum Sharing in an ISM Band: Outage Performance of a Hybrid DS/FH Spread Spectrum System with Beamforming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Hanyu; Syed, Mubashir; Yao, Yu-Dong; Kamakaris, Theodoros

2009-12-01

This paper investigates spectrum sharing issues in the unlicensed industrial, scientific, and medical (ISM) bands. It presents a radio frequency measurement setup and measurement results in 2.4 GHz. It then develops an analytical model to characterize the coexistence interference in the ISM bands, based on radio frequency measurement results in the 2.4 GHz. Outage performance using the interference model is examined for a hybrid direct-sequence frequency-hopping spread spectrum system. The utilization of beamforming techniques in the system is also investigated, and a simplified beamforming model is proposed to analyze the system performance using beamforming. Numerical results show that beamforming significantly improves the system outage performance. The work presented in this paper provides a quantitative evaluation of signal outages in a spectrum sharing environment. It can be used as a tool in the development process for future dynamic spectrum access models as well as engineering designs for applications in unlicensed bands.

Network centrality measures and systemic risk: An application to the Turkish financial crisis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuzubaş, Tolga Umut; Ömercikoğlu, Inci; Saltoğlu, Burak

2014-07-01

In this paper, we analyze the performance of several network centrality measures in detecting systemically important financial institutions (SIFI) using data from the Turkish Interbank market during the financial crisis in 2000. We employ various network investigation tools such as volume, transactions, links, connectivity and reciprocity to gain a clearer picture of the network topology of the interbank market. We study the main borrower role of Demirbank in the crash of the banking system with network centrality measures which are extensively used in the network theory. This ex-post analysis of the crisis shows that centrality measures perform well in identifying and monitoring systemically important financial institutions which provide useful insights for financial regulations.

Measurement of health system performance at district level: A study protocol

PubMed Central

Sharma, Atul; Prinja, Shankar; Aggarwal, Arun Kumar

2018-01-01

Background Limited efforts have been observed in low and middle income countries to undertake health system performance assessment at district level. Absence of a comprehensive data collection tool and lack of a standardised single summary measure defining overall performance are some of the main problems. Present study has been undertaken to develop a summary composite health system performance index at district level. Methods A broad range of indicators covering all six domains as per building block framework were finalized by an expert panel. The domains were classified into twenty sub-domains, with 70 input and process indicators to measure performance. Seven sub-domains for assessing health system outputs and outcomes were identified, with a total of 28 indicators. Districts in Haryana state from north India were selected for the study. Primary and secondary data will be collected from 378 health facilities, district and state health directorate headquarters. Indicators will be normalized, aggregated to generate composite performance index at district level. Domain specific scores will present the quality of individual building block domains in the public health system. Robustness of the results will be checked using sensitivity analysis. Expected impact for public health: The study presents a methodology for comprehensive assessment of all health system domains on basis of input, process, output and outcome indicators which has never been reported from India. Generation of this index will help identify policy and implementation areas of concern and point towards potential solutions. Results may also help understand relationships between individual building blocks and their sub-components. Significance for public health Measuring performance of health system is important to understand progress and challenges, and create systems that are efficient, equitable and patient-focused. However, very few assessments of such nature have been observed in low and middle income countries, especially at district level, mainly because of methodological challenges. This study presents a methodology for comprehensive assessment of all domains of health system and generation of a composite Health System Performance Index on the basis of input, process, output and outcome indicators. It will help identify policy and implementation problems worthy of attention and point towards potential solutions to health system bottlenecks resulting in poor performance. The results may also help better understand the relationships between individual building blocks and their sub-components and the overall performance of the health system. PMID:29441330

Scorecard on Colorado Public Higher Education. How the Public Higher Education System and Its Students Perform on Selected Measures. March 1995.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colorado Commission on Higher Education, Denver.

This report is the fifth in a series that measures performance of Colorado college students and the state's higher education system. The data are presented at the system level, and cover finances, students, and graduates, and are broken down into the following sectors: public institution totals; a state summary, and then separately by research…

Terahertz radar cross section measurements.

PubMed

Iwaszczuk, Krzysztof; Heiselberg, Henning; Jepsen, Peter Uhd

2010-12-06

We perform angle- and frequency-resolved radar cross section (RCS) measurements on objects at terahertz frequencies. Our RCS measurements are performed on a scale model aircraft of size 5-10 cm in polar and azimuthal configurations, and correspond closely to RCS measurements with conventional radar on full-size objects. The measurements are performed in a terahertz time-domain system with freely propagating terahertz pulses generated by tilted pulse front excitation of lithium niobate crystals and measured with sub-picosecond time resolution. The application of a time domain system provides ranging information and also allows for identification of scattering points such as weaponry attached to the aircraft. The shapes of the models and positions of reflecting parts are retrieved by the filtered back projection algorithm.

Evaluating the effect of online data compression on the disk cache of a mass storage system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pentakalos, Odysseas I.; Yesha, Yelena

1994-01-01

A trace driven simulation of the disk cache of a mass storage system was used to evaluate the effect of an online compression algorithm on various performance measures. Traces from the system at NASA's Center for Computational Sciences were used to run the simulation and disk cache hit ratios, number of files and bytes migrating to tertiary storage were measured. The measurements were performed for both an LRU and a size based migration algorithm. In addition to seeing the effect of online data compression on the disk cache performance measure, the simulation provided insight into the characteristics of the interactive references, suggesting that hint based prefetching algorithms are the only alternative for any future improvements to the disk cache hit ratio.

The performance of integrated transconductance amplifiers as variable current sources for bio-electric impedance measurements.

PubMed

Smith, D N

1992-01-01

Multiple applied current impedance measurement systems require numbers of current sources which operate simultaneously at the same frequency and within the same phase but at variable amplitudes. Investigations into the performance of some integrated operational transconductance amplifiers as variable current sources are described. Measurements of breakthrough, non-linearity and common-mode output levels for LM13600, NE5517 and CA3280 were carried out. The effects of such errors on the overall performance and stability of multiple current systems when driving floating loads are considered.

Evaluation of confocal microscopy system performance.

PubMed

Zucker, R M; Price, O

2001-08-01

The confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) has been used by scientists to visualize three-dimensional (3D) biological samples. Although this system involves lasers, electronics, optics, and microscopes, there are few published tests that can be used to assess the performance of this equipment. Usually the CLSM is assessed by subjectively evaluating a biological/histological test slide for image quality. Although there is a use for the test slide, there are many other components in the CLSM that need to be assessed. It would be useful if tests existed that produced reference values for machine performance. The aim of this research was to develop quality assurance tests to ensure that the CLSM was stable while delivering reproducible intensity measurements with excellent image quality. Our ultimate research objective was to quantify fluorescence using a CLSM. To achieve this goal, it is essential that the CLSM be stable while delivering known parameters of performance. Using Leica TCS-SP1 and TCS-4D systems, a number of tests have been devised to evaluate equipment performance. Tests measuring dichroic reflectivity, field illumination, lens performance, laser power output, spectral registration, axial resolution, laser stability, photomultiplier tube (PMT) reliability, and system noise were either incorporated from the literature or derived in our laboratory to measure performance. These tests are also applicable to other manufacturer's systems with minor modifications. A preliminary report from our laboratory has addressed a number of the QA issues necessary to achieve CLSM performance. This report extends our initial work on the evaluation of CLSM system performance. Tests that were described previously have been modified and new tests involved in laser stability and sensitivity are described. The QA tests on the CLSM measured laser power, PMT function, dichroic reflection, spectral registration, axial registration, system noise and sensitivity, lens performance, and laser stability. Laser power stability varied between 3% and 30% due to various factors, which may include incompatibility of the fiber-optic polarization with laser polarization, thermal instability of the acoustical optical transmission filter (AOTF), and laser noise. The sensitivity of the system was measured using a 10-microm Spherotech bead and the PMTs were assessed with the CV concept (image noise). The maximum sensitivity obtainable on our TCS-SP1 system measured on the 10-microm Spherotech beads was approximately 4% for 488 nm, 2.5% for 568 nm, 20% for 647 nm, and 19% for 365 nm laser light. The values serve as a comparison to test machine sensitivity from the same or different manufacturers. QA tests are described on the CLSM to assess performance and ensure that reproducing data are obtained. It is suggested strongly that these tests be used in place of a biological/histological sample to evaluate system performance. The tests are more specific and can recognize instrument functionality and problems better than a biological/histological sample. Utilization of this testing approach will eliminate the subjective assessment of the CLSM and may allow the data from different machines to be compared. These tests are essential if one is interested in making intensity measurements on experimental samples as well as obtaining the best signal detection and image resolution from a CLSM. Published 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Importance of Performance Measurement and MCH Epidemiology Leadership to Quality Improvement Initiatives at the National, State and Local Levels

PubMed Central

Rankin, Kristin M.; Gavin, Loretta; Moran, John W.; Kroelinger, Charlan D.; Vladutiu, Catherine J.; Goodman, David A.; Sappenfield, William M.

2018-01-01

Purpose In recognition of the importance of performance measurement and MCH epidemiology leadership to quality improvement (QI) efforts, a plenary session dedicated to this topic was presented at the 2014 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference. This paper summarizes the session and provides two applications of performance measurement to QI in MCH. Description Performance measures addressing processes of care are ubiquitous in the current health system landscape and the MCH community is increasingly applying QI processes, such as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of systems impacting MCH populations. QI is maximally effective when well-defined performance measures are used to monitor change. Assessment MCH epidemiologists provide leadership to QI initiatives by identifying population-based outcomes that would benefit from QI, defining and implementing performance measures, assessing and improving data quality and timeliness, reporting variability in measures throughout PDSA cycles, evaluating QI initiative impact, and translating findings to stakeholders. MCH epidemiologists can also ensure that QI initiatives are aligned with MCH priorities at the local, state and federal levels. Two examples of this work, one highlighting use of a contraceptive service performance measure and another describing QI for peripartum hemorrhage prevention, demonstrate MCH epidemiologists’ contributions throughout. Challenges remain in applying QI to complex community and systems-level interventions, including those aimed at improving access to quality care. Conclusion MCH epidemiologists provide leadership to QI initiatives by ensuring they are data-informed and supportive of a common MCH agenda, thereby optimizing the potential to improve MCH outcomes. PMID:27423235

Importance of Performance Measurement and MCH Epidemiology Leadership to Quality Improvement Initiatives at the National, State and Local Levels.

PubMed

Rankin, Kristin M; Gavin, Loretta; Moran, John W; Kroelinger, Charlan D; Vladutiu, Catherine J; Goodman, David A; Sappenfield, William M

2016-11-01

Purpose In recognition of the importance of performance measurement and MCH epidemiology leadership to quality improvement (QI) efforts, a plenary session dedicated to this topic was presented at the 2014 CityMatCH Leadership and MCH Epidemiology Conference. This paper summarizes the session and provides two applications of performance measurement to QI in MCH. Description Performance measures addressing processes of care are ubiquitous in the current health system landscape and the MCH community is increasingly applying QI processes, such as Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles, to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of systems impacting MCH populations. QI is maximally effective when well-defined performance measures are used to monitor change. Assessment MCH epidemiologists provide leadership to QI initiatives by identifying population-based outcomes that would benefit from QI, defining and implementing performance measures, assessing and improving data quality and timeliness, reporting variability in measures throughout PDSA cycles, evaluating QI initiative impact, and translating findings to stakeholders. MCH epidemiologists can also ensure that QI initiatives are aligned with MCH priorities at the local, state and federal levels. Two examples of this work, one highlighting use of a contraceptive service performance measure and another describing QI for peripartum hemorrhage prevention, demonstrate MCH epidemiologists' contributions throughout. Challenges remain in applying QI to complex community and systems-level interventions, including those aimed at improving access to quality care. Conclusion MCH epidemiologists provide leadership to QI initiatives by ensuring they are data-informed and supportive of a common MCH agenda, thereby optimizing the potential to improve MCH outcomes.

Laser diode technology for coherent communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Channin, D. J.; Palfrey, S. L.; Toda, M.

1989-01-01

The effect of diode laser characteristics on the overall performance capabilities of coherent communication systems is discussed. In particular, attention is given to optical performance issues for diode lasers in coherent systems, measurements of key performance parameters, and optical requirements for coherent single-channel and multichannel communication systems. The discussion also covers limitations imposed by diode laser optical performance on multichannel system capabilities and implications for future developments.

A Post-Marketing Surveillance Study to Evaluate Performance of the EXIMO™ Blood Glucose Monitoring System.

PubMed

Chandnani, Sonia R; Ramakrishna, C D; Dave, Bhargav A; Kothavade, Pankaj S; Thakkar, Ashok S

2017-05-01

The performance of Blood Glucose Monitoring System (BGMS) is critical as the information provided by the system guide the patient or health care professional in making treatment decisions. However, besides evaluating accuracy of the BGMS in laboratory setting, it is equally important that the intended users (healthcare professionals and patients) should be able to achieve blood glucose measurements with similar level of high accuracy. To assess the performance of EXIMO™ (Meril Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd., Vapi, Gujarat, India) BGMS as per International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 15197:2013 section 8 user performance criteria. This was a non-randomized and post-marketing study conducted at a tertiary care centre of India. A total of 1005 patients with diabetes themselves performed fingertip blood glucose measurement using EXIMO™ BGMS. Immediately after capillary blood glucose measurement using the blood glucose monitoring system, venous blood sample from each patient was obtained by a trained technician which was assessed by reference laboratory method- Cobas Integra 400 plus (Roche Instrument Centre, Rotkreuz, Switzerland). All the blood glucose measurements assessed by EXIMO™ were compared with laboratory results. Performance of the system was assessed as per ISO 15197:2013 criteria using Bland-Altman plot, Parkes-Consensus Error Grid (CEG) and Surveillance Error Grid analyses (SEG). A total of 1005 patients participated in the study. Average age of the patients was 44.93±14.65 years. Evaluation of capillary fingertip blood glucose measurements demonstrated that 95.82% measurements fulfilled ISO 15197:2013 section 8 user performance criteria. All the results lie within clinically non-critical zones; Zone A (99.47%; n=1000) and Zone B (0.53%; n=05) of the CEG analysis. As per SEG analysis, majority of the results fell within "no-risk" zone (risk score 0 to 0.5; 90.42%). The result of the study confirmed that intended users are able to obtain accurate glucose measurements when operating EXIMO™ BGMS, given only the instructions and training materials routinely provided with the system, in clinical practice.

A Post-Marketing Surveillance Study to Evaluate Performance of the EXIMO™ Blood Glucose Monitoring System

PubMed Central

Chandnani, Sonia R.; Ramakrishna, C. D.; Dave, Bhargav A.; Kothavade, Pankaj S.

2017-01-01

Introduction The performance of Blood Glucose Monitoring System (BGMS) is critical as the information provided by the system guide the patient or health care professional in making treatment decisions. However, besides evaluating accuracy of the BGMS in laboratory setting, it is equally important that the intended users (healthcare professionals and patients) should be able to achieve blood glucose measurements with similar level of high accuracy. Aim To assess the performance of EXIMO™ (Meril Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd., Vapi, Gujarat, India) BGMS as per International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 15197:2013 section 8 user performance criteria. Materials and Methods This was a non-randomized and post-marketing study conducted at a tertiary care centre of India. A total of 1005 patients with diabetes themselves performed fingertip blood glucose measurement using EXIMO™ BGMS. Immediately after capillary blood glucose measurement using the blood glucose monitoring system, venous blood sample from each patient was obtained by a trained technician which was assessed by reference laboratory method- Cobas Integra 400 plus (Roche Instrument Centre, Rotkreuz, Switzerland). All the blood glucose measurements assessed by EXIMO™ were compared with laboratory results. Performance of the system was assessed as per ISO 15197:2013 criteria using Bland-Altman plot, Parkes-Consensus Error Grid (CEG) and Surveillance Error Grid analyses (SEG). Results A total of 1005 patients participated in the study. Average age of the patients was 44.93±14.65 years. Evaluation of capillary fingertip blood glucose measurements demonstrated that 95.82% measurements fulfilled ISO 15197:2013 section 8 user performance criteria. All the results lie within clinically non-critical zones; Zone A (99.47%; n=1000) and Zone B (0.53%; n=05) of the CEG analysis. As per SEG analysis, majority of the results fell within “no-risk” zone (risk score 0 to 0.5; 90.42%). Conclusion The result of the study confirmed that intended users are able to obtain accurate glucose measurements when operating EXIMO™ BGMS, given only the instructions and training materials routinely provided with the system, in clinical practice. PMID:28658800

An excess noise measurement system for weak responsivity avalanche photodiodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qiao, Liang; Dimler, Simon J.; Baharuddin, Aina N. A. P.; Green, James E.; David, John P. R.

2018-06-01

A system for measuring, with reduced photocurrent, the excess noise associated with the gain in avalanche photodiodes (APDs), using a transimpedance amplifier front-end and based on phase-sensitive detection is described. The system can reliably measure the excess noise power of devices, even when the un-multiplied photocurrent is low (~10 nA). This is more than one order of magnitude better than previously reported systems and represents a significantly better noise signal to noise ratio. This improvement in performance has been achieved by increasing the value of the feedback resistor and reducing the op-amp bandwidth. The ability to characterise APD performance with such low photocurrents enables the use of low power light sources such as light emitting diode rather than lasers to investigate the APD noise performance.

Antenna Calibration and Measurement Equipment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rochblatt, David J.; Cortes, Manuel Vazquez

2012-01-01

A document describes the Antenna Calibration & Measurement Equipment (ACME) system that will provide the Deep Space Network (DSN) with instrumentation enabling a trained RF engineer at each complex to perform antenna calibration measurements and to generate antenna calibration data. This data includes continuous-scan auto-bore-based data acquisition with all-sky data gathering in support of 4th order pointing model generation requirements. Other data includes antenna subreflector focus, system noise temperature and tipping curves, antenna efficiency, reports system linearity, and instrument calibration. The ACME system design is based on the on-the-fly (OTF) mapping technique and architecture. ACME has contributed to the improved RF performance of the DSN by approximately a factor of two. It improved the pointing performances of the DSN antennas and productivity of its personnel and calibration engineers.

Non-intrusive torque measurement for rotating shafts using optical sensing of zebra-tapes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zappalá, D.; Bezziccheri, M.; Crabtree, C. J.; Paone, N.

2018-06-01

Non-intrusive, reliable and precise torque measurement is critical to dynamic performance monitoring, control and condition monitoring of rotating mechanical systems. This paper presents a novel, contactless torque measurement system consisting of two shaft-mounted zebra tapes and two optical sensors mounted on stationary rigid supports. Unlike conventional torque measurement methods, the proposed system does not require costly embedded sensors or shaft-mounted electronics. Moreover, its non-intrusive nature, adaptable design, simple installation and low cost make it suitable for a large variety of advanced engineering applications. Torque measurement is achieved by estimating the shaft twist angle through analysis of zebra tape pulse train time shifts. This paper presents and compares two signal processing methods for torque measurement: rising edge detection and cross-correlation. The performance of the proposed system has been proven experimentally under both static and variable conditions and both processing approaches show good agreement with reference measurements from an in-line, invasive torque transducer. Measurement uncertainty has been estimated according to the ISO GUM (Guide to the expression of uncertainty in measurement). Type A analysis of experimental data has provided an expanded uncertainty relative to the system full-scale torque of  ±0.30% and  ±0.86% for the rising edge and cross-correlation approaches, respectively. Statistical simulations performed by the Monte Carlo method have provided, in the worst case, an expanded uncertainty of  ±1.19%.

Rewards and Supports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hershberg, Theodore; Robertson-Kraft, Claire

2010-01-01

Pay-for-performance systems in public schools have long been burdened with controversy. Critics of performance pay systems contend that because teachers' impact cannot be measured without error, it is impossible to create fair and accurate systems for evaluating and rewarding performance. By this standard, however, current practice fails on both…

New techniques for laser beam atmospheric extinction measurements from manned and unmanned aerospace vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabatini, Roberto; Richardson, Mark

2013-03-01

Novel techniques for laser beam atmospheric extinction measurements, suitable for several air and space platform applications, are presented in this paper. Extinction measurements are essential to support the engineering development and the operational employment of a variety of aerospace electro-optical sensor systems, allowing calculation of the range performance attainable with such systems in current and likely future applications. Such applications include ranging, weaponry, Earth remote sensing and possible planetary exploration missions performed by satellites and unmanned flight vehicles. Unlike traditional LIDAR methods, the proposed techniques are based on measurements of the laser energy (intensity and spatial distribution) incident on target surfaces of known geometric and reflective characteristics, by means of infrared detectors and/or infrared cameras calibrated for radiance. Various laser sources can be employed with wavelengths from the visible to the far infrared portions of the spectrum, allowing for data correlation and extended sensitivity. Errors affecting measurements performed using the proposed methods are discussed in the paper and algorithms are proposed that allow a direct determination of the atmospheric transmittance and spatial characteristics of the laser spot. These algorithms take into account a variety of linear and non-linear propagation effects. Finally, results are presented relative to some experimental activities performed to validate the proposed techniques. Particularly, data are presented relative to both ground and flight trials performed with laser systems operating in the near infrared (NIR) at λ= 1064 nm and λ= 1550 nm. This includes ground tests performed with 10 Hz and 20 KHz PRF NIR laser systems in a large variety of atmospheric conditions, and flight trials performed with a 10 Hz airborne NIR laser system installed on a TORNADO aircraft, flying up to altitudes of 22,000 ft.

BODY SENSING SYSTEM

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mah, Robert W. (Inventor)

2005-01-01

System and method for performing one or more relevant measurements at a target site in an animal body, using a probe. One or more of a group of selected internal measurements is performed at the target site, is optionally combined with one or more selected external measurements, and is optionally combined with one or more selected heuristic information items, in order to reduce to a relatively small number the probable medical conditions associated with the target site. One or more of the internal measurements is optionally used to navigate the probe to the target site. Neural net information processing is performed to provide a reduced set of probable medical conditions associated with the target site.

Relationship between quality of care and choice of clinical computing system: retrospective analysis of family practice performance under the UK's quality and outcomes framework

PubMed Central

Kontopantelis, Evangelos; Buchan, Iain; Reeves, David; Checkland, Kath; Doran, Tim

2013-01-01

Objectives To investigate the relationship between performance on the UK Quality and Outcomes Framework pay-for-performance scheme and choice of clinical computer system. Design Retrospective longitudinal study. Setting Data for 2007–2008 to 2010–2011, extracted from the clinical computer systems of general practices in England. Participants All English practices participating in the pay-for-performance scheme: average 8257 each year, covering over 99% of the English population registered with a general practice. Main outcome measures Levels of achievement on 62 quality-of-care indicators, measured as: reported achievement (levels of care after excluding inappropriate patients); population achievement (levels of care for all patients with the relevant condition) and percentage of available quality points attained. Multilevel mixed effects multiple linear regression models were used to identify population, practice and clinical computing system predictors of achievement. Results Seven clinical computer systems were consistently active in the study period, collectively holding approximately 99% of the market share. Of all population and practice characteristics assessed, choice of clinical computing system was the strongest predictor of performance across all three outcome measures. Differences between systems were greatest for intermediate outcomes indicators (eg, control of cholesterol levels). Conclusions Under the UK's pay-for-performance scheme, differences in practice performance were associated with the choice of clinical computing system. This raises the question of whether particular system characteristics facilitate higher quality of care, better data recording or both. Inconsistencies across systems need to be understood and addressed, and researchers need to be cautious when generalising findings from samples of providers using a single computing system. PMID:23913774

Ultrasound Metrology in Mexico: a round robin test for medical diagnostics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amezola Luna, R.; López Sánchez, A. L.; Elías Juárez, A. A.

2011-02-01

This paper presents preliminary statistical results from an on-going imaging medical ultrasound study, of particular relevance for gynecology and obstetrics areas. Its scope is twofold, firstly to compile the medical ultrasound infrastructure available in cities of Queretaro-Mexico, and second to promote the use of traceable measurement standards as a key aspect to assure quality of ultrasound examinations performed by medical specialists. The experimental methodology is based on a round robin test using an ultrasound phantom for medical imaging. The physician, using its own ultrasound machine, couplant and facilities, measures the size and depth of a set of pre-defined reflecting and absorbing targets of the reference phantom, which simulate human illnesses. Measurements performed give the medical specialist an objective feedback regarding some performance characteristics of their ultrasound examination systems, such as measurement system accuracy, dead zone, axial resolution, depth of penetration and anechoic targets detection. By the end of March 2010, 66 entities with medical ultrasound facilities, from both public and private institutions, have performed measurements. A network of medical ultrasound calibration laboratories in Mexico, with traceability to The International System of Units via national measurement standards, may indeed contribute to reduce measurement deviations and thus attain better diagnostics.

Toward Scalable Benchmarks for Mass Storage Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, Ethan L.

1996-01-01

This paper presents guidelines for the design of a mass storage system benchmark suite, along with preliminary suggestions for programs to be included. The benchmarks will measure both peak and sustained performance of the system as well as predicting both short- and long-term behavior. These benchmarks should be both portable and scalable so they may be used on storage systems from tens of gigabytes to petabytes or more. By developing a standard set of benchmarks that reflect real user workload, we hope to encourage system designers and users to publish performance figures that can be compared with those of other systems. This will allow users to choose the system that best meets their needs and give designers a tool with which they can measure the performance effects of improvements to their systems.

Comparison of Hybrid K-Edge Densitometer (HKED) Performance Operating with the Canberra Lynx MCA and the Canberra ICB-NIM Electronics

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

McElroy, Robert Dennis

From the 1991 until 2008 the Canberra Hybrid K-Edge Densitometer systems were provided with ICB-NIM (Integrated Control Bus – Nuclear Instrument Module) acquisition electronics. Newer electronics modules, such as the Lynx, were not supported under the VMS based operating system. The LYNX module was provided as the standard acquisition electronics following the release of the Windows based CHKED software. This report compares the electronics dead-time, gain shifts, detector resolution and measurement performance of the HKED system operated with the two types of acquisition modules. The comparison was performed using measurements obtained with the ORNL HKED system. The original intent ofmore » this study was to take advantage of both the timing and energy outputs from the HPGE detector to acquire data with both sets of electronics in parallel. Although this approach has been applied successfully with other systems, in this case we found the timing output produced a significant amount of noise such that a comparison between the electronics would be invalid. So the comparative measurements were performed sequentially. The ICB-NIM data was acquired over the course of 12 months with 255 measurements while the LYNX data was acquired over a period of 10 months with 75 measurements. To simplify the comparison, all data used in this study was acquired using the Canberra CHKED (V1.0) software package. The performance analysis was based primarily on the peak locations, peak widths and concentration values reported by the CHKED software. The raw spectra from the XRF measurements were also examined to extract additional 109Cd peak location and width data for the hybrid measurements (the standard hybrid report template does not report these values).« less

Drone based measurement system for radiofrequency exposure assessment.

PubMed

Joseph, Wout; Aerts, Sam; Vandenbossche, Matthias; Thielens, Arno; Martens, Luc

2016-03-10

For the first time, a method to assess radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure of the general public in real environments with a true free-space antenna system is presented. Using lightweight electronics and multiple antennas placed on a drone, it is possible to perform exposure measurements. This technique will enable researchers to measure three-dimensional RF-EMF exposure patterns accurately in the future and at locations currently difficult to access. A measurement procedure and appropriate measurement settings have been developed. As an application, outdoor measurements are performed as a function of height up to 60 m for Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) 900 MHz base station exposure. Bioelectromagnetics. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Determination of Duty Cycle for Energy Storage Systems in a Renewables (Solar) Firming Application

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

Schoenwald, David A.; Ellison, James

2016-04-01

This report supplements the document, “Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems,” issued in a revised version in April 2016, which will include the renewables (solar) firming application for an energy storage system (ESS). This report provides the background and documentation associated with the determination of a duty cycle for an ESS operated in a renewables (solar) firming application for the purpose of measuring and expressing ESS performance in accordance with the ESS performance protocol.

Proposal for an astronaut mass measurement device for the Space Shuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Beyer, Neil; Lomme, Jon; Mccollough, Holly; Price, Bradford; Weber, Heidi

1994-01-01

For medical reasons, astronauts in space need to have their mass measured. Currently, this measurement is performed using a mass-spring system. The current system is large, inaccurate, and uncomfortable for the astronauts. NASA is looking for new, different, and preferably better ways to perform this measurement process. After careful analysis our design team decided on a linear acceleration process. Within the process, four possible concept variants are put forth. Among these four variants, one is suggested over the others. The variant suggested is that of a motor-winch system to linearly accelerate the astronaut. From acceleration and force measurements of the process combined Newton's second law, the mass of an astronaut can be calculated.

Advanced Actuation Systems Development. Volume 2

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-08-01

and unloaded performance characteristics of a test specimen produced by General Dynamics Corporation as a feasibility model. The actuation system for...changing the camber of the test specimen is unique and was evaluated with a series of input/output measurements. The testing verified the general ...MAWS General ’rest Procedure........................................6 General Performance Measurements .................................... 10 Test

Assessing health system performance in developing countries: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Kruk, Margaret Elizabeth; Freedman, Lynn P

2008-03-01

With the setting of ambitious international health goals and an influx of additional development assistance for health, there is growing interest in assessing the performance of health systems in developing countries. This paper proposes a framework for the assessment of health system performance and reviews the literature on indicators currently in use to measure performance using online medical and public health databases. This was complemented by a review of relevant books and reports in the grey literature. The indicators were organized into three categories: effectiveness, equity, and efficiency. Measures of health system effectiveness were improvement in health status, access to and quality of care and, increasingly, patient satisfaction. Measures of equity included access and quality of care for disadvantaged groups together with fair financing, risk protection and accountability. Measures of efficiency were appropriate levels of funding, the cost-effectiveness of interventions, and effective administration. This framework and review of indicators may be helpful to health policy makers interested in assessing the effects of different policies, expenditures, and organizational structures on health outputs and outcomes in developing countries.

Capacity utilization study for aviation security cargo inspection queuing system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allgood, Glenn O.; Olama, Mohammed M.; Lake, Joe E.; Brumback, Daryl

2010-04-01

In this paper, we conduct performance evaluation study for an aviation security cargo inspection queuing system for material flow and accountability. The queuing model employed in our study is based on discrete-event simulation and processes various types of cargo simultaneously. Onsite measurements are collected in an airport facility to validate the queuing model. The overall performance of the aviation security cargo inspection system is computed, analyzed, and optimized for the different system dynamics. Various performance measures are considered such as system capacity, residual capacity, throughput, capacity utilization, subscribed capacity utilization, resources capacity utilization, subscribed resources capacity utilization, and number of cargo pieces (or pallets) in the different queues. These metrics are performance indicators of the system's ability to service current needs and response capacity to additional requests. We studied and analyzed different scenarios by changing various model parameters such as number of pieces per pallet, number of TSA inspectors and ATS personnel, number of forklifts, number of explosives trace detection (ETD) and explosives detection system (EDS) inspection machines, inspection modality distribution, alarm rate, and cargo closeout time. The increased physical understanding resulting from execution of the queuing model utilizing these vetted performance measures should reduce the overall cost and shipping delays associated with new inspection requirements.

Capacity Utilization Study for Aviation Security Cargo Inspection Queuing System

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

Allgood, Glenn O; Olama, Mohammed M; Lake, Joe E

In this paper, we conduct performance evaluation study for an aviation security cargo inspection queuing system for material flow and accountability. The queuing model employed in our study is based on discrete-event simulation and processes various types of cargo simultaneously. Onsite measurements are collected in an airport facility to validate the queuing model. The overall performance of the aviation security cargo inspection system is computed, analyzed, and optimized for the different system dynamics. Various performance measures are considered such as system capacity, residual capacity, throughput, capacity utilization, subscribed capacity utilization, resources capacity utilization, subscribed resources capacity utilization, and number ofmore » cargo pieces (or pallets) in the different queues. These metrics are performance indicators of the system s ability to service current needs and response capacity to additional requests. We studied and analyzed different scenarios by changing various model parameters such as number of pieces per pallet, number of TSA inspectors and ATS personnel, number of forklifts, number of explosives trace detection (ETD) and explosives detection system (EDS) inspection machines, inspection modality distribution, alarm rate, and cargo closeout time. The increased physical understanding resulting from execution of the queuing model utilizing these vetted performance measures should reduce the overall cost and shipping delays associated with new inspection requirements.« less

Promoting Accountability and Continual Improvement: A Review of the Respective Roles of Performance Measurement, Auditing, Evaluation, and Reporting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, William

1999-01-01

Provides a synthesis of the literature pertaining to the principles and practices of performance measurement, auditing, evaluation, and reporting. Discusses how bringing these elements together in a performance management system can be achieved through refinement of strategic direction, reporting on key measures, and periodic, systematic…

Characterization of Space Shuttle Reusable Rocket Motor Static Test Stand Thrust Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cook, Mart L.; Gruet, Laurent; Cash, Stephen F. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

Space Shuttle Reusable Solid Rocket Motors (RSRM) are static tested at two ATK Thiokol Propulsion facilities in Utah, T-24 and T-97. The newer T-97 static test facility was recently upgraded to allow thrust measurement capability. All previous static test motor thrust measurements have been taken at T-24; data from these tests were used to characterize thrust parameters and requirement limits for flight motors. Validation of the new T-97 thrust measurement system is required prior to use for official RSRM performance assessments. Since thrust cannot be measured on RSRM flight motors, flight motor measured chamber pressure and a nominal thrust-to-pressure relationship (based on static test motor thrust and pressure measurements) are used to reconstruct flight motor performance. Historical static test and flight motor performance data are used in conjunction with production subscale test data to predict RSRM performance. The predicted motor performance is provided to support Space Shuttle trajectory and system loads analyses. Therefore, an accurate nominal thrust-to-pressure (F/P) relationship is critical for accurate RSRM flight motor performance and Space Shuttle analyses. Flight Support Motors (FSM) 7, 8, and 9 provided thrust data for the validation of the T-97 thrust measurement system. The T-97 thrust data were analyzed and compared to thrust previously measured at T-24 to verify measured thrust data and identify any test-stand bias. The T-97 FIP data were consistent and within the T-24 static test statistical family expectation. The FSMs 7-9 thrust data met all NASA contract requirements, and the test stand is now verified for future thrust measurements.

Automatization of hardware configuration for plasma diagnostic system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojenski, A.; Pozniak, K. T.; Kasprowicz, G.; Kolasinski, P.; Krawczyk, R. D.; Zabolotny, W.; Linczuk, P.; Chernyshova, M.; Czarski, T.; Malinowski, K.

2016-09-01

Soft X-ray plasma measurement systems are mostly multi-channel, high performance systems. In case of the modular construction it is necessary to perform sophisticated system discovery in parallel with automatic system configuration. In the paper the structure of the modular system designed for tokamak plasma soft X-ray measurements is described. The concept of the system discovery and further automatic configuration is also presented. FCS application (FMC/ FPGA Configuration Software) is used for running sophisticated system setup with automatic verification of proper configuration. In order to provide flexibility of further system configurations (e.g. user setup), common communication interface is also described. The approach presented here is related to the automatic system firmware building presented in previous papers. Modular construction and multichannel measurements are key requirement in term of SXR diagnostics with use of GEM detectors.

Performance monitoring for safe and livable communities : fusing data, to improve arterial operations for all users.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-10-01

Measuring or analyzing transportation system performance occupies a large transportation professionals time. So, improving performance : measurement methods in terms of accuracy and cost are important contributions. This research documents develop...

INTEGRATED PROTECTIVE FABRIC SYSTEM (IPFS) PHASE III PROGRAM: AEROSOL PROTECTION REPORT

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-16

one layer control. It was observed that aerosol swatch measurements showed no correlation to aerosol system test performance for the materials and...the BRHA model employed. It was observed that aerosol swatch measurements showed no correlation to aerosol system test performance for the...Testing” (McVeety et al., 2015). This report includes a description of the materials and material controls, a description of the IPFS configurations

Calibration of automatic performance measures - speed and volume data : volume 1, evaluation of the accuracy of traffic volume counts collected by microwave sensors.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-09-01

Over the past few years, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) has developed a system called the : Signal Performance Metrics System (SPMS) to evaluate the performance of signalized intersections. This system : currently provides data summarie...

Performance characteristics of solar-photovoltaic flywheel-storage systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarvinen, P. O.; Brench, B. L.; Rasmussen, N. E.

A solar photovoltaic energy flywheel storage and conversion system for residential applications was tested. Performance and efficiency measurements were conducted on the system, which utilizes low loss magnetic bearings, maximum power point tracking of the photovoltaic array, integrated permanent magnet motor generator, and output power conditioning sections of either the stand alone cycloconverter or utility interactive inverter type. The overall in/out electrical storage efficiency of the flywheel system was measured along with the power transfer efficiencies of the individual components and the system spin down tare losses. The system compares favorably with systems which use batteries and inverters.

End-Use Load and Conservation Assessment Program : Co-Instrumentation Test of Two Microcomputer-Based Energy Monitoring Systems.

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

Fishbaugher, M. J.

1985-05-01

The decreasing cost of microcomputers along with improvements in power metering circuitry have changed the way in which electrical energy use is monitored. Although utilities still rely on kilowatt-hour (kWh) meters for billing purposes, a microcomputer-based monitoring system is used when greater temporal and end-use resolution is desired. Because these types of monitoring systems will be used increasingly in large-scale conservation and end-use studies, it is important that their performance be analyzed to determine their accuracy. A co-instrumentation test was devised in which two such microcomputer-based monitoring systems made simultaneous measurements of electrical end-uses in two commercial buildings. The analysismore » of the co-instrumentation data aids in the evaluation of microcomputer-based monitoring systems used for end-use measurements. Separate and independent data loggers were used to measure the same loads simultaneously. In addition to these two systems, a utility billing meter measured the total energy use in each building during the co-instrumentation test. The utility's meters provided a relatively accurate standard by which the performance of both loggers could be judged. The comparison between the SCL and PNL microcomputer-based loggers has shown that power measurement techniques directly affect system performance. The co-instrumentation test has shown that there are certain standards that a monitoring system must meet if it is to perform well. First, it is essential to calibrate a microcomputer-based logger against a known standard load before the system is installed. Second, a microcomputer-based system must have some way of accounting for power factors. Recent advances in power metering circuitry have made it relatively easy to apply these power factors automatically in real time.« less

48 CFR 42.1501 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... System (CPARS) and Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) metric tools to measure the... CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND AUDIT SERVICES Contractor Performance Information 42.1501 General. (a) Past performance information (including the ratings and supporting narratives) is relevant information, for future...

48 CFR 42.1501 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Reporting System (CPARS) and Past Performance Information Retrieval System (PPIRS) metric tools to measure... CONTRACT ADMINISTRATION AND AUDIT SERVICES Contractor Performance Information 42.1501 General. (a) Past performance information (including the ratings and supporting narratives) is relevant information, for future...

Method of measuring thermal conductivity of high performance insulation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hyde, E. H.; Russell, L. D.

1968-01-01

Method accurately measures the thermal conductivity of high-performance sheet insulation as a discrete function of temperature. It permits measurements to be made at temperature drops of approximately 10 degrees F across the insulation and ensures measurement accuracy by minimizing longitudinal heat losses in the system.

Analysis of Photovoltaic System Energy Performance Evaluation Method

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

Kurtz, S.; Newmiller, J.; Kimber, A.

2013-11-01

Documentation of the energy yield of a large photovoltaic (PV) system over a substantial period can be useful to measure a performance guarantee, as an assessment of the health of the system, for verification of a performance model to then be applied to a new system, or for a variety of other purposes. Although the measurement of this performance metric might appear to be straight forward, there are a number of subtleties associated with variations in weather and imperfect data collection that complicate the determination and data analysis. A performance assessment is most valuable when it is completed with amore » very low uncertainty and when the subtleties are systematically addressed, yet currently no standard exists to guide this process. This report summarizes a draft methodology for an Energy Performance Evaluation Method, the philosophy behind the draft method, and the lessons that were learned by implementing the method.« less

An initial test of a normative Figure Of Merit for the quality of overall task performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lemay, Moira; Comstock, J. R., Jr.

1990-01-01

An overall indicator, or Figure Of Merit (FOM), of the quality of crew/vehicle system performance is needed to establish the effect of workload on efficiency and to identify overload conditions. A normative FOM is proposed in which performance is measured on a representative task and a normative data base obtained. FOMs for subsequent executions of the task are then reported in terms of weighted deviations from average task performance. Performance of discrete tasks is measured primarily in terms of subtask time and errors. Discrete task performance is then combined with a measure of continuous vehicle control. In order to test the normative FOM procedure, the technique was applied to an existing set of data from a simulated landing task in which standard communications with ATC was compared with a data link communications system. The results indicated that while mean task performance was not affected, task variability, as measured by the FOM, was significantly higher when data link communications were used. In order to establish the sensitivity of the normative FOM method, further testing of the measure is recommended.

The balanced scorecard--measures that drive performance.

PubMed

Kaplan, R S; Norton, D P

1992-01-01

Frustrated by the inadequacies of traditional performance measurement systems, some managers have abandoned financial measures like return on equity and earnings per share. "Make operational improvements and the numbers will follow," the argument goes. But managers do not want to choose between financial and operational measures. Executives want a balanced presentation of measures that allow them to view the company from several perspectives simultaneously. During a year-long research project with 12 companies at the leading edge of performance measurement, the authors developed a "balanced scorecard," a new performance measurement system that gives top managers a fast but comprehensive view of the business. The balanced scorecard includes financial measures that tell the results of actions already taken. And it complements those financial measures with three sets of operational measures having to do with customer satisfaction, internal processes, and the organization's ability to learn and improve--the activities that drive future financial performance. Managers can create a balanced scorecard by translating their company's strategy and mission statements into specific goals and measures. To create the part of the scorecard that focuses on the customer perspective, for example, executives at Electronic Circuits Inc. established general goals for customer performance: get standard products to market sooner, improve customers' time-to-market, become customers' supplier of choice through partnerships, and develop innovative products tailored to customer needs. Managers translated these elements of strategy into four specific goals and identified a measure for each.

Effects of a Velocity-Vector Based Command Augmentation System and Synthetic Vision System Terrain Portrayal and Guidance Symbology Concepts on Single-Pilot Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, Dahai; Goodrich, Kenneth H.; Peak, Bob

2010-01-01

This study investigated the effects of synthetic vision system (SVS) concepts and advanced flight controls on the performance of pilots flying a light, single-engine general aviation airplane. We evaluated the effects and interactions of two levels of terrain portrayal, guidance symbology, and flight control response type on pilot performance during the conduct of a relatively complex instrument approach procedure. The terrain and guidance presentations were evaluated as elements of an integrated primary flight display system. The approach procedure used in the study included a steeply descending, curved segment as might be encountered in emerging, required navigation performance (RNP) based procedures. Pilot performance measures consisted of flight technical performance, perceived workload, perceived situational awareness and subjective preference. The results revealed that an elevation based generic terrain portrayal significantly improved perceived situation awareness without adversely affecting flight technical performance or workload. Other factors (pilot instrument rating, control response type, and guidance symbology) were not found to significantly affect the performance measures.

Medical Device for Automated Prick Test Reading.

PubMed

Justo, Xabier; Diaz, Inaki; Gil, Jorge Juan; Gastaminza, Gabriel

2018-05-01

Allergy tests are routinely performed in most hospitals everyday. However, measuring the outcomes of these tests is still a very laborious manual task. Current methods and systems lack of precision and repeatability. This paper presents a novel mechatronic system that is able to scan a patient's entire arm and provide allergists with precise measures of wheals for diagnosis. The device is based on 3-D laser technology and specific algorithms have been developed to process the information gathered. This system aims to automate the reading of skin prick tests and make gains in speed, accuracy, and reliability. Several experiments have been performed to evaluate the performance of the system.

Measuring atmospheric visibility cavity attenuated phase shift spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jie, Guo; Ye, Shan-Shan; Yang, Xiao; Han, Ye-Xing; Tang, Huai-Wu; Yu, Zhi-Wei

2016-10-01

In the paper, an accurate and sensitive cavity attenuated phase shift spectroscopy (CAPS) system was used to monitor the atmospheric visibility coefficient in urban areas. The CAPS system, which detects the atmospheric visibility within a 10 nm bandpass centered at 532 nm, comprises a green LED with center wavelength in 532nm, a resonant optical cavity (36 cm length), a Photo Multiplier Tube detector and a lock in amplifier. The performance of the CAPS system was evaluated by measuring of the stability and response of the system. The minima ( 0.06 Mm-1) in the Allan plots show the optimum average time( 80s) for optimum detection performance of the CAPS system. The 2L/min flow rate, the CAPS system rise and fall response time is about 15 s, so as to realize the fast measurement of visibility. By comparing the forward scatter visibility meter measurement results, the CAPS system measurement results are verified reliably, and have high precision measurement. These figures indicate that this method has the potential to become one of the most sensitive on-line analytical techniques for atmospheric visibility detection.

Mass properties measurement system: Dynamics and statics measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doty, Keith L.

1993-01-01

This report presents and interprets experimental data obtained from the Mass Properties Measurement System (MPMS). Statics measurements yield the center-of-gravity of an unknown mass and dynamics measurements yield its inertia matrix. Observations of the MPMS performance has lead us to specific design criteria and an understanding of MPMS limitations.

Toward real-time performance benchmarks for Ada

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clapp, Russell M.; Duchesneau, Louis; Volz, Richard A.; Mudge, Trevor N.; Schultze, Timothy

1986-01-01

The issue of real-time performance measurements for the Ada programming language through the use of benchmarks is addressed. First, the Ada notion of time is examined and a set of basic measurement techniques are developed. Then a set of Ada language features believed to be important for real-time performance are presented and specific measurement methods discussed. In addition, other important time related features which are not explicitly part of the language but are part of the run-time related features which are not explicitly part of the language but are part of the run-time system are also identified and measurement techniques developed. The measurement techniques are applied to the language and run-time system features and the results are presented.

Spectral contents readout of birefringent sensor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Redner, Alex S.

1989-01-01

The technical objective of this research program was to develop a birefringent sensor, capable of measuring strain/stress up to 2000 F and a readout system based on Spectral Contents analysis. As a result of the research work, a data acquisition system was developed, capable of measuring strain birefringence in a sensor at 2000 F, with multi-point static and dynamic capabilities. The system uses a dedicated spectral analyzer for evaluation of stress-birefringence and a PC-based readout. Several sensor methods were evaluated. Fused silica was found most satisfactory. In the final evaluation, measurements were performed up to 2000 F and the system performance exceeded expectations.

VLF Radio Field Strength Measurement of power line carrier system in San Diego, California

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mertel, H. K.

1981-01-01

The radio frequency interference (RFI) potential was evaluated for a Powerline Carriet (PLC) installed in San Diego which monitors the performance of an electrical power system. The PLC system generated 30 amperes at 5.79 kHz. The RF radiations were measured to be (typically) 120 dBuV/m at the beginning of the 12 kV powerline and 60 dBuV/m at the end of the powerline. The RF fields varied inversely as the distance squared. Measurements were also performed with a 45 kHz PLC system. The RF fields were of similar amplitude.

Performance Measures for Student Success, 2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina Community College System, 2016

2016-01-01

The Performance Measures for Student Success Report is the North Carolina Community College System's major accountability document. This annual performance report is based on data compiled from the previous year and serves to inform colleges and the public on the performance of our 58 community colleges. In 1993, the State Board of Community…

Performance Measures for Student Success, 2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina Community College System, 2013

2013-01-01

The Performance Measures for Student Success Report is the North Carolina Community College System's major accountability document. This annual performance report is based on data compiled from the previous year and serves to inform colleges and the public on the performance of North Carolina's 58 community colleges. In 2010, President Scott Ralls…

Performance Measures for Student Success, 2014

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina Community College System, 2014

2014-01-01

The Performance Measures for Student Success Report is the North Carolina Community College System's major accountability document. This annual performance report is based on data compiled from the previous year and serves to inform colleges and the public on the performance of North Carolina's 58 community colleges. In 2010, President Scott Ralls…

Developing a system for computing and reporting MAP-21 and other freight performance measures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-07-01

This report documents the use of the National Performance Monitoring Research Data Set : (NPMRDS) for the computation of freight performance measures on Interstate highways in Washington : state. The report documents the data availability and specifi...

Is the Speech Transmission Index (STI) a robust measure of sound system speech intelligibility performance?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mapp, Peter

2002-11-01

Although RaSTI is a good indicator of the speech intelligibility capability of auditoria and similar spaces, during the past 2-3 years it has been shown that RaSTI is not a robust predictor of sound system intelligibility performance. Instead, it is now recommended, within both national and international codes and standards, that full STI measurement and analysis be employed. However, new research is reported, that indicates that STI is not as flawless, nor robust as many believe. The paper highlights a number of potential error mechanisms. It is shown that the measurement technique and signal excitation stimulus can have a significant effect on the overall result and accuracy, particularly where DSP-based equipment is employed. It is also shown that in its current state of development, STI is not capable of appropriately accounting for a number of fundamental speech and system attributes, including typical sound system frequency response variations and anomalies. This is particularly shown to be the case when a system is operating under reverberant conditions. Comparisons between actual system measurements and corresponding word score data are reported where errors of up to 50 implications for VA and PA system performance verification will be discussed.

Quality of protection evaluation of security mechanisms.

PubMed

Ksiezopolski, Bogdan; Zurek, Tomasz; Mokkas, Michail

2014-01-01

Recent research indicates that during the design of teleinformatic system the tradeoff between the systems performance and the system protection should be made. The traditional approach assumes that the best way is to apply the strongest possible security measures. Unfortunately, the overestimation of security measures can lead to the unreasonable increase of system load. This is especially important in multimedia systems where the performance has critical character. In many cases determination of the required level of protection and adjustment of some security measures to these requirements increase system efficiency. Such an approach is achieved by means of the quality of protection models where the security measures are evaluated according to their influence on the system security. In the paper, we propose a model for QoP evaluation of security mechanisms. Owing to this model, one can quantify the influence of particular security mechanisms on ensuring security attributes. The methodology of our model preparation is described and based on it the case study analysis is presented. We support our method by the tool where the models can be defined and QoP evaluation can be performed. Finally, we have modelled TLS cryptographic protocol and presented the QoP security mechanisms evaluation for the selected versions of this protocol.

Investigation of ion beam space charge compensation with a 4-grid analyzer

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

Ullmann, C., E-mail: c.ullmann@gsi.de; Adonin, A.; Berezov, R.

2016-02-15

Experiments to investigate the space charge compensation of pulsed high-current heavy ion beams are performed at the GSI ion source text benches with a 4-grid analyzer provided by CEA/Saclay. The technical design of the 4-grid analyzer is revised to verify its functionality for measurements at pulsed high-current heavy ion beams. The experimental investigation of space charge compensation processes is needed to increase the performance and quality of current and future accelerator facilities. Measurements are performed directly downstream a triode extraction system mounted to a multi-cusp ion source at a high-current test bench as well as downstream the post-acceleration system ofmore » the high-current test injector (HOSTI) with ion energies up to 120 keV/u for helium and argon. At HOSTI, a cold or hot reflex discharge ion source is used to change the conditions for the measurements. The measurements were performed with helium, argon, and xenon and are presented. Results from measurements with single aperture extraction systems are shown.« less

Textractor: a hybrid system for medications and reason for their prescription extraction from clinical text documents.

PubMed

Meystre, Stéphane M; Thibault, Julien; Shen, Shuying; Hurdle, John F; South, Brett R

2010-01-01

OBJECTIVE To describe a new medication information extraction system-Textractor-developed for the 'i2b2 medication extraction challenge'. The development, functionalities, and official evaluation of the system are detailed. Textractor is based on the Apache Unstructured Information Management Architecture (UMIA) framework, and uses methods that are a hybrid between machine learning and pattern matching. Two modules in the system are based on machine learning algorithms, while other modules use regular expressions, rules, and dictionaries, and one module embeds MetaMap Transfer. The official evaluation was based on a reference standard of 251 discharge summaries annotated by all teams participating in the challenge. The metrics used were recall, precision, and the F(1)-measure. They were calculated with exact and inexact matches, and were averaged at the level of systems and documents. The reference metric for this challenge, the system-level overall F(1)-measure, reached about 77% for exact matches, with a recall of 72% and a precision of 83%. Performance was the best with route information (F(1)-measure about 86%), and was good for dosage and frequency information, with F(1)-measures of about 82-85%. Results were not as good for durations, with F(1)-measures of 36-39%, and for reasons, with F(1)-measures of 24-27%. The official evaluation of Textractor for the i2b2 medication extraction challenge demonstrated satisfactory performance. This system was among the 10 best performing systems in this challenge.

Measuring the Resilience of Advanced Life Support Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, Ann Maria; Dearden, Richard; Levri, Julie A.

2002-01-01

Despite the central importance of crew safety in designing and operating a life support system, the metric commonly used to evaluate alternative Advanced Life Support (ALS) technologies does not currently provide explicit techniques for measuring safety. The resilience of a system, or the system s ability to meet performance requirements and recover from component-level faults, is fundamentally a dynamic property. This paper motivates the use of computer models as a tool to understand and improve system resilience throughout the design process. Extensive simulation of a hybrid computational model of a water revitalization subsystem (WRS) with probabilistic, component-level faults provides data about off-nominal behavior of the system. The data can then be used to test alternative measures of resilience as predictors of the system s ability to recover from component-level faults. A novel approach to measuring system resilience using a Markov chain model of performance data is also developed. Results emphasize that resilience depends on the complex interaction of faults, controls, and system dynamics, rather than on simple fault probabilities.

Transportation performance measures for outcome based system management and monitoring.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-09-01

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is mature in its development and use of : performance measures, however there was not a standard approach for selecting measures nor : evaluating if existing ones were used to inform decision-making. Thi...

Development and Validation of a Rapid (13)C6-Glucose Isotope Dilution UPLC-MRM Mass Spectrometry Method for Use in Determining System Accuracy and Performance of Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices.

PubMed

Matsunami, Risë K; Angelides, Kimon; Engler, David A

2015-05-18

There is currently considerable discussion about the accuracy of blood glucose concentrations determined by personal blood glucose monitoring systems (BGMS). To date, the FDA has allowed new BGMS to demonstrate accuracy in reference to other glucose measurement systems that use the same or similar enzymatic-based methods to determine glucose concentration. These types of reference measurement procedures are only comparative in nature and are subject to the same potential sources of error in measurement and system perturbations as the device under evaluation. It would be ideal to have a completely orthogonal primary method that could serve as a true standard reference measurement procedure for establishing the accuracy of new BGMS. An isotope-dilution liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (ID-UPLC-MRM) assay was developed using (13)C6-glucose as a stable isotope analogue to specifically measure glucose concentration in human plasma, and validated for use against NIST standard reference materials, and against fresh isolates of whole blood and plasma into which exogenous glucose had been spiked. Assay performance was quantified to NIST-traceable dry weight measures for both glucose and (13)C6-glucose. The newly developed assay method was shown to be rapid, highly specific, sensitive, accurate, and precise for measuring plasma glucose levels. The assay displayed sufficient dynamic range and linearity to measure across the range of both normal and diabetic blood glucose levels. Assay performance was measured to within the same uncertainty levels (<1%) as the NIST definitive method for glucose measurement in human serum. The newly developed ID UPLC-MRM assay can serve as a validated reference measurement procedure to which new BGMS can be assessed for glucose measurement performance. © 2015 Diabetes Technology Society.

Development and Validation of a Rapid 13C6-Glucose Isotope Dilution UPLC-MRM Mass Spectrometry Method for Use in Determining System Accuracy and Performance of Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices

PubMed Central

Matsunami, Risë K.; Angelides, Kimon; Engler, David A.

2015-01-01

Background: There is currently considerable discussion about the accuracy of blood glucose concentrations determined by personal blood glucose monitoring systems (BGMS). To date, the FDA has allowed new BGMS to demonstrate accuracy in reference to other glucose measurement systems that use the same or similar enzymatic-based methods to determine glucose concentration. These types of reference measurement procedures are only comparative in nature and are subject to the same potential sources of error in measurement and system perturbations as the device under evaluation. It would be ideal to have a completely orthogonal primary method that could serve as a true standard reference measurement procedure for establishing the accuracy of new BGMS. Methods: An isotope-dilution liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (ID-UPLC-MRM) assay was developed using 13C6-glucose as a stable isotope analogue to specifically measure glucose concentration in human plasma, and validated for use against NIST standard reference materials, and against fresh isolates of whole blood and plasma into which exogenous glucose had been spiked. Assay performance was quantified to NIST-traceable dry weight measures for both glucose and 13C6-glucose. Results: The newly developed assay method was shown to be rapid, highly specific, sensitive, accurate, and precise for measuring plasma glucose levels. The assay displayed sufficient dynamic range and linearity to measure across the range of both normal and diabetic blood glucose levels. Assay performance was measured to within the same uncertainty levels (<1%) as the NIST definitive method for glucose measurement in human serum. Conclusions: The newly developed ID UPLC-MRM assay can serve as a validated reference measurement procedure to which new BGMS can be assessed for glucose measurement performance. PMID:25986627

Detailed performance and environmental monitoring of aquifer heating and cooling systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acuna, José; Ahlkrona, Malva; Zandin, Hanna; Singh, Ashutosh

2016-04-01

The project intends to quantify the performance and environmental impact of large scale aquifer thermal energy storage, as well as point at recommendations for operating and estimating the environmental footprint of future systems. Field measurements, test of innovative equipment as well as advanced modelling work and analysis will be performed. The following aspects are introduced and covered in the presentation: -Thermal, chemical and microbiological influence of akvifer thermal energy storage systems: measurement and evaluation of real conditions and the influence of one system in operation. -Follow up of energy extraction from aquifer as compared to projected values, recommendations for improvements. -Evaluation of the most used thermal modeling tool for design and calculation of groundwater temperatures, calculations with MODFLOW/MT3DMS -Test and evaluation of optical fiber cables as a way to measure temperatures in aquifer thermal energy storages

The performance of pile driving systems : inspection manual.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1986-12-01

A study was undertaken on the performance of pile driving systems and the existiny technology for the measurement of performance parameters was reviewed, This report is an inspection manual for use by pile driving inspectors and engineers to ascertai...

The AUTONAV/DOT project : baseline measurement system for evaluation of roadway departure warning systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-01-01

This report describes the performance metrics and the baseline measurement system. It also describes efforts to determine the accuracy of the baseline system in determining the time and position of roadway departures. In addition, the precise, synchr...

Metastable Radioxenon Verification Laboratory (MRVL) Year-End Report

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

Cooper, Matthew W.; Hayes, James C.; Lidey, Lance S.

2014-11-07

This is the year end report that is due to the client. The MRVL system is designed to measure multiple radioxenon isotopes ( 135Xe, 133Xe, 133mXe and 133mXe) simultaneously. The system has 12 channels to load samples and make nuclear measurements. Although the MRVL system has demonstrated excellent stability in measurements of Xe-133 and Xe-135 over the year of evaluation prior to delivery, there has been concern about system stability over measurements performed on samples with orders of magnitude different radioactivity, and samples containing multiple isotopes. To address these concerns, a series of evaluation test have been performed at themore » end-user laboratory. The evaluation was performed in two separate phases. Phase 1 made measurements on isotopically pure Xe-133 from high radioactivity down to the system background levels of activity, addressing the potential count rate dependencies when activities change from extreme high to very low. The second phase performed measurements on samples containing multiple isotopes (Xe-135, Xe-133 and Xe-133m), and addressed concerns about the dependence of isotopic concentrations on the presence of additional isotopes. The MRVL showed a concentration dependence on the Xe-133 due to the amount of Xe-133m that was in the sample. The dependency is due to the decay of Xe-133m into Xe-133. This document focuses on the second phase and will address the analysis used to account for ingrowth of Xe-133 from Xe-133m.« less

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...

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...

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...

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...

Performance improvement of a measurement station for superconducting cable test

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arpaia, Pasquale; Bottura, Luca; Montenero, Giuseppe; Naour, Sandrine Le

2012-09-01

A fully digital system, improving measurements flexibility, integrator drift, and current control of superconducting transformers for cable test, is proposed. The system is based on a high-performance integration of Rogowski coil signal and a flexible direct control of the current into the secondary windings. This allows state-of-the-art performance to be overcome by means of out-of-the-shelf components: on a full-scale of 32 kA, current measurement resolution of 1 A, stability below 0.25 A min-1, and controller ripple less than ±50 ppm. The system effectiveness has been demonstrated experimentally on the superconducting transformer of the Facility for the Research of Superconducting Cables at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).

Ocean wind field measurement performance of the ERS-1 scatterometer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hans, P.; Schuessler, H.

1984-01-01

The Active Microwave Instrumentation (AMI), which will be implemented on the ERS-1, is a 5.3 GHz multipurpose radar for land surface imaging, ocean wave spectrum measurement and wind observations over oceans. The imaging and wave measurements apply Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) techniques, while wind field detection is performed by the Scatterometer as part of the AMI. The Scatterometer system design was developed and optimized with the aid of a performance simulator. This paper, aimed at giving an overview, is presented about the: (1) ERS-1 Scatterometer system design; (2) Error budget; and the (3) Overall calibration concept.

The influence of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems' performance on earnings management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Wen-Hsien; Lee, Kuen-Chang; Liu, Jau-Yang; Lin, Sin-Jin; Chou, Yu-Wei

2012-11-01

We analyse whether there is a linkage between performance measures of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and earnings management. We find that earnings management decreases with the higher performance of ERP systems. The empirical result is as expected. We further analyse how the dimension of the DeLone and McLean model of information systems success affects earnings management. We find that the relationship between the performance of ERP systems and earnings management depends on System Quality after ERP implementation. The more System Quality improves, the more earnings management is reduced.

Frequency domain measurement systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eischer, M. C.

1978-01-01

Stable frequency sources and signal processing blocks were characterized by their noise spectra, both discrete and random, in the frequency domain. Conventional measures are outlined, and systems for performing the measurements are described. Broad coverage of system configurations which were found useful is given. Their functioning and areas of application are discussed briefly. Particular attention is given to some of the potential error sources in the measurement procedures, system configurations, double-balanced-mixer-phase-detectors, and application of measuring instruments.

Design and analysis of an automatic method of measuring silicon-controlled-rectifier holding current

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maslowski, E. A.

1971-01-01

The design of an automated SCR holding-current measurement system is described. The circuits used in the measurement system were designed to meet the major requirements of automatic data acquisition, reliability, and repeatability. Performance data are presented and compared with calibration data. The data verified the accuracy of the measurement system. Data taken over a 48-hr period showed that the measurement system operated satisfactorily and met all the design requirements.

Models and techniques for evaluating the effectiveness of aircraft computing systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, J. F.

1977-01-01

Models, measures and techniques were developed for evaluating the effectiveness of aircraft computing systems. The concept of effectiveness involves aspects of system performance, reliability and worth. Specifically done was a detailed development of model hierarchy at mission, functional task, and computational task levels. An appropriate class of stochastic models was investigated which served as bottom level models in the hierarchial scheme. A unified measure of effectiveness called 'performability' was defined and formulated.

Assessing the Performance of Human-Automation Collaborative Planning Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

process- ing and incorporating vast amounts of incoming information into their solutions. How- ever, these algorithms are brittle and unable to account for...planning system, a descriptive Mission Performance measure may address the total travel time on the path or the cost of the path (e.g. total work...minimizing costs or collisions [4, 32, 33]. Error measures for such a path planning system may track how many collisions occur or how much threat

Assessment of a Microsoft Kinect-based 3D scanning system for taking body segment girth measurements: a comparison to ISAK and ISO standards.

PubMed

Clarkson, Sean; Wheat, Jon; Heller, Ben; Choppin, Simon

2016-01-01

Use of anthropometric data to infer sporting performance is increasing in popularity, particularly within elite sport programmes. Measurement typically follows standards set by the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). However, such techniques are time consuming, which reduces their practicality. Schranz et al. recently suggested 3D body scanners could replace current measurement techniques; however, current systems are costly. Recent interest in natural user interaction has led to a range of low-cost depth cameras capable of producing 3D body scans, from which anthropometrics can be calculated. A scanning system comprising 4 depth cameras was used to scan 4 cylinders, representative of the body segments. Girth measurements were calculated from the 3D scans and compared to gold standard measurements. Requirements of a Level 1 ISAK practitioner were met in all 4 cylinders, and ISO standards for scan-derived girth measurements were met in the 2 larger cylinders only. A fixed measurement bias was identified that could be corrected with a simple offset factor. Further work is required to determine comparable performance across a wider range of measurements performed upon living participants. Nevertheless, findings of the study suggest such a system offers many advantages over current techniques, having a range of potential applications.

Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 Post-Flight Navigation Performance Assessment Relative to the Best Estimated Trajectory

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gay, Robert S.; Holt, Greg N.; Zanetti, Renato

2016-01-01

This paper details the post-flight navigation performance assessment of the Orion Exploration Flight Test-1 (EFT-1). Results of each flight phase are presented: Ground Align, Ascent, Orbit, and Entry Descent and Landing. This study examines the on-board Kalman Filter uncertainty along with state deviations relative to the Best Estimated Trajectory (BET). Overall the results show that the Orion Navigation System performed as well or better than expected. Specifically, the Global Positioning System (GPS) measurement availability was significantly better than anticipated at high altitudes. In addition, attitude estimation via processing GPS measurements along with Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU) data performed very well and maintained good attitude throughout the mission.

Evaluation of the Lateral Performance of Roof Truss-to-Wall Connections in Light-Frame Wood Systems

Treesearch

Andrew DeRenzis; Vladimir Kochkin; Xiping Wang

2012-01-01

This testing program was designed to benchmark the performance of traditional roof systems and incrementally improved roof-to-wall systems with the goal of developing connection solutions that are optimized for performance and constructability. Nine full-size roof systems were constructed and tested with various levels and types of heel detailing to measure the lateral...

An Examination of Performance-Based Teacher Evaluation Systems in Five States. Summary. Issues & Answers. REL 2012-No. 129

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shakman, Karen; Riordan, Julie; Sanchez, Maria Teresa; Cook, Kyle DeMeo; Fournier, Richard; Brett, Jessica

2012-01-01

This study reports on performance-based teacher evaluation systems in five states that have implemented such systems. It investigates two primary research questions: (1) What are the key characteristics of state-level performance-based teacher evaluation systems in the study states?; and (2) How do state teacher evaluation measures, the teaching…

Measurement-based reliability/performability models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsueh, Mei-Chen

1987-01-01

Measurement-based models based on real error-data collected on a multiprocessor system are described. Model development from the raw error-data to the estimation of cumulative reward is also described. A workload/reliability model is developed based on low-level error and resource usage data collected on an IBM 3081 system during its normal operation in order to evaluate the resource usage/error/recovery process in a large mainframe system. Thus, both normal and erroneous behavior of the system are modeled. The results provide an understanding of the different types of errors and recovery processes. The measured data show that the holding times in key operational and error states are not simple exponentials and that a semi-Markov process is necessary to model the system behavior. A sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the significance of using a semi-Markov process, as opposed to a Markov process, to model the measured system.

From mission to measures: performance measure development for a Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program.

PubMed

Farb, Amy Feldman; Burrus, Barri; Wallace, Ina F; Wilson, Ellen K; Peele, John E

2014-03-01

The Office of Adolescent Health (OAH) sought to create a comprehensive set of performance measures to capture the performance of the Teen Pregnancy Prevention (TPP) program. This performance measurement system needed to provide measures that could be used internally (by both OAH and the TPP grantees) for management and program improvement as well as externally to communicate the program's progress to other interested stakeholders and Congress. This article describes the selected measures and outlines the considerations behind the TPP measurement development process. Issues faced, challenges encountered, and lessons learned have broad applicability for other federal agencies and, specifically, for TPP programs interested in assessing their own performance and progress. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Counter-propagating optical trapping system for size and refractive index measurement of microparticles.

PubMed

Flynn, Richard A; Shao, Bing; Chachisvilis, Mirianas; Ozkan, Mihrimah; Esener, Sadik C

2006-01-15

We propose and demonstrate a novel approach to measure the size and refractive index of microparticles based on two beam optical trapping, where forward scattered light is detected to give information about the particle. The counter-propagating optical trap measurement (COTM) system exploits the capability of optical traps to measure pico-Newton forces for microparticles' refractive index and size characterization. Different from the current best technique for microparticles' refractive index measurement, refractometry, a bulk technique requiring changing the fluid composition of the sample, our optical trap technique works with any transparent fluid and enables single particle analysis without the use of biological markers. A ray-optics model is used to explore the physical operation of the COTM system, predict system performance and aid system design. Experiments demonstrate the accuracy of refractive index measurement of Deltan=0.013 and size measurement of 3% of diameter with 2% standard deviation. Present performance is instrumentation limited, and a potential improvement by more than two orders of magnitude can be expected in the future. With further development in parallelism and miniaturization, the system offers advantages for cell manipulation and bioanalysis compatible with lab-on-a-chip systems.

Design and evaluation of a miniature laser speckle imaging device to assess gingival health

PubMed Central

Regan, Caitlin; White, Sean M.; Yang, Bruce Y.; Takesh, Thair; Ho, Jessica; Wink, Cherie; Wilder-Smith, Petra; Choi, Bernard

2016-01-01

Abstract. Current methods used to assess gingivitis are qualitative and subjective. We hypothesized that gingival perfusion measurements could provide a quantitative metric of disease severity. We constructed a compact laser speckle imaging (LSI) system that could be mounted in custom-made oral molds. Rigid fixation of the LSI system in the oral cavity enabled measurement of blood flow in the gingiva. In vitro validation performed in controlled flow phantoms demonstrated that the compact LSI system had comparable accuracy and linearity compared to a conventional bench-top LSI setup. In vivo validation demonstrated that the compact LSI system was capable of measuring expected blood flow dynamics during a standard postocclusive reactive hyperemia and that the compact LSI system could be used to measure gingival blood flow repeatedly without significant variation in measured blood flow values (p<0.05). Finally, compact LSI system measurements were collected from the interdental papilla of nine subjects and compared to a clinical assessment of gingival bleeding on probing. A statistically significant correlation (ρ=0.53; p<0.005) was found between these variables, indicating that quantitative gingival perfusion measurements performed using our system may aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of periodontal disease. PMID:27787545

Design and evaluation of a miniature laser speckle imaging device to assess gingival health

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regan, Caitlin; White, Sean M.; Yang, Bruce Y.; Takesh, Thair; Ho, Jessica; Wink, Cherie; Wilder-Smith, Petra; Choi, Bernard

2016-10-01

Current methods used to assess gingivitis are qualitative and subjective. We hypothesized that gingival perfusion measurements could provide a quantitative metric of disease severity. We constructed a compact laser speckle imaging (LSI) system that could be mounted in custom-made oral molds. Rigid fixation of the LSI system in the oral cavity enabled measurement of blood flow in the gingiva. In vitro validation performed in controlled flow phantoms demonstrated that the compact LSI system had comparable accuracy and linearity compared to a conventional bench-top LSI setup. In vivo validation demonstrated that the compact LSI system was capable of measuring expected blood flow dynamics during a standard postocclusive reactive hyperemia and that the compact LSI system could be used to measure gingival blood flow repeatedly without significant variation in measured blood flow values (p<0.05). Finally, compact LSI system measurements were collected from the interdental papilla of nine subjects and compared to a clinical assessment of gingival bleeding on probing. A statistically significant correlation (ρ=0.53 p<0.005) was found between these variables, indicating that quantitative gingival perfusion measurements performed using our system may aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of periodontal disease.

Primary Care Performance Measurement and Reporting at a Regional Level: Could a Matrix Approach Provide Actionable Information for Policy Makers and Clinicians?

PubMed

Langton, Julia M; Wong, Sabrina T; Johnston, Sharon; Abelson, Julia; Ammi, Mehdi; Burge, Fred; Campbell, John; Haggerty, Jeannie; Hogg, William; Wodchis, Walter P; McGrail, Kimberlyn

2016-11-01

Primary care services form the foundation of modern healthcare systems, yet the breadth and complexity of services and diversity of patient populations may present challenges for creating comprehensive primary care information systems. Our objective is to develop regional-level information on the performance of primary care in Canada. A scoping review was conducted to identify existing initiatives in primary care performance measurement and reporting across 11 countries. The results of this review were used by our international team of primary care researchers and clinicians to propose an approach for regional-level primary care reporting. We found a gap between conceptual primary care performance measurement frameworks in the peer-reviewed literature and real-world primary care performance measurement and reporting activities. We did not find a conceptual framework or analytic approach that could readily form the foundation of a regional-level primary care information system. Therefore, we propose an approach to reporting comprehensive and actionable performance information according to widely accepted core domains of primary care as well as different patient population groups. An approach that bridges the gap between conceptual frameworks and real-world performance measurement and reporting initiatives could address some of the potential pitfalls of existing ways of presenting performance information (i.e., by single diseases or by age). This approach could produce meaningful and actionable information on the quality of primary care services. Copyright © 2016 Longwoods Publishing.

Primary Care Performance Measurement and Reporting at a Regional Level: Could a Matrix Approach Provide Actionable Information for Policy Makers and Clinicians?

PubMed Central

Langton, Julia M.; Wong, Sabrina T.; Johnston, Sharon; Abelson, Julia; Ammi, Mehdi; Burge, Fred; Campbell, John; Haggerty, Jeannie; Hogg, William; Wodchis, Walter P.

2016-01-01

Objective: Primary care services form the foundation of modern healthcare systems, yet the breadth and complexity of services and diversity of patient populations may present challenges for creating comprehensive primary care information systems. Our objective is to develop regional-level information on the performance of primary care in Canada. Methods: A scoping review was conducted to identify existing initiatives in primary care performance measurement and reporting across 11 countries. The results of this review were used by our international team of primary care researchers and clinicians to propose an approach for regional-level primary care reporting. Results: We found a gap between conceptual primary care performance measurement frameworks in the peer-reviewed literature and real-world primary care performance measurement and reporting activities. We did not find a conceptual framework or analytic approach that could readily form the foundation of a regional-level primary care information system. Therefore, we propose an approach to reporting comprehensive and actionable performance information according to widely accepted core domains of primary care as well as different patient population groups. Conclusions: An approach that bridges the gap between conceptual frameworks and real-world performance measurement and reporting initiatives could address some of the potential pitfalls of existing ways of presenting performance information (i.e., by single diseases or by age). This approach could produce meaningful and actionable information on the quality of primary care services. PMID:28032823

Wafer-level radiometric performance testing of uncooled microbolometer arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dufour, Denis G.; Topart, Patrice; Tremblay, Bruno; Julien, Christian; Martin, Louis; Vachon, Carl

2014-03-01

A turn-key semi-automated test system was constructed to perform on-wafer testing of microbolometer arrays. The system allows for testing of several performance characteristics of ROIC-fabricated microbolometer arrays including NETD, SiTF, ROIC functionality, noise and matrix operability, both before and after microbolometer fabrication. The system accepts wafers up to 8 inches in diameter and performs automated wafer die mapping using a microscope camera. Once wafer mapping is completed, a custom-designed quick insertion 8-12 μm AR-coated Germanium viewport is placed and the chamber is pumped down to below 10-5 Torr, allowing for the evaluation of package-level focal plane array (FPA) performance. The probe card is electrically connected to an INO IRXCAM camera core, a versatile system that can be adapted to many types of ROICs using custom-built interface printed circuit boards (PCBs). We currently have the capability for testing 384x288, 35 μm pixel size and 160x120, 52 μm pixel size FPAs. For accurate NETD measurements, the system is designed to provide an F/1 view of two rail-mounted blackbodies seen through the Germanium window by the die under test. A master control computer automates the alignment of the probe card to the dies, the positioning of the blackbodies, FPA image frame acquisition using IRXCAM, as well as data analysis and storage. Radiometric measurement precision has been validated by packaging dies measured by the automated probing system and re-measuring the SiTF and Noise using INO's pre-existing benchtop system.

Study of multi-functional precision optical measuring system for large scale equipment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Wei; Lao, Dabao; Zhou, Weihu; Zhang, Wenying; Jiang, Xingjian; Wang, Yongxi

2017-10-01

The effective application of high performance measurement technology can greatly improve the large-scale equipment manufacturing ability. Therefore, the geometric parameters measurement, such as size, attitude and position, requires the measurement system with high precision, multi-function, portability and other characteristics. However, the existing measuring instruments, such as laser tracker, total station, photogrammetry system, mostly has single function, station moving and other shortcomings. Laser tracker needs to work with cooperative target, but it can hardly meet the requirement of measurement in extreme environment. Total station is mainly used for outdoor surveying and mapping, it is hard to achieve the demand of accuracy in industrial measurement. Photogrammetry system can achieve a wide range of multi-point measurement, but the measuring range is limited and need to repeatedly move station. The paper presents a non-contact opto-electronic measuring instrument, not only it can work by scanning the measurement path but also measuring the cooperative target by tracking measurement. The system is based on some key technologies, such as absolute distance measurement, two-dimensional angle measurement, automatically target recognition and accurate aiming, precision control, assembly of complex mechanical system and multi-functional 3D visualization software. Among them, the absolute distance measurement module ensures measurement with high accuracy, and the twodimensional angle measuring module provides precision angle measurement. The system is suitable for the case of noncontact measurement of large-scale equipment, it can ensure the quality and performance of large-scale equipment throughout the process of manufacturing and improve the manufacturing ability of large-scale and high-end equipment.

Underwater characterization of control rods for waste disposal using SMOPY

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

Gallozzi-Ulmann, A.; Couturier, P.; Amgarou, K.

Storage of spent fuel assemblies in cooling ponds requires careful control of the geometry and proximity of adjacent assemblies. Measurement of the fuel burnup makes it possible to optimise the storage arrangement of assemblies taking into account the effect of the burnup on the criticality safety margins ('burnup credit'). Canberra has developed a measurement system for underwater measurement of spent fuel assemblies. This system, known as 'SMOPY', performs burnup measurements based on gamma spectroscopy (collimated CZT detector) and neutron counting (fission chamber). The SMOPY system offers a robust and waterproof detection system as well as the needed capability of performingmore » radiometric measurements in the harsh high dose - rate environments of the cooling ponds. The gamma spectroscopy functionality allows powerful characterization measurements to be performed, in addition to burnup measurement. Canberra has recently performed waste characterisation measurements at a Nuclear Power Plant. Waste activity assessment is important to control costs and risks of shipment and storage, to ensure that the activity level remains in the range allowed by the facility, and to declare activity data to authorities. This paper describes the methodology used for the SMOPY measurements and some preliminary results of a radiological characterisation of AIC control rods. After describing the features and normal operation of the SMOPY system, we describe the approach used for establishing an optimum control rod geometric scanning approach (optimum count time and speed) and the method of the gamma spectrometry measurements as well as neutron check measurements used to verify the absence of neutron sources in the waste. We discuss the results obtained including {sup 60}Co, {sup 110m}Ag and {sup 108m}Ag activity profiles (along the length of the control rods) and neutron results including Total Measurement Uncertainty evaluations. Full self-consistency checks were performed and these demonstrate the validity of the techniques. The results are described and analysed in the context of the measurement performance of the equipment. Different casks were fully characterized using a 60 mm{sup 3} CZT detector, to determine the total activities and spatial profiles. A total activity range measurement of 1x10{sup 8} - 1x10{sup 13} Bq/cm was found to be achievable. Finally, comments are made, based on our measurements, on the ability of this equipment for performing in-situ characterisation of wastes in the harsh environments typical of fuel assembly and waste storage ponds and silos. (authors)« less

Performance characteristics of a Kodak computed radiography system.

PubMed

Bradford, C D; Peppler, W W; Dobbins, J T

1999-01-01

The performance characteristics of a photostimulable phosphor based computed radiographic (CR) system were studied. The modulation transfer function (MTF), noise power spectra (NPS), and detective quantum efficiency (DQE) of the Kodak Digital Science computed radiography (CR) system (Eastman Kodak Co.-model 400) were measured and compared to previously published results of a Fuji based CR system (Philips Medical Systems-PCR model 7000). To maximize comparability, the same measurement techniques and analysis methods were used. The DQE at four exposure levels (30, 3, 0.3, 0.03 mR) and two plate types (standard and high resolution) were calculated from the NPS and MTF measurements. The NPS was determined from two-dimensional Fourier analysis of uniformly exposed plates. The presampling MTF was determined from the Fourier transform (FT) of the system's finely sampled line spread function (LSF) as produced by a narrow slit. A comparison of the slit type ("beveled edge" versus "straight edge") and its effect on the resulting MTF measurements was also performed. The results show that both systems are comparable in resolution performance. The noise power studies indicated a higher level of noise for the Kodak images (approximately 20% at the low exposure levels and 40%-70% at higher exposure levels). Within the clinically relevant exposure range (0.3-3 mR), the resulting DQE for the Kodak plates ranged between 20%-50% lower than for the corresponding Fuji plates. Measurements of the presampling MTF with the two slit types have shown that a correction factor can be applied to compensate for transmission through the relief edges.

Direct method for measuring and witnessing quantum entanglement of arbitrary two-qubit states through Hong-Ou-Mandel interference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bartkiewicz, Karol; Chimczak, Grzegorz; Lemr, Karel

2017-02-01

We describe a direct method for experimental determination of the negativity of an arbitrary two-qubit state with 11 measurements performed on multiple copies of the two-qubit system. Our method is based on the experimentally accessible sequences of singlet projections performed on up to four qubit pairs. In particular, our method permits the application of the Peres-Horodecki separability criterion to an arbitrary two-qubit state. We explicitly demonstrate that measuring entanglement in terms of negativity requires three measurements more than detecting two-qubit entanglement. The reported minimal set of interferometric measurements provides a complete description of bipartite quantum entanglement in terms of two-photon interference. This set is smaller than the set of 15 measurements needed to perform a complete quantum state tomography of an arbitrary two-qubit system. Finally, we demonstrate that the set of nine Makhlin's invariants needed to express the negativity can be measured by performing 13 multicopy projections. We demonstrate both that these invariants are a useful theoretical concept for designing specialized quantum interferometers and that their direct measurement within the framework of linear optics does not require performing complete quantum state tomography.

Using performance measurement to drive improvement: a road map for change.

PubMed

Galvin, Robert S; McGlynn, Elizabeth A

2003-01-01

Performance measures and reporting have not been adopted throughout the US health care system despite their central role in encouraging increased participation by consumers in decision-making. Understanding whether the failure of measurement and reporting to diffuse throughout the health system can be overcome is critical for determining future policy in this area. To create a conceptual framework for analyzing the current rate of adoption and evaluating alternatives for accelerating adoption, and to recommend a set of concrete steps that can be taken to increase the use of performance measurement and reporting. Review of three theoretic models (Rogers, Prochaska/DiClemente, Gladwell), examination of the literature on previous experiences with quality measurement and reporting, and interviews with select stakeholders. The three theoretic models provide a valuable framework for understanding why the use of performance measures is stalled ("the circle of unaccountability") and for generating ideas about concrete steps that could be taken to accelerate adoption. Six steps are recommended: (1) raise public awareness, (2) redesign measures and reports, (3) make the delivery of information timely, (4) require public reporting, (5) develop and implement systems to reward quality, and (6) actively court leaders. The recommended six steps are interconnected; action on all will be required to drive significant acceleration in rates of adoption of performance measurement and reporting. Leadership and coordination are necessary to ensure these steps are taken and that they work in concert with one another.

Correction of Pressure Drop in Steam and Water System in Performance Test of Boiler

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Jinglong; Zhao, Xianqiao; Hou, Fanjun; Wu, Xiaowu; Wang, Feng; Hu, Zhihong; Yang, Xinsen

2018-01-01

Steam and water pressure drop is one of the most important characteristics in the boiler performance test. As the measuring points are not in the guaranteed position and the test condition fluctuation exsits, the pressure drop test of steam and water system has the deviation of measuring point position and the deviation of test running parameter. In order to get accurate pressure drop of steam and water system, the corresponding correction should be carried out. This paper introduces the correction method of steam and water pressure drop in boiler performance test.

Evaluating Library Staff: A Performance Appraisal System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belcastro, Patricia

This manual provides librarians and library managers with a performance appraisal system that measures staff fairly and objectively and links performance to the goals of the library. The following topics are addressed: (1) identifying expectations for quality service or standards of performance; (2) the importance of a library's code of service,…

EML pulse ionization chamber systems for /sup 222/Rn measurements

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

Fisenne, I M; Keller, H W

1985-03-01

Radon measurements have been performed with pulse ionization chambers at the Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) for over 35 years. This report describes the evolution of radon measurement systems, with emphasis on the continuous quality control efforts at EML. 38 refs., 3 figs., 3 tabs.

Evaluation of audit-based performance measures for dental care plans.

PubMed

Bader, J D; Shugars, D A; White, B A; Rindal, D B

1999-01-01

Although a set of clinical performance measures, i.e., a report card for dental plans, has been designed for use with administrative data, most plans do not have administrative data systems containing the data needed to calculate the measures. Therefore, we evaluated the use of a set of proxy clinical performance measures calculated from data obtained through chart audits. Chart audits were conducted in seven dental programs--three public health clinics, two dental health maintenance organizations (DHMO), and two preferred provider organizations (PPO). In all instances audits were completed by clinical staff who had been trained using telephone consultation and a self-instructional audit manual. The performance measures were calculated for the seven programs, audit reliability was assessed in four programs, and for one program the audit-based proxy measures were compared to the measures calculated using administrative data. The audit-based measures were sensitive to known differences in program performance. The chart audit procedures yielded reasonably reliable data. However, missing data in patient charts rendered the calculation of some measures problematic--namely, caries and periodontal disease assessment and experience. Agreement between administrative and audit-based measures was good for most, but not all, measures in one program. The audit-based proxy measures represent a complex but feasible approach to the calculation of performance measures for those programs lacking robust administrative data systems. However, until charts contain more complete diagnostic information (i.e., periodontal charting and diagnostic codes or reason-for-treatment codes), accurate determination of these aspects of clinical performance will be difficult.

Development of DSRC device and communication system performance measures recommendations for DSRC OBE performance and security requirements.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-22

This report presents recommendations for minimum DSRC device communication performance and security requirements to ensure effective operation of the DSRC system. The team identified recommended DSRC communications requirements aligned to use cases, ...

Receiver design, performance analysis, and evaluation for space-borne laser altimeters and space-to-space laser ranging systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davidson, Frederic M.; Field, Christopher T.; Sun, Xiaoli

1996-01-01

We report here the design and the performance measurements of the breadboard receiver of the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS). The measured ranging accuracy was better than 2 cm and 10 cm for 5 ns and 30 ns wide received laser pulses under the expected received signal level, which agreed well with the theoretical analysis. The measured receiver sensitivity or the link margin was also consistent with the theory. The effects of the waveform digitizer sample rate and resolution were also measured.

Large-area photogrammetry based testing of wind turbine blades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poozesh, Peyman; Baqersad, Javad; Niezrecki, Christopher; Avitabile, Peter; Harvey, Eric; Yarala, Rahul

2017-03-01

An optically based sensing system that can measure the displacement and strain over essentially the entire area of a utility-scale blade leads to a measurement system that can significantly reduce the time and cost associated with traditional instrumentation. This paper evaluates the performance of conventional three dimensional digital image correlation (3D DIC) and three dimensional point tracking (3DPT) approaches over the surface of wind turbine blades and proposes a multi-camera measurement system using dynamic spatial data stitching. The potential advantages for the proposed approach include: (1) full-field measurement distributed over a very large area, (2) the elimination of time-consuming wiring and expensive sensors, and (3) the need for large-channel data acquisition systems. There are several challenges associated with extending the capability of a standard 3D DIC system to measure entire surface of utility scale blades to extract distributed strain, deflection, and modal parameters. This paper only tries to address some of the difficulties including: (1) assessing the accuracy of the 3D DIC system to measure full-field distributed strain and displacement over the large area, (2) understanding the geometrical constraints associated with a wind turbine testing facility (e.g. lighting, working distance, and speckle pattern size), (3) evaluating the performance of the dynamic stitching method to combine two different fields of view by extracting modal parameters from aligned point clouds, and (4) determining the feasibility of employing an output-only system identification to estimate modal parameters of a utility scale wind turbine blade from optically measured data. Within the current work, the results of an optical measurement (one stereo-vision system) performed on a large area over a 50-m utility-scale blade subjected to quasi-static and cyclic loading are presented. The blade certification and testing is typically performed using International Electro-Technical Commission standard (IEC 61400-23). For static tests, the blade is pulled in either flap-wise or edge-wise directions to measure deflection or distributed strain at a few limited locations of a large-sized blade. Additionally, the paper explores the error associated with using a multi-camera system (two stereo-vision systems) in measuring 3D displacement and extracting structural dynamic parameters on a mock set up emulating a utility-scale wind turbine blade. The results obtained in this paper reveal that the multi-camera measurement system has the potential to identify the dynamic characteristics of a very large structure.

Dust-concentration measurement based on Mie scattering of a laser beam

PubMed Central

Yu, Xiaoyu; Shi, Yunbo; Wang, Tian; Sun, Xu

2017-01-01

To realize automatic measurement of the concentration of dust particles in the air, a theory for dust concentration measurement was developed, and a system was designed to implement the dust concentration measurement method based on laser scattering. In the study, the principle of dust concentration detection using laser scattering is studied, and the detection basis of Mie scattering theory is determined. Through simulation, the influence of the incident laser wavelength, dust particle diameter, and refractive index of dust particles on the scattered light intensity distribution are obtained for determining the scattered light intensity curves of single suspended dust particles under different characteristic parameters. A genetic algorithm was used to study the inverse particle size distribution, and the reliability of the measurement system design is proven theoretically. The dust concentration detection system, which includes a laser system, computer circuitry, air flow system, and control system, was then implemented according to the parameters obtained from the theoretical analysis. The performance of the designed system was evaluated. Experimental results show that the system performance was stable and reliable, resulting in high-precision automatic dust concentration measurement with strong anti-interference ability. PMID:28767662

Performance Refactoring of Instrumentation, Measurement, and Analysis Technologies for Petascale Computing. The PRIMA Project

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

Malony, Allen D.; Wolf, Felix G.

2014-01-31

The growing number of cores provided by today’s high-­end computing systems present substantial challenges to application developers in their pursuit of parallel efficiency. To find the most effective optimization strategy, application developers need insight into the runtime behavior of their code. The University of Oregon (UO) and the Juelich Supercomputing Centre of Forschungszentrum Juelich (FZJ) develop the performance analysis tools TAU and Scalasca, respectively, which allow high-­performance computing (HPC) users to collect and analyze relevant performance data – even at very large scales. TAU and Scalasca are considered among the most advanced parallel performance systems available, and are used extensivelymore » across HPC centers in the U.S., Germany, and around the world. The TAU and Scalasca groups share a heritage of parallel performance tool research and partnership throughout the past fifteen years. Indeed, the close interactions of the two groups resulted in a cross-­fertilization of tool ideas and technologies that pushed TAU and Scalasca to what they are today. It also produced two performance systems with an increasing degree of functional overlap. While each tool has its specific analysis focus, the tools were implementing measurement infrastructures that were substantially similar. Because each tool provides complementary performance analysis, sharing of measurement results is valuable to provide the user with more facets to understand performance behavior. However, each measurement system was producing performance data in different formats, requiring data interoperability tools to be created. A common measurement and instrumentation system was needed to more closely integrate TAU and Scalasca and to avoid the duplication of development and maintenance effort. The PRIMA (Performance Refactoring of Instrumentation, Measurement, and Analysis) project was proposed over three years ago as a joint international effort between UO and FZJ to accomplish these objectives: (1) refactor TAU and Scalasca performance system components for core code sharing and (2) integrate TAU and Scalasca functionality through data interfaces, formats, and utilities. As presented in this report, the project has completed these goals. In addition to shared technical advances, the groups have worked to engage with users through application performance engineering and tools training. In this regard, the project benefits from the close interactions the teams have with national laboratories in the United States and Germany. We have also sought to enhance our interactions through joint tutorials and outreach. UO has become a member of the Virtual Institute of High-­Productivity Supercomputing (VI-­HPS) established by the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres as a center of excellence, focusing on HPC tools for diagnosing programming errors and optimizing performance. UO and FZJ have conducted several VI-­HPS training activities together within the past three years.« less

Performance Refactoring of Instrumentation, Measurement, and Analysis Technologies for Petascale Computing: the PRIMA Project

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

Malony, Allen D.; Wolf, Felix G.

2014-01-31

The growing number of cores provided by today’s high-end computing systems present substantial challenges to application developers in their pursuit of parallel efficiency. To find the most effective optimization strategy, application developers need insight into the runtime behavior of their code. The University of Oregon (UO) and the Juelich Supercomputing Centre of Forschungszentrum Juelich (FZJ) develop the performance analysis tools TAU and Scalasca, respectively, which allow high-performance computing (HPC) users to collect and analyze relevant performance data – even at very large scales. TAU and Scalasca are considered among the most advanced parallel performance systems available, and are used extensivelymore » across HPC centers in the U.S., Germany, and around the world. The TAU and Scalasca groups share a heritage of parallel performance tool research and partnership throughout the past fifteen years. Indeed, the close interactions of the two groups resulted in a cross-fertilization of tool ideas and technologies that pushed TAU and Scalasca to what they are today. It also produced two performance systems with an increasing degree of functional overlap. While each tool has its specific analysis focus, the tools were implementing measurement infrastructures that were substantially similar. Because each tool provides complementary performance analysis, sharing of measurement results is valuable to provide the user with more facets to understand performance behavior. However, each measurement system was producing performance data in different formats, requiring data interoperability tools to be created. A common measurement and instrumentation system was needed to more closely integrate TAU and Scalasca and to avoid the duplication of development and maintenance effort. The PRIMA (Performance Refactoring of Instrumentation, Measurement, and Analysis) project was proposed over three years ago as a joint international effort between UO and FZJ to accomplish these objectives: (1) refactor TAU and Scalasca performance system components for core code sharing and (2) integrate TAU and Scalasca functionality through data interfaces, formats, and utilities. As presented in this report, the project has completed these goals. In addition to shared technical advances, the groups have worked to engage with users through application performance engineering and tools training. In this regard, the project benefits from the close interactions the teams have with national laboratories in the United States and Germany. We have also sought to enhance our interactions through joint tutorials and outreach. UO has become a member of the Virtual Institute of High-Productivity Supercomputing (VI-HPS) established by the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centres as a center of excellence, focusing on HPC tools for diagnosing programming errors and optimizing performance. UO and FZJ have conducted several VI-HPS training activities together within the past three years.« less

Simulator Study of Helmet-Mounted Symbology System Concepts in Degraded Visual Environments.

PubMed

Cheung, Bob; McKinley, Richard A; Steels, Brad; Sceviour, Robert; Cosman, Vaughn; Holst, Peter

2015-07-01

A sudden loss of external visual cues during critical phases of flight results in spatial disorientation. This is due to undetected horizontal and vertical drift when there is little tolerance for error and correction delay as the helicopter is close to the ground. Three helmet-mounted symbology system concepts were investigated in the simulator as potential solutions for the legacy Griffon helicopters. Thirteen Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Griffon pilots were exposed to the Helmet Display Tracking System for Degraded Visual Environments (HDTS), the BrownOut Symbology System (BOSS), and the current RCAF AVS7 symbology system. For each symbology system, the pilot performed a two-stage departure and a single-stage approach. The presentation order of the symbology systems was randomized. Objective performance metrics included aircraft speed, altitude, attitude, and distance from the landing point. Subjective measurements included situation awareness, mental effort, perceived performance, perceptual cue rating, and NASA Task Load Index. Repeated measures analysis of variance and subsequent planned comparison for all the objective and subjective measurements were performed between the AVS7, HDTS, and BOSS. Our results demonstrated that HDTS and BOSS showed general improvement over AVS7 in two-stage departure. However, only HDTS performed significantly better in heading error than AVS7. During the single-stage approach, BOSS performed worse than AVS7 in heading root mean square error, and only HDTS performed significantly better in distance to landing point and approach heading than the others. Both the HDTS and BOSS possess their own limitations; however, HDTS is the pilots' preferred flight display.

40 CFR 1065.308 - Continuous gas analyzer system-response and updating-recording verification-for gas analyzers not...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... which you sample and record gas-analyzer concentrations. (b) Measurement principles. This test verifies... appropriate frequency to prevent loss of information. This test also verifies that the measurement system... instructions. Adjust the measurement system as needed to optimize performance. Run this verification with the...

Analysis of travel time reliability on Indiana interstates.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-09-15

Travel-time reliability is a key performance measure in any transportation system. It is a : measure of quality of travel time experienced by transportation system users and reflects the efficiency : of the transportation system to serve citizens, bu...

Surface profile measurement by using the integrated Linnik WLSI and confocal microscope system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei-Chung; Shen, Ming-Hsing; Hwang, Chi-Hung; Yu, Yun-Ting; Wang, Tzu-Fong

2017-06-01

The white-light scanning interferometer (WLSI) and confocal microscope (CM) are the two major optical inspection systems for measuring three-dimensional (3D) surface profile (SP) of micro specimens. Nevertheless, in practical applications, WLSI is more suitable for measuring smooth and low-slope surfaces. On the other hand, CM is more suitable for measuring uneven-reflective and low-reflective surfaces. As for aspect of surface profiles to be measured, the characteristics of WLSI and CM are also different. WLSI is generally used in semiconductor industry while CM is more popular in printed circuit board industry. In this paper, a self-assembled multi-function optical system was integrated to perform Linnik white-light scanning interferometer (Linnik WLSI) and CM. A connecting part composed of tubes, lenses and interferometer was used to conjunct finite and infinite optical systems for Linnik WLSI and CM in the self-assembled optical system. By adopting the flexibility of tubes and lenses, switching to perform two different optical measurements can be easily achieved. Furthermore, based on the shape from focus method with energy of Laplacian filter, the CM was developed to enhance the on focal information of each pixel so that the CM can provide all-in-focus image for performing the 3D SP measurement and analysis simultaneously. As for Linnik WLSI, eleven-step phase shifting algorithm was used to analyze vertical scanning signals and determine the 3D SP.

SynchroPhasor Measurements: System Architecture and Performance Evaluation in Supporting Wide-Area Applications

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

Huang, Zhenyu; Dagle, Jeffery E.

2008-07-31

The infrastructure of phasor measurements have evolved over the last two decades from isolated measurement units to networked measurement systems with footprints beyond individual utility companies. This is, to a great extent, a bottom-up self-evolving process except some local systems built by design. Given the number of phasor measurement units (PMUs) in the system is small (currently 70 each in western and eastern interconnections), current phasor network architecture works just fine. However, the architecture will become a bottleneck when large number of PMUs are installed (e.g. >1000~10000). The need for phasor architecture design has yet to be addressed. This papermore » reviews the current phasor networks and investigates future architectures, as related to the efforts undertaken by the North America SynchroPhasor Initiative (NASPI). Then it continues to present staged system tests to evaluate the performance of phasor networks, which is a common practice in the Western Electricity Coordinating Council (WECC) system. This is followed by field measurement evaluation and the implication of phasor quality issues on phasor applications.« less

Performance of various branch-point tolerant phase reconstructors with finite time delays and measurement noise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zetterlind, Virgil E., III; Magee, Eric P.

2002-06-01

This study extends branch point tolerant phase reconstructor research to examine the effect of finite time delays and measurement error on system performance. Branch point tolerant phase reconstruction is particularly applicable to atmospheric laser weapon and communication systems, which operate in extended turbulence. We examine the relative performance of a least squares reconstructor, least squares plus hidden phase reconstructor, and a Goldstein branch point reconstructor for various correction time-delays and measurement noise scenarios. Performance is evaluated using a wave-optics simulation that models a 100km atmospheric propagation of a point source beacon to a transmit/receive aperture. Phase-only corrections are then calculated using the various reconstructor algorithms and applied to an outgoing uniform field. Point Strehl is used as the performance metric. Results indicate that while time delays and measurement noise reduce the performance of branch point tolerant reconstructors, these reconstructors can still outperform least squares implementations in many cases. We also show that branch point detection becomes the limiting factor in measurement noise corrupted scenarios.

Challenges and strategies in applying performance measurement to federal public health programs.

PubMed

DeGroff, Amy; Schooley, Michael; Chapel, Thomas; Poister, Theodore H

2010-11-01

Performance measurement is widely accepted in public health as an important management tool supporting program improvement and accountability. However, several challenges impede developing and implementing performance measurement systems at the federal level, including the complexity of public health problems that reflect multiple determinants and involve outcomes that may take years to achieve, the decentralized and networked nature of public health program implementation, and the lack of reliable and consistent data sources and other issues related to measurement. All three of these challenges hinder the ability to attribute program results to specific public health program efforts. The purpose of this paper is to explore these issues in detail and offer potential solutions that support the development of robust and practical performance measures to meet the needs for program improvement and accountability. Adapting performance measurement to public health programs is both an evolving science and art. Through the strategies presented here, appropriate systems can be developed and monitored to support the production of meaningful data that will inform effective decision making at multiple levels. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Modeling and performance assessment in QinetiQ of EO and IR airborne reconnaissance systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, John W.; Potter, Gary E.

2002-11-01

QinetiQ are the technical authority responsible for specifying the performance requirements for the procurement of airborne reconnaissance systems, on behalf of the UK MoD. They are also responsible for acceptance of delivered systems, overseeing and verifying the installed system performance as predicted and then assessed by the contractor. Measures of functional capability are central to these activities. The conduct of these activities utilises the broad technical insight and wide range of analysis tools and models available within QinetiQ. This paper focuses on the tools, methods and models that are applicable to systems based on EO and IR sensors. The tools, methods and models are described, and representative output for systems that QinetiQ has been responsible for is presented. The principle capability applicable to EO and IR airborne reconnaissance systems is the STAR (Simulation Tools for Airborne Reconnaissance) suite of models. STAR generates predictions of performance measures such as GRD (Ground Resolved Distance) and GIQE (General Image Quality) NIIRS (National Imagery Interpretation Rating Scales). It also generates images representing sensor output, using the scene generation software CAMEO-SIM and the imaging sensor model EMERALD. The simulated image 'quality' is fully correlated with the predicted non-imaging performance measures. STAR also generates image and table data that is compliant with STANAG 7023, which may be used to test ground station functionality.

System for measuring the coordinates of tire surfaces in transient conditions when rolling over obstacles: description of the system and performance analysis.

PubMed

Castellini, Paolo; Di Giuseppe, Andrea

2008-06-01

This paper describes the development of a system for measuring surface coordinates (commonly known as "shape measurements") which is able to give the temporal evolution of the position of the tire sidewall in transient conditions (such as during braking, when there are potholes or when the road surface is uneven) which may or may not be reproducible. The system is based on the well-known technique of projecting and observing structured light using a digital camera with an optical axis which is slanted with respect to the axis of the projector. The transient nature of the phenomenon has led to the development of specific innovative solutions as regards image processing algorithms. This paper briefly describes the components which make up the measuring system and presents the results of the measurements carried out on the drum bench. It then analyses the performance of the measuring system and the sources of uncertainty which led to the development of the system for a specific dynamic application: impact with an obstacle (cleat test). The measuring system guaranteed a measurement uncertainty of 0.28 mm along the Z axis (the axial direction of the tire) with a measurement range of 250(X) x 80(Y) x 25(Z) mm(3), with the tire rolling at a speed of up to 30 km/h.

Validation of Multiple Tools for Flat Plate Photovoltaic Modeling Against Measured Data

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

Freeman, J.; Whitmore, J.; Blair, N.

2014-08-01

This report expands upon a previous work by the same authors, published in the 40th IEEE Photovoltaic Specialists conference. In this validation study, comprehensive analysis is performed on nine photovoltaic systems for which NREL could obtain detailed performance data and specifications, including three utility-scale systems and six commercial scale systems. Multiple photovoltaic performance modeling tools were used to model these nine systems, and the error of each tool was analyzed compared to quality-controlled measured performance data. This study shows that, excluding identified outliers, all tools achieve annual errors within +/-8% and hourly root mean squared errors less than 7% formore » all systems. It is further shown using SAM that module model and irradiance input choices can change the annual error with respect to measured data by as much as 6.6% for these nine systems, although all combinations examined still fall within an annual error range of +/-8.5%. Additionally, a seasonal variation in monthly error is shown for all tools. Finally, the effects of irradiance data uncertainty and the use of default loss assumptions on annual error are explored, and two approaches to reduce the error inherent in photovoltaic modeling are proposed.« less

The Concept of the Relationship between Information System Maturity and Industry Performance in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palilingan, V. R.; Mario, T. P.

2018-01-01

Industry in Indonesia continues to grow from year to year. Along with these developments, the use of information technology, which is the basis of information systems, should be considered as a handy tool to survive in the competition in the industry. Various previous studies have discussed much the use of information systems and their role at the strategic level. But more in-depth research is still needed to find out the extent to which the maturity of the use of information systems through its elements can affect the performance of companies in various sectors industries in Indonesia. It is hoped that this concept can be used as a subsequent research by distributing questionnaires based on the method of statements that have been defined by researchers. With this concepts, the next development will continue to measure the relationship information systems maturity in general with the organizations performance. The result of the concept proposed by the researcher is expected to be able to measure the maturity relationship of an information system with the connection with the consumer, demand/supply planning element, innovation, performance measurement, IT impact management and also internal process.

41 CFR 102-117.270 - What are agency performance measures for transportation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What are agency... Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION TRANSPORTATION 117-TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT Performance Measures § 102-117.270 What are agency performance...

41 CFR 102-117.270 - What are agency performance measures for transportation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What are agency... Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION TRANSPORTATION 117-TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT Performance Measures § 102-117.270 What are agency performance...

41 CFR 102-117.270 - What are agency performance measures for transportation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false What are agency... Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION TRANSPORTATION 117-TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT Performance Measures § 102-117.270 What are agency performance...

41 CFR 102-117.270 - What are agency performance measures for transportation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What are agency... Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION TRANSPORTATION 117-TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT Performance Measures § 102-117.270 What are agency performance...

41 CFR 102-117.270 - What are agency performance measures for transportation?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are agency... Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION TRANSPORTATION 117-TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT Performance Measures § 102-117.270 What are agency performance...

Health system frameworks and performance indicators in eight countries: A comparative international analysis

PubMed Central

Braithwaite, Jeffrey; Hibbert, Peter; Blakely, Brette; Plumb, Jennifer; Hannaford, Natalie; Long, Janet Cameron; Marks, Danielle

2017-01-01

Objectives: Performance indicators are a popular mechanism for measuring the quality of healthcare to facilitate both quality improvement and systems management. Few studies make comparative assessments of different countries’ performance indicator frameworks. This study identifies and compares frameworks and performance indicators used in selected Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development health systems to measure and report on the performance of healthcare organisations and local health systems. Countries involved are Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Scotland and the United States. Methods: Identification of comparable international indicators and analyses of their characteristics and of their broader national frameworks and contexts were undertaken. Two dimensions of indicators – that they are nationally consistent (used across the country rather than just regionally) and locally relevant (measured and reported publicly at a local level, for example, a health service) – were deemed important. Results: The most commonly used domains in performance frameworks were safety, effectiveness and access. The search found 401 indicators that fulfilled the ‘nationally consistent and locally relevant’ criteria. Of these, 45 indicators are reported in more than one country. Cardiovascular, surgery and mental health were the most frequently reported disease groups. Conclusion: These comparative data inform researchers and policymakers internationally when designing health performance frameworks and indicator sets. PMID:28228948

A system performance throughput model applicable to advanced manned telescience systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haines, Richard F.

1990-01-01

As automated space systems become more complex, autonomous, and opaque to the flight crew, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether the total system is performing as it should. Some of the complex and interrelated human performance measurement issues are addressed that are related to total system validation. An evaluative throughput model is presented which can be used to generate a human operator-related benchmark or figure of merit for a given system which involves humans at the input and output ends as well as other automated intelligent agents. The concept of sustained and accurate command/control data information transfer is introduced. The first two input parameters of the model involve nominal and off-nominal predicted events. The first of these calls for a detailed task analysis while the second is for a contingency event assessment. The last two required input parameters involving actual (measured) events, namely human performance and continuous semi-automated system performance. An expression combining these four parameters was found using digital simulations and identical, representative, random data to yield the smallest variance.

Quality Measures for Dialysis: Time for a Balanced Scorecard

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Recent federal legislation establishes a merit-based incentive payment system for physicians, with a scorecard for each professional. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services evaluate quality of care with clinical performance measures and have used these metrics for public reporting and payment to dialysis facilities. Similar metrics may be used for the future merit-based incentive payment system. In nephrology, most clinical performance measures measure processes and intermediate outcomes of care. These metrics were developed from population studies of best practice and do not identify opportunities for individualizing care on the basis of patient characteristics and individual goals of treatment. The In-Center Hemodialysis (ICH) Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey examines patients' perception of care and has entered the arena to evaluate quality of care. A balanced scorecard of quality performance should include three elements: population-based best clinical practice, patient perceptions, and individually crafted patient goals of care. PMID:26316622

The Search is on for Coherent Performance Measurement in Healthcare Organizations. Has Quebec Reached a Crossroads?

PubMed

Fache, Philippe; Sicotte, Claude; Minvielle, Étienne

2016-05-01

This research looks back at a 10-year period (2004-2014) to understand the development and outlook for healthcare organization performance measurement in the Quebec healthcare system, in an attempt to objectivize relationships within the configuration of its principal institutional actors. This is a qualitative study combining the use of official publications and fieldwork based on 13 semi-directed interviews, conducted in 2014, with informers in key performance measurement positions within the Quebec healthcare system. Performance measurement has generated tensions, both internally between different branches of the Department of Health and externally against a strong coalition of external institutional actors, which were defending a shared homogeneous vision of performance. Four major types of political power plays, owing to the power struggles around performance models and indicators, converged around the same implicit issue of the need to attain greater legitimacy in order to impose an authoritative frame of reference. Copyright © 2016 Longwoods Publishing.

Evaluation of 12 blood glucose monitoring systems for self-testing: system accuracy and measurement reproducibility.

PubMed

Freckmann, Guido; Baumstark, Annette; Schmid, Christina; Pleus, Stefan; Link, Manuela; Haug, Cornelia

2014-02-01

Systems for self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) have to provide accurate and reproducible blood glucose (BG) values in order to ensure adequate therapeutic decisions by people with diabetes. Twelve SMBG systems were compared in a standardized manner under controlled laboratory conditions: nine systems were available on the German market and were purchased from a local pharmacy, and three systems were obtained from the manufacturer (two systems were available on the U.S. market, and one system was not yet introduced to the German market). System accuracy was evaluated following DIN EN ISO (International Organization for Standardization) 15197:2003. In addition, measurement reproducibility was assessed following a modified TNO (Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research) procedure. Comparison measurements were performed with either the glucose oxidase method (YSI 2300 STAT Plus™ glucose analyzer; YSI Life Sciences, Yellow Springs, OH) or the hexokinase method (cobas(®) c111; Roche Diagnostics GmbH, Mannheim, Germany) according to the manufacturer's measurement procedure. The 12 evaluated systems showed between 71.5% and 100% of the measurement results within the required system accuracy limits. Ten systems fulfilled with the evaluated test strip lot minimum accuracy requirements specified by DIN EN ISO 15197:2003. In addition, accuracy limits of the recently published revision ISO 15197:2013 were applied and showed between 54.5% and 100% of the systems' measurement results within the required accuracy limits. Regarding measurement reproducibility, each of the 12 tested systems met the applied performance criteria. In summary, 83% of the systems fulfilled with the evaluated test strip lot minimum system accuracy requirements of DIN EN ISO 15197:2003. Each of the tested systems showed acceptable measurement reproducibility. In order to ensure sufficient measurement quality of each distributed test strip lot, regular evaluations are required.

Approaches for Combining Multiple Measures of Teacher Performance: Reliability, Validity, and Implications for Evaluation Policy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martínez, José Felipe; Schweig, Jonathan; Goldschmidt, Pete

2016-01-01

A key question facing teacher evaluation systems is how to combine multiple measures of complex constructs into composite indicators of performance. We use data from the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) study to investigate the measurement properties of composite indicators obtained under various conjunctive, disjunctive (or complementary),…

76 FR 80312 - Periodic Reporting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-23

... establishing a docket to consider new measurement of Flats Sequencing Systems operations, a change in the... Mail cost model in periodic reporting of service performance measurement. Establishing this docket will...: proposed productivity measurement for Flats Sequencing System. Proposal Sixteen introduces a new method for...

Active transmission isolation/rotor loads measurement system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenigsberg, I. J.; Defelice, J. J.

1973-01-01

Modifications were incorporated into a helicopter active transmission isolation system to provide the capability of utilizing the system as a rotor force measuring device. These included; (1) isolator redesign to improve operation and minimize friction, (2) installation of pressure transducers in each isolator, and (3) load cells in series with each torque restraint link. Full scale vibration tests performed during this study on a CH-53A helicopter airframe verified that these modifications do not degrade the systems wide band isolation characteristics. Bench tests performed on each isolator unit indicated that steady and transient loads can be measured to within 1 percent of applied load. Individual isolator vibratory load measurement accuracy was determined to be 4 percent. Load measurement accuracy was found to be independent of variations in all basic isolator operating characteristics. Full scale system load calibration tests on the CH-53A airframe established the feasibility of simultaneously providing wide band vibration isolation and accurate measurement of rotor loads. Principal rotor loads (lift, propulsive force, and torque) were measured to within 2 percent of applied load.

Error Rates in Measuring Teacher and School Performance Based on Student Test Score Gains. NCEE 2010-4004

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schochet, Peter Z.; Chiang, Hanley S.

2010-01-01

This paper addresses likely error rates for measuring teacher and school performance in the upper elementary grades using value-added models applied to student test score gain data. Using realistic performance measurement system schemes based on hypothesis testing, we develop error rate formulas based on OLS and Empirical Bayes estimators.…

Intelligence Level Performance Standards Research for Autonomous Vehicles

PubMed Central

Bostelman, Roger B.; Hong, Tsai H.; Messina, Elena

2017-01-01

United States and European safety standards have evolved to protect workers near Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV’s). However, performance standards for AGV’s and mobile robots have only recently begun development. Lessons can be learned from research and standards efforts for mobile robots applied to emergency response and military applications. Research challenges, tests and evaluations, and programs to develop higher intelligence levels for vehicles can also used to guide industrial AGV developments towards more adaptable and intelligent systems. These other efforts also provide useful standards development criteria for AGV performance test methods. Current standards areas being considered for AGVs are for docking, navigation, obstacle avoidance, and the ground truth systems that measure performance. This paper provides a look to the future with standards developments in both the performance of vehicles and the dynamic perception systems that measure intelligent vehicle performance. PMID:28649189

Intelligence Level Performance Standards Research for Autonomous Vehicles.

PubMed

Bostelman, Roger B; Hong, Tsai H; Messina, Elena

2015-01-01

United States and European safety standards have evolved to protect workers near Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV's). However, performance standards for AGV's and mobile robots have only recently begun development. Lessons can be learned from research and standards efforts for mobile robots applied to emergency response and military applications. Research challenges, tests and evaluations, and programs to develop higher intelligence levels for vehicles can also used to guide industrial AGV developments towards more adaptable and intelligent systems. These other efforts also provide useful standards development criteria for AGV performance test methods. Current standards areas being considered for AGVs are for docking, navigation, obstacle avoidance, and the ground truth systems that measure performance. This paper provides a look to the future with standards developments in both the performance of vehicles and the dynamic perception systems that measure intelligent vehicle performance.

Formative Assessment for College Readiness: Measuring Skill and Growth in Five Key Cognitive Strategies Associated with Postsecondary Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conley, David; Lombardi, Allison; Seburn, Mary; McGaughy, Charis

2009-01-01

This study reports the preliminary results from a field test of the College-readiness Performance Assessment System (C-PAS), a large-scale, 6th-12th grade criterion-referenced assessment system that utilizes classroom-embedded performance tasks to measure student progress toward the development of key cognitive skills associated with success in…

Evaluating Aircrew and Maintainer Warfighter Performance in Aeronautical Systems using Mission-Oriented Measures of Effectiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-02-01

ECM Electronic Countermeasures EEG Electroencephalograph EKG Electrocardiogram EPA Extended Planning Annex EPF Equipment Performance Factor...related physiological measures Changes in the brain/neural system caused by workload. Rehmann, 1995, p. 12 M 8.2.16 Electroencephalograph ( EEG ...architecture TMD Operational Objectives: Destroy Theater Missiles ( TM ) and their infrastructure as far forward as possible (Attack Operations

Designing for resilience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwivedi, Anurag

2014-06-01

The motivation for this work comes from a desire to improve resilience of mission critical cyber enabled systems including those used in critical infrastructure domains such as cyber, power, water, fuel, financial, healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing. Resilience can be defined as the ability of a system to persistently meet its performance requirements despite the occurrence of adverse events. Characterizing the resilience of a system requires a clear definition of the performance requirements of the system of interest and an ability to quantify the impact on performance by the adverse events of concern. A quantitative characterization of system resilience allows the resilience requirements to be included in the system design criteria. Resilience requirements of a system are derived from the service level agreements (SLAs), measures of effectiveness (MOEs), and measures of performance (MOPs) of the services or missions supported by the system. This paper describes a methodology for designing resilient systems. The components of the methodology include resilience characterization for threat models associated with various exposure modes, requirements mapping, subsystem ranking based on criticality, and selective implementation of mitigations to improve system resilience to a desired level.

Performance measures for metropolitan planning organizations.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-04-01

Performance measurement is a topic of increasing importance to transportation agencies, as issues with : funding shortfalls and concerns about transportation system efficiency lead to a shift in how transportation : decision making is carried out. In...

In situ performance curves measurements of large pumps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anton, A.

2010-08-01

The complex energetic system on the river Lotru in Romania comprises of a series of lakes and pumping stations and a major hydroelectric power plant: Lotru-Ciunget. All the efforts have been oriented towards the maintenance of the Pelton turbines and very little attention has been directed to the pumps. In the system, there are three large pumping stations and only in the last 5 years, the pump performances have become a concern. The performances where determined using portable ultrasonic flow meters, a Yates meter, precision manometers and appropriate electrical equipment for power measurement (Power Analiser - NORMA D4000 LEM). The measurements are not supposed to interfere with the normal operation so only a limited number of tests could be performed. Based on those tests, portions of the test curves have been measured and represented in specific diagrams.

The performance measurement manifesto.

PubMed

Eccles, R G

1991-01-01

The leading indicators of business performance cannot be found in financial data alone. Quality, customer satisfaction, innovation, market share--metrics like these often reflect a company's economic condition and growth prospects better than its reported earnings do. Depending on an accounting department to reveal a company's future will leave it hopelessly mired in the past. More and more managers are changing their company's performance measurement systems to track nonfinancial measures and reinforce new competitive strategies. Five activities are essential: developing an information architecture; putting the technology in place to support this architecture; aligning bonuses and other incentives with the new system; drawing on outside resources; and designing an internal process to ensure the other four activities occur. New technologies and more sophisticated databases have made the change to nonfinancial performance measurement systems possible and economically feasible. Industry and trade associations, consulting firms, and public accounting firms that already have well-developed methods for assessing market share and other performance metrics can add to the revolution's momentum--as well as profit from the business opportunities it presents. Every company will have its own key measures and distinctive process for implementing the change. But making it happen will always require careful preparation, perseverance, and the conviction of the CEO that it must be carried through. When one leading company can demonstrate the long-term advantage of its superior performance on quality or innovation or any other nonfinancial measure, it will change the rules for all its rivals forever.

Alignment Measurements of the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) Instrument in a Thermal/Vacuum Chamber Using Photogrammetry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, Michael D.; Herrera, Acey A.; Crane, J. Allen; Packard, Edward A.; Aviado, Carlos; Sampler, Henry P.; Obenschain, Arthur (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) Observatory, scheduled for a late 2000 launch, is designed to measure temperature fluctuations (anisotropy) and produce a high sensitivity and high spatial resolution (< 0.3 deg at 90 GHz.) map of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation over the entire sky between 22 and 90 GHz. MAP utilizes back-to-back Gregorian telescopes to focus the microwave signals into 10 differential microwave receivers, via 20 feed horns. Proper alignment of the telescope reflectors and the feed horns at the operating temperature of 90 K is a critical element to ensure mission success. We describe the hardware and methods used to validate the displacement/deformation predictions of the reflectors and the microwave feed horns during thermal/vacuum testing of the reflectors and the microwave instrument. The smallest deformations to be resolved by the measurement system were on the order of +/- 0.030 inches (0.762 mm). Performance of these alignment measurements inside a thermal/vacuum chamber with conventional alignment equipment posed several limitations. A photogrammetry (PG) system was chosen to perform the measurements since it is a non-contact measurement system, the measurements can be made relatively quickly and accurately, and the photogrammetric camera can be operated remotely. The hardware and methods developed to perform the MAP alignment measurements using PG proved to be highly successful. The PG measurements met the desired requirements, enabling the desired deformations to be measured and even resolved to an order of magnitude smaller than the imposed requirements. Viable data were provided to the MAP Project for a full analysis of the on-orbit performance of the Instrument's microwave system.

Assessing performance in complex team environments.

PubMed

Whitmore, Jeffrey N

2005-07-01

This paper provides a brief introduction to team performance assessment. It highlights some critical aspects leading to the successful measurement of team performance in realistic console operations; discusses the idea of process and outcome measures; presents two types of team data collection systems; and provides an example of team performance assessment. Team performance assessment is a complicated endeavor relative to assessing individual performance. Assessing team performance necessitates a clear understanding of each operator's task, both at the individual and team level, and requires planning for efficient data capture and analysis. Though team performance assessment requires considerable effort, the results can be very worthwhile. Most tasks performed in Command and Control environments are team tasks, and understanding this type of performance is becoming increasingly important to the evaluation of mission success and for overall system optimization.

A Comprehensive Performance Evaluation of Five Blood Glucose Systems in the Hypo-, Eu-, and Hyperglycemic Range

PubMed Central

Zijlstra, Eric; Heinemann, Lutz; Fischer, Annelie; Kapitza, Christoph

2016-01-01

Background: The objective was to evaluate the performance (in terms of accuracy, precision, and trueness) of 5 CE-certified and commercially available blood glucose (BG) systems (meters plus test strips) using an innovative clinical-experimental study design with a 3-step glucose clamp approach and frequent capillary BG measurements. Methods: Sixteen subjects with type 1 diabetes participated in this open label, single center trial. BG was clamped at 3 levels for 60 minutes each: 60-100-200 mg/dL. Medical staff performed regular finger pricks (up to 10 per BG level) to obtain capillary blood samples for paired BG measurements with the 5 BG systems and a laboratory method as comparison. Results: Three BG systems displayed significantly lower mean absolute relative deviations (MARD) (ACCU-Chek® Aviva Nano [5.4%], BGStar® [5.1%], iBGStar® [5.3%]) than 2 others (FreeStyle InsuLinx® [7.7%], OneTouch Verio®IQ [10.3%]). The measurement precision of all BG systems was comparable, but relative bias was also lower for the 3 systems with lower MARD (ACCU-Chek [1.3%], BGStar [–0.9%], iBGStar [1.0%]) compared with the 2 others (FreeStyle [–7.2%], OneTouch [8.9%]). Conclusions: This 3 range glucose clamp approach enables a systematic performance evaluation of BG systems under controlled and reproducible conditions. The random error of the tested BG systems was comparable, but some showed a lower systematic error than others. These BG systems allow an accurate glucose measurement at low, normal and high BG levels. PMID:27605592

A Comprehensive Performance Evaluation of Five Blood Glucose Systems in the Hypo-, Eu-, and Hyperglycemic Range.

PubMed

Zijlstra, Eric; Heinemann, Lutz; Fischer, Annelie; Kapitza, Christoph

2016-11-01

The objective was to evaluate the performance (in terms of accuracy, precision, and trueness) of 5 CE-certified and commercially available blood glucose (BG) systems (meters plus test strips) using an innovative clinical-experimental study design with a 3-step glucose clamp approach and frequent capillary BG measurements. Sixteen subjects with type 1 diabetes participated in this open label, single center trial. BG was clamped at 3 levels for 60 minutes each: 60-100-200 mg/dL. Medical staff performed regular finger pricks (up to 10 per BG level) to obtain capillary blood samples for paired BG measurements with the 5 BG systems and a laboratory method as comparison. Three BG systems displayed significantly lower mean absolute relative deviations (MARD) (ACCU-Chek® Aviva Nano [5.4%], BGStar® [5.1%], iBGStar® [5.3%]) than 2 others (FreeStyle InsuLinx® [7.7%], OneTouch Verio®IQ [10.3%]). The measurement precision of all BG systems was comparable, but relative bias was also lower for the 3 systems with lower MARD (ACCU-Chek [1.3%], BGStar [-0.9%], iBGStar [1.0%]) compared with the 2 others (FreeStyle [-7.2%], OneTouch [8.9%]). This 3 range glucose clamp approach enables a systematic performance evaluation of BG systems under controlled and reproducible conditions. The random error of the tested BG systems was comparable, but some showed a lower systematic error than others. These BG systems allow an accurate glucose measurement at low, normal and high BG levels. © 2016 Diabetes Technology Society.

Alignment Measurements of the Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) Instrument in a Thermal/Vacuum Chamber

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, Michael D.; Herrera, Acey A.; Crane, J. Allen; Packard, Edward A.; Aviado, Carlos; Sampler, Henry P.

2000-01-01

The Microwave Anisotropy Probe (MAP) Observatory, scheduled for a fall 2000 launch, is designed to measure temperature fluctuations (anisotropy) and produce a high sensitivity and high spatial resolution (approximately 0.2 degree) map of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) radiation over the entire sky between 22 and 90 GHz. MAP utilizes back-to-back Gregorian telescopes to focus the microwave signals into 10 differential microwave receivers, via 20 feed horns. Proper alignment of the telescope reflectors and the feed horns at the operating temperature of 90 K is a critical element to ensure mission success. We describe the hardware and methods used to validate the displacement/deformation predictions of the reflectors and the microwave feed horns during thermal/vacuum testing of the reflectors and the microwave instrument. The smallest deformation predictions to be measured were on the order of +/- 0.030 inches (+/- 0.762 mm). Performance of these alignment measurements inside a thermal/vacuum chamber with conventional alignment equipment posed several limitations. The most troublesome limitation was the inability to send personnel into the chamber to perform the measurements during the test due to vacuum and the temperature extremes. The photogrammetry (PG) system was chosen to perform the measurements since it is a non- contact measurement system, the measurements can be made relatively quickly and accurately, and the photogrammetric camera can be operated remotely. The hardware and methods developed to perform the MAP alignment measurements using PG proved to be highly successful. The measurements met the desired requirements, for the metal structures enabling the desired distortions to be measured resolving deformations an order of magnitude smaller than the imposed requirements. Viable data were provided to the MAP Project for a full analysis of the on-orbit performance of the Instrument's microwave system.

Solar energy system performance evaluation report for IBM System 4 at Clinton, Mississippi

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

The IBM System 4 Solar Energy System is described and evaluated. The system was designed to provide 35 percent of the space heating and 63 percent of the domestic hot water preheating for a single family residence located within the United States. The system consists of 259 square feet of flat plate air collectors, a rock thermal storage containing 5 1/2 ton of rock, heat exchangers, blowers, a 52 gallon preheat tank, controls, and associated plumbing. In general, the performance of the system did not meet design expectations, since the overall design solar fraction was 48 percent and the measured value was 32 percent. Although the measured space heating solar fraction at 32 percent did agree favorably with the design space heating solar fraction at 35 percent, the hot water measured solar fraction at 33 percent did not agree favorably with the design hot water solar fraction of 63 percent. In particular collector array air leakage, dust covered collectors, abnormal hot water demand, and the preheat tank by pass valve problem are main reasons for the lower performance.

Measured performance of the GTA rf systems

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

Denney, P.M.; Jachim, S.P.

1993-06-01

This paper describes the performance of the RF systems on the Ground Test Accelerator (GTA). The RF system architecture is briefly described. Among the RF performance results presented are RF field flatness and stability, amplitude and phase control resolution, and control system bandwidth and stability. The rejection by the RF systems of beam-induced disturbances, such as transients and noise, are analyzed. The observed responses are also compared to computer-based simulations of the RF systems for validation.

Measured performance of the GTA rf systems

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

Denney, P.M.; Jachim, S.P.

1993-01-01

This paper describes the performance of the RF systems on the Ground Test Accelerator (GTA). The RF system architecture is briefly described. Among the RF performance results presented are RF field flatness and stability, amplitude and phase control resolution, and control system bandwidth and stability. The rejection by the RF systems of beam-induced disturbances, such as transients and noise, are analyzed. The observed responses are also compared to computer-based simulations of the RF systems for validation.

Comparative Effects of Antihistamines on Aircrew Mission Effectiveness under Sustained Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-01

measures consist mainly of process measures. Process measures are measures of activities used to accomplish the mission and produce the final results...They include task completion times and response variability, and information processing rates as they relate to unique task assignment. Performance...contains process measures that assess the Individual contributions of hardware/software and human components to overall system performance. Measures

Performance of photomultiplier tubes and sodium iodide scintillation detector systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meegan, C. A.

1981-01-01

The performance of photomultiplier tubes (PMT's) and scintillation detector systems incorporating 50.8 by 1.27 cm NaI (T l) crystals was investigated to determine the characteristics of the photomultiplier tubes and optimize the detector geometry for the Burst and Transient Source Experiment on the Gamma Ray Observatory. Background information on performance characteristics of PMT's and NaI (T l) detectors is provided, procedures for measurement of relevant parameters are specified, and results of these measurements are presented.

A speech pronunciation practice system for speech-impaired children: A study to measure its success.

PubMed

Salim, Siti Salwah; Mustafa, Mumtaz Begum Binti Peer; Asemi, Adeleh; Ahmad, Azila; Mohamed, Noraini; Ghazali, Kamila Binti

2016-09-01

The speech pronunciation practice (SPP) system enables children with speech impairments to practise and improve their speech pronunciation. However, little is known about the surrogate measures of the SPP system. This research aims to measure the success and effectiveness of the SPP system using three surrogate measures: usage (frequency of use), performance (recognition accuracy) and satisfaction (children's subjective reactions), and how these measures are aligned with the success of the SPP system, as well as to each other. We have measured the absolute change in the word error rate (WER) between the pre- and post-training, using the ANOVA test. Correlation co-efficiency (CC) analysis was conducted to test the relation between the surrogate measures, while a Structural Equation Model (SEM) was used to investigate the causal relations between the measures. The CC test results indicate a positive correlation between the surrogate measures. The SEM supports all the proposed gtheses. The ANOVA results indicate that SPP is effective in reducing the WER of impaired speech. The SPP system is an effective assistive tool, especially for high levels of severity. We found that performance is a mediator of the relation between "usage" and "satisfaction". Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a Wake Vortex Spacing System for Airport Capacity Enhancement and Delay Reduction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hinton, David A.; OConnor, Cornelius J.

2000-01-01

The Terminal Area Productivity project has developed the technologies required (weather measurement, wake prediction, and wake measurement) to determine the aircraft spacing needed to prevent wake vortex encounters in various weather conditions. The system performs weather measurements, predicts bounds on wake vortex behavior in those conditions, derives safe wake spacing criteria, and validates the wake predictions with wake vortex measurements. System performance to date indicates that the potential runway arrival rate increase with Aircraft VOrtex Spacing System (AVOSS), considering common path effects and ATC delivery variance, is 5% to 12% depending on the ratio of large and heavy aircraft. The concept demonstration system, using early generation algorithms and minimal optimization, is performing the wake predictions with adequate robustness such that only 4 hard exceedances have been observed in 1235 wake validation cases. This performance demonstrates the feasibility of predicting wake behavior bounds with multiple uncertainties present, including the unknown aircraft weight and speed, weather persistence between the wake prediction and the observations, and the location of the weather sensors several kilometers from the approach location. A concept for the use of the AVOSS system for parallel runway operations has been suggested, and an initial study at the JFK International Airport suggests that a simplified AVOSS system can be successfully operated using only a single lidar as both the weather sensor and the wake validation instrument. Such a selfcontained AVOSS would be suitable for wake separation close to the airport, as is required for parallel approach concepts such as SOIA.

Hardware Demonstration: Frequency Spectra of Transients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McCloskey, John; Dimov, Jen

2017-01-01

Radiated emissions measurements as specified by MIL-STD-461 are performed in the frequency domain, which is best suited to continuous wave (CW) types of signals. However, many platforms implement signals that are single event pulses or transients. Such signals can potentially generate momentary radiated emissions that can cause interference in the system, but they may be missed with traditional measurement techniques. This demonstration provides measurement and analysis techniques that effectively evaluate the potential emissions from such signals in order to evaluate their potential impacts to system performance.

A highly versatile and easily configurable system for plant electrophysiology.

PubMed

Gunsé, Benet; Poschenrieder, Charlotte; Rankl, Simone; Schröeder, Peter; Rodrigo-Moreno, Ana; Barceló, Juan

2016-01-01

In this study we present a highly versatile and easily configurable system for measuring plant electrophysiological parameters and ionic flow rates, connected to a computer-controlled highly accurate positioning device. The modular software used allows easy customizable configurations for the measurement of electrophysiological parameters. Both the operational tests and the experiments already performed have been fully successful and rendered a low noise and highly stable signal. Assembly, programming and configuration examples are discussed. The system is a powerful technique that not only gives precise measuring of plant electrophysiological status, but also allows easy development of ad hoc configurations that are not constrained to plant studies. •We developed a highly modular system for electrophysiology measurements that can be used either in organs or cells and performs either steady or dynamic intra- and extracellular measurements that takes advantage of the easiness of visual object-oriented programming.•High precision accuracy in data acquisition under electrical noisy environments that allows it to run even in a laboratory close to electrical equipment that produce electrical noise.•The system makes an improvement of the currently used systems for monitoring and controlling high precision measurements and micromanipulation systems providing an open and customizable environment for multiple experimental needs.

Implementation of a High-Speed FPGA and DSP Based FFT Processor for Improving Strain Demodulation Performance in a Fiber-Optic-Based Sensing System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Farley, Douglas L.

2005-01-01

NASA's Aviation Safety and Security Program is pursuing research in on-board Structural Health Management (SHM) technologies for purposes of reducing or eliminating aircraft accidents due to system and component failures. Under this program, NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) is developing a strain-based structural health-monitoring concept that incorporates a fiber optic-based measuring system for acquiring strain values. This fiber optic-based measuring system provides for the distribution of thousands of strain sensors embedded in a network of fiber optic cables. The resolution of strain value at each discrete sensor point requires a computationally demanding data reduction software process that, when hosted on a conventional processor, is not suitable for near real-time measurement. This report describes the development and integration of an alternative computing environment using dedicated computing hardware for performing the data reduction. Performance comparison between the existing and the hardware-based system is presented.

New paradigms for measuring clinical performance using electronic health records.

PubMed

Weiner, Jonathan P; Fowles, Jinnet B; Chan, Kitty S

2012-06-01

Measures of provider success are the centerpiece of quality improvement and pay-for-performance programs around the globe. In most nations, these measures are derived from administrative records, paper charts and consumer surveys; increasingly, electronic patient record systems are also being used. We use the term 'e-QMs' to describe quality measures that are based on data found within electronic health records and other related health information technology (HIT). We offer a framework or typology for e-QMs and describe opportunities and impediments associated with the transition from old to new If public and private systems of care are to effectively use HIT to support and evaluate health-care system quality and safety, the quality measurement field must embrace new paradigms and strategically address a series of technical, conceptual and practical challenges.

Comparison of patient evaluations of health care quality in relation to WHO measures of achievement in 12 European countries.

PubMed

Kerssens, Jan J; Groenewegen, Peter P; Sixma, Herman J; Boerma, Wienke G W; van der Eijk, Ingrid

2004-02-01

To gain insight into similarities and differences in patient evaluations of quality of primary care across 12 European countries and to correlate patient evaluations with WHO health system performance measures (for example, responsiveness) of these countries. Patient evaluations were derived from a series of Quote (QUality of care Through patients' Eyes) instruments designed to measure the quality of primary care. Various research groups provided a total sample of 5133 patients from 12 countries: Belarus, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, United Kingdom, and Ukraine. Intraclass correlations of 10 Quote items were calculated to measure differences between countries. The world health report 2000 - Health systems: improving performance performance measures in the same countries were correlated with mean Quote scores. Intra-class correlation coefficients ranged from low to very high, which indicated little variation between countries in some respects (for example, primary care providers have a good understanding of patients' problems in all countries) and large variation in other respects (for example, with respect to prescription of medication and communication between primary care providers). Most correlations between mean Quote scores per country and WHO performance measures were positive. The highest correlation (0.86) was between the primary care provider's understanding of patients' problems and responsiveness according to WHO. Patient evaluations of the quality of primary care showed large differences across countries and related positively to WHO's performance measures of health care systems.

40 CFR 60.185 - Monitoring of operations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) The continuous monitoring system performance evaluation required under § 60.13(c) shall be completed... monitoring system performance evaluation required under § 60.13(c), the reference method referred to under... be Method 6. For the performance evaluation, each concentration measurement shall be of one hour...

Impact of jammer side information on the performance of anti-jam systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lim, Samuel

1992-03-01

The Chernoff bound parameter, D, provides a performance measure for all coded communication systems. D can be used to determine upper-bounds on bit error probabilities (BEPs) of Viterbi decoded convolutional codes. The impact on BEP bounds of channel measurements that provide additional side information can also be evaluated with D. This memo documents the results of a Chernoff bound parameter evaluation in optimum partial-band noise jamming (OPBNJ) for both BPSK and DPSK modulation schemes. Hard and soft quantized receivers, with and without jammer side information (JSI), were examined. The results of this analysis indicate that JSI does improve decoding performance. However, a knowledge of jammer presence alone achieves a performance level comparable to soft decision decoding with perfect JSI. Furthermore, performance degradation due to the lack of JSI can be compensated for by increasing the number of levels of quantization. Therefore, an anti-jam system without JSI can be made to perform almost as well as a system with JSI.

In-flight measurements of propeller blade deformation on a VUT100 cobra aeroplane using a co-rotating camera system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boden, F.; Stasicki, B.; Szypuła, M.; Ružička, P.; Tvrdik, Z.; Ludwikowski, K.

2016-07-01

Knowledge of propeller or rotor blade behaviour under real operating conditions is crucial for optimizing the performance of a propeller or rotor system. A team of researchers, technicians and engineers from Avia Propeller, DLR, EVEKTOR and HARDsoft developed a rotating stereo camera system dedicated to in-flight blade deformation measurements. The whole system, co-rotating with the propeller at its full speed and hence exposed to high centrifugal forces and strong vibration, had been successfully tested on an EVEKTOR VUT 100 COBRA aeroplane in Kunovice (CZ) within the project AIM2—advanced in-flight measurement techniques funded by the European Commission (contract no. 266107). This paper will describe the work, starting from drawing the first sketch of the system up to performing the successful flight test. Apart from a description of the measurement hardware and the applied IPCT method, the paper will give some impressions of the flight test activities and discuss the results obtained from the measurements.

Quality of Protection Evaluation of Security Mechanisms

PubMed Central

Ksiezopolski, Bogdan; Zurek, Tomasz; Mokkas, Michail

2014-01-01

Recent research indicates that during the design of teleinformatic system the tradeoff between the systems performance and the system protection should be made. The traditional approach assumes that the best way is to apply the strongest possible security measures. Unfortunately, the overestimation of security measures can lead to the unreasonable increase of system load. This is especially important in multimedia systems where the performance has critical character. In many cases determination of the required level of protection and adjustment of some security measures to these requirements increase system efficiency. Such an approach is achieved by means of the quality of protection models where the security measures are evaluated according to their influence on the system security. In the paper, we propose a model for QoP evaluation of security mechanisms. Owing to this model, one can quantify the influence of particular security mechanisms on ensuring security attributes. The methodology of our model preparation is described and based on it the case study analysis is presented. We support our method by the tool where the models can be defined and QoP evaluation can be performed. Finally, we have modelled TLS cryptographic protocol and presented the QoP security mechanisms evaluation for the selected versions of this protocol. PMID:25136683

Fundamental performance determining factors of the ultrahigh-precision space-borne optical metrology system for the LISA Pathfinder mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hechenblaikner, Gerald; Flatscher, Reinhold

2013-05-01

The LISA Pathfinder mission to space employs an optical metrology system (OMS) at its core to measure the distance and attitude between two freely floating test-masses to picometer and nanorad accuracy, respectively, within the measurement band of [1 mHz, 30 mHz]. The OMS is based upon an ultra-stable optical bench with 4 heterodyne interferometers from which interference signals are read-out and processed by a digital phase-meter. Laser frequency noise, power fluctuations and optical path-length variations are suppressed to uncritical levels by dedicated control loops so that the measurement performance approaches the sensor limit imposed by the phasemeter. The system design is such that low frequency common mode noise which affects the read-out phase of all four interferometers is generally well suppressed by subtraction of a reference phase from the other interferometer signals. However, high frequency noise directly affects measurement performance and its common mode rejection depends strongly on the relative signal phases. We discuss how the data from recent test campaigns point towards high frequency phase noise as a likely performance limiting factor which explains some important performance features.

A tutorial on the use of ROC analysis for computer-aided diagnostic systems.

PubMed

Scheipers, Ulrich; Perrey, Christian; Siebers, Stefan; Hansen, Christian; Ermert, Helmut

2005-07-01

The application of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for computer-aided diagnostic systems is reviewed. A statistical framework is presented and different methods of evaluating the classification performance of computer-aided diagnostic systems, and, in particular, systems for ultrasonic tissue characterization, are derived. Most classifiers that are used today are dependent on a separation threshold, which can be chosen freely in many cases. The separation threshold separates the range of output values of the classification system into different target groups, thus conducting the actual classification process. In the first part of this paper, threshold specific performance measures, e.g., sensitivity and specificity, are presented. In the second part, a threshold-independent performance measure, the area under the ROC curve, is reviewed. Only the use of separation threshold-independent performance measures provides classification results that are overall representative for computer-aided diagnostic systems. The following text was motivated by the lack of a complete and definite discussion of the underlying subject in available textbooks, references and publications. Most manuscripts published so far address the theme of performance evaluation using ROC analysis in a manner too general to be practical for everyday use in the development of computer-aided diagnostic systems. Nowadays, the user of computer-aided diagnostic systems typically handles huge amounts of numerical data, not always distributed normally. Many assumptions made in more or less theoretical works on ROC analysis are no longer valid for real-life data. The paper aims at closing the gap between theoretical works and real-life data. The review provides the interested scientist with information needed to conduct ROC analysis and to integrate algorithms performing ROC analysis into classification systems while understanding the basic principles of classification.

Protocol for Uniformly Measuring and Expressing the Performance of Energy Storage Systems

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

Conover, David R.; Crawford, Alasdair J.; Fuller, Jason

This Protocol provides a set of “best practices” for characterizing energy storage systems (ESSs) and measuring and reporting their performance. It serves as a basis for assessing how an ESS will perform with respect to key performance attributes relevant to different applications. It is intended to provide a valid and accurate basis for the comparison of different ESSs. By achieving the stated purpose, the Protocol will enable more informed decision-making in the selection of ESSs for various stationary applications. The Protocol identifies general information and technical specifications relevant in describing an ESS and also defines a set of test, measurement,more » and evaluation criteria with which to express the performance of ESSs that are intended for energy-intensive and/or power-intensive stationary applications. An ESS includes a storage device, battery management system, and any power conversion systems installed with the storage device. The Protocol is agnostic with respect to the storage technology and the size and rating of the ESS. The Protocol does not apply to single-use storage devices and storage devices that are not coupled with power conversion systems, nor does it address safety, security, or operations and maintenance of ESSs, or provide any pass/fail criteria.« less

Measurement of health system performance at district level: A study protocol.

PubMed

Sharma, Atul; Prinja, Shankar; Aggarwal, Arun Kumar

2017-12-13

Limited efforts have been observed in low and middle income countries to undertake health system performance assessment at district level. Absence of a comprehensive data collection tool and lack of a standardised single summary measure defining overall performance are some of the main problems. Present study has been undertaken to develop a summary composite health system performance index at district level. A broad range of indicators covering all six domains as per building block framework were finalized by an expert panel. The domains were classified into twenty sub-domains, with 70 input and process indicators to measure performance. Seven sub-domains for assessing health system outputs and outcomes were identified, with a total of 28 indicators. Districts in Haryana state from north India were selected for the study. Primary and secondary data will be collected from 378 health facilities, district and state health directorate headquarters. Indicators will be normalized, aggregated to generate composite performance index at district level. Domain specific scores will present the quality of individual building block domains in the public health system. Robustness of the results will be checked using sensitivity analysis. The study presents a methodology for comprehensive assessment of all health system domains on basis of input, process, output and outcome indicators which has never been reported from India. Generation of this index will help identify policy and implementation areas of concern and point towards potential solutions. Results may also help understand relationships between individual building blocks and their sub-components.

Study of a stereo electro-optical tracker system for the measurement of model deformations at the national transonic facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hertel, R. J.

1979-01-01

An electro-optical method to measure the aeroelastic deformations of wind tunnel models is examined. The multitarget tracking performance of one of the two electronic cameras comprising the stereo pair is modeled and measured. The properties of the targets at the model, the camera optics, target illumination, number of targets, acquisition time, target velocities, and tracker performance are considered. The electronic camera system is shown to be capable of locating, measuring, and following the positions of 5 to 50 targets attached to the model at measuring rates up to 5000 targets per second.

Computer Simulation and Field Experiment for Downlink Multiuser MIMO in Mobile WiMAX System.

PubMed

Yamaguchi, Kazuhiro; Nagahashi, Takaharu; Akiyama, Takuya; Matsue, Hideaki; Uekado, Kunio; Namera, Takakazu; Fukui, Hiroshi; Nanamatsu, Satoshi

2015-01-01

The transmission performance for a downlink mobile WiMAX system with multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems in a computer simulation and field experiment is described. In computer simulation, a MU-MIMO transmission system can be realized by using the block diagonalization (BD) algorithm, and each user can receive signals without any signal interference from other users. The bit error rate (BER) performance and channel capacity in accordance with modulation schemes and the number of streams were simulated in a spatially correlated multipath fading environment. Furthermore, we propose a method for evaluating the transmission performance for this downlink mobile WiMAX system in this environment by using the computer simulation. In the field experiment, the received power and downlink throughput in the UDP layer were measured on an experimental mobile WiMAX system developed in Azumino City in Japan. In comparison with the simulated and experimented results, the measured maximum throughput performance in the downlink had almost the same performance as the simulated throughput. It was confirmed that the experimental mobile WiMAX system for MU-MIMO transmission successfully increased the total channel capacity of the system.

Computer Simulation and Field Experiment for Downlink Multiuser MIMO in Mobile WiMAX System

PubMed Central

Yamaguchi, Kazuhiro; Nagahashi, Takaharu; Akiyama, Takuya; Matsue, Hideaki; Uekado, Kunio; Namera, Takakazu; Fukui, Hiroshi; Nanamatsu, Satoshi

2015-01-01

The transmission performance for a downlink mobile WiMAX system with multiuser multiple-input multiple-output (MU-MIMO) systems in a computer simulation and field experiment is described. In computer simulation, a MU-MIMO transmission system can be realized by using the block diagonalization (BD) algorithm, and each user can receive signals without any signal interference from other users. The bit error rate (BER) performance and channel capacity in accordance with modulation schemes and the number of streams were simulated in a spatially correlated multipath fading environment. Furthermore, we propose a method for evaluating the transmission performance for this downlink mobile WiMAX system in this environment by using the computer simulation. In the field experiment, the received power and downlink throughput in the UDP layer were measured on an experimental mobile WiMAX system developed in Azumino City in Japan. In comparison with the simulated and experimented results, the measured maximum throughput performance in the downlink had almost the same performance as the simulated throughput. It was confirmed that the experimental mobile WiMAX system for MU-MIMO transmission successfully increased the total channel capacity of the system. PMID:26421311

Front converter lenses for smart phones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiley, Daniel J.; O'Neil, Patrick

2017-11-01

Front converters for the iPhone 6, from six different vendors, are examined in detail. Telephoto, wide angle, and fisheye converters are examined. System performance is measured, and the measured lens designs are presented. Great variety is found in both design type and performance; little correlation is found between performance and design type.

Conceptual design of a monitoring system for the Charters of Freedom

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cutts, J. A.

1984-01-01

A conceptual design of a monitoring system for the Charters of Freedom was developed for the National Archives and Records Service. The monitoring system would be installed at the National Archives and used to document the condition of the Charters as part of a regular inspection program. The results of an experimental measurements program that led to the definition of analysis system requirements are presented, a conceptual design of the monitoring system is described and the alternative approaches to implementing this design were discussed. The monitoring system is required to optically detect and measure deterioration in documents that are permanently encapsulated in glass cases. An electronic imaging system with the capability for precise photometric measurements of the contrast of the script on the documents can perform this task. Two general types of imaging systems are considered (line and area array), and their suitability for performing these required measurements are compared. A digital processing capability for analyzing the electronic imaging data is also required, and several optional levels of complexity for this digital analysis system are evaluated.

Transmissivity testing of multilayer insulation at cryogenic temperatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, W. L.; Van Dresar, N. T.; Chato, D. J.; Demers, J. R.

2017-09-01

The problem of degraded emissivity of thin films at low temperatures has been a long observed phenomena. Previous efforts at measuring properties have suggested that transmission of energy through the films may play a key role in the thermal performance of multilayer insulation systems at low temperatures. Similarly, recent testing on tank applied systems has suggested a radiative degradation at low temperatures. Two different approaches were used to attempt to measure the transmission of energy through MLI at low temperatures. A laser based measurement system was set up to directly measure transmittance and a calorimetric based measurement system was used to measure relative emittance of a single layer between aluminum foil and double aluminized Mylar. Minimal transmission at long wavelengths were observed through standard MLI blanket materials at deposition thicknesses of even 35 nm. Where transmission was measured, it was too low to effect the performance of a multilayers system. Similarly, the calorimeter showed similar increases of emissivity for both standard blanket materials and aluminum foils. Multiple different methodologies of measurement have all yielded the same result: that there is no transmission through standard MLI blanket materials at wavelengths associated with temperatures as low as 2 K.

RTSJ Memory Areas and Their Affects on the Performance of a Flight-Like Attitude Control System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Niessner, Albert F.; Benowitz, Edward G.

2003-01-01

The two most important factors in improving performance in any software system, but especially a real-time, embedded system, are knowing which components are the low performers and knowing what can be done to improve their performance. The word performance with respect to a real-time, embedded system does not necessarily mean fast execution, which is the common definition when discussing non real-time systems. It also includes meeting all of the specified execution dead-lines and executing at the correct time without sacrificing non real-time performance. Using a Java prototype of an existing control system used on Deep Space 1[1], the effects from adding memory areas are measured and evaluated with respect to improving performance.

Classifying the Indication for Colonoscopy Procedures: A Comparison of NLP Approaches in a Diverse National Healthcare System.

PubMed

Patterson, Olga V; Forbush, Tyler B; Saini, Sameer D; Moser, Stephanie E; DuVall, Scott L

2015-01-01

In order to measure the level of utilization of colonoscopy procedures, identifying the primary indication for the procedure is required. Colonoscopies may be utilized not only for screening, but also for diagnostic or therapeutic purposes. To determine whether a colonoscopy was performed for screening, we created a natural language processing system to identify colonoscopy reports in the electronic medical record system and extract indications for the procedure. A rule-based model and three machine-learning models were created using 2,000 manually annotated clinical notes of patients cared for in the Department of Veterans Affairs. Performance of the models was measured and compared. Analysis of the models on a test set of 1,000 documents indicates that the rule-based system performance stays fairly constant as evaluated on training and testing sets. However, the machine learning model without feature selection showed significant decrease in performance. Therefore, rule-based classification system appears to be more robust than a machine-learning system in cases when no feature selection is performed.

Reinforcement Learning Performance and Risk for Psychosis in Youth.

PubMed

Waltz, James A; Demro, Caroline; Schiffman, Jason; Thompson, Elizabeth; Kline, Emily; Reeves, Gloria; Xu, Ziye; Gold, James

2015-12-01

Early identification efforts for psychosis have thus far yielded many more individuals "at risk" than actually develop psychotic illness. Here, we test whether measures of reinforcement learning (RL), known to be impaired in chronic schizophrenia, are related to the severity of clinical risk symptoms. Because of the reliance of RL on dopamine-rich frontostriatal systems and evidence of dopamine system dysfunction in the psychosis prodrome, RL measures are of specific interest in this clinical population. The current study examines relationships between psychosis risk symptoms and RL task performance in a sample of adolescents and young adults (n = 70) receiving mental health services. We observed significant correlations between multiple measures of RL performance and measures of both positive and negative symptoms. These results suggest that RL measures may provide a psychosis risk signal in treatment-seeking youth. Further research is necessary to understand the potential predictive role of RL measures for conversion to psychosis.

Quality assurance for clinical implementation of an electromagnetic tracking system.

PubMed

Santanam, Lakshmi; Noel, Camille; Willoughby, Twyla R; Esthappan, Jacqueline; Mutic, Sasa; Klein, Eric E; Low, Daniel A; Parikh, Parag J

2009-08-01

The Calypso Medical 4D localization system utilizes alternating current electromagnetics for accurate, real-time tumor tracking. A quality assurance program to clinically implement this system is described here. Testing of the continuous electromagnetic tracking system (Calypso Medical Technologies, Seattle, WA) was performed using an in-house developed four-dimensional stage and a quality assurance fixture containing three radiofrequency transponders at independently measured locations. The following tests were performed to validate the Calypso system: (a) Localization and tracking accuracy, (b) system reproducibility, (c) measurement of the latency of the tracking system, and (d) measurement of transmission through the Calypso table overlay and the electromagnetic array. The translational and rotational localization accuracies were found to be within 0.01 cm and 1.0 degree, respectively. The reproducibility was within 0.1 cm. The average system latency was measured to be within 303 ms. The attenuation by the Calypso overlay was measured to be 1.0% for both 6 and 18 MV photons. The attenuations by the Calypso array were measured to be 2% and 1.5% for 6 and 18 MV photons, respectively. For oblique angles, the transmission was measured to be 3% for 6 MV, while it was 2% for 18 MV photons. A quality assurance process has been developed for the clinical implementation of an electromagnetic tracking system in radiation therapy.

Performance enhancement of low-cost, high-accuracy, state estimation for vehicle collision prevention system using ANFIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saadeddin, Kamal; Abdel-Hafez, Mamoun F.; Jaradat, Mohammad A.; Jarrah, Mohammad Amin

2013-12-01

In this paper, a low-cost navigation system that fuses the measurements of the inertial navigation system (INS) and the global positioning system (GPS) receiver is developed. First, the system's dynamics are obtained based on a vehicle's kinematic model. Second, the INS and GPS measurements are fused using an extended Kalman filter (EKF) approach. Subsequently, an artificial intelligence based approach for the fusion of INS/GPS measurements is developed based on an Input-Delayed Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (IDANFIS). Experimental tests are conducted to demonstrate the performance of the two sensor fusion approaches. It is found that the use of the proposed IDANFIS approach achieves a reduction in the integration development time and an improvement in the estimation accuracy of the vehicle's position and velocity compared to the EKF based approach.

Identifying perceived barriers to monitoring service quality among substance abuse treatment providers in South Africa

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background A performance measurement system is planned for South African substance abuse treatment services. Provider-level barriers to implementing these systems have been identified in the United States, but little is known about the nature of these barriers in South Africa. This study explored the willingness of South African substance abuse treatment providers’ to adopt a performance measurement system and perceived barriers to monitoring service quality that would need to be addressed during system development. Methods Three focus group discussions were held with treatment providers from two of the nine provinces in South Africa. These providers represented the diverse spread of substance abuse treatment services available in the country. The final sample comprised 21 representatives from 12 treatment facilities: eight treatment centres in the Western Cape and four in KwaZulu-Natal. Content analysis was used to extract core themes from these discussions. Results Participants identified barriers to the monitoring of service quality that included outdated modes of collecting data, personnel who were already burdened by paperwork, lack of time to collect data, and limited skills to analyse and interpret data. Participants recommended that developers engage with service providers in a participatory manner to ensure that service providers are invested in the proposed performance measurement system. Conclusion Findings show that substance abuse treatment providers are willing to adopt a performance measurement system and highlight several barriers that need to be addressed during system development in order to enhance the likelihood that this system will be successfully implemented. PMID:24499037

Multi-Modal Performance Measures in Oregon: Developing a Transportation Cost Index Based Upon Multi-Modal Network and Land Use Information

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-01

Transportation Cost Index is a performance measure for transportation and land use systems originally proposed and piloted by Reiff and Gregor (2005). It fills important niches of existing similar measures in term of policy areas covered and type of ...

Examining Operational Measures of Performance: Performance Measures Matrix

DTIC Science & Technology

1992-06-01

Equipment Mechanic ( 454X1 ); Precision Measuring Equipment Laboratory Specialist (324X0); and Aircrew Life Support Specialist (I122X0). The result is a...454X0 Aerospace Propulsion Specialist (Engines), 455X2 Communication and Navigation System Specialist, 454X1 Aerospace Ground Equipment Mechanic (AGE

Measuring Provider Performance for Physicians Participating in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System.

PubMed

Squitieri, Lee; Chung, Kevin C

2017-07-01

In 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services began requiring all eligible providers to participate in the Quality Payment Program or face financial reimbursement penalty. The Quality Payment Program outlines two paths for provider participation: the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Advanced Alternative Payment Models. For the first performance period beginning in January of 2017, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services estimates that approximately 83 to 90 percent of eligible providers will not qualify for participation in an Advanced Alternative Payment Model and therefore must participate in the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System program. The Merit-Based Incentive Payment System path replaces existing quality-reporting programs and adds several new measures to evaluate providers using four categories of data: (1) quality, (2) cost/resource use, (3) improvement activities, and (4) advancing care information. These categories will be combined to calculate a weighted composite score for each provider or provider group. Composite Merit-Based Incentive Payment System scores based on 2017 performance data will be used to adjust reimbursed payment in 2019. In this article, the authors provide relevant background for understanding value-based provider performance measurement. The authors also discuss Merit-Based Incentive Payment System reporting requirements and scoring methodology to provide plastic surgeons with the necessary information to critically evaluate their own practice capabilities in the context of current performance metrics under the Quality Payment Program.

Applying the Balanced Scorecard approach in teaching hospitals: a literature review and conceptual framework.

PubMed

Trotta, Annarita; Cardamone, Emma; Cavallaro, Giusy; Mauro, Marianna

2013-01-01

Teaching hospitals (THs) simultaneously serve three different roles: offering medical treatment, teaching future doctors and promoting research. The international literature recognises such organisations as 'peaks of excellence' and highlights their economic function in the health system. In addition, the literature describes the urgent need to manage the complex dynamics and inefficiency issues that threaten the survival of teaching hospitals worldwide. In this context, traditional performance measurement systems that focus only on accounting and financial measures appear to be inadequate. Given that THs are highly specific and complex, a multidimensional system of performance measurement, such as the Balanced Scorecard (BSC), may be more appropriate because of the multitude of stakeholders, each of whom seek a specific type of accountability. The aim of the paper was twofold: (i) to review the literature on the BSC and its applications in teaching hospitals and (ii) to propose a scorecard framework that is suitable for assessing the performance of THs and serving as a guide for scholars and practitioners. In addition, this research will contribute to the ongoing debate on performance evaluation systems by suggesting a revised BSC framework and proposing specific performance indicators for THs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Computer program determines performance efficiency of remote measuring systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Merewether, E. K.

1966-01-01

Computer programs control and evaluate instrumentation system performance for numerous rocket engine test facilities and prescribe calibration and maintenance techniques to maintain the systems within process specifications. Similar programs can be written for other test equipment in an industry such as the petrochemical industry.

Formal implementation of a performance evaluation model for the face recognition system.

PubMed

Shin, Yong-Nyuo; Kim, Jason; Lee, Yong-Jun; Shin, Woochang; Choi, Jin-Young

2008-01-01

Due to usability features, practical applications, and its lack of intrusiveness, face recognition technology, based on information, derived from individuals' facial features, has been attracting considerable attention recently. Reported recognition rates of commercialized face recognition systems cannot be admitted as official recognition rates, as they are based on assumptions that are beneficial to the specific system and face database. Therefore, performance evaluation methods and tools are necessary to objectively measure the accuracy and performance of any face recognition system. In this paper, we propose and formalize a performance evaluation model for the biometric recognition system, implementing an evaluation tool for face recognition systems based on the proposed model. Furthermore, we performed evaluations objectively by providing guidelines for the design and implementation of a performance evaluation system, formalizing the performance test process.

Performance evaluation of photoacoustic oximetry imaging systems using a dynamic blood flow phantom with tunable oxygen saturation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, William C.; Zhou, Xuewen; Andriani, Rudy; Wear, Keith A.; Garra, Brian S.; Pfefer, Joshua

2018-02-01

Photoacoustic Imaging (PAI) is an emerging technology with strong potential for broad clinical applications from breast cancer detection to cerebral monitoring due to its ability to compute maps of blood oxygen saturation (SO2) distribution in deep tissues using multispectral imaging. However, no well-validated consensus test methods currently exist for evaluating oximetry-specific performance characteristics of PAI devices. We have developed a phantombased flow system capable of rapid SO2 adjustment to serve as a test bed for elucidation of factors impacting SO2 measurement and quantitative characterization of device performance. The flow system is comprised of a peristaltic pump, membrane oxygenator, oxygen and nitrogen gas, and in-line oxygen, pH, and temperature sensors that enable real-time estimation of SO2 reference values. Bovine blood was delivered through breast-relevant tissue phantoms containing vessel-mimicking fluid channels, which were imaged using a custom multispectral PAI system. Blood was periodically drawn for SO2 measurement in a clinical-grade CO-oximeter. We used this flow phantom system to evaluate the impact of device parameters (e.g.,wavelength-dependent fluence corrections) and tissue parameters (e.g. fluid channel depth, blood SO2, spectral coloring artifacts) on oximetry measurement accuracy. Results elucidated key challenges in PAI oximetry and device design trade-offs, which subsequently allowed for optimization of system performance. This approach provides a robust benchtop test platform that can support PAI oximetry device optimization, performance validation, and clinical translation, and may inform future development of consensus test methods for performance assessment of photoacoustic oximetry imaging systems.

Testing of Liquid Metal Components for Nuclear Surface Power Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Polzin, K. A.; Pearson, J. B.; Godfroy, T. J.; Schoenfeld, M.; Webster, K.; Briggs, M. H.; Geng, S. M.; Adkins, H. E.; Werner, J. E.

2010-01-01

The capability to perform testing at both the module/component level and in near prototypic reactor configurations using a non-nuclear test methodology allowed for evaluation of two components critical to the development of a potential nuclear fission power system for the lunar surface. A pair of 1 kW Stirling power convertors, similar to the type that would be used in a reactor system to convert heat to electricity, were integrated into a reactor simulator system to determine their performance using pumped NaK as the hot side working fluid. The performance in the pumped-NaK system met or exceed the baseline performance measurements where the converters were electrically heated. At the maximum hot-side temperature of 550 C the maximum output power was 2375 watts. A specially-designed test apparatus was fabricated and used to quantify the performance of an annular linear induction pump that is similar to the type that could be used to circulate liquid metal through the core of a space reactor system. The errors on the measurements were generally much smaller than the magnitude of the measurements, permitting accurate performance evaluation over a wide range of operating conditions. The pump produced flow rates spanning roughly 0.16 to 5.7 l/s (2.5 to 90 GPM), and delta p levels from less than 1 kPa to 90 kPa (greater than 0.145 psi to roughly 13 psi). At the nominal FSP system operating temperature of 525 C the maximum efficiency was just over 4%.

Validation of the Combined Comorbidity Index of Charlson and Elixhauser to Predict 30-Day Mortality Across ICD-9 and ICD-10.

PubMed

Simard, Marc; Sirois, Caroline; Candas, Bernard

2018-05-01

To validate and compare performance of an International Classification of Diseases, tenth revision (ICD-10) version of a combined comorbidity index merging conditions of Charlson and Elixhauser measures against individual measures in the prediction of 30-day mortality. To select a weight derivation method providing optimal performance across ICD-9 and ICD-10 coding systems. Using 2 adult population-based cohorts of patients with hospital admissions in ICD-9 (2005, n=337,367) and ICD-10 (2011, n=348,820), we validated a combined comorbidity index by predicting 30-day mortality with logistic regression. To appreciate performance of the Combined index and both individual measures, factors impacting indices performance such as population characteristics and weight derivation methods were accounted for. We applied 3 scoring methods (Van Walraven, Schneeweiss, and Charlson) and determined which provides best predictive values. Combined index [c-statistics: 0.853 (95% confidence interval: CI, 0.848-0.856)] performed better than original Charlson [0.841 (95% CI, 0.835-0.844)] or Elixhauser [0.841 (95% CI, 0.837-0.844)] measures on ICD-10 cohort. All weight derivation methods provided close high discrimination results for the Combined index (Van Walraven: 0.852, Schneeweiss: 0.851, Charlson: 0.849). Results were consistent across both coding systems. The Combined index remains valid with both ICD-9 and ICD-10 coding systems and the 3 weight derivation methods evaluated provided consistent high performance across those coding systems.

Measurement and simulation of a Compton suppression system for safeguards application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Seung Kyu; Seo, Hee; Won, Byung-Hee; Lee, Chaehun; Shin, Hee-Sung; Na, Sang-Ho; Song, Dae-Yong; Kim, Ho-Dong; Park, Geun-Il; Park, Se-Hwan

2015-11-01

Plutonium (Pu) contents in spent nuclear fuels, recovered uranium (U) or uranium/transuranium (U/TRU) products must be measured in order to secure the safeguardability of a pyroprocessing facility. Self-induced X-Ray fluorescence (XRF) and gamma-ray spectroscopy are useful techniques for determining Pu-to-U ratios and Pu isotope ratios of spent fuel. Photon measurements of spent nuclear fuel by using high-resolution spectrometers such as high-purity germanium (HPGe) detectors show a large continuum background in the low-energy region, which is due in large part to Compton scattering of energetic gamma rays. This paper proposes a Compton suppression system for reducing of the Compton continuum background. In the present study, the system was configured by using an HPGe main detector and a BGO (bismuth germanate: Bi4Ge3O12) guard detector. The system performances for gamma-ray measurement and XRF were evaluated by means of Monte Carlo simulations and measurements of the radiation source. The Monte Carlo N-Particle eXtended (MCNPX) simulations were performed using the same geometry as for the experiments, and considered, for exact results, the production of secondary electrons and photons. As a performance test of the Compton suppression system, the peak-to-Compton ratio, which is a figure of merit to evaluate the gamma-ray detection, was enhanced by a factor of three or more when the Compton suppression system was used.

Quantifying usability: an evaluation of a diabetes mHealth system on effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction metrics with associated user characteristics.

PubMed

Georgsson, Mattias; Staggers, Nancy

2016-01-01

Mobile health (mHealth) systems are becoming more common for chronic disease management, but usability studies are still needed on patients' perspectives and mHealth interaction performance. This deficiency is addressed by our quantitative usability study of a mHealth diabetes system evaluating patients' task performance, satisfaction, and the relationship of these measures to user characteristics. We used metrics in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9241-11 standard. After standardized training, 10 patients performed representative tasks and were assessed on individual task success, errors, efficiency (time on task), satisfaction (System Usability Scale [SUS]) and user characteristics. Tasks of exporting and correcting values proved the most difficult, had the most errors, the lowest task success rates, and consumed the longest times on task. The average SUS satisfaction score was 80.5, indicating good but not excellent system usability. Data trends showed males were more successful in task completion, and younger participants had higher performance scores. Educational level did not influence performance, but a more recent diabetes diagnosis did. Patients with more experience in information technology (IT) also had higher performance rates. Difficult task performance indicated areas for redesign. Our methods can assist others in identifying areas in need of improvement. Data about user background and IT skills also showed how user characteristics influence performance and can provide future considerations for targeted mHealth designs. Using the ISO 9241-11 usability standard, the SUS instrument for satisfaction and measuring user characteristics provided objective measures of patients' experienced usability. These could serve as an exemplar for standardized, quantitative methods for usability studies on mHealth systems. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Quantifying usability: an evaluation of a diabetes mHealth system on effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction metrics with associated user characteristics

PubMed Central

Staggers, Nancy

2016-01-01

Objective Mobile health (mHealth) systems are becoming more common for chronic disease management, but usability studies are still needed on patients’ perspectives and mHealth interaction performance. This deficiency is addressed by our quantitative usability study of a mHealth diabetes system evaluating patients’ task performance, satisfaction, and the relationship of these measures to user characteristics. Materials and Methods We used metrics in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9241-11 standard. After standardized training, 10 patients performed representative tasks and were assessed on individual task success, errors, efficiency (time on task), satisfaction (System Usability Scale [SUS]) and user characteristics. Results Tasks of exporting and correcting values proved the most difficult, had the most errors, the lowest task success rates, and consumed the longest times on task. The average SUS satisfaction score was 80.5, indicating good but not excellent system usability. Data trends showed males were more successful in task completion, and younger participants had higher performance scores. Educational level did not influence performance, but a more recent diabetes diagnosis did. Patients with more experience in information technology (IT) also had higher performance rates. Discussion Difficult task performance indicated areas for redesign. Our methods can assist others in identifying areas in need of improvement. Data about user background and IT skills also showed how user characteristics influence performance and can provide future considerations for targeted mHealth designs. Conclusion Using the ISO 9241-11 usability standard, the SUS instrument for satisfaction and measuring user characteristics provided objective measures of patients’ experienced usability. These could serve as an exemplar for standardized, quantitative methods for usability studies on mHealth systems. PMID:26377990

Method for the evaluation 3D noncontact inspection systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harding, Kevin

2011-08-01

Three dimensional, optical measurement systems are becoming more widely used in applications ranging from aerospace to automotive. These systems offer the potential for high speed, good accuracy, and more complete information than older contact based technology. However, the primary standards employed by many to evaluate these systems were specifically designed around touch probe based coordinate measurement machines (CMMs). These standards were designed to work with the limitations of touch probes, and in many cases cannot measure the types of features and errors associated with non-contact systems. This paper will discuss the deficiencies of employing contact based characterization tests to non-contact systems, and suggest a new set of tests specifically to cover the many aspects pertinent to non-contact, optical 3D measurement systems. Some of the performance aspects addressed in this characterization method include: sensitivity to surface reflectivity and roughness, the effect of angle of incidence of measurements, means to characterize volumetric variations that may fit complex functions, and considerations of both spatial and depth resolutions. Specific application areas will be discussed as well as the use of artifacts to provide practical functional data that can predict system performance on real world parts.

Handbook of Human Performance Measures and Crew Requirements for Flight Deck Research

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-12-01

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Technical Center envisions that their : studies will require standard measure of pilot/crew performance. Therefore, : the FAA commissioned the Crew System Ergonomics Information Analysis Center : (CSERIAC) to...

Optimization and performance evaluation of a conical mirror based fluorescence molecular tomography imaging system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yue; Zhang, Wei; Zhu, Dianwen; Li, Changqing

2016-03-01

We performed numerical simulations and phantom experiments with a conical mirror based fluorescence molecular tomography (FMT) imaging system to optimize its performance. With phantom experiments, we have compared three measurement modes in FMT: the whole surface measurement mode, the transmission mode, and the reflection mode. Our results indicated that the whole surface measurement mode performed the best. Then, we applied two different neutral density (ND) filters to improve the measurement's dynamic range. The benefits from ND filters are not as much as predicted. Finally, with numerical simulations, we have compared two laser excitation patterns: line and point. With the same excitation position number, we found that the line laser excitation had slightly better FMT reconstruction results than the point laser excitation. In the future, we will implement Monte Carlo ray tracing simulations to calculate multiple reflection photons, and create a look-up table accordingly for calibration.

Investigation of Gearbox Vibration Transmission Paths on Gear Condition Indicator Performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dempsey, Paula J.; Islam, AKM Anwarul; Feldman, Jason; Larsen, Chris

2013-01-01

Helicopter health monitoring systems use vibration signatures generated from damaged components to identify transmission faults. For damaged gears, these signatures relate to changes in dynamics due to the meshing of the damaged tooth. These signatures, referred to as condition indicators (CI), can perform differently when measured on different systems, such as a component test rig, or a full-scale transmission test stand, or an aircraft. These differences can result from dissimilarities in systems design and environment under dynamic operating conditions. The static structure can also filter the response between the vibration source and the accelerometer, when the accelerometer is installed on the housing. To assess the utility of static vibration transfer paths for predicting gear CI performance, measurements were taken on the NASA Glenn Spiral Bevel Gear Fatigue Test Rig. The vibration measurements were taken to determine the effect of torque, accelerometer location and gearbox design on accelerometer response. Measurements were taken at the housing and compared while impacting the gear set near mesh. These impacts were made at gear mesh to simulate gear meshing dynamics. Data measured on a helicopter gearbox installed in a static fixture were also compared to the test rig. The behavior of the structure under static conditions was also compared to CI values calculated under dynamic conditions. Results indicate that static vibration transfer path measurements can provide some insight into spiral bevel gear CI performance by identifying structural characteristics unique to each system that can affect specific CI response.

Targeting overall equipment efficiency for small medium enterprises with irregular production system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prasetyawan, Y.; Suef, M.; Claudia, L.; Handayani, F. D.

2018-04-01

Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) is widely used to measure the maturity of a production system. The company will be considered as World Class Manufacturing if it reaches more than 85% value, with near perfect value for availability, performance and quality factor. This assessment is usually taken on industries with regular production times named shift system. A typical 8 hours shift system is used in OEE measurement and performance monitoring. There are few Small to Medium Enterprise (SME) perform regular production times with shift systems, others using irregular production systems. The irregular production time in the SME production system is used because of demand fluctuations. This paper shows a quantitative analysis as a part of manufacturing system design to achieve a specific value of OEE for SME with irregular production systems, for individual businesses as well as collective business systems (some companies use the same production facilities for several processes). The results of experiments on several companies are presented, as a basis for determining the technical strategy of achieving OEE values.

Verification Challenges of Dynamic Testing of Space Flight Hardware

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Winnitoy, Susan

2010-01-01

The Six Degree-of-Freedom Dynamic Test System (SDTS) is a test facility at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas for performing dynamic verification of space structures and hardware. Some examples of past and current tests include the verification of on-orbit robotic inspection systems, space vehicle assembly procedures and docking/berthing systems. The facility is able to integrate a dynamic simulation of on-orbit spacecraft mating or demating using flight-like mechanical interface hardware. A force moment sensor is utilized for input to the simulation during the contact phase, thus simulating the contact dynamics. While the verification of flight hardware presents many unique challenges, one particular area of interest is with respect to the use of external measurement systems to ensure accurate feedback of dynamic contact. There are many commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) measurement systems available on the market, and the test facility measurement systems have evolved over time to include two separate COTS systems. The first system incorporates infra-red sensing cameras, while the second system employs a laser interferometer to determine position and orientation data. The specific technical challenges with the measurement systems in a large dynamic environment include changing thermal and humidity levels, operational area and measurement volume, dynamic tracking, and data synchronization. The facility is located in an expansive high-bay area that is occasionally exposed to outside temperature when large retractable doors at each end of the building are opened. The laser interferometer system, in particular, is vulnerable to the environmental changes in the building. The operational area of the test facility itself is sizeable, ranging from seven meters wide and five meters deep to as much as seven meters high. Both facility measurement systems have desirable measurement volumes and the accuracies vary within the respective volumes. In addition, because this is a dynamic facility with a moving test bed, direct line-of-sight may not be available at all times between the measurement sensors and the tracking targets. Finally, the feedback data from the active test bed along with the two external measurement systems must be synchronized to allow for data correlation. To ensure the desired accuracy and resolution of these systems, calibration of the systems must be performed regularly. New innovations in sensor technology itself are periodically incorporated into the facility s overall measurement scheme. In addressing the challenges of the measurement systems, the facility is able to provide essential position and orientation data to verify the dynamic performance of space flight hardware.

The impact of particle filtration on indoor air quality in a classroom near a highway.

PubMed

van der Zee, S C; Strak, M; Dijkema, M B A; Brunekreef, B; Janssen, N A H

2017-03-01

A pilot study was performed to investigate whether the application of a new mechanical ventilation system with a fine F8 (MERV14) filter could improve indoor air quality in a high school near the Amsterdam ring road. PM10, PM2.5, and black carbon (BC) concentrations were measured continuously inside an occupied intervention classroom and outside the school during three sampling periods in the winter of 2013/2014. Initially, 3 weeks of baseline measurements were performed, with the existing ventilation system and normal ventilation habits. Next, an intervention study was performed. A new ventilation system was installed in the classroom, and measurements were performed during 8 school weeks, in alternating 2-week periods with and without the filter in the ventilation system under otherwise identical ventilation conditions. Indoor/outdoor ratios measured during the weeks with filter were compared with those measured without filter to evaluate the ability of the F8 filter to improve indoor air quality. During teaching hours, the filter reduced BC exposure by, on average, 36%. For PM10 and PM2.5, a reduction of 34% and 30% was found, respectively. This implies that application of a fine filter can reduce the exposure of schoolchildren to traffic exhaust at hot spot locations by about one-third. © 2016 The Authors. Indoor Air published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

NPS National Transit Inventory and Performance Report, 2014

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-09-09

This document summarizes key highlights and performance measures from the National Park Service (NPS) 2014 National Transit Inventory, and presents data for NPS transit systems system-wide. The document discusses statistics related to ridership, busi...

API REST Web service and backend system Of Lecturer’s Assessment Information System on Politeknik Negeri Bali

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manuaba, I. B. P.; Rudiastini, E.

2018-01-01

Assessment of lecturers is a tool used to measure lecturer performance. Lecturer’s assessment variable can be measured from three aspects : teaching activities, research and community service. Broad aspect to measure the performance of lecturers requires a special framework, so that the system can be developed in a sustainable manner. Issues of this research is to create a API web service data tool, so the lecturer assessment system can be developed in various frameworks. The research was developed with web service and php programming language with the output of json extension data. The conclusion of this research is API web service data application can be developed using several platforms such as web, mobile application

Implementation of learning outcome attainment measurement system in aviation engineering higher education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salleh, I. Mohd; Mat Rani, M.

2017-12-01

This paper aims to discuss the effectiveness of the Learning Outcome Attainment Measurement System in assisting Outcome Based Education (OBE) for Aviation Engineering Higher Education in Malaysia. Direct assessments are discussed to show the implementation processes that become a key role in the successful outcome measurement system. A case study presented in this paper involves investigation on the implementation of the system in Aircraft Structure course for Bachelor in Aircraft Engineering Technology program in UniKL-MIAT. The data has been collected for five semesters, starting from July 2014 until July 2016. The study instruments used include the report generated in Learning Outcomes Measurements System (LOAMS) that contains information on the course learning outcomes (CLO) individual and course average performance reports. The report derived from LOAMS is analyzed and the data analysis has revealed that there is a positive significant correlation between the individual performance and the average performance reports. The results for analysis of variance has further revealed that there is a significant difference in OBE grade score among the report. Independent samples F-test results, on the other hand, indicate that the variances of the two populations are unequal.

Computer-Mediated Training Tools to Enhance Joint Task Force Cognitive Leadership Skills

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

University); and 5d. TASK NUMBER Barclay Lewis (American Systems) 5e. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 8. PERFORMING ...ple G am ing Platform D ecisive A ction for Training ..................................................... 43 6. Perform ance M etrics...Figure 15: Automated Performance Measurement System ................................................................... 48 iv COMPUTER-MEDIATED TRAINING

Methods of Constructing a Blended Performance Function Suitable for Formation Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, John J.

2017-01-01

This paper presents two methods for constructing an approximate performance function of a desired parameter using correlated parameters. The methods are useful when real-time measurements of a desired performance function are not available to applications such as extremum-seeking control systems. The first method approximates an a priori measured or estimated desired performance function by combining real-time measurements of readily available correlated parameters. The parameters are combined using a weighting vector determined from a minimum-squares optimization to form a blended performance function. The blended performance function better matches the desired performance function mini- mum than single-measurement performance functions. The second method expands upon the first by replacing the a priori data with near-real-time measurements of the desired performance function. The resulting blended performance function weighting vector is up- dated when measurements of the desired performance function are available. Both methods are applied to data collected during formation- flight-for-drag-reduction flight experiments.

Reliability of human-supervised formant-trajectory measurement for forensic voice comparison.

PubMed

Zhang, Cuiling; Morrison, Geoffrey Stewart; Ochoa, Felipe; Enzinger, Ewald

2013-01-01

Acoustic-phonetic approaches to forensic voice comparison often include human-supervised measurement of vowel formants, but the reliability of such measurements is a matter of concern. This study assesses the within- and between-supervisor variability of three sets of formant-trajectory measurements made by each of four human supervisors. It also assesses the validity and reliability of forensic-voice-comparison systems based on these measurements. Each supervisor's formant-trajectory system was fused with a baseline mel-frequency cepstral-coefficient system, and performance was assessed relative to the baseline system. Substantial improvements in validity were found for all supervisors' systems, but some supervisors' systems were more reliable than others.

APPLICATION OF EYE TRACKING FOR MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION IN HUMAN FACTORS STUDIES IN CONTROL ROOM MODERNIZATION

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

Kovesdi, C.; Spielman, Z.; LeBlanc, K.

An important element of human factors engineering (HFE) pertains to measurement and evaluation (M&E). The role of HFE-M&E should be integrated throughout the entire control room modernization (CRM) process and be used for human-system performance evaluation and diagnostic purposes with resolving potential human engineering deficiencies (HEDs) and other human machine interface (HMI) design issues. NUREG-0711 describes how HFE in CRM should employ a hierarchical set of measures, particularly during integrated system validation (ISV), including plant performance, personnel task performance, situation awareness, cognitive workload, and anthropometric/ physiological factors. Historically, subjective measures have been primarily used since they are easier to collectmore » and do not require specialized equipment. However, there are pitfalls with relying solely on subjective measures in M&E such that negatively impact reliability, sensitivity, and objectivity. As part of comprehensively capturing a diverse set of measures that strengthen findings and inferences made of the benefits from emerging technologies like advanced displays, this paper discusses the value of using eye tracking as an objective method that can be used in M&E. A brief description of eye tracking technology and relevant eye tracking measures is provided. Additionally, technical considerations and the unique challenges with using eye tracking in full-scaled simulations are addressed. Finally, this paper shares preliminary findings regarding the use of a wearable eye tracking system in a full-scale simulator study. These findings should help guide future full-scale simulator studies using eye tracking as a methodology to evaluate human-system performance.« less

Surgeons' display reduced mental effort and workload while performing robotically assisted surgical tasks, when compared to conventional laparoscopy.

PubMed

Moore, Lee J; Wilson, Mark R; McGrath, John S; Waine, Elizabeth; Masters, Rich S W; Vine, Samuel J

2015-09-01

Research has demonstrated the benefits of robotic surgery for the patient; however, research examining the benefits of robotic technology for the surgeon is limited. This study aimed to adopt validated measures of workload, mental effort, and gaze control to assess the benefits of robotic surgery for the surgeon. We predicted that the performance of surgical training tasks on a surgical robot would require lower investments of workload and mental effort, and would be accompanied by superior gaze control and better performance, when compared to conventional laparoscopy. Thirty-two surgeons performed two trials on a ball pick-and-drop task and a rope-threading task on both robotic and laparoscopic systems. Measures of workload (the surgery task load index), mental effort (subjective: rating scale for mental effort and objective: standard deviation of beat-to-beat intervals), gaze control (using a mobile eye movement recorder), and task performance (completion time and number of errors) were recorded. As expected, surgeons performed both tasks more quickly and accurately (with fewer errors) on the robotic system. Self-reported measures of workload and mental effort were significantly lower on the robotic system compared to the laparoscopic system. Similarly, an objective cardiovascular measure of mental effort revealed lower investment of mental effort when using the robotic platform relative to the laparoscopic platform. Gaze control distinguished the robotic from the laparoscopic systems, but not in the predicted fashion, with the robotic system associated with poorer (more novice like) gaze control. The findings highlight the benefits of robotic technology for surgical operators. Specifically, they suggest that tasks can be performed more proficiently, at a lower workload, and with the investment of less mental effort, this may allow surgeons greater cognitive resources for dealing with other demands such as communication, decision-making, or periods of increased complexity in the operating room.

Performance of the primary mirror center-of-curvature optical metrology system during cryogenic testing of the JWST Pathfinder telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hadaway, James B.; Wells, Conrad; Olczak, Gene; Waldman, Mark; Whitman, Tony; Cosentino, Joseph; Connolly, Mark; Chaney, David; Telfer, Randal

2016-07-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) primary mirror (PM) is 6.6 m in diameter and consists of 18 hexagonal segments, each 1.5 m point-to-point. Each segment has a six degree-of-freedom hexapod actuation system and a radius of-curvature (RoC) actuation system. The full telescope will be tested at its cryogenic operating temperature at Johnson Space Center. This testing will include center-of-curvature measurements of the PM, using the Center-of-Curvature Optical Assembly (COCOA) and the Absolute Distance Meter Assembly (ADMA). The COCOA includes an interferometer, a reflective null, an interferometer-null calibration system, coarse and fine alignment systems, and two displacement measuring interferometer systems. A multiple-wavelength interferometer (MWIF) is used for alignment and phasing of the PM segments. The ADMA is used to measure, and set, the spacing between the PM and the focus of the COCOA null (i.e. the PM center-of-curvature) for determination of the ROC. The performance of these metrology systems was assessed during two cryogenic tests at JSC. This testing was performed using the JWST Pathfinder telescope, consisting mostly of engineering development and spare hardware. The Pathfinder PM consists of two spare segments. These tests provided the opportunity to assess how well the center-of-curvature optical metrology hardware, along with the software and procedures, performed using real JWST telescope hardware. This paper will describe the test setup, the testing performed, and the resulting metrology system performance. The knowledge gained and the lessons learned during this testing will be of great benefit to the accurate and efficient cryogenic testing of the JWST flight telescope.

Performance of the Primary Mirror Center-of-curvature Optical Metrology System During Cryogenic Testing of the JWST Pathfinder Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hadaway, James B.; Wells, Conrad; Olczak, Gene; Waldman, Mark; Whitman, Tony; Cosentino, Joseph; Connolly, Mark; Chaney, David; Telfer, Randal

2016-01-01

The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) primary mirror (PM) is 6.6 m in diameter and consists of 18 hexagonal segments, each 1.5 m point-to-point. Each segment has a six degree-of-freedom hexapod actuation system and a radius-of-curvature (RoC) actuation system. The full telescope will be tested at its cryogenic operating temperature at Johnson Space Center. This testing will include center-of-curvature measurements of the PM, using the Center-of-Curvature Optical Assembly (COCOA) and the Absolute Distance Meter Assembly (ADMA). The COCOA includes an interferometer, a reflective null, an interferometer-null calibration system, coarse & fine alignment systems, and two displacement measuring interferometer systems. A multiple-wavelength interferometer (MWIF) is used for alignment & phasing of the PM segments. The ADMA is used to measure, and set, the spacing between the PM and the focus of the COCOA null (i.e. the PM center-of-curvature) for determination of the ROC. The performance of these metrology systems was assessed during two cryogenic tests at JSC. This testing was performed using the JWST Pathfinder telescope, consisting mostly of engineering development & spare hardware. The Pathfinder PM consists of two spare segments. These tests provided the opportunity to assess how well the center-of-curvature optical metrology hardware, along with the software & procedures, performed using real JWST telescope hardware. This paper will describe the test setup, the testing performed, and the resulting metrology system performance. The knowledge gained and the lessons learned during this testing will be of great benefit to the accurate & efficient cryogenic testing of the JWST flight telescope.

The role of smart traffic centers in regional system operations : a Hampton Roads case study.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-01-01

The objectives of this study were to define the role of smart traffic centers (STCs) in regional systems operations and to help identify performance measures for monitoring the performance of STCs in the scope of regional systems operations. Without ...

Instrument performance of a radon measuring system with the alpha-track detection technique.

PubMed

Tokonami, S; Zhuo, W; Ryuo, H; Yonehara, H; Yamada, Y; Shimo, M

2003-01-01

An instrument performance test has been carried out for a radon measuring system made in Hungary. The system measures radon using the alpha-track detection technique. It consists of three parts: the passive detector, the etching unit and the evaluation unit. A CR-39 detector is used as the radiation detector. Alpha-track reading and data analysis are carried out after chemical etching. The following subjects were examined in the present study: (1) radon sensitivity, (2) performance of etching and evaluation processes and (3) thoron sensitivity. The radon sensitivity of 6.9 x 10(-4) mm(-2) (Bq m(-3) d)(-1) was acceptable for practical application. The thoron sensitivity was estimated to be as low as 3.3 x 10(-5) mm(-2) (Bq m(-3) d)(-1) from the experimental study.

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

Loughran, B; Singh, V; Jain, A

Purpose: Although generalized linear system analytic metrics such as GMTF and GDQE can evaluate performance of the whole imaging system including detector, scatter and focal-spot, a simplified task-specific measured metric may help to better compare detector systems. Methods: Low quantum-noise images of a neuro-vascular stent with a modified ANSI head phantom were obtained from the average of many exposures taken with the high-resolution Micro-Angiographic Fluoroscope (MAF) and with a Flat Panel Detector (FPD). The square of the Fourier Transform of each averaged image, equivalent to the measured product of the system GMTF and the object function in spatial-frequency space, wasmore » then divided by the normalized noise power spectra (NNPS) for each respective system to obtain a task-specific generalized signal-to-noise ratio. A generalized measured relative object detectability (GM-ROD) was obtained by taking the ratio of the integral of the resulting expressions for each detector system to give an overall metric that enables a realistic systems comparison for the given detection task. Results: The GM-ROD provides comparison of relative performance of detector systems from actual measurements of the object function as imaged by those detector systems. This metric includes noise correlations and spatial frequencies relevant to the specific object. Additionally, the integration bounds for the GM-ROD can be selected to emphasis the higher frequency band of each detector if high-resolution image details are to be evaluated. Examples of this new metric are discussed with a comparison of the MAF to the FPD for neuro-vascular interventional imaging. Conclusion: The GM-ROD is a new direct-measured task-specific metric that can provide clinically relevant comparison of the relative performance of imaging systems. Supported by NIH Grant: 2R01EB002873 and an equipment grant from Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.« less

Motivational Systems Theory and the Academic Performance of College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Michael M.

2007-01-01

This study explored the validity of the Motivational Systems Theory (MST) as a measure of performance of college students pursuing business degrees and the level of academic performance attained across gender and race lines. This goal is achieved by investigating the relationships between motivational strategies, biological factors, responsive…

What’s in a game? A systems approach to enhancing performance analysis in football

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Purpose Performance analysis (PA) in football is considered to be an integral component of understanding the requirements for optimal performance. Despite vast amounts of research in this area key gaps remain, including what comprises PA in football, and methods to minimise research-practitioner gaps. The aim of this study was to develop a model of the football match system in order to better describe and understand the components of football performance. Such a model could inform the design of new PA methods. Method Eight elite level football Subject Method Experts (SME’s) participated in two workshops to develop a systems model of the football match system. The model was developed using a first-of-its-kind application of Cognitive Work Analysis (CWA) in football. CWA has been used in many other non-sporting domains to analyse and understand complex systems. Result Using CWA, a model of the football match ‘system’ was developed. The model enabled identification of several PA measures not currently utilised, including communication between team members, adaptability of teams, playing at the appropriate tempo, as well as attacking and defending related measures. Conclusion The results indicate that football is characteristic of a complex sociotechnical system, and revealed potential new and unique PA measures regarded as important by SME’s, yet not currently measured. Importantly, these results have identified a gap between the current PA research and the information that is meaningful to football coaches and practitioners. PMID:28212392

Exploratory study on performance measures as indicators of IS effectiveness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, Peter C.; Yoes, Cissy

1992-01-01

The Information Systems Directorate at JSC/NASA has undertaken the reevaluation of its performance measures process and measures. Under the direction of a quality approach it is essential to identify an external perspective of how well an organization is performing. This study was conducted with two major objectives: (1) survey and summarize the academic literature on performance measures as indicators of information systems (IS) effectiveness; and (2) survey organizations for their experience in measuring for IS effectiveness. Four approaches to measuring the effectiveness of IS performance were identified: (1) listen to the customer for the things they need; (2) align with corporate goals; (3) benchmark against well-respected organizations; and (4) ask yourself what critical factors lead to success. The list of known methods for soliciting customer feedback are as follows: (1) executive visit; (2) survey, interview, and focus group; (3) complaints and compliments; and (4) service level agreements. A common set of characteristics that satisfy customers was identified from the literature. The list includes elements such as the following: accuracy, timeliness, relevance, understandability, reliability, and completeness. Future research in this topic area should prove beneficial to determine the metrics for external validity.

Development and Applications of a Self-Contained, Non-Invasive EVA Joint Angle and Muscle Fatigue Sensor System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ranniger, C. U.; Sorenson, E. A.; Akin, D. L.

1995-01-01

The University of Maryland Space Systems Laboratory, as a participant in NASA's INSTEP program, is developing a non-invasive, self-contained sensor system which can provide quantitative measurements of joint angles and muscle fatigue in the hand and forearm. The goal of this project is to develop a system with which hand/forearm motion and fatigue metrics can be determined in various terrestrial and zero-G work environments. A preliminary study of the prototype sensor systems and data reduction techniques for the fatigue measurement system are presented. The sensor systems evaluated include fiberoptics, used to measure joint angle, surface electrodes, which measure the electrical signals created in muscle as it contracts; microphones, which measure the noise made by contracting muscle; and accelerometers, which measure the lateral muscle acceleration during contraction. The prototype sensor systems were used to monitor joint motion of the metacarpophalangeal joint and muscle fatigue in flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor carpi ulnaris in subjects performing gripping tasks. Subjects were asked to sustain a 60-second constant-contraction (isometric) exercise and subsequently to perform a repetitive handgripping task to failure. Comparison of the electrical and mechanical signals of the muscles during the different tasks will be used to evaluate the applicability of muscle signal measurement techniques developed for isometric contraction tasks to fatigue prediction in quasi-dynamic exercises. Potential data reduction schemes are presented.

Kaiser Permanente's performance improvement system, Part 1: From benchmarking to executing on strategic priorities.

PubMed

Schilling, Lisa; Chase, Alide; Kehrli, Sommer; Liu, Amy Y; Stiefel, Matt; Brentari, Ruth

2010-11-01

By 2004, senior leaders at Kaiser Permanente, the largest not-for-profit health plan in the United States, recognizing variations across service areas in quality, safety, service, and efficiency, began developing a performance improvement (PI) system to realizing best-in-class quality performance across all 35 medical centers. MEASURING SYSTEMWIDE PERFORMANCE: In 2005, a Web-based data dashboard, "Big Q," which tracks the performance of each medical center and service area against external benchmarks and internal goals, was created. PLANNING FOR PI AND BENCHMARKING PERFORMANCE: In 2006, Kaiser Permanente national and regional continued planning the PI system, and in 2007, quality, medical group, operations, and information technology leaders benchmarked five high-performing organizations to identify capabilities required to achieve consistent best-in-class organizational performance. THE PI SYSTEM: The PI system addresses the six capabilities: leadership priority setting, a systems approach to improvement, measurement capability, a learning organization, improvement capacity, and a culture of improvement. PI "deep experts" (mentors) consult with national, regional, and local leaders, and more than 500 improvement advisors are trained to manage portfolios of 90-120 day improvement initiatives at medical centers. Between the second quarter of 2008 and the first quarter of 2009, performance across all Kaiser Permanente medical centers improved on the Big Q metrics. The lessons learned in implementing and sustaining PI as it becomes fully integrated into all levels of Kaiser Permanente can be generalized to other health care systems, hospitals, and other health care organizations.

Performance Characterization of a Landmark Measurement System for ARRM Terrain Relative Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shoemaker, Michael A.; Wright, Cinnamon; Liounis, Andrew J.; Getzandanner, Kenneth M.; Van Eepoel, John M.; DeWeese, Keith D.

2016-01-01

This paper describes the landmark measurement system being developed for terrain relative navigation on NASAs Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM),and the results of a performance characterization study given realistic navigational and model errors. The system is called Retina, and is derived from the stereo-photoclinometry methods widely used on other small-body missions. The system is simulated using synthetic imagery of the asteroid surface and discussion is given on various algorithmic design choices. Unlike other missions, ARRMs Retina is the first planned autonomous use of these methods during the close-proximity and descent phase of the mission.

Performance Characterization of a Landmark Measurement System for ARRM Terrain Relative Navigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shoemaker, Michael; Wright, Cinnamon; Liounis, Andrew; Getzandanner, Kenneth; Van Eepoel, John; Deweese, Keith

2016-01-01

This paper describes the landmark measurement system being developed for terrain relative navigation on NASAs Asteroid Redirect Robotic Mission (ARRM),and the results of a performance characterization study given realistic navigational and model errors. The system is called Retina, and is derived from the stereophotoclinometry methods widely used on other small-body missions. The system is simulated using synthetic imagery of the asteroid surface and discussion is given on various algorithmic design choices. Unlike other missions, ARRMs Retina is the first planned autonomous use of these methods during the close-proximity and descent phase of the mission.

Automated System Calibration and Verification of the Position Measurements for the Los Alamos Isotope Production Facility and the Switchyard Kicker Facilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barr, D.; Gilpatrick, J. D.; Martinez, D.; Shurter, R. B.

2004-11-01

The Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE) facility at Los Alamos National Laboratory has constructed both an Isotope Production Facility (IPF) and a Switchyard Kicker (XDK) as additions to the H+ and H- accelerator. These additions contain eleven Beam Position Monitors (BPMs) that measure the beam's position throughout the transport. The analog electronics within each processing module determines the beam position using the log-ratio technique. For system reliability, calibrations compensate for various temperature drifts and other imperfections in the processing electronics components. Additionally, verifications are periodically implemented by a PC running a National Instruments LabVIEW virtual instrument (VI) to verify continued system and cable integrity. The VI communicates with the processor cards via a PCI/MXI-3 VXI-crate communication module. Previously, accelerator operators performed BPM system calibrations typically once per day while beam was explicitly turned off. One of this new measurement system's unique achievements is its automated calibration and verification capability. Taking advantage of the pulsed nature of the LANSCE-facility beams, the integrated electronics hardware and VI perform calibration and verification operations between beam pulses without interrupting production beam delivery. The design, construction, and performance results of the automated calibration and verification portion of this position measurement system will be the topic of this paper.

Effect of Display Color on Pilot Performance and Describing Functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chase, Wendell D.

1997-01-01

A study has been conducted with the full-spectrum, calligraphic, computer-generated display system to determine the effect of chromatic content of the visual display upon pilot performance during the landing approach maneuver. This study utilizes a new digital chromatic display system, which has previously been shown to improve the perceived fidelity of out-the-window display scenes, and presents the results of an experiment designed to determine the effects of display color content by the measurement of both vertical approach performance and pilot-describing functions. This method was selected to more fully explore the effects of visual color cues used by the pilot. Two types of landing approaches were made: dynamic and frozen range, with either a landing approach scene or a perspective array display. The landing approach scene was presented with either red runway lights and blue taxiway lights or with the colors reversed, and the perspective array with red lights, blue lights, or red and blue lights combined. The vertical performance measures obtained in this experiment indicated that the pilots performed best with the blue and red/blue displays. and worst with the red displays. The describing-function system analysis showed more variation with the red displays. The crossover frequencies were lowest with the red displays and highest with the combined red/blue displays, which provided the best overall tracking, performance. Describing-function performance measures, vertical performance measures, and pilot opinion support the hypothesis that specific colors in displays can influence the pilots' control characteristics during the final approach.

State estimation for spacecraft power systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williamson, Susan H.; Sheble, Gerald B.

1990-01-01

A state estimator appropriate for spacecraft power systems is presented. Phasor voltage and current measurements are used to determine the system state. A weighted least squares algorithm with a multireference transmission cable model is used. Bad data are identified and resolved. Once the bad data have been identified, they are removed from the measurement set and the system state can be estimated from the remaining data. An observability analysis is performed on the remaining measurements to determine if the system state can be found from the reduced measurement set. An example of the algorithm for a sample spacecraft power system is presented.

Using system-of-systems simulation modeling and analysis to measure energy KPP impacts for brigade combat team missions.

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

Lawton, Craig R.; Welch, Kimberly M.; Kerper, Jessica

2010-06-01

The Department of Defense's (DoD) Energy Posture identified dependence of the US Military on fossil fuel energy as a key issue facing the military. Inefficient energy consumption leads to increased costs, effects operational performance and warfighter protection through large and vulnerable logistics support infrastructures. Military's use of energy is a critical national security problem. DoD's proposed metrics Fully Burdened Cost of Fuel and Energy Efficiency Key Performance Parameter (FBCF and Energy KPP) are a positive step to force energy use accountability onto Military programs. The ability to measure impacts of sustainment are required to fully measure Energy KPP. Sandia's workmore » with Army demonstrates the capability to measure performance which includes energy constraint.« less

An automated system for performing continuous viscosity versus temperature measurements of fluids using an Ostwald viscometer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beaulieu, L. Y.; Logan, E. R.; Gering, K. L.; Dahn, J. R.

2017-09-01

An automated system was developed to measure the viscosity of fluids as a function of temperature using image analysis tracking software. An Ostwald viscometer was placed in a three-wall dewar in which ethylene glycol was circulated using a thermal bath. The system collected continuous measurements during both heating and cooling cycles exhibiting no hysteresis. The use of video tracking analysis software greatly reduced the measurement errors associated with measuring the time required for the meniscus to pass through the markings on the viscometer. The stability of the system was assessed by performing 38 consecutive measurements of water at 42.50 ± 0.05 °C giving an average flow time of 87.7 ± 0.3 s. A device was also implemented to repeatedly deliver a constant volume of liquid of 11.00 ± 0.03 ml leading to an average error in the viscosity of 0.04%. As an application, the system was used to measure the viscosity of two Li-ion battery electrolyte solvents from approximately 10 to 40 °C with results showing excellent agreement with viscosity values calculated using Gering's Advanced Electrolyte Model (AEM).

Development of a High Precision Displacement Measurement System by Fusing a Low Cost RTK-GPS Sensor and a Force Feedback Accelerometer for Infrastructure Monitoring.

PubMed

Koo, Gunhee; Kim, Kiyoung; Chung, Jun Yeon; Choi, Jaemook; Kwon, Nam-Yeol; Kang, Doo-Young; Sohn, Hoon

2017-11-28

A displacement measurement system fusing a low cost real-time kinematic global positioning system (RTK-GPS) receiver and a force feedback accelerometer is proposed for infrastructure monitoring. The proposed system is composed of a sensor module, a base module and a computation module. The sensor module consists of a RTK-GPS rover and a force feedback accelerometer, and is installed on a target structure like conventional RTK-GPS sensors. The base module is placed on a rigid ground away from the target structure similar to conventional RTK-GPS bases, and transmits observation messages to the sensor module. Then, the initial acceleration, velocity and displacement responses measured by the sensor module are transmitted to the computation module located at a central monitoring facility. Finally, high precision and high sampling rate displacement, velocity, and acceleration are estimated by fusing the acceleration from the accelerometer, the velocity from the GPS rover, and the displacement from RTK-GPS. Note that the proposed displacement measurement system can measure 3-axis acceleration, velocity as well as displacement in real time. In terms of displacement, the proposed measurement system can estimate dynamic and pseudo-static displacement with a root-mean-square error of 2 mm and a sampling rate of up to 100 Hz. The performance of the proposed system is validated under sinusoidal, random and steady-state vibrations. Field tests were performed on the Yeongjong Grand Bridge and Yi Sun-sin Bridge in Korea, and the Xihoumen Bridge in China to compare the performance of the proposed system with a commercial RTK-GPS sensor and other data fusion techniques.

Transient multivariable sensor evaluation

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

Vilim, Richard B.; Heifetz, Alexander

A method and system for performing transient multivariable sensor evaluation. The method and system includes a computer system for identifying a model form, providing training measurement data, generating a basis vector, monitoring system data from sensor, loading the system data in a non-transient memory, performing an estimation to provide desired data and comparing the system data to the desired data and outputting an alarm for a defective sensor.

Application of a cost/performance measurement system on a research aircraft project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Diehl, J. J.

1978-01-01

The fundamentals of the cost/performance management system used in the procurement of two tilt rotor aircraft for a joint NASA/Army research project are discussed. The contractor's reporting system and the GPO's analyses are examined. The use of this type of reporting system is assessed. Recommendations concerning the use of like systems on future projects are included.

Performance Rating Accuracy Improvement through Changes in Individual and System Characteristics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kavanagh, Michael J.

Although the quest for better measurement of individual job performance has generated considerable empirical research in industrial and organizational psychology, the feeling persists that a good job is not really being done in measuring job performance. This research project investigated the effects of differences in both individual and systems…

PRIMA-X Final Report

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

Lorenz, Daniel; Wolf, Felix

2016-02-17

The PRIMA-X (Performance Retargeting of Instrumentation, Measurement, and Analysis Technologies for Exascale Computing) project is the successor of the DOE PRIMA (Performance Refactoring of Instrumentation, Measurement, and Analysis Technologies for Petascale Computing) project, which addressed the challenge of creating a core measurement infrastructure that would serve as a common platform for both integrating leading parallel performance systems (notably TAU and Scalasca) and developing next-generation scalable performance tools. The PRIMA-X project shifts the focus away from refactorization of robust performance tools towards a re-targeting of the parallel performance measurement and analysis architecture for extreme scales. The massive concurrency, asynchronous execution dynamics,more » hardware heterogeneity, and multi-objective prerequisites (performance, power, resilience) that identify exascale systems introduce fundamental constraints on the ability to carry forward existing performance methodologies. In particular, there must be a deemphasis of per-thread observation techniques to significantly reduce the otherwise unsustainable flood of redundant performance data. Instead, it will be necessary to assimilate multi-level resource observations into macroscopic performance views, from which resilient performance metrics can be attributed to the computational features of the application. This requires a scalable framework for node-level and system-wide monitoring and runtime analyses of dynamic performance information. Also, the interest in optimizing parallelism parameters with respect to performance and energy drives the integration of tool capabilities in the exascale environment further. Initially, PRIMA-X was a collaborative project between the University of Oregon (lead institution) and the German Research School for Simulation Sciences (GRS). Because Prof. Wolf, the PI at GRS, accepted a position as full professor at Technische Universität Darmstadt (TU Darmstadt) starting February 1st, 2015, the project ended at GRS on January 31st, 2015. This report reflects the work accomplished at GRS until then. The work of GRS is expected to be continued at TU Darmstadt. The first main accomplishment of GRS is the design of different thread-level aggregation techniques. We created a prototype capable of aggregating the thread-level information in performance profiles using these techniques. The next step will be the integration of the most promising techniques into the Score-P measurement system and their evaluation. The second main accomplishment is a substantial increase of Score-P’s scalability, achieved by improving the design of the system-tree representation in Score-P’s profile format. We developed a new representation and a distributed algorithm to create the scalable system tree representation. Finally, we developed a lightweight approach to MPI wait-state profiling. Former algorithms either needed piggy-backing, which can cause significant runtime overhead, or tracing, which comes with its own set of scaling challenges. Our approach works with local data only and, thus, is scalable and has very little overhead.« less

[Controlling systems for operating room managers].

PubMed

Schüpfer, G; Bauer, M; Scherzinger, B; Schleppers, A

2005-08-01

Management means developing, shaping and controlling of complex, productive and social systems. Therefore, operating room managers also need to develop basic skills in financial and managerial accounting as a basis for operative and strategic controlling which is an essential part of their work. A good measurement system should include financial and strategic concepts for market position, innovation performance, productivity, attractiveness, liquidity/cash flow and profitability. Since hospitals need to implement a strategy to reach their business objectives, the performance measurement system has to be individually adapted to the strategy of the hospital. In this respect the navigation system developed by Gälweiler is compared to the "balanced score card" system of Kaplan and Norton.

Performance measurement: integrating quality management and activity-based cost management.

PubMed

McKeon, T

1996-04-01

The development of an activity-based management system provides a framework for developing performance measures integral to quality and cost management. Performance measures that cross operational boundaries and embrace core processes provide a mechanism to evaluate operational results related to strategic intention and internal and external customers. The author discusses this measurement process that allows managers to evaluate where they are and where they want to be, and to set a course of action that closes the gap between the two.

Measuring the quantum geometric tensor in two-dimensional photonic and exciton-polariton systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bleu, O.; Solnyshkov, D. D.; Malpuech, G.

2018-05-01

We propose theoretically a method that allows to measure all the components of the quantum geometric tensor (the metric tensor and the Berry curvature) in a photonic system. The method is based on standard optical measurements. It applies to two-band systems, which can be mapped to a pseudospin, and to four-band systems, which can be described by two entangled pseudospins. We apply this method to several specific cases. We consider a 2D planar cavity with two polarization eigenmodes, where the pseudospin measurement can be performed via polarization-resolved photoluminescence. We also consider the s band of a staggered honeycomb lattice with polarization-degenerate modes (scalar photons), where the sublattice pseudospin can be measured by performing spatially resolved interferometric measurements. We finally consider the s band of a honeycomb lattice with polarized (spinor) photons as an example of a four-band model. We simulate realistic experimental situations in all cases. We find the photon eigenstates by solving the Schrödinger equation including pumping and finite lifetime, and then simulate the measurements to finally extract realistic mappings of the k-dependent tensor components.

Integrated Information Support System (IISS). Volume 4. IISS System. Part 1. System Requirements Document

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-30

audit trail for unauthorized entries. B.6.3.3 Manage CDM Resources B.6.3.3.1 Measure CDM Performance 1. Keep running log of CDM accesses by user types...SYSTEM SPPCIFIA OMA8MSTRTO Figure B-12. System Administrator Role B-3 1 SRD620340000 30 September 1990 4. Audit IISS hardware performance (LAN...SRD620340000 30 September 1990 7. Assist IISS service specifier and application specifier in implementing standards recommendation. 8. Perform audit of IISS

A LabVIEW based experiment system for the efficient collection and analysis of cyclic voltametry and electrode charge capacity measurements.

PubMed

Detlefsen, D; Hu, Z; Troyk, P R

2006-01-01

Cyclic voltametry and recording of stimulation electrode voltage excursions are two critical methods of measurement for understanding the performance of implantable electrodes. Because implanted electrodes cannot easily be replaced, it is necessary to have an a-priori understanding of an electrode's implanted performance and capabilities. In-vitro exhaustive tests are often needed to quantify an electrodes performance. Using commonly available equipment, the human labor cost to conduct this work is immense. Presented is an automated experiment system that is highly configurable that can efficiently conduct a battery of repeatable CV and stimulation recording measurements. Results of preparing 96 electrodes prior to an animal implantation are also discussed.

Improving educational objectives of the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aldowaisan, Tariq; Allahverdi, Ali

2016-05-01

This paper describes the process of developing programme educational objectives (PEOs) for the Industrial and Management Systems Engineering programme at Kuwait University, and the process of deployment of these PEOs. Input of the four constituents of the programme, faculty, students, alumni, and employers, is incorporated in the development and update of the PEOs. For each PEO an assessment process is employed where performance measures are defined along with target attainment levels. Results from assessment tools are compared with the target attainment levels to measure performance with regard to the PEOs. The assessment indicates that the results meet or exceed the target attainment levels of the PEOs' performance measures.

AIRS pulse tube cooler system-level and in-space performance comparison

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, R. G.

2002-01-01

This paper presents the derivation of the test and analysis techniques as well as the measured system-level performance of the flight AIRS coolers during instrument-level, spacecraft-level, and in-space operation.

Analysis on preemptive priority retrial queue with two types of customers, balking, optional re-service, single vacation and service interruption

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuvarani, S.; Saravanarajan, M. C.

2017-11-01

This paper concerned with performance analysis of single server preemptive priority retrial queue with a single vacation where two types of customers are considered and they are called priority customers and ordinary customers. The ordinary customers arrive in batch into the system. The priority customers do not form any queue. After the completion of regular service, the customers may demand re-service for the previous service without joining the orbit or may leave the system. As soon as the system is empty, the server goes for vacation and the regular busy server can be subjected to breakdown. By using the supplementary variable technique, we obtain the steady-state probability generating functions for the system/orbit size. Some important system performance measures and the stochastic decomposition are discussed. Finally, numerical examples are presented to visualize the effect of parameters on system performance measures.

An Integrated Scale for Measuring an Organizational Learning System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jyothibabu, C.; Farooq, Ayesha; Pradhan, Bibhuti Bhusan

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to develop an integrated measurement scale for an organizational learning system by capturing the learning enablers, learning results and performance outcome in an organization. Design/methodology/approach: A new measurement scale was developed by integrating and modifying two existing scales, identified…

Electron bunch energy and phase feed-forward stabilization system for the Mark V RF-linac free-electron laser

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

Hadmack, M. R.; Kowalczyk, J. M. D.; Lienert, B. R.

2013-06-15

An amplitude and phase compensation system has been developed and tested at the University of Hawai'i for the optimization of the RF drive system to the Mark V free-electron laser. Temporal uniformity of the RF drive is essential to the generation of an electron beam suitable for optimal free-electron laser performance and the operation of an inverse Compton scattering x-ray source. The design of the RF measurement and compensation system is described in detail and the results of RF phase compensation are presented. Performance of the free-electron laser was evaluated by comparing the measured effects of phase compensation with themore » results of a computer simulation. Finally, preliminary results are presented for the effects of amplitude compensation on the performance of the complete system.« less

Analysis of geothermal temperatures for heat pumps application in Paraná (Brasil)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, Alexandre F.; de Souza, Heraldo J. L.; Cantao, Mauricio P.; Gaspar, Pedro D.

2016-11-01

Geothermal heat pumps are broadly used in developed countries but scarcely in Brazil, in part because there is a lack of Brazilian soil temperature data. The aims of this work are: to present soil temperature measurements and to compare geothermal heat pump system performances with conventional air conditioning systems. Geothermal temperature measurement results are shown for ten Paraná State cities, representing different soil and climate conditions. The measurements were made yearlong with calibrated equipment and digital data acquisition system in different measuring stations. Geothermal and ambient temperature data were used for simulations of the coeficient of performance (COP), by means of a working fluid pressure-enthalpy diagram based software for vapor-compression cycle. It was verified that geothermal temperature measured between January 13 to October 13, 2013, varied from 16 to 24 °C, while room temperature has varied between 2 and 35 °C. Average COP values for conventional system were 3.7 (cooling mode) and 5.0 kW/kW (heating mode), corresponding to 5.9 and 7.9 kW/kW for geothermal system. Hence it was verified an average eficiency gain of 59%with geothermal system utilization in comparison with conventional system.

Quality Measures for Dialysis: Time for a Balanced Scorecard.

PubMed

Kliger, Alan S

2016-02-05

Recent federal legislation establishes a merit-based incentive payment system for physicians, with a scorecard for each professional. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services evaluate quality of care with clinical performance measures and have used these metrics for public reporting and payment to dialysis facilities. Similar metrics may be used for the future merit-based incentive payment system. In nephrology, most clinical performance measures measure processes and intermediate outcomes of care. These metrics were developed from population studies of best practice and do not identify opportunities for individualizing care on the basis of patient characteristics and individual goals of treatment. The In-Center Hemodialysis (ICH) Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS) survey examines patients' perception of care and has entered the arena to evaluate quality of care. A balanced scorecard of quality performance should include three elements: population-based best clinical practice, patient perceptions, and individually crafted patient goals of care. Copyright © 2016 by the American Society of Nephrology.

A microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) force-displacement transducer for sub-5 nm nanoindentation and adhesion measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Youfeng; Oh, Yunje; Stauffer, Douglas; Polycarpou, Andreas A.

2018-04-01

We present a highly sensitive force-displacement transducer capable of performing ultra-shallow nanoindentation and adhesion measurements. The transducer utilizes electrostatic actuation and capacitive sensing combined with microelectromechanical fabrication technologies. Air indentation experiments report a root-mean-square (RMS) force resolution of 1.8 nN and an RMS displacement resolution of 0.019 nm. Nanoindentation experiments on a standard fused quartz sample report a practical RMS force resolution of 5 nN and an RMS displacement resolution of 0.05 nm at sub-10 nm indentation depths, indicating that the system has a very low system noise for indentation experiments. The high sensitivity and low noise enables the transducer to obtain high-resolution nanoindentation data at sub-5 nm contact depths. The sensitive force transducer is used to successfully perform nanoindentation measurements on a 14 nm thin film. Adhesion measurements were also performed, clearly capturing the pull-on and pull-off forces during approach and separation of two contacting surfaces.

Using organizational and clinical performance data to increase the value of mental health care.

PubMed

Schmidt, Eric M; Krahn, Dean D; McGuire, Marsden H; Tavakoli, Sara; Wright, David M; Solares, Hugo E; Lemke, Sonne; Trafton, Jodie

2017-02-01

U.S. health systems, policy makers, and patients increasingly demand high-value care that improves health outcomes at lower cost. This study describes the initial design and analysis of the Mental Health Management System (MHMS), a performance data and quality improvement tool used by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to increase the value of its mental health care. The MHMS evaluates access to and quality of mental health care, organizational structure and efficiency, implementation of innovative treatment options, and, in collaboration with management, resource needs for delivering care. Performance on 31 measures was calculated for all U.S. VHA facilities (N = 139). Pearson correlations revealed that better access to care was significantly associated with fewer mental health provider staffing vacancies (r = -.24) and higher staff-to-patient ratios for psychiatrists (r = .19) and other outpatient mental health providers (r = .27). Higher staff-to-patient ratios were significantly associated with higher performance on a number of patient and provider satisfaction measures (range of r = .18-.51) and continuity of care measures (range of r = .26-.43). Relationships observed between organizational and clinical performance measures suggest that the MHMS is a robust informatics and quality improvement tool that can serve as a model for health systems planning to adopt a value perspective. Future research should expand the MHMS framework to measure patient and health systems costs and psychosocial outcomes, as well as evaluate whether quality improvement solutions implemented as a result of using organizational information leads to higher-value mental health care. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

An Adaptive Low-Cost INS/GNSS Tightly-Coupled Integration Architecture Based on Redundant Measurement Noise Covariance Estimation.

PubMed

Li, Zheng; Zhang, Hai; Zhou, Qifan; Che, Huan

2017-09-05

The main objective of the introduced study is to design an adaptive Inertial Navigation System/Global Navigation Satellite System (INS/GNSS) tightly-coupled integration system that can provide more reliable navigation solutions by making full use of an adaptive Kalman filter (AKF) and satellite selection algorithm. To achieve this goal, we develop a novel redundant measurement noise covariance estimation (RMNCE) theorem, which adaptively estimates measurement noise properties by analyzing the difference sequences of system measurements. The proposed RMNCE approach is then applied to design both a modified weighted satellite selection algorithm and a type of adaptive unscented Kalman filter (UKF) to improve the performance of the tightly-coupled integration system. In addition, an adaptive measurement noise covariance expanding algorithm is developed to mitigate outliers when facing heavy multipath and other harsh situations. Both semi-physical simulation and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed architecture and were compared with state-of-the-art algorithms. The results validate that the RMNCE provides a significant improvement in the measurement noise covariance estimation and the proposed architecture can improve the accuracy and reliability of the INS/GNSS tightly-coupled systems. The proposed architecture can effectively limit positioning errors under conditions of poor GNSS measurement quality and outperforms all the compared schemes.

An Adaptive Low-Cost INS/GNSS Tightly-Coupled Integration Architecture Based on Redundant Measurement Noise Covariance Estimation

PubMed Central

Li, Zheng; Zhang, Hai; Zhou, Qifan; Che, Huan

2017-01-01

The main objective of the introduced study is to design an adaptive Inertial Navigation System/Global Navigation Satellite System (INS/GNSS) tightly-coupled integration system that can provide more reliable navigation solutions by making full use of an adaptive Kalman filter (AKF) and satellite selection algorithm. To achieve this goal, we develop a novel redundant measurement noise covariance estimation (RMNCE) theorem, which adaptively estimates measurement noise properties by analyzing the difference sequences of system measurements. The proposed RMNCE approach is then applied to design both a modified weighted satellite selection algorithm and a type of adaptive unscented Kalman filter (UKF) to improve the performance of the tightly-coupled integration system. In addition, an adaptive measurement noise covariance expanding algorithm is developed to mitigate outliers when facing heavy multipath and other harsh situations. Both semi-physical simulation and field experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the proposed architecture and were compared with state-of-the-art algorithms. The results validate that the RMNCE provides a significant improvement in the measurement noise covariance estimation and the proposed architecture can improve the accuracy and reliability of the INS/GNSS tightly-coupled systems. The proposed architecture can effectively limit positioning errors under conditions of poor GNSS measurement quality and outperforms all the compared schemes. PMID:28872629

Movement analysis of upper limb during resistance training using general purpose robot arm "PA10"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morita, Yoshifumi; Yamamoto, Takashi; Suzuki, Takahiro; Hirose, Akinori; Ukai, Hiroyuki; Matsui, Nobuyuki

2005-12-01

In this paper we perform movement analysis of an upper limb during resistance training. We selected sanding training, which is one type of resistance training for upper limbs widely performed in occupational therapy. Our final aims in the future are to quantitatively evaluate the therapeutic effect of upper limb motor function during training and to develop a new rehabilitation training support system. For these purposes, first of all we perform movement analysis using a conventional training tool. By measuring upper limb motion during the sanding training we perform feature abstraction. Next we perform movement analysis using the simulated sanding training system. This system is constructed using the general purpose robot arm "PA10". This system enables us to measure the force/torque exerted by subjects and to easily change the load of resistance. The control algorithm is based on impedance control. We found these features of the upper limb motion during the sanding training.

A motion detection system for AXAF X-ray ground testing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arenberg, Jonathan W.; Texter, Scott C.

1993-01-01

The concept, implementation, and performance of the motion detection system (MDS) designed as a diagnostic for X-ray ground testing for AXAF are described. The purpose of the MDS is to measure the magnitude of a relative rigid body motion among the AXAF test optic, the X-ray source, and X-ray focal plane detector. The MDS consists of a point source, lens, centroid detector, transimpedance amplifier, and computer system. Measurement of the centroid position of the image of the optical point source provides a direct measure of the motions of the X-ray optical system. The outputs from the detector and filter/amplifier are digitized and processed using the calibration with a 50 Hz bandwidth to give the centroid's location on the detector. Resolution of 0.008 arcsec has been achieved by this system. Data illustrating the performance of the motion detection system are also presented.

LIHE Spectral Dynamics and Jaguar Data Acquisition System Measurement Assurance Results 2014.

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

Covert, Timothy T.; Willis, Michael David; Radtke, Gregg Arthur

2015-06-01

The Light Initiated High Explosive (LIHE) facility performs high rigor, high consequence impulse testing for the nuclear weapons (NW) community. To support the facility mission, LIHE's extensive data acquisition system (DAS) is comprised of several discrete components as well as a fully integrated system. Due to the high consequence and high rigor of the testing performed at LIHE, a measurement assurance plan (MAP) was developed in collaboration with NW system customers to meet their data quality needs and to provide assurance of the robustness of the LIHE DAS. While individual components of the DAS have been calibrated by the SNLmore » Primary Standards Laboratory (PSL), the integrated nature of this complex system requires verification of the complete system, from end-to-end. This measurement assurance plan (MAP) report documents the results of verification and validation procedures used to ensure that the data quality meets customer requirements.« less

Public satisfaction as a measure of health system performance: a study of nine countries in the former Soviet Union.

PubMed

Footman, Katharine; Roberts, Bayard; Mills, Anne; Richardson, Erica; McKee, Martin

2013-09-01

Measurement of health system performance increasingly includes the views of healthcare users, yet little research has focussed on general population satisfaction with health systems. This study is the first to examine public satisfaction with health systems in the former Soviet Union (fSU). Data were derived from two related studies conducted in 2001 and 2010 in nine fSU countries, using nationally representative cross-sectional surveys. The prevalence of health system satisfaction in each country was compared for 2001 and 2010. Patterns of satisfaction were further examined by comparing satisfaction with the health system and other parts of the public sector, and the views of health care users and non-users. Potential determinants of population satisfaction were explored using logistic regression. For all countries combined, the level of satisfaction with health systems increased from 19.4% in 2001 to 40.6% in 2010, but varied considerably by country. Changes in satisfaction with the health system were similar to changes with the public sector, and non-users of healthcare were slightly more likely to report satisfaction than users. Characteristics associated with higher satisfaction include younger age, lower education, higher economic status, rural residency, better health status, and higher levels of political trust. Our results suggest that satisfaction can provide useful insight into public opinion on health system performance, particularly when used in conjunction with other subjective measures of satisfaction with government performance. Copyright © 2013 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Fixed Equipment in the Energy Systems Integration Facility | Energy Systems

Science.gov Websites

dynamic simulation of future energy systems. Photo of a robot used to test hydrogen coupling hardware. At test chambers (rated up to 60°C) for testing HVAC systems under simulated loading conditions Two bench performance Test stand for measuring performance of receiver tubes for concentrating solar power applications

Coagulation measurement from whole blood using vibrating optical fiber in a disposable cartridge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yaraş, Yusuf Samet; Gündüz, Ali Bars; Saǧlam, Gökhan; Ölçer, Selim; Civitçi, Fehmi; Baris, İbrahim; Yaralioǧlu, Göksenin; Urey, Hakan

2017-11-01

In clinics, blood coagulation time measurements are performed using mechanical measurements with blood plasma. Such measurements are challenging to do in a lab-on-a-chip (LoC) system using a small volume of whole blood. Existing LoC systems use indirect measurement principles employing optical or electrochemical methods. We developed an LoC system using mechanical measurements with a small volume of whole blood without requiring sample preparation. The measurement is performed in a microfluidic channel where two fibers are placed inline with a small gap in between. The first fiber operates near its mechanical resonance using remote magnetic actuation and immersed in the sample. The second fiber is a pick-up fiber acting as an optical sensor. The microfluidic channel is engineered innovatively such that the blood does not block the gap between the vibrating fiber and the pick-up fiber, resulting in high signal-to-noise ratio optical output. The control plasma test results matched well with the plasma manufacturer's datasheet. Activated-partial-thromboplastin-time tests were successfully performed also with human whole blood samples, and the method is proven to be effective. Simplicity of the cartridge design and cost of readily available materials enable a low-cost point-of-care device for blood coagulation measurements.

Coagulation measurement from whole blood using vibrating optical fiber in a disposable cartridge.

PubMed

Yaraş, Yusuf Samet; Gündüz, Ali Bars; Sağlam, Gökhan; Ölçer, Selim; Civitçi, Fehmi; Baris, İbrahim; Yaralioğlu, Göksenin; Urey, Hakan

2017-11-01

In clinics, blood coagulation time measurements are performed using mechanical measurements with blood plasma. Such measurements are challenging to do in a lab-on-a-chip (LoC) system using a small volume of whole blood. Existing LoC systems use indirect measurement principles employing optical or electrochemical methods. We developed an LoC system using mechanical measurements with a small volume of whole blood without requiring sample preparation. The measurement is performed in a microfluidic channel where two fibers are placed inline with a small gap in between. The first fiber operates near its mechanical resonance using remote magnetic actuation and immersed in the sample. The second fiber is a pick-up fiber acting as an optical sensor. The microfluidic channel is engineered innovatively such that the blood does not block the gap between the vibrating fiber and the pick-up fiber, resulting in high signal-to-noise ratio optical output. The control plasma test results matched well with the plasma manufacturer's datasheet. Activated-partial-thromboplastin-time tests were successfully performed also with human whole blood samples, and the method is proven to be effective. Simplicity of the cartridge design and cost of readily available materials enable a low-cost point-of-care device for blood coagulation measurements. (2017) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE).

Relationship between quality of care and choice of clinical computing system: retrospective analysis of family practice performance under the UK's quality and outcomes framework.

PubMed

Kontopantelis, Evangelos; Buchan, Iain; Reeves, David; Checkland, Kath; Doran, Tim

2013-08-02

To investigate the relationship between performance on the UK Quality and Outcomes Framework pay-for-performance scheme and choice of clinical computer system. Retrospective longitudinal study. Data for 2007-2008 to 2010-2011, extracted from the clinical computer systems of general practices in England. All English practices participating in the pay-for-performance scheme: average 8257 each year, covering over 99% of the English population registered with a general practice. Levels of achievement on 62 quality-of-care indicators, measured as: reported achievement (levels of care after excluding inappropriate patients); population achievement (levels of care for all patients with the relevant condition) and percentage of available quality points attained. Multilevel mixed effects multiple linear regression models were used to identify population, practice and clinical computing system predictors of achievement. Seven clinical computer systems were consistently active in the study period, collectively holding approximately 99% of the market share. Of all population and practice characteristics assessed, choice of clinical computing system was the strongest predictor of performance across all three outcome measures. Differences between systems were greatest for intermediate outcomes indicators (eg, control of cholesterol levels). Under the UK's pay-for-performance scheme, differences in practice performance were associated with the choice of clinical computing system. This raises the question of whether particular system characteristics facilitate higher quality of care, better data recording or both. Inconsistencies across systems need to be understood and addressed, and researchers need to be cautious when generalising findings from samples of providers using a single computing system.

Performance Modeling of an Airborne Raman Water Vapor Lidar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whiteman, D. N.; Schwemmer, G.; Berkoff, T.; Plotkin, H.; Ramos-Izquierdo, L.; Pappalardo, G.

2000-01-01

A sophisticated Raman lidar numerical model had been developed. The model has been used to simulate the performance of two ground-based Raman water vapor lidar systems. After tuning the model using these ground-based measurements, the model is used to simulate the water vapor measurement capability of an airborne Raman lidar under both day-and night-time conditions for a wide range of water vapor conditions. The results indicate that, under many circumstances, the daytime measurements possess comparable resolution to an existing airborne differential absorption water vapor lidar while the nighttime measurement have higher resolution. In addition, a Raman lidar is capable of measurements not possible using a differential absorption system.

Effects of System Timing Parameters on Operator Performance in a Personnel Records Task

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-03-01

work sampling, embedded performance measures, and operator satisfaction ratings) are needed to provide a complete analysis of the effects of the four...HFL-8 l-l/NPRDC-8 1-1 March 1981 EFFECTS OF SYSTEM TIMING PARAMETERS ON OPERATOR PERFORMANCE IN A PERSONNEL RECORDS TASK Robert C. Williges Beverly H...and Subtitle) S. TYPE OF REPORT & PERIOD COVERED EFFECTS OF SYSTEM TIMING PARAMETERS ON OPERATOR PERFORMANCE IN A PERSONNEL RECORDS TASK Final

Factors associated with compliance to AHA/ACC performance measures in a myocardial infarction system of care in Brazil.

PubMed

Lana, Maria Letícia L; Beaton, Andrea Z; Brant, Luisa C C; Bozzi, Isadora C R S; de Magalhães, Osias; Castro, Luiz Ricardo de A; da Silva Júnior, Francisco César T; da Silva, José Luiz P; Ribeiro, Antonio Luiz P; Nascimento, Bruno R

2017-08-01

To evaluate compliance with American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology (AHA/ACC) performance measures for adults with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and to investigate the factors associated with compliance, in an AMI System of Care in Brazil. Observational longitudinal study. A high-complexity University Hospital, part of the AMI System of Care implemented in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 2010. Of note, 1129 patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) and non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI) admitted to a single center over 36 months (between 2011 and 2014). Compliance with 13 pre-specified AHA/ACC AMI performance measures was evaluated for patients with AMI, observing exclusion criteria and appropriate numerators and denominators. Median compliance was calculated and variables independently associated with compliance rates were evaluated. Median age was 60 (51/68) years, 67.7% male, 69.8% presented with STEMI and hospital mortality was 8.7%. Median compliance with performance measures was 83% (75/88). Among patients with STEMI, 56% received reperfusion therapy. Overall, 67.3% of patients complied with ≥80% of quality measures. Factors independently associated with better compliance were later date of presentation (semester), likely reflecting ongoing training (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.10-1.28, P < 0.001), male gender (OR = 1.33, 95% CI: 1.00-1.76, P < 0.046), Killip I/II on admission (OR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.36-2.80, P < 0.001) and diagnosis of NSTEMI (OR = 5.0, 95% CI: 3.51-7.11, P < 0.001). Compliance with AHA/ACC AMI performance measures remains below target in Brazil, but the time trends observed suggest improvement. Continuing education, reduction of system delays and prioritizing high-risk groups are needed to optimize AMI systems of care and improve patient outcomes. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with the International Society for Quality in Health Care. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Analysis of Technology for Solid State Coherent Lidar

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin

1997-01-01

Over the past few years, considerable advances have been made in the areas of the diode-pumped, eye-safe, solid state lasers, wide bandwidth, semiconductor detectors operating in the near-infrared region. These advances have created new possibilities for the development of low-cost, reliable, and compact coherent lidar systems for measurements of atmospheric winds and aerosol backscattering from a space-based platform. The work performed by the UAH personnel concentrated on design and analyses of solid state pulsed coherent lidar systems capable of measuring atmospheric winds from space, and design and perform laboratory experiments and measurements in support of solid state laser radar remote sensing systems which are to be designed, deployed, and used by NASA to measure atmospheric processes and constituents. A lidar testbed system was designed and analyzed by considering the major space operational and environmental requirements, and its associated physical constraints. The lidar optical system includes a wedge scanner and the compact telescope designed by the UAH personnel. The other major optical components included in the design and analyses were: polarizing beam splitter, routing mirrors, wave plates, signal beam derotator, and lag angle compensator. The testbed lidar optical train was designed and analyzed, and different design options for mounting and packaging the lidar subsystems and components and support structure were investigated. All the optical components are to be mounted in a stress-free and stable manner to allow easy integration and alignment, and long term stability. This lidar system is also intended to be used for evaluating the performance of various lidar subsystems and components that are to be integrated into a flight unit and for demonstrating the integrity of the signal processing algorithms by performing actual atmospheric measurements from a ground station.

The Statistical Loop Analyzer (SLA)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lindsey, W. C.

1985-01-01

The statistical loop analyzer (SLA) is designed to automatically measure the acquisition, tracking and frequency stability performance characteristics of symbol synchronizers, code synchronizers, carrier tracking loops, and coherent transponders. Automated phase lock and system level tests can also be made using the SLA. Standard baseband, carrier and spread spectrum modulation techniques can be accomodated. Through the SLA's phase error jitter and cycle slip measurements the acquisition and tracking thresholds of the unit under test are determined; any false phase and frequency lock events are statistically analyzed and reported in the SLA output in probabilistic terms. Automated signal drop out tests can be performed in order to trouble shoot algorithms and evaluate the reacquisition statistics of the unit under test. Cycle slip rates and cycle slip probabilities can be measured using the SLA. These measurements, combined with bit error probability measurements, are all that are needed to fully characterize the acquisition and tracking performance of a digital communication system.

Miniaturisation of Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurement Systems Using Low-Cost, Miniaturised Machine Vision Cameras.

PubMed

Quinn, Mark Kenneth; Spinosa, Emanuele; Roberts, David A

2017-07-25

Measurements of pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) have been performed using new or non-scientific imaging technology based on machine vision tools. Machine vision camera systems are typically used for automated inspection or process monitoring. Such devices offer the benefits of lower cost and reduced size compared with typically scientific-grade cameras; however, their optical qualities and suitability have yet to be determined. This research intends to show relevant imaging characteristics and also show the applicability of such imaging technology for PSP. Details of camera performance are benchmarked and compared to standard scientific imaging equipment and subsequent PSP tests are conducted using a static calibration chamber. The findings demonstrate that machine vision technology can be used for PSP measurements, opening up the possibility of performing measurements on-board small-scale model such as those used for wind tunnel testing or measurements in confined spaces with limited optical access.

Miniaturisation of Pressure-Sensitive Paint Measurement Systems Using Low-Cost, Miniaturised Machine Vision Cameras

PubMed Central

Spinosa, Emanuele; Roberts, David A.

2017-01-01

Measurements of pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) have been performed using new or non-scientific imaging technology based on machine vision tools. Machine vision camera systems are typically used for automated inspection or process monitoring. Such devices offer the benefits of lower cost and reduced size compared with typically scientific-grade cameras; however, their optical qualities and suitability have yet to be determined. This research intends to show relevant imaging characteristics and also show the applicability of such imaging technology for PSP. Details of camera performance are benchmarked and compared to standard scientific imaging equipment and subsequent PSP tests are conducted using a static calibration chamber. The findings demonstrate that machine vision technology can be used for PSP measurements, opening up the possibility of performing measurements on-board small-scale model such as those used for wind tunnel testing or measurements in confined spaces with limited optical access. PMID:28757553

A Statistical Evaluation of the Diagnostic Performance of MEDAS-The Medical Emergency Decision Assistance System

PubMed Central

Georgakis, D. Christine; Trace, David A.; Naeymi-Rad, Frank; Evens, Martha

1990-01-01

Medical expert systems require comprehensive evaluation of their diagnostic accuracy. The usefulness of these systems is limited without established evaluation methods. We propose a new methodology for evaluating the diagnostic accuracy and the predictive capacity of a medical expert system. We have adapted to the medical domain measures that have been used in the social sciences to examine the performance of human experts in the decision making process. Thus, in addition to the standard summary measures, we use measures of agreement and disagreement, and Goodman and Kruskal's λ and τ measures of predictive association. This methodology is illustrated by a detailed retrospective evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of the MEDAS system. In a study using 270 patients admitted to the North Chicago Veterans Administration Hospital, diagnoses produced by MEDAS are compared with the discharge diagnoses of the attending physicians. The results of the analysis confirm the high diagnostic accuracy and predictive capacity of the MEDAS system. Overall, the agreement of the MEDAS system with the “gold standard” diagnosis of the attending physician has reached a 90% level.

Exploring the state of health and safety management system performance measurement in mining organizations.

PubMed

Haas, Emily Joy; Yorio, Patrick

2016-03-01

Complex arguments continue to be articulated regarding the theoretical foundation of health and safety management system (HSMS) performance measurement. The culmination of these efforts has begun to enhance a collective understanding. Despite this enhanced theoretical understanding, however, there are still continuing debates and little consensus. The goal of the current research effort was to empirically explore common methods to HSMS performance measurement in mining organizations. The purpose was to determine if value and insight could be added into the ongoing approaches of the best ways to engage in health and safety performance measurement. Nine site-level health and safety management professionals were provided with 133 practices corresponding to 20 HSMS elements, each fitting into the plan, do, check, act phases common to most HSMS. Participants were asked to supply detailed information as to how they (1) assess the performance of each practice in their organization, or (2) would assess each practice if it were an identified strategic imperative. Qualitative content analysis indicated that the approximately 1200 responses provided could be described and categorized into interventions , organizational performance , and worker performance . A discussion of how these categories relate to existing indicator frameworks is provided. The analysis also revealed divergence in two important measurement issues; (1) quantitative vs qualitative measurement and reporting; and (2) the primary use of objective or subjective metrics. In lieu of these findings we ultimately recommend a balanced measurement and reporting approach within the three metric categories and conclude with suggestions for future research.

Exploring the state of health and safety management system performance measurement in mining organizations

PubMed Central

Haas, Emily Joy; Yorio, Patrick

2016-01-01

Complex arguments continue to be articulated regarding the theoretical foundation of health and safety management system (HSMS) performance measurement. The culmination of these efforts has begun to enhance a collective understanding. Despite this enhanced theoretical understanding, however, there are still continuing debates and little consensus. The goal of the current research effort was to empirically explore common methods to HSMS performance measurement in mining organizations. The purpose was to determine if value and insight could be added into the ongoing approaches of the best ways to engage in health and safety performance measurement. Nine site-level health and safety management professionals were provided with 133 practices corresponding to 20 HSMS elements, each fitting into the plan, do, check, act phases common to most HSMS. Participants were asked to supply detailed information as to how they (1) assess the performance of each practice in their organization, or (2) would assess each practice if it were an identified strategic imperative. Qualitative content analysis indicated that the approximately 1200 responses provided could be described and categorized into interventions, organizational performance, and worker performance. A discussion of how these categories relate to existing indicator frameworks is provided. The analysis also revealed divergence in two important measurement issues; (1) quantitative vs qualitative measurement and reporting; and (2) the primary use of objective or subjective metrics. In lieu of these findings we ultimately recommend a balanced measurement and reporting approach within the three metric categories and conclude with suggestions for future research. PMID:26823642

An automated system for chromosome analysis. Volume 1: Goals, system design, and performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Castleman, K. R.; Melnyk, J. H.

1975-01-01

The design, construction, and testing of a complete system to produce karyotypes and chromosome measurement data from human blood samples, and a basis for statistical analysis of quantitative chromosome measurement data is described. The prototype was assembled, tested, and evaluated on clinical material and thoroughly documented.

Building a generalized distributed system model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mukkamala, Ravi

1991-01-01

A number of topics related to building a generalized distributed system model are discussed. The effects of distributed database modeling on evaluation of transaction rollbacks, the measurement of effects of distributed database models on transaction availability measures, and a performance analysis of static locking in replicated distributed database systems are covered.

40 CFR Appendix E to Part 52 - Performance Specifications and, Specification Test Procedures for Monitoring Systems for Effluent...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... rate at the time of the measurements is zero. 3.4Calibration drift. The change in measurement system... reference value (paragraph 6.3.1). Zero drift (24 hours) zero drift, calibration drift, and operation period. 5.1.1System...

40 CFR Appendix E to Part 52 - Performance Specifications and, Specification Test Procedures for Monitoring Systems for Effluent...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... rate at the time of the measurements is zero. 3.4Calibration drift. The change in measurement system... reference value (paragraph 6.3.1). Zero drift (24 hours) zero drift, calibration drift, and operation period. 5.1.1System...

40 CFR Appendix E to Part 52 - Performance Specifications and, Specification Test Procedures for Monitoring Systems for Effluent...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... rate at the time of the measurements is zero. 3.4Calibration drift. The change in measurement system... reference value (paragraph 6.3.1). Zero drift (24 hours) zero drift, calibration drift, and operation period. 5.1.1System...

ITS data quality control and the calculation of mobility performance measures

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-09-01

This report describes the results of research on the use of intelligent transportation system (ITS) data in calculating mobility performance measures for ITS operations. The report also describes a data quality control process developed for the Trans...

A Global Approach to Delta Differential One-Way Range

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Border, James S.

2006-01-01

Radio interferometric techniques for measuring spacecraft angular position play a role of increasing importance in today's missions of interplanetary exploration. Several national and international space agencies have or are developing operational systems to support spacecraft navigation using interferometric measurements. NASA's Deep Space Network has provided Delta Differential One-way Range ((Delta)DOR) for this purpose since 1980. Steady improvements in system performance and operability have taken place with accuracy today approaching the 1-nrad level. In this paper the current performance of NASA's (Delta)DOR system is presented. Recent data from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter cruise from Earth to Mars are used to illustrate system performance at 8.4 and 32 GHz. Technical feasibility and requirements for combining tracking stations from different agencies to support (Delta)DOR observations are discussed. The advantages of having additional stations to form baselines for measurements are presented. Results of a covariance study for encounter targeting are given for a candidate mission that may need (Delta)DOR data from additional baselines.

The Role of Reliability, Vulnerability and Resilience in the Management of Water Quality Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lence, B. J.; Maier, H. R.

2001-05-01

The risk based performance indicators reliability, vulnerability and resilience provide measures of the frequency, magnitude and duration of the failure of water resources systems, respectively. They have been applied primarily to water supply problems, including the assessment of the performance of reservoirs and water distribution systems. Applications to water quality case studies have been limited, although the need to consider the length and magnitude of violations of a particular water quality standard has been recognized for some time. In this research, the role of reliability, vulnerability and resilience in water quality management applications is investigated by examining their significance as performance measures for water quality systems and assessing their potential for assisting in decision making processes. The importance of each performance indicator is discussed and a framework for classifying such systems, based on the relative significance of each of these indicators, is introduced and illustrated qualitatively with various case studies. Quantitative examples drawn from both lake and river water quality modeling exercises are then provided.

Acoustic systems for the measurement of streamflow

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laenen, Antonius; Smith, Winchell

1982-01-01

Very little information is available concerning acoustic velocity meter (AVM) operation, performance, and limitations. This report provides a better understanding about the application of AVM instrumentation to streamflow measurment. Operational U.S. Geological Survey systems have proven that AVM equipment is accurate and dependable. AVM equipment has no practical upper limit of measureable velocity if sonic transducers are securely placed and adequately protected, and will measure velocitites as low as 0.1 meter per second which is normally less than the threshold level for mechanical or head-loss meters. In some situations the performance of AVM equipment may be degraded by multipath interference, signal bending, signal attenuation, and variable streamline orientation. Smaller, less-expensive, more conveniently operable microprocessor equipment is now available which should increase use of AVM systems in streamflow applications. (USGS)

Theoretical Study of Wave Particle Correlation Measurement via 1-D Electromagnetic Particle Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ueda, Yoshikatsu; Omura, Yoshiharu; Kojima, Hiro

Spacecraft observation is essentially "one-point measurement", while numerical simulation can reproduce a whole system of physical processes on a computer. By performing particle simulations of plasma wave instabilities and calculating correlation of waves and particles observed at a single point, we examine how well we can infer the characteristics of the whole system by a one-point measurement. We perform various simulation runs with different plasma parameters using one-dimensional electromagnetic particle code (KEMPO1) and calculate 'E dot v' or other moments at a single point. We find good correlation between the measurement and the macroscopic fluctuations of the total simulation region. We make use of the results of the computer experiments in our system design of new instruments 'One-chip Wave Particle Interaction Analyzer (OWPIA)'.

Two-D results on human operator perception

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siapkara, A. A.; Sheridan, T. B.

1981-01-01

The application of multidimensional scaling methodology in human factors engineering is presented. The nonorthogonality of internally perceived task variables is exhibited for first and second order plants with both dependent and independent task variables. Directions of operator preference are shown for actual performance, pilot opinion rating, and subjective measures of fatigue, adaptability, and system recognition. Improvement of performance in second order systems is exhibited by the use of bang-bang feedback information. Dissimilarity measures for system comparison are suggested in order to account for human operator rotations and subjective sense of time.

Predictability of Brayton electric power system performance

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klann, J. L.; Hettel, H. J.

1972-01-01

Data from the first tests of the 2- to 15-kilowatt space power system in a vacuum chamber were compared with predictions of both a pretest analysis and a modified version of that analysis. The pretest analysis predicted test results with differences of no more than 9 percent of the largest measured value for each quantity. The modified analysis correlated measurements. Differences in conversion efficiency and power output were no greater than plus or minus 2.5 percent. This modified analysis was used to project space performance maps for the current test system.

Loudspeakers: Modeling and control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Ali, Khalid Mohammad

This thesis documented a comprehensive study of loudspeaker modeling and control. A lumped-parameter model for a voice-coil loudspeaker in a vented enclosure was presented that derived from a consideration of physical principles. In addition, a low-frequency (20 Hz to 100 Hz), feedback control method designed to improve the nonlinear performance of the loudspeaker and a suitable performance measure for use in design and evaluation were proposed. Data from experiments performed on a variety of actual loudspeakers confirmed the practicality of the theory developed in this work. The lumped-parameter loudspeaker model, although simple, captured much of the nonlinear behavior of the loudspeaker. In addition, the model formulation allowed a straightforward application of modern control system methods and lent itself well to modern parametric identification techniques. The nonlinear performance of the loudspeaker system was evaluated using a suitable distortion measure that was proposed and compared with other distortion measures currently used in practice. Furthermore, the linearizing effect of feedback using a linear controller (both static and dynamic) was studied on a class of nonlinear systems. The results illustrated that the distortion reduction was potentially significant and a useful upper bound on the closed-loop distortion was found based on the sensitivity function of the system's linearization. A feedback scheme based on robust control theory was chosen for application to the loudspeaker system. Using the pressure output of the loudspeaker system for feedback, the technique offered significant advantages over those previously attempted. Illustrative examples were presented that proved the applicability of the theory developed in this dissertation to a variety of loudspeaker systems. The examples included a vented loudspeaker model and actual loudspeakers enclosed in both vented and sealed configurations. In each example, predictable and measurable distortion reduction at the output of the closed-loop system was recorded.

Methods of Constructing a Blended Performance Function Suitable for Formation Flight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ryan, Jack

2017-01-01

Two methods for constructing performance functions for formation fight-for-drag-reduction suitable for use with an extreme-seeking control system are presented. The first method approximates an a prior measured or estimated drag-reduction performance function by combining real-time measurements of readily available parameters. The parameters are combined with weightings determined from a minimum squares optimization to form a blended performance function.

Measurements over distributed high performance computing and storage systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Elizabeth; Myers, Tom

1993-01-01

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

Measurement scheme for purity based on two two-body gates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakazato, H.; Tanaka, T.; Yuasa, K.; Florio, G.; Pascazio, S.

2012-04-01

A scheme for measuring the purity of a quantum system with a finite number of levels is presented. The method makes use of two swap gates and hinges only on measurements performed on a reference system, prepared in a certain pure state and coupled with the target system. Neither tomographic methods, with the complete reconstruction of the state, nor interferometric setups are needed.

Measurement system analysis of viscometers used for drilling mud characterization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mat-Shayuti, M. S.; Adzhar, S. N.

2017-07-01

Viscometers in the Faculty of Chemical Engineering, University Teknologi MARA, are subject to heavy utilization from the members of the faculty. Due to doubts surrounding their result integrity and maintenance management, Measurement System Analysis was executed. 5 samples of drilling muds with varied barite content from 5 - 25 weight% were prepared and their rheological properties determined in 3 trials by 3 operators using the viscometers. Gage Linearity and Bias Study were performed using Minitab software and the result shows high biases in the range of 19.2% to 38.7%, with non-linear trend along the span of measurements. Gage Repeatability & Reproducibility (Nested) analysis later produces Percent Repeatability & Reproducibility more than 7.7% and Percent Tolerance above 30%. Lastly, good and marginal Distinct Categories output are seen among the results. Despite acceptable performance of the measurement system in Distinct Categories, the poor results in accuracy, linearity, and Percent Repeatability & Reproducibility render the gage generally not capable. Improvement to the measurement system is imminent.

Microdose acquisition in adolescent leg length discrepancy using a low-dose biplane imaging system.

PubMed

Jensen, Janni; Mussmann, Bo R; Hjarbæk, John; Al-Aubaidi, Zaid; Pedersen, Niels W; Gerke, Oke; Torfing, Trine

2017-09-01

Background Children with leg length discrepancy often undergo repeat imaging. Therefore, every effort to reduce radiation dose is important. Using low dose preview images and noise reduction software rather than diagnostic images for length measurements might contribute to reducing dose. Purpose To compare leg length measurements performed on diagnostic images and low dose preview images both acquired using a low-dose bi-planar imaging system. Material and Methods Preview and diagnostic images from 22 patients were retrospectively collected (14 girls, 8 boys; mean age, 12.8 years; age range, 10-15 years). All images were anonymized and measured independently by two musculoskeletal radiologists. Three sets of measurements were performed on all images; the mechanical axis lines of the femur and the tibia as well as the anatomical line of the entire extremity. Statistical significance was tested with a paired t-test. Results No statistically significant difference was found between measurements performed on the preview and on the diagnostic image. The mean tibial length difference between the observers was -0.06 cm (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.12 to 0.01) and -0.08 cm (95% CI, -0.21 to 0.05), respectively; 0.10 cm (95% CI, 0.02-0.17) and 0.06 cm (95% CI, -0.02 to 0.14) for the femoral measurements and 0.12 cm (95% CI, -0.05 to 0.26) and 0.08 cm (95% CI, -0.02 to 0.19) for total leg length discrepancy. ICCs were >0.99 indicating excellent inter- and intra-rater reliability. Conclusion The data strongly imply that leg length measurements performed on preview images from a low-dose bi-planar imaging system are comparable to measurements performed on diagnostic images.

Select Methodology for Validating Advanced Satellite Measurement Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Larar, Allen M.; Zhou, Daniel K.; Liu, Xi; Smith, William L.

2008-01-01

Advanced satellite sensors are tasked with improving global measurements of the Earth's atmosphere, clouds, and surface to enable enhancements in weather prediction, climate monitoring capability, and environmental change detection. Measurement system validation is crucial to achieving this goal and maximizing research and operational utility of resultant data. Field campaigns including satellite under-flights with well calibrated FTS sensors aboard high-altitude aircraft are an essential part of the validation task. This presentation focuses on an overview of validation methodology developed for assessment of high spectral resolution infrared systems, and includes results of preliminary studies performed to investigate the performance of the Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) instrument aboard the MetOp-A satellite.

Measuring and monitoring IT using a balanced scorecard approach.

PubMed

Gash, Deborah J; Hatton, Todd

2007-01-01

Ensuring that the information technology department is aligned with the overall health system strategy and is performing at a consistently high level is a priority at Saint Luke's Health System in Kansas City, Mo. The information technology department of Saint Luke's Health System has been using the balanced scorecard approach described in this article to measure and monitor its performance for four years. This article will review the structure of the IT department's scorecard; the categories and measures used; how benchmarks are determined; how linkage to the organizational scorecard is made; how results are reported; how changes are made to the scorecard; and tips for using a scorecard in other IT departments.

Performability modeling based on real data: A case study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsueh, M. C.; Iyer, R. K.; Trivedi, K. S.

1988-01-01

Described is a measurement-based performability model based on error and resource usage data collected on a multiprocessor system. A method for identifying the model structure is introduced and the resulting model is validated against real data. Model development from the collection of raw data to the estimation of the expected reward is described. Both normal and error behavior of the system are characterized. The measured data show that the holding times in key operational and error states are not simple exponentials and that a semi-Markov process is necessary to model system behavior. A reward function, based on the service rate and the error rate in each state, is then defined in order to estimate the performability of the system and to depict the cost of apparent types of errors.

Performability modeling based on real data: A casestudy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hsueh, M. C.; Iyer, R. K.; Trivedi, K. S.

1987-01-01

Described is a measurement-based performability model based on error and resource usage data collected on a multiprocessor system. A method for identifying the model structure is introduced and the resulting model is validated against real data. Model development from the collection of raw data to the estimation of the expected reward is described. Both normal and error behavior of the system are characterized. The measured data show that the holding times in key operational and error states are not simple exponentials and that a semi-Markov process is necessary to model the system behavior. A reward function, based on the service rate and the error rate in each state, is then defined in order to estimate the performability of the system and to depict the cost of different types of errors.

Sensor Networking Testbed with IEEE 1451 Compatibility and Network Performance Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gurkan, Deniz; Yuan, X.; Benhaddou, D.; Figueroa, F.; Morris, Jonathan

2007-01-01

Design and implementation of a testbed for testing and verifying IEEE 1451-compatible sensor systems with network performance monitoring is of significant importance. The performance parameters measurement as well as decision support systems implementation will enhance the understanding of sensor systems with plug-and-play capabilities. The paper will present the design aspects for such a testbed environment under development at University of Houston in collaboration with NASA Stennis Space Center - SSST (Smart Sensor System Testbed).

Modification of a compressor performance test bench for liquid slugging observation in refrigeration compressors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ola, Max; Thomas, Christiane; Hesse, Ullrich

2017-08-01

Compressor performance test procedures are defined by the standard DIN EN 13771, wherein a variety of possible calorimeter and flow rate measurement methods are suggested. One option is the selection of two independent measurement methods. The accuracies of both selected measurement methods are essential. The second option requires only one method. However the measurement accuracy of the used device has to be verified and recalibrated on a regular basis. The compressor performance test facility at the Technische Universitaet Dresden uses a calibrated flow measurement sensor, a hot gas bypass and a mixed flow heat exchanger. The test bench can easily be modified for tests of various compressor types at different operating ranges and with various refrigerants. In addition, the modified test setup enables the investigation of long term liquid slug and its effects on the compressor. The modification comprises observational components, adjustments of the control system, safety measures and a customized oil recirculation system for compressors which do not contain an integrated oil sump or oil level regulation system. This paper describes the setup of the test bench, its functional principle, the key modifications, first test results and an evaluation of the energy balance.

Laser Self-Mixing Fiber Bragg Grating Sensor for Acoustic Emission Measurement.

PubMed

Liu, Bin; Ruan, Yuxi; Yu, Yanguang; Xi, Jiangtao; Guo, Qinghua; Tong, Jun; Rajan, Ginu

2018-06-16

Fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is considered a good candidate for acoustic emission (AE) measurement. The sensing and measurement in traditional FBG-based AE systems are based on the variation in laser intensity induced by the Bragg wavelength shift. This paper presents a sensing system by combining self-mixing interference (SMI) in a laser diode and FBG for AE measurement, aiming to form a new compact and cost-effective sensing system. The measurement model of the overall system was derived. The performance of the presented system was investigated from both aspects of theory and experiment. The results show that the proposed system is able to measure AE events with high resolution and over a wide dynamic frequency range.

Introduction of an automated user-independent quantitative volumetric magnetic resonance imaging breast density measurement system using the Dixon sequence: comparison with mammographic breast density assessment.

PubMed

Wengert, Georg Johannes; Helbich, Thomas H; Vogl, Wolf-Dieter; Baltzer, Pascal; Langs, Georg; Weber, Michael; Bogner, Wolfgang; Gruber, Stephan; Trattnig, Siegfried; Pinker, Katja

2015-02-01

The purposes of this study were to introduce and assess an automated user-independent quantitative volumetric (AUQV) breast density (BD) measurement system on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using the Dixon technique as well as to compare it with qualitative and quantitative mammographic (MG) BD measurements. Forty-three women with normal mammogram results (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 1) were included in this institutional review board-approved prospective study. All participants were subjected to BD assessment with MRI using the following sequence with the Dixon technique (echo time/echo time, 6 milliseconds/2.45 milliseconds/2.67 milliseconds; 1-mm isotropic; 3 minutes 38 seconds). To test the reproducibility, a second MRI after patient repositioning was performed. The AUQV magnetic resonance (MR) BD measurement system automatically calculated percentage (%) BD. The qualitative BD assessment was performed using the American College of Radiology Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System BD categories. Quantitative BD was estimated semiautomatically using the thresholding technique Cumulus4. Appropriate statistical tests were used to assess the agreement between the AUQV MR measurements and to compare them with qualitative and quantitative MG BD estimations. The AUQV MR BD measurements were successfully performed in all 43 women. There was a nearly perfect agreement of AUQV MR BD measurements between the 2 MR examinations for % BD (P < 0.001; intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.998) with no significant differences (P = 0.384). The AUQV MR BD measurements were significantly lower than quantitative and qualitative MG BD assessment (P < 0.001). The AUQV MR BD measurement system allows a fully automated, user-independent, robust, reproducible, as well as radiation- and compression-free volumetric quantitative BD assessment through different levels of BD. The AUQV MR BD measurements were significantly lower than the currently used qualitative and quantitative MG-based approaches, implying that the current assessment might overestimate breast density with MG.

Design and testing of an innovative measurement device for tyre-road contact forces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheli, F.; Braghin, F.; Brusarosco, M.; Mancosu, F.; Sabbioni, E.

2011-08-01

The measurement of tyre-road contact forces is the first step towards the development of new control systems for improving vehicle safety and performances. Tyre-road contact forces measurement systems are very expensive and significantly modify the unsprung masses of the vehicle as well as the rotational inertia of the tyres. Thus, vehicle dynamics results are significantly affected. As a consequence, the measured contact forces do not correspond to the contact forces under real working conditions. A new low-cost tyre-road contact forces measurement system is proposed in this paper that can be applied to passenger cars. Its working principle is based on the measurement of three deformations of the wheel rim through strain gauges. The tyre-rim assembly is thus turned into a sensor for tyre-road contact forces. The influence of the strain gauges position onto the measurement results has been assessed through finite element simulations and experimental tests. It has been proven that, for a large variety of rims, the strain gauge position that leads to high signal-to-noise ratios is almost the same. A dynamic calibration procedure has been developed in order to allow the reconstruction of contact force and torque components once per wheel turn. The capability of the developed device to correctly estimate tyre-road contact forces has been assessed, in a first stage, through indoor laboratory experimental test on an MTS Flat-Trac ® testing machine. Results show that the implemented measuring system allows to reconstruct contact forces once per wheel turn with a precision that is comparable to that of existing high-cost measurement systems. Subsequently, outdoor tests with a vehicle having all four wheels equipped with the developed measuring device have also been performed. Reliability of the measurements provided by the developed sensor has been assessed by comparing the global measured longitudinal/lateral forces and the product of the measured longitudinal/lateral accelerations times the vehicle mass. A good agreement has been found during all the performed manoeuvres.

Detection of nitrogen dioxide by CW cavity-enhanced spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jie, Guo; Han, Ye-Xing; Yu, Zhi-Wei; Tang, Huai-Wu

2016-11-01

In the paper, an accurate and sensitive system was used to monitor the ambient atmospheric NO2 concentrations. This system utilizes cavity attenuated phase shift spectroscopy(CAPS), a technology related to cavity ring down spectroscopy(CRDS). Advantages of the CAPS system include such as: (1) cheap and easy to control the light source, (2) high accuracy, and (3) low detection limit. The performance of the CAPS system was evaluated by measuring of the stability and response of the system. The minima ( 0.08 ppb NO2) in the Allan plots show the optimum average time( 100s) for optimum detection performance of the CAPS system. Over a 20-day-long period of the ambient atmospheric NO2 concentrations monitoring, a comparison of the CAPS system with an extremely accurate and precise chemiluminescence-based NOx analyzer showed that the CAPS system was able to reliably and quantitatively measure both large and small fluctuations in the ambient nitrogen dioxide concentration. The experimental results show that the measuring instrument results correlation is 0.95.

Health systems performance in sub-Saharan Africa: governance, outcome and equity.

PubMed

Olafsdottir, Anna E; Reidpath, Daniel D; Pokhrel, Subhash; Allotey, Pascale

2011-04-16

The literature on health systems focuses largely on the performance of healthcare systems operationalised around indicators such as hospital beds, maternity care and immunisation coverage. A broader definition of health systems however, needs to include the wider determinants of health including, possibly, governance and its relationship to health and health equity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between health systems outcomes and equity, and governance as a part of a process to extend the range of indicators used to assess health systems performance. Using cross sectional data from 46 countries in the African region of the World Health Organization, an ecological analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between governance and health systems performance. The data were analysed using multiple linear regression and a standard progressive modelling procedure. The under-five mortality rate (U5MR) was used as the health outcome measure and the ratio of U5MR in the wealthiest and poorest quintiles was used as the measure of health equity. Governance was measured using two contextually relevant indices developed by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Governance was strongly associated with U5MR and moderately associated with the U5MR quintile ratio. After controlling for possible confounding by healthcare, finance, education, and water and sanitation, governance remained significantly associated with U5MR. Governance was not, however, significantly associated with equity in U5MR outcomes. This study suggests that the quality of governance may be an important structural determinant of health systems performance, and could be an indicator to be monitored. The association suggests there might be a causal relationship. However, the cross-sectional design, the level of missing data, and the small sample size, forces tentative conclusions. Further research will be needed to assess the causal relationship, and its generalizability beyond U5MR as a health outcome measure, as well as the geographical generalizability of the results.

Health systems performance in sub-Saharan Africa: governance, outcome and equity

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The literature on health systems focuses largely on the performance of healthcare systems operationalised around indicators such as hospital beds, maternity care and immunisation coverage. A broader definition of health systems however, needs to include the wider determinants of health including, possibly, governance and its relationship to health and health equity. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between health systems outcomes and equity, and governance as a part of a process to extend the range of indicators used to assess health systems performance. Methods Using cross sectional data from 46 countries in the African region of the World Health Organization, an ecological analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between governance and health systems performance. The data were analysed using multiple linear regression and a standard progressive modelling procedure. The under-five mortality rate (U5MR) was used as the health outcome measure and the ratio of U5MR in the wealthiest and poorest quintiles was used as the measure of health equity. Governance was measured using two contextually relevant indices developed by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation. Results Governance was strongly associated with U5MR and moderately associated with the U5MR quintile ratio. After controlling for possible confounding by healthcare, finance, education, and water and sanitation, governance remained significantly associated with U5MR. Governance was not, however, significantly associated with equity in U5MR outcomes. Conclusion This study suggests that the quality of governance may be an important structural determinant of health systems performance, and could be an indicator to be monitored. The association suggests there might be a causal relationship. However, the cross-sectional design, the level of missing data, and the small sample size, forces tentative conclusions. Further research will be needed to assess the causal relationship, and its generalizability beyond U5MR as a health outcome measure, as well as the geographical generalizability of the results. PMID:21496303

How Do States Integrate Performance Assessment in Their Systems of Assessment?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stosich, Elizabeth Leisy; Snyder, Jon; Wilczak, Katie

2018-01-01

This paper reviews state strategies for incorporating performance assessment in policy and practice. Specifically, the paper reviews the use of performance assessment in 12 states in the Innovation Lab Network, a group committed to developing systems of assessment that provide meaningful measures of college and career readiness. This review…

Incentives and Their Dynamics in Public Sector Performance Management Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heinrich, Carolyn J.; Marschke, Gerald

2010-01-01

We use the principal-agent model as a focal theoretical frame for synthesizing what we know, both theoretically and empirically, about the design and dynamics of the implementation of performance management systems in the public sector. In this context, we review the growing body of evidence about how performance measurement and incentive systems…

Sensitivity Analysis for Steady State Groundwater Flow Using Adjoint Operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sykes, J. F.; Wilson, J. L.; Andrews, R. W.

1985-03-01

Adjoint sensitivity theory is currently being considered as a potential method for calculating the sensitivity of nuclear waste repository performance measures to the parameters of the system. For groundwater flow systems, performance measures of interest include piezometric heads in the vicinity of a waste site, velocities or travel time in aquifers, and mass discharge to biosphere points. The parameters include recharge-discharge rates, prescribed boundary heads or fluxes, formation thicknesses, and hydraulic conductivities. The derivative of a performance measure with respect to the system parameters is usually taken as a measure of sensitivity. To calculate sensitivities, adjoint sensitivity equations are formulated from the equations describing the primary problem. The solution of the primary problem and the adjoint sensitivity problem enables the determination of all of the required derivatives and hence related sensitivity coefficients. In this study, adjoint sensitivity theory is developed for equations of two-dimensional steady state flow in a confined aquifer. Both the primary flow equation and the adjoint sensitivity equation are solved using the Galerkin finite element method. The developed computer code is used to investigate the regional flow parameters of the Leadville Formation of the Paradox Basin in Utah. The results illustrate the sensitivity of calculated local heads to the boundary conditions. Alternatively, local velocity related performance measures are more sensitive to hydraulic conductivities.

Analysis of measurements for solid state laser remote lidar system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Amzajerdian, Farzin

1995-01-01

The merits of using lidar systems for remote measurements of various atmospheric processes such as wind, turbulence, moisture, and aerosol concentration are widely recognized. Although the lidar technology has progressed considerably over the past two decades, significant research particularly in the area of solid state lidars remains to be conducted in order to fully exploit this technology. The work performed by the UAH (University of Alabama in Huntsville) personnel under this Delivery Order concentrated on analyses of measurements required in support of solid state laser remote sensing lidar systems which are to be designed, deployed, and used to measure atmospheric processes and constituents. UAH personnel has studied and recommended to NASA/MSFC the requirements of the optical systems needed to characterize the detection devices suitable for solid state wavelengths and to evaluate various heterodyne detection schemes. The 2-micron solid state laser technology was investigated and several preliminary laser designs were developed and their performance for remote sensing of atmospheric winds and clouds from a spaceborne platform were specified. In addition to the laser source and the detector, the other critical technologies necessary for global wind measurements by a spaceborne solid state coherent lidar systems were identified to be developed and demonstrated. As part of this work, an analysis was performed to determine the atmospheric wind velocity estimation accuracy using the line-of-sight measurements of a scanning coherent lidar. Under this delivery order, a computer database of materials related to the theory, development, testing, and operation of lidar systems was developed to serve as a source of information for lidar research and development.

The impact of sound-field systems on learning and attention in elementary school classrooms.

PubMed

Dockrell, Julie E; Shield, Bridget

2012-08-01

The authors evaluated the installation and use of sound-field systems to investigate the impact of these systems on teaching and learning in elementary school classrooms. Methods The evaluation included acoustic surveys of classrooms, questionnaire surveys of students and teachers, and experimental testing of students with and without the use of sound-field systems. In this article, the authors report students' perceptions of classroom environments and objective data evaluating change in performance on cognitive and academic assessments with amplification over a 6-month period. Teachers were positive about the use of sound-field systems in improving children's listening and attention to verbal instructions. Over time, students in amplified classrooms did not differ from those in nonamplified classrooms in their reports of listening conditions, nor did their performance differ in measures of numeracy, reading, or spelling. Use of sound-field systems in the classrooms resulted in significantly larger gains in performance in the number of correct items on the nonverbal measure of speed of processing and the measure of listening comprehension. Analysis controlling for classroom acoustics indicated that students' listening comprehension scores improved significantly in amplified classrooms with poorer acoustics but not in amplified classrooms with better acoustics. Both teacher ratings and student performance on standardized tests indicated that sound-field systems improved performance on children's understanding of spoken language. However, academic attainments showed no benefits from the use of sound-field systems. Classroom acoustics were a significant factor influencing the efficacy of sound-field systems; children in classes with poorer acoustics benefited in listening comprehension, whereas there was no additional benefit for children in classrooms with better acoustics.

Characterization of in-flight performance of ion propulsion systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sovey, James S.; Rawlin, Vincent K.

1993-06-01

In-flight measurements of ion propulsion performance, ground test calibrations, and diagnostic performance measurements were reviewed. It was found that accelerometers provided the most accurate in-flight thrust measurements compared with four other methods that were surveyed. An experiment has also demonstrated that pre-flight alignment of the thrust vector was sufficiently accurate so that gimbal adjustments and use of attitude control thrusters were not required to counter disturbance torques caused by thrust vector misalignment. The effects of facility background pressure, facility enhanced charge-exchange reactions, and contamination on ground-based performance measurements are also discussed. Vacuum facility pressures for inert-gas ion thruster life tests and flight qualification tests will have to be less than 2 mPa to ensure accurate performance measurements.

Characterization of in-flight performance of ion propulsion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sovey, James S.; Rawlin, Vincent K.

1993-01-01

In-flight measurements of ion propulsion performance, ground test calibrations, and diagnostic performance measurements were reviewed. It was found that accelerometers provided the most accurate in-flight thrust measurements compared with four other methods that were surveyed. An experiment has also demonstrated that pre-flight alignment of the thrust vector was sufficiently accurate so that gimbal adjustments and use of attitude control thrusters were not required to counter disturbance torques caused by thrust vector misalignment. The effects of facility background pressure, facility enhanced charge-exchange reactions, and contamination on ground-based performance measurements are also discussed. Vacuum facility pressures for inert-gas ion thruster life tests and flight qualification tests will have to be less than 2 mPa to ensure accurate performance measurements.